Springtime in Napa

Our Neuromechanical System seminar in San Francisco on May 17-18 provided the perfect excuse to fly in a couple of days early to see the Napa Valley in Springtime. The weather wasn't Spring-like at all, but rather over 100 degrees, however!

Having visited Napa in years past, the word quickly spread to my friends Tom Sanford and Dr. Chris Pierce who decided to join in on the fun - or more seriously, the world-renowned Napa Valley Cabernet Savingnon. Tom, from New Jersey, owns a therapeutic laser company and is an affiliate of ours at our seminars, and Chris is a fun-loving chiropractor in Portland, Oregon. The three of us oenophiles cooridinated our flights to arrive on Thursday morning at SFO and then headed up to Napa.

I always say that driving through Napa with its rolling hills and vineyards reminds me of Tuscany, but one of my favorite sights is on the way into the valley while driving North on Highway 29 are these very cool looking "oreo cookie" cows.

The cows are actually Belted Galloways, an ancient breed from the rugged Galloway cattle of Scotland, that reside at Stewart Ranch in Petaluma. These gorgeous animals five new meaning to cookies and milk! On my bucket list is to have these cows grazing in the fields adjacent of my very own vineyard some day.

Arriving in Napa, our first stop was to the Red Hen Cantina, for lunch. It's a good idea to hae some food in your stomach before a day of wine tasting - and when I'm in Califonia I love to go to a place that makes awesome fish tacos. Red Hen fits the bill.

Baja-style Fish tacos are influenced from Ensenada, Mexico, comprised of flaky white fish very lightly battered tempura-style served on a corn tortilla with shredded cabbage, chopped onions, tomatoes, pico de gallo, and cilantro drizzled with a creamy mayo sauce. The fish taco is to California cuisine what the cheese steak is to Philadelphia or chowda to Boston. It's just right and a must have when visiting the West coast.

With lunch out of the way, it was time for our 1:30 appointment at Caymus Vineyards.

The entrance to Caymus in Rutherford is adorned in a charming old-world look of stone and vines surrounded by a beautiful and fragrant flower garden.

Inside, we were seated with other visitors for an informative history of the vineyard and a tasting of their delicious wines. Founded by father and son team, Charlie and Chuck Wagner, in 1972, the vineyards of Caymus actually date back to the 1960's and before when Charlie's friend grafted Cabernet cuttings on old vine root stocks. The wine was soo good, that Charlie pulled out 60 acres of fruit trees to plant cabernet. Now that's a vision!

Chuck and Charlie Wagner in the early days of Caymus - a wine that went on to gain world-wide acclaim and served at the White house for Presidential dinners.

We began with the 2003 Sauvingnon Blanc, only sold at their cellar-door. It's honeysuckle and pear aromas were appreciated on the palate and the oak that the wine spends time in smooths off the finish fanstastically. Next up was the 2005 Napa Valley Zinfandel - a mix of Zin and 29% Petite Syrah, followed by their flagship cabernets.

The 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet was full on the palate with rich fruit and smooth and silky on the finish, perhaps due to the merlot that accompanyies the blend. The 2005 Special Selection Cabernet Sauvingnon is 100% Cab with rich tannins, mocha and tobacco characteristics with a long finish that is sure to age well. I had no choice but to leave with a shipper case full of an assortment of their wines.



From Rutherford we headed North on Hwy. 29 up to Heitz Cellars in St. Helena. Since 1961, Heitz has earned accolades for its wines every year. Their three renowned vineyard-designated wines - Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Trailside Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Bella Oaks Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - are the highlight of the winery's distinguished resumé.

Wine Spectator underscored Heitz Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon legendary status by selecting Martha's Vineyard Cabernet as one of the Top 12 wines of the 20th Century. While most Napa wineries charge anywhere from $25-$40 per tasting, Heitz still pours complimentary. I purchased a bottle of their 1999 Martha's Vineyard Cabernet as a show of support for the generosity.

Next up was nearby Markham Vineyards, who had an awesome art exhibit featuring rock-n-roll icons. From Frank Zappa sitting on a tractor, to huge portraits of Jimmi Hendrix, The Stones, Beatles, Jerry Garcia and so many more, it was a very cool and entertaining exhbit.

The winery was kind of crowded so we didn't take the opportunity to taste their wines. Instead we picked up a map to find our way to Chateau Montelena Winery, our next stop.
When I talked to my brother John, earlier in the week, he suggested we pay a visit to Montelena as the company he works for is distributing the film "Bottle Shock" which was filmed there.

Bottle shock debuted at The Sundance Film Festival this year and is scheduled for public release later this year - is the he story of the early days of California wine making featuring the now infamous, blind Paris wine tasting of 1976 that has come to be known as "Judgment of Paris" that put Cali wines on the map.

Chateau Montelena's illustrious history dates back to 1882 and we were able to tast their 2006 Chardonnay, 2005 Napa Valey Cabernet among others. The wines were rich and full deserving of their acclaim.

Because we had hotel reservations in Calistoga to spend the night, we continued working our way north, stopping off at Bennett Lane Winery.

Bennett Lane Winery - where the Vaca mountain range meets the Mayacamas range.

We tasted their Maximus White (Sauvingnon Blanc blend) and Maximus Red (a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah), as well as their Chardonnay and Cabernet. I enjoyed each of their wines so much, I bought a bottle of each for my cellar.

After a long day of tasting, we arrived in Calistoga, a sleepy Northern California town with a rich history made famous by its hot springs and water.

We stayed at Calistoga Hot Springs that had three natural hot spring pools of different temperatures - 80 degrees, 100 degrees, and 106 degrees. Even thought it was hot, the pools were relaxing and enjoyed.

We wandered over to Brannan's Grill, just walking distance from our hotel, a favorite of mine since my last visit to the town. Plus, I remembered that they had fabulous oysters there!



The name "Brannan's" honors Calistoga founder Sam Brannan - who acquired over 3,000 acres of land on which he planed and developed the first Calistoga resort - he was also California's first millionaire.

The restaurant's decor shows off natural wood and the bar is one of the most impressive I have seen in the world. Made by the original Brunswick & Co. in New Jersey, in 1930 it was shipped around Cape Horn into San Francisco and subsequently brought via ferry and rail service to Calistoga where it has resided since for the past 70 years.

From Brannan's we stopped in to the Calistoga Inn where they have their own brewery. With the benefit of pure natural springs water in Calistoga, this wasn't something we could pass up so we each indulged in their sampler as well as a pint of our favorite - mine being the Calistoga Oatmeal Stout. Chris Pierce hit it off with the Brewmaster, sharing beer making stories and his worldly knowledge of ales and lagers.

The night wasn't over yet as the All Seasons Bistro was still open. Upon entering, the guys met maitre D/wine buyer, Chris Banks who promptly showed them to their the vintage wine cellar that boasted some older years of some incredible local labels.

While perusing the cellar, I found a 1978 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, a classic 2nd Growth St. Julien Bordeaux and convinced the guys that this should be our choice. I've had this wine in the past on a couple of occasions, as my brother John bought a case of it when his son, John H was born celebrating his birth year ('78).

Maitre D, Chris Banks opens the '78 Ducru Beaucaillou, and later an '82 Shafer Cab.

We invited Mr. Banks to a taste of the coveted Bordeaux, so he grabbed a glass and I poured for him - an etiquette - or perhaps good public relations technique that my brother taught me when dining with him. We nicknamed Mr. Banks, Turtle, as he looks just like the character on HBO's hit series, Entourage. I don't think he liked his new found title, but he was a good sport about it.

As if that wasn't enough, Turtle talked us into a bottle of 1982 Shafer Cabernet Savingnon, which marks the vintage just before Shafer began bottling their hillside select. The wine was fantastic and even over 25 years aged, still boasted loads of jammy fruit up front and, tobacco, minerals and a chocolate lined finish. It was a hit with all of us and a great way to cap an incredible day.

On Friday, we had a 10:00 a.m. appointment at Spring Mountain Vineyards. Tom first introduced me to this wine after one of my seminars in Chicago - We had dinner downtown at Harry Caray's Steakhouse and enjoyed a bottle of Spring Mountain Cabernet along with a bone-in Ribeye steak. This wine an impresssion on me and I thought Tom would enjoy a visit to their estate. I subsequently booked it for this trip.



Upon arrival we were very impressed with the grandeur of the property and their manicured landscaping. A crew of 15 persons manages the property that boasts everything from beautiful Bird of Paradise to vegetable gardens.

They were currently in the process of grafting Merlot on to a Cabernet rootstock in a vineyard that our guide, Napa Valley native, Patrick Memmott, took the time to explain to us.




The magnificence of the 845 acre estate is only surpassed by the elegance and sense of class that carries throughout the property. Owned by a banker from Geneva, Switzerland, the present day estate was once three separate properties, each its own vineyard and winery dating back to the 1800's.

In total, there are over 130 different vineyard blocks scattering over 225 acres, each with a different terroir - elevaltion, soil, and exposure to the elements. These blocks are subsequently blended to enlist such diversity to produce consistent and powerful wines.

We were escorted to the Chateau on the property where our tasting was conducted in their beautiful dining room. Stained glass windows adorn the solid woodwork and one can only appreciate the craftsmanship that went into building and restoring this mansion.




The dining room table where we had our tasting is made from timbers taken from a barn on the property and provides a sense of home in a distinguised setting.

We began with their 2006 Sauvingnon Blanc which was crisp and clean full of green apple and pear characteristics. Just like Caymus, Spring Mountain Vineyard's Sav Blanc also spends some time in oak, which seems to cut the acidity and smooths out the finish.

Their 2005 Pinot Noir was Burgognean in style - light and fruity and a pleasant suprise for us to taste. We then went on to their flagship wines, beginning with the 2004 Estate Cabernet Savingnon - a wine actually comprised of 90% Cab Sav, 8% Cab Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. It drank very well and will notably age for a decade or more.

Last, we were treated to two vintages of their Bordeaux-style blend, Elivette 2003 and 2001. The '03 consists of 88% Cab Sav, 9% Merlot, and 3% Cab Franc creating a beautifully blanced, complex and layered wine. The '01 Elivette was all of our favorites as the extra years in bottle very much smoothed out the tannins. Indeed, this wine is of great complexity, spending nearly 2 years in french oak.



Of all of the places we toured on this trip, Spring Mountain Vineyard was my favorite. The Estate was recently featured on NBC's Late Night With Conan O'Brien where the late-night comic filmed some funny clips that you can view on the links provided.

Conan at Spring Mountain - Part 1
Conan at Spring Mountain - Part 2

Patrick from Spring Mountain told us that the best hamburger in the valley could be found at Taylor's, so without hesitation we headed there for lunch.

Located on the west side of Hwy. 29 in St. Helena, driving by you can't miss the nostalgic oldies burger joint feel of the place.

It was a beautiful day and while in the upper 90's we still were able to enjoy a burger and good conversation outside at one of their picnic tables in their backyard lawn.

Our next appointment was scheduled for 2:30 at Newton Vineyards so we had some time to kill. At the recommendation of Tom Sanford, went back up Spring Mountain to a vineyard that I'd never heard of, Schweiger Vineyards.

This family owned buisness began in 1960 when Fred Schweiger's parents purchased 50 acres on Spring Mountain. In the 1970's they planted Cabernet vines and their first harvest was in the mid 1980's.

Being in the Construction business, Fred was able to use his crew to clear the land and build the property as it stands today. Son, Andrew went on to be trained at UC Davis and in 1999 became the winemaker. We had the opportunity to meet Andy and ask him some question about his wines which was enjoyable.

The vineyards at Schweiger, their stainless steel tanks and faithful labrador, and the guys.

Arriving at Newton Vineyard for our 2:30 appointment, we appreciated the English gardens and fusion of Asian and English influences - each from the owners - Dr. Su Hua, originally from China, and the recently deceased Peter Newton hailing from England.

The property sits on the eastern side of the Mayacamas Mountain Range which separates the Napa and Sonoma valleys.

The dominant feature of this gorgeous site is seen at the vineyard’s highest point where a single pine tree crowns the ridge line.

This lone pine, over 100 feet tall and visible from many points in Napa Valley, is called Pino Solo - appearing as the logo of Newton Vineyard wines.

A formal sit-down tasting was afforded to us where we were able to taste their notorious Unfiltered Chardonnay. Wine Advocate editor, Robert Parker gave their 2005 vintage a 96 point rating. Equally acclaimed, this wine was chosen to be served to the Queen of England at a White House dinner last year during her visit.

We also tasted their current releases of their Merlot, Cabernet, and Bordeaux Blend, The Puzzle. All of which were terrific and pleasing to the palate.

Dr. Chris Pierce takes the opportunity to capture Newton's Logo in his fingertips and shows his passion for large format bottles (that's another story). Chris just had to have his picture taken in the English Telephone Booth that graces the entrance to the property.

Prior to departing for Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, where my seminar was being held the next day, we thought we'd shoot over east in the napa valley to the Silverado Trail.

We stopped in to the historic Regusci Winery, whos historic cellar was erected in 1878. In 1932, Gaetano Regusci purchased the 286-acre ranch for $22,000, and the family farmed grapes, corn, hay, prunes, and walnuts among raising cattle and hogs.

With the growing prominence of the Napa Valley as a premier wine-growing region, the family was eventually able to focus its farming on a single crop - wine grapes. In 1995, decendant Jim decided to re-establish a winery on the property showcasing its estate wines.

Further south on the Silverado trail is Darioush - founded by Iranian immigrant, Darioush Khaledi - who earned his success with in the food distribution business in Southern California.

The interior of the Estate is as grand as its exterior and their wines are equally grand.

We decided to head into Yountville to have dinner rather than sitting in rush hour traffic heading back into San Francisco.

We took the recommendation of the wine pourer, John, at Darioush (who also happens to be a professionally trained chef himself) to eat at a local French Bistro, Bistro Jeanty.

Chris Pierce recommended we cleanse our palates with some bubbly, so Domain Chandon fit the bill. Chris' famous quote, "Thanks for letting me bubble up, Guys," still rings with me.

We worked up an appetite tasting, so we decided to have a starter and a main course each.

I started with the Creme de Tomate en Croute (Tomato Soup in puff pastry) and went on to have the Coq au vin. Tom opted to start with the Foie Gras with a port poached pear and had the Sole Meuniere in a lemon caper butter sauce as his Main.

Dr. Pierce in pure glutton style outdid both of us, starting with the Langue D'agneau (warm lamb tounge and potato salad) and proceeded to tell the waiter that for his Main Course he wanted to have the Steak Tartare AND the Foie Gras. Chris' plan - to put the Foie on top of the Tartare. It worked divinely for him and he was like a kid in a candy shop!

We paired our meal with a local Oakville wine Cab called Paradigm. My brother-in-law, Joe Mancino, told me about his enjoyment of this wine, and since I had never had it, we decided to give it a try. Classic Napa Cabernet Sauvingnon in nature, Joe was right - it hit the mark.

When I reflect on all of the terrior that we covered in about 30 hours it just fits my motto, "I'm not here for a long time, just here for a good time."

On Sunday, I leave for Geneva, Switzerland to attend SpineWeek - a huge orthopaedic conference combining several spine societies including the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, which I am a member.

I'm presenting our research on the platform on Saturday, and following the conference I will be heading to Bordeaux where my brother and my nephew will be joining me to spend 5 days touring the region. I'm really looking forward to this trip and the Blogs to follow!

Cheers,
Chris