Food and wine are two of my passions. Following your curiosity and letting your taste buds and your sense of smell move you in the direction of flavors and aromas you enjoy, can make the most of your experience with both food and wine. 

 

Wine tasting is one of my favorite things to do. Having the opportunity to travel all over the world and taste wines is a luxury. The Napa Valley has some fantastic wines and it is only a few hours from my home. This makes it an easy weekend getaway. Our last trip to the area we visited some new places, but also some old and much-loved wineries. 

 

Keenan Winery has had a special place in my heart for years. They produce Napa Valley wines in the Bordeaux style. The tasting menu consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Zinfandel, Mernet, and Chardonnay. The hospitality is both warm and inviting. The winery is hidden up at the top of Spring Mountain and well worth the beautiful winding drive away from the crowds. The views are lovely, and the experience is everything I enjoy about a wine tasting. All of their wines are delicious. 

 

Jeff Cohn Cellars was a new stop this year. The tasting room is located on the Historic Sonoma Square. They are known for their Rhône style wines. We sampled the Red Blends, Grenache, Marsanne, Mourvėdre, and Single Vineyard Zinfandels. Jeff Cohn is the founder and winemaker. He has a passion for classic French style winemaking. On our visit, both Jeff and his lovely wife educated us on their winemaking history, process, and different varietals. The wines were beautiful, and we look forward to visiting again.  

 

Pangloss Cellars is a welcoming and beautiful place to enjoy a tasting. Their wines are known as a celebration of the grape varietals of Sonoma. We took the opportunity to taste their Red Blend, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and their Cabernet Sauvignons. It was a great experience in an amazing tasting lounge on the Historic Sonoma Square

 

Hestan Vineyards tasting room was a quick stop while we were in Yountville heading to the Restoration Hardware store and restaurant. We were hot, and their tasting room was and cool which quickly drew us in. The architecture of the building was nicely done, and the people were inviting and informative. Our favorite wine was from their Stephanie collection, which had depth and complexity. We look forward to visiting their vineyards the next time we return. 

 

Vintner's Collective in Napa was a fun little tasting room with a variety of boutique wines from the area. The people are friendly, and the range of wines is larger than you can imagine. If you want to taste different varietals in one stop from all over the Napa Valley, this is the place to go.  

 

Etude Wines was a total spur the moment, on our way home, stop. We decided to do one last tasting before leaving the Napa Valley, and a random turn on a side road led us to Etude. They are known for their Pinot but, their Cabernet Sauvignon I highly recommend tasting as well. The people were so gracious, and the tasting experience was a great way to end our weekend.  

 

This is the list of all the wines we bought during this trip. Some of them are available in local wine stores, and others you will need to order on their websites. 

 

Keenan 

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon

2015 Merlot Mailbox Vineyard

2015 Merlot

2015 Zinfandel 

2014 The Original

 

Jeff Cohn

2016 Grenache 

2016 Marsanne

20`5 Twist of Fate

 

Pangloss

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon 

 

Hestan

Stephanie 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Stephanie 2015 Malbec

 

Vintner's Collective

Ellman Family Vineyards Jemma 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

Hertelende Vineyards Audére 2014 Red Wine

DuMol 2015 Pinot Noir

Vince 2014 Cabernet Franc

R.A. Harrison Family Cellars Zosia 2016 Malbec

 

Etude

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Just Salt It, and enjoy!