Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Silverado Trail Silver Pass Weekend


Entrance to Joseph Phelps!

Napa less traveled on Silverado Trail with some of the best wineries in the world.

March 24th and 25th – Silverado Trail Wineries Association Silver Pass Weekend 11 am - 4 pm, both days– Join Zahtila Vineyards and 14 other wineries for this annual adventure along the road less traveled. $30 for a two day pass or $20 for a one day pass gives you access to all venues. This worthwhile cause continues to fund the Napa Valley Schools Reading Program, sending books home with youngsters each winter and summer. Buy tickets at http://www.silveradotrail.com/

Great spot for lunch or dinner is Auberge De Soleil - their cheeseburger is fantastic...especially after a day in Napa.

Here's the deal SILVER PASS HOLDERS ARE ENTITLED TO: Current release tastings at each of the participating wineries along with barrel samples, food pairing, special discounts, library releases, and more!
The participating wineries include: Signorello, Rustridge, Van der Heyden, Pina Cellars, Casa Nuestra Failla, Envy, Summit Lake, Zahtila Vineyards, Hagafen, Judd’s Hill, Robinson Family, Atalon, Venge and Monticello.

Sadly Pine Ridge, ZD, Stags Leap and Joseph Phelps are not participating - so you'll have to call Phelps to set up an appointment and make sure you have the Insignia. Another winery on the trail, but not a member is Robert Sinskey make sure you try his Carneros Pinot Noir, Cab Franc and his blend called RSV - all fantastic.

Here is the partial list of wineries on Silverado Trail - I highlighted some of my faves!

ANDRETTI WINERY4162 Big Ranch. Rd.Napa CA 94558707.261.1714
BALDACCI VINEYARDS6236 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.944.9261
CASA NUESTRA WINERY3451 Silverado Trail NorthSt. Helena, CA 94574707.963.5783
CHIMNEY ROCK WINERY5350 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.257.2641
CLIFF LEDE VINEYARDS1473 Yountville Cross RoadYountville, CA800.428.2259
CLOS DU VAL5330 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.261.5225
CONN CREEK8711 Silverado TrailSt. Helena, California 94574707.963.9100
DARIOUSH WINERY4240 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.257.2345
DUTCH HENRY WINERY4310 Silverado TrailCalistoga, California 94515707.942.5771
GOOSECROSS CELLARS1119 State LaneYountville, CA 94599707.944.1986
HAGAFEN CELLARS4160 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.252.0781
JOSEPH PHELPS WINERY200 Taplin Rd.St. Helena, CA 94574707.963.2745
JUDD'S HILL WINERYP.O. Box 415Ste. Helena, CA 94574707-963-9093
LUNA WINERY
MONTICELLO VINEYARDS4242 Big Ranch Rd.Napa, CA 94558707.253.2802
MUMM NAPA VALLEY8445 Silverado TrailRutherford , CA 95473707.967.7700
ON THE EDGE1255 Lincoln Ave.Calistoga, CA 94515707.942.7410
PIс NAPA VALLEY8060 Silverado TrailRutherford, CA 94573707.738.9328
PARADUXX7257 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.945.0890
ROBINSON FAMILY VINEYARDS5880 Silverado Trail,Napa, CA 94558707.944.8004
RUSTRIDGE WINERY2910 Lower Chiles Valley Rd.St. Helena, CA 94574707.965.9353
RUTHERFORD HILL WINERY200 Rutherford Hill Rd.Rutherford, CA 94573707.963.7194
RUTHERFORD RANCH1680 Silverado TrailSt. Helena, CA 94558707.968.3200
SIGNORELLO WINERY4500 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.255.5990
SILVERADO VINEYARDS6121 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.257.1770
STAG'S LEAP WINE CELLAR5766 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.944.2020
STELTZNER VINEYARDS5998 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.252.7272
STERLING VINEYARDS1111 Dunaweal LaneCalistoga, CA 94515707.942.3344
SUMMIT LAKE VINEYARDS2000 Summit Lake RoadAngwin, CA 94500707.965.2488
TITUS VINEYARDS2971 Silverado Trail NorthSt. Helena, CA 94574707.963.3235
VAN DER HEYDEN VINEYARDS4057 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.257.0130
VINCENT ARROYO WINERY2361 Greenwood Ave.Calistoga, CA 94515707.942.6995
WILLIAM HARRISON VINEYARDS1443 Silverado TrailSt. Helena, CA 94574707.963.8310
WILLIAM HILL WINERY1761 Atlas Peak Rd.Napa, CA 94558707.224.5424
ZAHTILA VINEYARDS2250 Lake County Hwy.Calistoga, CA 94515707.942.9251
ZD WINES8380 Silverado TrailNapa, CA 94558707.963.5188

New Orleans Jazz Fest 4/27-4/29 & 5/4-5/6


Lenny Kravitz on stage from a few years ago

Every other year I try to visit the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - good excuse for a visit and fun to take my parents to see the great music.

And who can resist the great food at Jazz Fest - like crawfish monica, oyster & tasso pasta, jambalaya, alligator sausage, p0-boys and more...and make sure you buy one of the can coolers that has a strap that you can put around your neck...as it says on the side "How ya gonna clap?" or more importantly chow down .

I'll be attending the first weekend of Jazz Fest features Dr. John, Van Morrison, Rebirth Brass Band, Rod Stewart, Norah Jones, Ludacris, Brad Paisley, Bonnie Raitt, George Thorogood and more. But I have to tell you...it won't be the big artists that make you appreciate the Fest. It will be some act you've never heard of that will blow you away. Everytime you attend Jazz Fest you learn another piece of the music history of Louisiana that you will never forget.

http://www.nojazzfest.com/

I was lucky enough to live in New Orleans in its hey day in the early 90's. After you live there the city is so different than what most tourists only see from hanging out on Bourbon Street.

As a local you learn to say "Where Y'at? and find all the cool places uptown, in the garden and warehouse district. I have not been back since the flooding from Hurricane Katrina and hoping that the New Orleans is recovering. It has been so nice to visit restaurants that I used to frequent there and have the same people still working there, doubt that will still be the case now and hopefully the city hasn't lost its charm.

So it won't be a big weekend of wine, but I will probably have some sitting at the bar at Mr B's more like a lot of Abita Amber - my fave when I'm in the Big Easy.

Look for my Mom and them at the Jazz Fest - Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler!

-Brian

Monday, March 12, 2007

The Big Move - 12 Blocks

Wow has it really been a whole year in NYC? A year ago I still had two houses in California (North & South) and just moved into an apartment in Manhattan to start a new job with CBS.

A year later I was lucky enough to sell the Nor Cal house before the crash, so it was time to upgrade my crib in the city. The prices are still crazy, but was able to find a nicer place with two bathrooms, washer/dryer & 7 closets! You only understand that if you live here.

You would think that moving 12 blocks north would be easy, but its still a whole day affair. The good news about the move was taking inventory of my wine collection...which has been in the back of a dark closet.

Found some great finds including a '96 Franciscan Reserve Cabernet - this was a very limited edition, fantastic wine that I'll break out this week, a '94 Gaya Barbera, some magnums, plus a vertical of '98, '99, '01 LeDucq and a bottle of the new name of the winery '02 Ehlers Estate. One thing so significant about the LeDucq wines was the artwork on the label including Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Renoir. Who knew drinking wine would give me some fine art education. When visiting the Tate Modern museum in London a few years ago I was able to identify these artists from seeing their paintings on the wine bottles.

One of my biggest worries was whether Don Giovanni's (44th/9th) would still deliver their brick oven pizza to my new address - good news they do...all the way up to 60th!...just 4 blocks to spare. After a hard day unpacking I pair the pizza with a '97 Mt Veeder Reserve that was unbelievable. Nice 1st night in the new apartment.

The HDTV's are all set up and I'm ordering a Bistro Table for my cool bar stools from Seattle and will be having a wine party - house warming party soon.

-Brian

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Del Dotto Winery


High School Buddy Dave R., Dave Del Dotto, Michelle (Dave R's Wife) and Brian from last year