Ultimate California Wine Blog

In Hebrew, hagafen means "the vine." And I was fascinated to learn that a premiere kosher winery exists in Napa! When people think of kosher in regards to wine, one immediately thinks of Manischevitz, but Hagafen Cellars is Napa-based, certified kosher, and astonishingly great! I am not going to give a whole analysis of how kosher wines are made. There are enough websites that will do that other than to tell you that the wine is briefly flash pasteurized at 185 degrees and blessed by an in-house Rabbi.

Located just off the Silverado Trail, Hagafen is owned by Ernie and Irit Weir and by all accounts, they are very hands-on owners with Ernie managing the vineyards AND making the wine. The day of my visit, a large group was expected for lunch and I was told how Irit had prepared an entire Turkish-inspired meal.

Although I did not get an opportunity to meet the Weirs, I was introduced to She Who Really Runs Everything: Lola. We all know that winery cats are true power behind the thrones and Lola certainly held court as stately queen of the tasting room. Another interesting aspect of the tasting room (one you MUST ask about), are the frogs…

The tasting room is small and elegant, surrounded with cases of wine and accolades on the walls. You can hear the high-pitched chirps echoing around you. They are there, you see… Small little frogs who like to hang out in the tasting room, mostly behind the framed pictures of the family, articles, and well-deserved ratings. It is charming and disconcerting at the same time and I’m surprised Lola hasn’t had her way with them…

2001 Brut Cuvée Sparkling Wine – Yep, a sparkling kosher! Made from Carneros grapes which are purchased, a mere 500 cases are made. 78% Pinot Noir and 22% Chardonnay, this wine is creamy and nutty with hints of toast and ripe white fruit. $30.00

2004 Chardonnay – 100% malo displays a light, creamy floral nose. Initial flavors are of yellow peach and apricot with a light, toasty oak finish. $18.00

2004 Pinot Noir – 8 month in French oak. Bright cherry and raspberry aromas mirrored in the crisp mouth entry. Engaging terroir is warm and rich in this medium-bodied wine with a soft, mineral finish. $32.00

2002 Merlot – Warm, dark cherry bouquet. Easy spiced tobacco entry with hints of chocolate. Developed and easy to drink. $27.00

2000 Merlot – With 10% Cabernet. Some funky earth terroir blows off to display older brambleberry tones. Medium-bodied with integrated tannins. $39.00

1998 Merlot – Bricky-edged color showing age and earth and leather and a tease of the fruit from days gone by. Probably has six month to a year left in it and great fun to find an affordable library wine! $49.00

2001 Syrah - Terroir-driven earthy wine with a touch of brambleberry. Merlot-like nose and an easy, berry fruit mouth entry that brightens upon opening. Medium bodied makes this another easy-to-drink wine. $27.00

2000 Syrah – Similar to the ’01 with a bit more earth and age. $39.00

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon – With 12% Cabernet Franc. Earthy tobacco and leather nose. Beefy, dark fruit textured flavors with perfectly balanced tannins. $40.00

2004 White Riesling – At 3.9% residual sugar. Engaging nose of white flowers and a hint of bright spice and freshly cut grass. Clean tastes of white fruit; white pear, white grapes, and white melon. Not syrupy or sticky, but crisp and fun. $19.00

Hagafen Cellars ~ 4160 Silverado Trail ~ Napa ~ Ca ~ 94558 ~ 707-252-0791
$5.00 for four current release whites
$5.00 for four current release reds
$10.00 for four library wines

I have heard that Napa valley is home to 200 wineries, 300 wineries, and 400 wineries. I have never been able to get an exact number and I imagine there are more winery producers than there are those with actual facilities. With that in mind, having driven up and down the valley several hundred times, it was a wrong turn down a side road that proved the most exciting — a winery I had never seen before, Monticello!

The reason I had never seen Monticello before is because it is located on a little-known side road that runs in between the Silverado Trail and Highway 29 known as Big Ranch Road. It is mostly a giant quilt-work of planted vineyards with a farmhouse here and a Victorian replica there. But then there is this Jeffersonian replica belonging to the Corley family.

Jay Corley began as a grape grower in 1970 and built the stately facilities, opening his winery in the late 1980s. I was charmed by the staff and their warmth and interested in a number of wines that were not available to taste; a sparkling as well as a botrytis-affected Semillon. They refer to these wines as "secrets" and while I enjoyed the wines I did taste, I was most intrigued by the others.

2004 Monticello Vineyards Estate Grown Chardonnay – A classically designed California Chardonnay with a light aroma of green apple and kiwi. Crisp, defined mouth entry shows well-integrated oak with a touch of creaminess. Balanced and textured. $26.00

2003 Monticello Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir – Fabulously rich nose of ripe raspberry and strawberry. Complex with red fruit and earth, the soft tannins showed excellent heightened acidity and a long, supple finish. $34.00

2003 Monticello Vineyards Estate Merlot – Spicy fruit and dark, toasty oak bouquet with secondary aromas of green terroir. Tight mouth entry is constricted, but expands with swirling and aeration. Full bodied, muted flavors of dark fruit are moderated with supple tannins. A young wine that I would love to try in five or ten years. $30.00

2001 Monticello Vineyards, Jefferson Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon – Black fruit and green bell pepper with dark, dusty twigs and dried flowers in the nose. Young, flavors of cedar and cocoa dominates black fruit. $34.00

Monticello Vineyards/Corley Family Napa Valley ~ 4242 Big Ranch Road ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94558 ~ 707-253-2802
$10.00 tasting

Along the Silverado Trail, there sit a handful of wineries that are located up on the edge of the hillside – making entrance to the facilities up long, stately drive ways. Signorello is just such a vineyard and upon arrival, guests face an elegant, half vine-covered stone building.

A glance behind the building makes visible a handful of outdoor sculptures, a swimming pool, some patio furniture, and a built-in barbecue. The first thought is that some really great parties must be held here. When you wander into the building, immediately to your left you will see a kitchen. Yeah, REALLY good parties…

During my visit, the single worker manning the tasting station seemed a bit overwhelmed, but managed to keep track of everyone’s pourings. During a quiet moment, I managed to ask him about the kitchen. I was wrong about the parties. The location is classified as a private residence, hence the kitchen, swimming pool, etc. The tasting bar is merely an adjunct to Ray Signorello Jr.’s home – although he lives most of the time in Canada.

2003 Pinot Noir, Las Amigas Vineyard – These are from vineyards that were planted by Louis Martini in 1946. Warm, earthy tones with a candied cherry core. Medium-body mouth entry, the tone finishes a tad hot. $36.00

2002 Zinfandel, Luvisi Vineyard – This 100% Zinfandel has surprisingly light aromas of raspberry. The flavors are a bit heftier, but not a whole lot; some dark fruit and spice with an acidic entry. $34.00

2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate – Green bell pepper and jalapeño aromas. Hot, spicy entry with some purple fruit under the heat showing an unbalanced finish of dryness. $39.00

2002 Syrah, Estate – Dark purple color giving off green, hospital aromas. Hot, hot, hot. $36.00

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate – 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot. Green olive and cherry with some dusty, woods twigs in the center with a dry, peppery finish. $48.00

Signorello Vineyards ~ 4500 Silverado Trail ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94558 ~ 707-255-5990

Loyal Hughes is a warm, charming, and gregarious gentleman. I had the tremendous pleasure of sitting down with him and his lovely wife, Linda, during a local harvest party at a winery not far from Loyal’s own Howell Mountain five-acre vineyard. Harvest parties are potluck affairs with most local winemakers bringing their own bottles to share. Lucky me, as Loyal’s wines have a whopping production of only 125 cases.

Some of you are doing the math; five acres should produce a whole lot more than 125 cases, shouldn’t it? Normally it would except that Hughes is one of those persnickety, finicky winery owners who will only put his name of the best quality product he can. That means only using grapes from one small lot, maybe an acre’s worth, of his five acres of grapes. The rest of it — quality fruit, I’m sure — gets sold off every year to waiting buyers, anxious to acquire premium Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Using a 100% new French oak, Loyal Hughes likes sharing his wine even though he doesn’t make very much. He is also deeply philosophical about his wine, believing in consistency and making a wine that is exceptionally food-friendly. With no plans to expand production quantities, this will be a wine you will have to hunt for — fortunately, he shared with me the three stores that are currently carrying Hughes Howell Mountain Cabernet; Dean & Deluca in the Napa valley, Wine Country in Southern California, and 34 North Wine Merchant in Healdsburg.  No website and no intention to ever have one, Hughes sells a bit off a mailing list and that’s about it…

2000 Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon – Spicy core of uber-rich, dark fruit; black cassis, black currant, and black plum. Rich and developed, the tannins are soft and easy without the tell-tale bite of a young Cab. Some rich earthy qualities in the mid-palate with a long, silky finish. $55.00

Hughes ~ 165 Olive Avenue ~ Angwin ~ CA ~ 94508 ~ 707-965-1907

Over a dozen years ago, when I was a wine neophyte, Ravenswood was one of the first wineries I ever visited. For me, the initial draw was the logo. I was heavily involved in the Renaissance Faire and the Celtic triskelion design of three black ravens twisted in on themselves was akin to many Irish-themed tattoos which was as prevalent in the 80s as tribal tattoos are now. Logo aside, there was also a draw to a winery producing a number of vineyard-specific Zinfandels with a nifty catch phrase, No Wimpy Wines. Zinfandel was the thrust of the business and a few other varietals were made. If memory serves, their production level was in the 20,000 to 30,000 case range…

A lot has changed for Ravenswood. Their case production now tops one million and the company is now owned by one of the largest international wine conglomerates on the planet, Constellation Brands. Fortunately, the brainchild and original winemaker behind Ravenswood, Joel Peterson, is still at the helm of the winemaking team.

The tasting room is practically exactly the same today as it was when I visited it 15 years ago. The staff is gregarious and helpful and while I believe that are a few misses in some of the overall line up of their production, there is still some fabulous wines to be had. There are a variety of tasting levels that will allow each visitor to explore their own personal interests.

2002 Icon – 87% Syrah, 9% Grenache, 4% Mourvedre. A really nice daily drinker for the price point. Juicy aroma of meat, black pepper, and dark purple fruit. Brambleberry flavors coat the mouth with a slightly sweet finish of spice. $20.00

2003 Big River Zinfandel, Alexander Valley – 1,500 cases made. Massive fruit bomb in a medium-bodied Zin. Ruby port aromas of concentrated purple fruit; plum, berries, and currants. Full, rich mouth entry that is smooth and balanced. $32.00

2002 Sangiacomo Merlot – 500 cases made. Noticeable green bell pepper and minerals in the nose. Bright cherry flavors that deepens to show a more herbal mid-palate. The finish paled from the entry. $27.50

2001 Petite Sirah, Sonoma – 400 cases made. Dark plummy bouquet with a layer of lighter blueberry tone. Rich entry expanding to show black pepper, cocoa, and a spicy dark plum finish.

Ravenswood ~
18701 Gehricke Road ~ Sonoma ~ CA ~ 95476 ~ 707-933-2332