Get thee to a winery!

One of the best things about having friends visit from out of town is that it gives you a great excuse to visit wineries. Because if, like me, you are not in the wine business and if, like me, you have a bustling life, full of Other Things, it can take a monumental effort to get into a winery. (Okay, since you can’t throw a rock without hitting a winery in these parts–if you have a really, really good arm–I am clearly making this a bigger problem than it really is. I just mean to say that if one doesn’t make it a point to stop and taste, she might not ever, and this is a sad thing.)

So, yes, last Saturday friends from San Francisco lured us into joining them for tastes at Casa Nuestra and Storybook. The fact that I’d never been to Casa Nuestra is shameful, especially considering that I lived practically next door for three years. If you haven’t been, I’m sure you’ve heard the winery described as “quirky” and “down-to-earth”–and if you have stopped in for a visit, I’m sure you agree.  I tasted a Meritage and the Tinto Classico, and liked them both, though I was still reeling from lunch at Silverado Brewing Company. (New rule: I will not taste wine on a full stomach!) As we drove away I noticed a sag to the tasting room roof. With all these rains, I worry …

Next we sped up the Trail to taste at Storybook Mountain Vineyards, just north of Calistoga. We were a few minutes late for our tasting appointment and our host was closing up shop. Fortunately for us, he graciously re-opened and we learned all about Storybook and their wines. I loved the spot, nestled in the hills with a great view of Mt. St. Helena, which last Saturday was moodily buried in clouds. The winery was purchased by Sigrid and Jerry Seps in 1976–an auspicious year in my own personal history, since I was born a few miles away at St. Helena Hospital that very year. We all came away with bottles of Zinfandel and Viognier.

This coming weekend, my tasting efforts will extend to the wine and cheese tasting at Darioush–a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my guy, sure, but also a great excuse to get out there and experience the Napa Valley.