NAPA’S LUXURY SIP TOUR
BY LINDA KISSAM
What's your wine choice?
Sipping an ultra-premium
glass of wine always evokes
feelings of luxury. No matter
where you are or what varietal
or blend you drink, indulging
in a glass of wine has a way
of making one feel nurtured
and inspired. After all, what
could be more enjoyable than
savoring a glass of perfectly
crafted Cabernet with friends,
sipping an exceptional
Sauvignon Blanc while
strolling leisurely through a
vineyard, or conversing with a
vintner or winemaker?
Like most wine lovers I’ve
done my time in tasting
rooms located in Napa
Valley. It’s an important
place to explore as Napa is a
benchmark for all things
wine. I’ve had the large
producer experience
standing in tasting lines and
being part of a group tour
where a spunky little guide
drones on and on about
things I already know before
they’ll let me taste the wines.
I’ve also done the dusty
road, where in the heck am I
now, back- road winery
tour. You know the
one. You get there 20
minutes late and everyone
has gone home or 15
minutes early and they
forgotten you’re coming. So
when someone mentioned
going tasting in Napa again,
I rolled my eyes and said,
“Not unless you can promise
me a high end experience I
won’t forget.”
And so it was that
Wineormous Wine Tours
organized a three stop
private winery tour
reminding me that wanting
to drink the world’s best
wine in private settings few
people ever experience is as
good of a reason as any to
get on a plane and head off
to Napa Valley. The key to
this magic was getting an
expert to organize it for me,
arrange for ground
transportation and join in at
each tasting. The ability to
exchange thoughts and notes
with an experienced wine
aficionado was indeed a luxe
experience I won’t soon
forget.
Al Fresco Tasting at Arns Winery
Here are my suggestions
for a luxury sip tour. Plan
about 5 hours for the
experience.
Quintessa: When your by
appointment only private
guide greets you with the
statement, “We honor the
birds, the owls, the butterflies
–all as a part of the terroir”
you know you are in for a
unique experience. When
that same guide takes you
outside for a hillside tour and
quiet tasting among natural
settings , you know you’ve
hit flower-power wine
nirvana. “We’re 100%
biodynamic. We plant fava
beans and alfalfa between the
rows of grapes.” The guide
has my attention. However
when he finishes off with,
“We’re creating a life force
here, it’s harmony Mother
Nature would approve of ” I
begin to understand the
depth of passion that goes
into these seriously good
wines. One sip of this
complex divine wine while
pausing on the nature trail
overlooking the Quintessa
grounds and I am sold.
Those wines are red blends
done in the style of a
Meritage that are “a
reflection of space and
place.” They began at about
$65. We step inside and are
served a selection of the
various vintages with some
amazing cheese and crackers
in an elegant tasting room.
Unhurried and nurtured
through the tasting by our
own personal host, we left
wanting for nothing and
understanding the passion
that only Napa Valley can
deliver.
Arns Winery: Why
would my tour guide choose
a winery that is often sold
out of their wines? Exactly
for that reason. Taste the
best, know the best, and
experience the best.
37
MARCH 2014 •LUXE BEAT MAGAZINE