Sunday in Napa - Chapter 3: Deep in the Cellar

Read Chapter 2: Braised and Roasted
Our party was already running an hour behind schedule, so we made our goodbyes and sorrowfully left behind Pam, Carl, and Quixote winery. Soon, our cars winding down the infinite rows of picked vines, we arrived at the Quintessa Winery.

The winery blended well into the hillsides, as is the intent to make as little architectural impact on the land as possible when it was founded by the proprietors Agustin & Valeria Huneeus. We were met by Gwen, our guide at Quintessa, and as we all gathered, I took a moment to rest a spell in a crown style chair by a roaring fire place. About to fall into a catnap fueled by good food and wine, it was the definition of Napa. However my nap was joyfully put aside as Gwen began our tour.

We began with a nice little nature hike up the hill, the smell of smoke and dead leaves around us, and we came upon a wonderful vista as Gwen told us the history of the winery. Organic and very earth friendly principles are used in growing the grapes and in their care. For example they allow gravity based methods to move the grapes to avoid the bruising, and thus increased tannin content in the wine. They also only harvest at night to avoid the sun drying or burning the grapes.

We were led into a dark cellar and as we walked down the stone hallways lined with oak barrels, we were in awe at the volume of the wine that stood at attention before us. It culminated in a small center, which seemed almost holy. A well lit fountain in the center of the barrel lined halls stood and just let you take in the deeply romantic surroundings.Our group soon came to the end of our tour, which culminated in a wine and cheese tasting (our second that day). We tasted the 1996 Quintessa which was a bit tannic, and slightly oxidized, but still had a nice taste to it. The 2007 - I think that was the year, I'm sure someone will correct me int he comments if otherwise - was fantastic. It's been two weeks now, but I still remember it having a nice bold flavor, and slight spice.

It was served with some delicious Humboldt Fog cheese, a nice goat cheese made in California by Cypress Grove Chevre. It's nice soft rind, and declaratory line of ash in the center announced it's strong lemony and goaty flavors (you must try it to understand "goaty") perfectly balanced by the light gouda that sat beside it. Served with a small amount of quince paste, it was a perfect tray to accompany the bright wines.

After toasting Ashley, Elise, and Gwen for setting it all up we said our fond (and slightly tipsy in my case) goodbyes. Normally, I would end with some waxing poetics, but at this point there's nothing more to say. It was just too perfect of a day.

Sunday in Napa - Chapter 2: Braised and Roasted

For Chapter 1, click here. Special thanks to Fernanda for the pictures.
After the tasting we all meandered back to Quixote winery, albeit a momentary pause or two to admire and photograph the landscape. The fog had lifted and the winery in it's golden, verdant, and fiery hues demonstrated itself before us.

Still, soon the smell of wine and braising wafted past us, differentiating itself from the smell of ripe persimmons and dying leaves. Raul, a personal chef and his sous chef/day's organizer/buddy of mine Ashley were prepping a wonderful Napa style menu.Pam led us into a gorgeous dining room where we all sat down and ooh'd and ahh'd at our surroundings. We all began to converse about the Legend of Darrell Corti and locally grown eggs, while we sipped wine from blown wine glasses as big as your head.

We were first presented with some delicious eggs that had been grown locally down the street. Their yolks were bright sunset orange, a sign of real organic eggs at peak freshness.
Raul and Ashely presented us with a colorful & seasonal salad of mixed greens, gems of pomegranate, bright persimmons, and darkly hued sweet beets. It was so gorgeous you just wanted to admire it, not eat it. But since we took photos, we were able to look at our salad and eat it too with little worry.

The main course was even more amazing. Short Ribs braised for six hours in the Quixote Petit Syrah. The meat just fell apart and melted in your mouth with the most savory flavors. It was served alongside some pan roasted, slightly caramelized brussel sprouts. A side dish of barley salad, freshly roasted pumpkin, and morels exalted the bounty of Autumn. I may wax poetry about the meal, but it's only because I can't covey the true yumtasticness of the meal any other way.The apple crisp that followed was equally awe inspiring. The apples had come from Elise's garden, and the freshly whipped cream had been infused with some of the Madagascar vanilla I had brought for Raul, but it's was Raul's own culinary expertise that made it sing. Soft, crispy, busting with warm apples... *le sigh*
As we all reminisced over the meal, only to find out we were an hour late for our appointment at Quintessa Winery. We lugubriously gathered our very full selves, and gave profuse thanks to Pam for having us in her wonderful home and winery, and Raul for the amazing meal. We then piled into the cars and made our way out.

Read Sunday in Napa - Chapter 3: Deep in the Cellar.

Sunday in Napa - Chapter 1: The Colors and Shapes of Tiles and Cheese

This is going to be a three part story (seems to be happening a lot on this blog recently). It revolves around good friends, good wine, and good food. Hope you enjoy!Driving into Napa, my party and I marveled at Northern California Fall in it's full bloom. We were in awe at the undulating hills covered in infinite paralleled rows of grape vines harvested weeks before, now showing off their autumnal vestments. Geese flew overhead and hundreds of hidden birds held who knows how many conversations about whatever birds converse about (acorns and nests, perhaps?).

Elise had organized for some of the local food bloggers to go on a tour of wineries in Napa, so we all carpooled together and gathered for what would be an educational and entertaining day. For me this was going to be small vacation in a way. A chance to escape work and class and the grind. A chance to enjoy a crisp fall day outside, food and blog conversation with friends who actually had interest in the subjects. A chance to enjoy some truly good food and some well aged wine.Our first stop was the geometric, olive tree laden, and colorful Quixote winery. We were met by Carl Doumani and Pam Hunter, the proprietors of the Seussian grape press we were all beguiled by. They founded the winery in Stags' Leap back in 1996 and have since produced fantastic cabernets and petit syrahs, which I will describe in my most limited wine-speak later.

(Architecture Photograph by Fernanda)

Carl began out tour with a description of the architecture and short history. The design of the winery, and consequently Quixote label, was done in part by famous Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Known for his keen attention to local tiles, movement, color, and geometry (encouraging a lack of straight lines) the building is interactive and participatory member of the Quixote family in a way. It really wouldn't be the same without it. And plus, what winery is complete without a giant gold turret in order to encourage success in even the most karmic sense?

Carl then took us down to the vineyard and lessoned us on the worm horn used to help give the land nutrients and the use of various organic methods used to grow the berries such as powdered dead moths sprayed over the plants as a deterrent to other moths. Think of it as eco-friendly heads on a pike. Tea, worm compost, and a bit of video surveillance to keep an eye on the grape gobbling turkeys are all important to production.Carl then retired for the rest of the day, and left our party in the intelligent and friendly hands of Pam as she led us to her home for a wine tasting and cheese pairing. Their home is, for the lack of a better word, jaw dropping. Well designed, warm earthy tones, and a subtle Asian influence.

We gathered around the table where a trio of tasty cheeses awaited us for a wine pairing using the Quixote wines. We were then met by Janet Fletcher, the two time James Beard Award winning cookbook author and food columnist for the S.F. Chronicle (and whose job I covet). She guided us through samples of Pecorino di Grotta, erhaki, and zamorano cheeses. All of the paired well with the Petit Syrah and Cab, my fave was the erhaki with it's slight nuttiness, and slightly creamy texture. The petit syrah was delightfully fruity, with very low tannins. A nice relaxing, drinkable wine. Janet also kindly provided all of us with copies of her book Cheese & Wine, a delightful guide I had actually on my Amazon.com wishlist.It was a thoroughly relaxing event, we all chatted about food media, and sipped wine. Deliciously decadent and perfectly relaxing, something we all needed as a respite away from life. Good wine, good cheese, good conversation. How could it get any better?

Read Chapter 2 of the Sunday in Napa posts; Braised & Roasted.