Caves are good for storing
wine
One
of the great pleasures of exploring the wine culture of Napa Valley is the cave
tour. Caves, with their even year-round low but not freezing temperatures, have
been recognized for centuries as excellent places in which to store and age
wine in the barrel. The first wine caves were ordinary caves and former
limestone quarries in Europe. The cool, humid air in the cave minimizes the
loss of wine to evaporation. In the 19th century, explosives were
used to blast and carve out artificial caves in the rock of the Napa Valley for
the wine industry.
During
cave tours, you can learn about the wine industry from the people who work in
it every day and taste both the latest wines and library wines from previous
years. Many of these caves are spectacularly lit and decorated by their owners.
No matter what the weather is doing outside, it will be cool inside the cave,
so bring a coat when going on a cave tour.
Cave tours of a vineyard
near St. Helena
Anderson’s
Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St.
Helena, holds tastings in its barrel caves, where current releases and library
wines may be sampled and visitors can learn all about the process of making and
storing the wine. Cave tastings are $65, but one tasting fee can be waived by
joining their wine club or making a $100 purchase. Anderson’s Conn Valley
Vineyards produces world-class wines at affordable prices. Order a bottle today.
No comments:
Post a Comment