Let the winemaking begin

Collecting the grapes

Grape harvest season in Napa Valley is just about here. Already, the winemakers have pulled the first few grapes off the vine and tasted them to see if they’re ripe. At some vineyards the grapes are harvested mechanically, but at others they’re harvested by hand. Harvesting by hand is obviously a lot more work, but in many cases it results in a much better wine. Mechanical harvesting means shaking the grapes until they fall off the vine, which can rupture some of them. However the grapes are harvested, they must be sorted by hand. Grapes that are green, moldy or shriveled have to be removed. Then they’re taken to the winery to be crushed, which takes less time if the winery is at the vineyards.

Wine clubs sometimes hold tours of vineyards and Napa wineries to teach their members about this process. This will help you appreciate of the arts of viticulture and winemaking. Since everyone in the winery is busy with the harvest, this is a better time to schedule a tour for later in the year. Tasting is a part of these tours. Tasting fees can be anywhere from $5 to $50 per person.

One of the best Napa wineries near St. Helena

Some of the best California wines come from Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley. Just a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, these vineyards produce world-class wines at affordable prices. By ordering six bottles or more per year, you can join their wine club, giving you discounts on many of their finest wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon goes with everything, ages well

Cabernet Sauvignon a famous California wine

All through Napa Valley, the grapes are being harvested for the Cabernet Sauvignons of years to come. Cabernet Sauvignon usually matures nine to eighteen months in French, American or Hungarian oak. The Cab grape is famous for holding its quality through any weather, lasting a long time in the barrel and interacting with the oak to bring out the flavors of cassis, black cherry and blackberry, and often hints of tobacco, vanilla and violets. With a California Cab, the better the meal, the better the wine goes with it. Pair it with something that has a rich and hearty flavor of its own. Venison, lamb and rich beef go well with it. Try serving the wine at 57 to 60 degrees to get the full flavor. Some of the most famous Cabs come from many different rootstocks and vineyards to achieve just the right balance. Many wine clubs offer collections of Cabs.

Some very good Cabs near St. Helena, CA

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a short drive from downtown St. Helena, produces world-class wines at affordable prices. The Conn Valley Cab has been rated one of the top Cabernets in the world since the inaugural vintage of 1987. The 2013 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is rich and silky, with hints of white pepper. The finish is very powerful, with notes of lavender, cloves, orange peel and dark spices. Wine club members save $10 buying the ‘13 Estate Reserve Cab. If you’re looking for a good wine to serve at a special occasion, order a bottle today.

Going on a Napa Valley wine tour

Wine tours of Napa Valley

In Napa Valley, this is the grape harvest season — the time when wineries are at their busiest. If you want the chance to actually talk with the winemakers and not be in the way, schedule your visit now for a later point in the year. A number of travel companies have set up wine tours of the Napa Valley area, so you can visit a series of vineyards accompanied by other wine lovers. You can learn about winemaking from people who do it for a living. This will take a few days, so plan ahead to find a hotel room in the valley.

Touring a winery near St. Helena

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, is one of the best vineyards in the Napa Valley area. They produce fine wines like the 2012 Right Bank. 2012 was a perfect winemaking year in Napa Valley in both yield and quality, and the ’12 Right Bank reflects this. The strongest element of the aroma and palate is blackberry, but it is combined with notes of plum, red berries, leather, blue violets, anise and allspice. Like the 2011 vintage, its grape and oak tannins blend smoothly together to accompany the bright acidity and fruit, and it is expected to age well for up to 30 years. Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards can be visited as part of a tour, or you can join their wine club today and find out what they have to offer.

Understanding wine descriptions

Things you hear at a wine club’s wine tasting

A lot of the wine tastings language you hear if you’ve been invited to a tasting is simple. If you’re familiar with the smell and taste of various fruits, vegetables and spices, much of the description of the aroma and flavor of wine will make intuitive sense. As for the physical sensations, a hot wine is one with a little too much alcohol. A wine with high acidity is one that’s slightly tart, and can also be called “bright.” A rich wine is “fat,” “massive” or “opulent,” unless it has no acidity — then it’s just “flabby.”

But there are many stranger terms. What does it mean to say a wine is “angular” or “round?” This refers to the mouthfeel. The effect of a round wine is evenly distributed over the whole inside of the mouth, like a rounded surface. If it’s fruity with low acidity, it can be called “silky.” An angular wine gives the feeling of points and edges inside the mouth, and is less pleasurable.

Wine tastings at a vineyard just outside St. Helena

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, holds tastings in its barrel caves. One wine you might get a chance to try is the 2011 Right Bank. Harvest was late and yield was low, but the resulting wine is perfectly balanced. It has a nose and palate of roses, red currants, clove and allspice. Its grape and oak tannins blend smoothly together to accompany the bright acidity and fruit. This wine is expected to age well for up to 30 years. Join Anderson’s wine club today.

What winemakers do all year

Understanding the winemaker experience

The winemaker experience is not quite like any other. The winemaker learns the terroir of his or her vineyard — the microclimate of the fields, the amount of sunlight and moisture the vines at various points in the day and the most likely weather at different points in the season. This lets him or her choose the right variety of grape for the terroir. Then it’s time start nurturing the grapevines, protecting them from bugs and mildew while pruning them to make them produce more fruit. The winemaker considers the weather at every stage of growth and what effect it will have on the grapes. From time to time, he or she tastes a grape to see how ripe it is.

The busiest time of year, of course, is the harvest. In American wineries, the grapes are often hand-picked to ensure quality. Precisely how the grapes are crushed depends on whether the winemaker is trying to make red or white wine. There is also maintaining the wine barrels and bottling the wine.

The winemaker experience at a winery near St. Helena

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, is a great place to learn about the winemaker experience. It holds tastings in its barrel caves, where visitors can sample current releases and library wines and learn about the process of making and storing the wine. Anderson’s wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide. Order some today.

The story of an Estate Cabernet

An Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

A wine produced and sold where the grapes are grown is called an estate wine. Here the winemaker has the most control over the process, and can display the full extent of his or her skill. Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards makes the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from clonal varieties of Cab grapes grown only on the estate.

2007 and 2008 were both dry years, although there were differences in the weather. The Cabs of these years were dark ruby red wines with an aroma of sweet black fruit and a flavor balanced between fruit, tannins and acidity. In 2009, winemaking conditions in Napa Valley were perfect and gave us a Cab with a full-bodied mouthfeel and finish.

In 2010, a variety of conditions combined to give us a wine to be proud of — dark purple, with a flavor of dark berries, licorice, smoke and fine tannins. Since then, the Estate Reserve Cab has stayed as good. The 2012 vintage is perhaps the best ever, in great quantity with hints of white pepper and orange peel in the flavor.

A vineyard and winery near St. Helena

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, has its own wine club. By agreeing to buy six bottles a year in groups of three, you can get Level I membership with discounts on their wines, tickets to parties and invitations to a complimentary tasting.

The vineyard is a 40-acre estate just south of Howell Mountain, and has been owned and operated by the Anderson family since 1983. Join today.

The best wineries in Napa

The best wineries in Napa and their wine clubs

The best wineries Napa match the right variety of grape to the terroir of their vineyard, tend the vines lovingly and harvest the grapes at the best possible moment. A lot of them have wine caves that keep the wine barrels in a cool and humid environment. Many of the best wineries in Napa have wine clubs, which you can join and be invited to wine tastings.

One of the best wineries in Napa near St. Helena

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, is one of the best vineyards in the Napa Valley area. The Conn Valley Cabernet has been rated one of the top Cabernets in the world since the inaugural vintage of 1987. The fruit is more similar to mountain fruit than valley floor fruit, and the style is more Bordeaux in style than other Napa Cabs, with more dark fruit and a very refreshing finish that makes it perfect for food pairing. The Conn Valley Cabernet is a chef-style wine, because chefs find it easy to pair this wine with just about anything. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate praises the 2012 vintage for its “terrific purity, plenty of depth and ripeness, and a full-bodied mouthfeel” and describes the 2010 Cab as “an elegant, finesse-styled effort to enjoy over the next decade.” They also offer Estate and Signature Cabs, which are of particularly high quality. Wine club members save $25 on the 2013 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon online. If you’re looking for a good wine to serve at a special occasion, order a bottle today.

Cabernet Sauvignon, perfect for barbecues

BBQ and Cab

With summer coming to an end, there’s still time for a last few barbecues. The perfect wine to serve at a barbecue is a Cabernet Sauvignon. A world-famous red wine with notes of blackcurrant and tannins that stand out, the Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with wild fowl, honey-roasted carrots and such fine dishes as aged cheeses. Best of all, it’s perfect for serving with grilled red meat — especially lamb or well-marbled beef. Try serving the wine at 14 to 16 degrees centigrade to get the full flavor.

Some wine clubs give you the chance to collect a whole series of Cabernet Sauvignons, from Napa Valley or around the world. Like all wine, it should be stored in a place with steady temperature and humidity, less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit and humid enough that the cork doesn’t dry out. If you’re serving it on a hot day, let it chill for a few minutes first.

Exquisite Cabernet Sauvignons from a vineyard just outside 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 visitors can sample current releases and library wines and learn 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 wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide. Join their wine club today and schedule a tasting.

Cabernet Sauvignon, perfect for barbecues

BBQ and Cab

With summer coming to an end, there’s still time for a last few barbecues. The perfect wine to serve at a barbecue is a Cabernet Sauvignon. A world-famous red wine with notes of blackcurrant and tannins that stand out, the Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with wild fowl, honey-roasted carrots and such fine dishes as aged cheeses. Best of all, it’s perfect for serving with grilled red meat — especially lamb or well-marbled beef. Try serving the wine at 14 to 16 degrees centigrade to get the full flavor.

Some wine clubs give you the chance to collect a whole series of Cabernet Sauvignons, from Napa Valley or around the world. Like all wine, it should be stored in a place with steady temperature and humidity, less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit and humid enough that the cork doesn’t dry out. If you’re serving it on a hot day, let it chill for a few minutes first.

Exquisite Cabernet Sauvignons from a vineyard just outside 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 visitors can sample current releases and library wines and learn 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 wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide. Join their wine club today and schedule a tasting.

Cabernet Sauvignon, perfect for barbecues

BBQ and Cab

With summer coming to an end, there’s still time for a last few barbecues. The perfect wine to serve at a barbecue is a Cabernet Sauvignon. A world-famous red wine with notes of blackcurrant and tannins that stand out, the Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with wild fowl, honey-roasted carrots and such fine dishes as aged cheeses. Best of all, it’s perfect for serving with grilled red meat — especially lamb or well-marbled beef. Try serving the wine at 14 to 16 degrees centigrade to get the full flavor.

Some wine clubs give you the chance to collect a whole series of Cabernet Sauvignons, from Napa Valley or around the world. Like all wine, it should be stored in a place with steady temperature and humidity, less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit and humid enough that the cork doesn’t dry out. If you’re serving it on a hot day, let it chill for a few minutes first.

Exquisite Cabernet Sauvignons from a vineyard just outside 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 visitors can sample current releases and library wines and learn 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 wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide. Join their wine club today and schedule a tasting.

Cabernet Sauvignon, perfect for barbecues

BBQ and Cab

With summer coming to an end, there’s still time for a last few barbecues. The perfect wine to serve at a barbecue is a Cabernet Sauvignon. A world-famous red wine with notes of blackcurrant and tannins that stand out, the Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with wild fowl, honey-roasted carrots and such fine dishes as aged cheeses. Best of all, it’s perfect for serving with grilled red meat — especially lamb or well-marbled beef. Try serving the wine at 14 to 16 degrees centigrade to get the full flavor.

Some wine clubs give you the chance to collect a whole series of Cabernet Sauvignons, from Napa Valley or around the world. Like all wine, it should be stored in a place with steady temperature and humidity, less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit and humid enough that the cork doesn’t dry out. If you’re serving it on a hot day, let it chill for a few minutes first.

Exquisite Cabernet Sauvignons from a vineyard just outside 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 visitors can sample current releases and library wines and learn 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 wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide. Join their wine club today and schedule a tasting.

Cabernet Sauvignon, perfect for barbecues

BBQ and Cab

With summer coming to an end, there’s still time for a last few barbecues. The perfect wine to serve at a barbecue is a Cabernet Sauvignon. A world-famous red wine with notes of blackcurrant and tannins that stand out, the Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with wild fowl, honey-roasted carrots and such fine dishes as aged cheeses. Best of all, it’s perfect for serving with grilled red meat — especially lamb or well-marbled beef. Try serving the wine at 14 to 16 degrees centigrade to get the full flavor.

Some wine clubs give you the chance to collect a whole series of Cabernet Sauvignons, from Napa Valley or around the world. Like all wine, it should be stored in a place with steady temperature and humidity, less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit and humid enough that the cork doesn’t dry out. If you’re serving it on a hot day, let it chill for a few minutes first.

Exquisite Cabernet Sauvignons from a vineyard just outside 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 visitors can sample current releases and library wines and learn 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 wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide. Join their wine club today and schedule a tasting.

Cabernet Sauvignon, perfect for barbecues

BBQ and Cab

With summer coming to an end, there’s still time for a last few barbecues. The perfect wine to serve at a barbecue is a Cabernet Sauvignon. A world-famous red wine with notes of blackcurrant and tannins that stand out, the Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with wild fowl, honey-roasted carrots and such fine dishes as aged cheeses. Best of all, it’s perfect for serving with grilled red meat — especially lamb or well-marbled beef. Try serving the wine at 14 to 16 degrees centigrade to get the full flavor.

Some wine clubs give you the chance to collect a whole series of Cabernet Sauvignons, from Napa Valley or around the world. Like all wine, it should be stored in a place with steady temperature and humidity, less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit and humid enough that the cork doesn’t dry out. If you’re serving it on a hot day, let it chill for a few minutes first.

Exquisite Cabernet Sauvignons from a vineyard just outside 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 visitors can sample current releases and library wines and learn 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 wines are sold online and in five locations in Napa Valley, and many other locations nationwide. Join their wine club today and schedule a tasting.