There's an old expression that goes "it takes a lot of beer to make good wine." Tongue in cheek, McPherson added "a six pack goes into every case we make."
Recently, Sandi took a stack of clay pigeons, put them in the dishwasher and served the family dinner on them. John's wife Eloise exclaimed "We used to shoot those with guns!" Eloise, now 93, is an avid golfer, but Sandi says you'd best not play slowly in front of her. "You'll hear her bitch all night."
Of all the wines I tasted, the barrel sample of 2010 Pinot Noir from Frostwatch Vineyard & Winery blew me away. I had a nice visit with owner and winemaker Brett Raven and wound up ordering a case of this wine at a special futures offering. Trust me, that's rare for me.
Judi’s journey into winemaking dates back to getting grapes from Joe Hart before Hart Winery was bonded. She says “after 30 something years of tasting commercial wines, I think I can tell good from bad.” Jim simply says, “Go big or go home.”
On a dreary, rainy morning, Bob, Maggie, Laura and I climbed into Bob's pickup and checked out the incredible views from the vineyards. These young vines are producing sensational fruit and Bob is making superior wines.
He got into the wine business because "insanity runs in my family. The wine business is one of those things that will push you to drink." But being a little crazy helps, he believes.
Phil likes making a wine that he will enjoying drinking, and thinks that winemakers who cater to their clientele do them a disservice. A good gauge of how well he is making wine is that he drinks a lot more of his own wine now than he used to.
"What we're trying to do here is something at the highest level in the Napa Valley. I can guarantee that." It's his hope that people leave with a sense of what it takes to make his wines.
I tasted several wines during my visit and it's clear to me Marshall hasn't lost his touch. The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc was crisp and reminiscent of a New Zealand Sauv Blanc. The 2010 White Merlot surprised me because I didn't expect to like it.
