Tobacco Road Cellars Cabernets earns 90+ Points from Wine Enthusiast

    Our 2006 Tobacco Road Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and 2006 Tobacco Road Cellar Selection 'Tradition' Cabernet Sauvignon were reviewed by Wine Enthusiast February 2016, earning 92 and 93 points respectively. We are excited to report that this continues our trend of 90+ scores for every wine we've submitted to Wine Enthusiast. The review will be printed in the upcoming April 2016 edition of the magazine.

    2006 in Napa was characterized by a long growing season. A wet winter carried over into spring, causing a delay in the vines' budbreak. There were some initial concerns about rot. A burst of summer heat helped grapes to catch up in ripening, but by August, things had turned cool once more. This cool trend resulted in harvest occurring well into October. It was challenging, but the labors of Napa's winemakers bore high-quality fruit. Wines...

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What are Biodynamic Wines?

As we continue to become more aware of the harmful effects of pesticides and chemicals on our food and environment, it is no small wonder that we have shifted this concern over to what we drink. Fortunately for those of us who want to drink green, we now find ourselves with a wider selection of organic, sustainable, biodynamic and natural wines than ever before. With all this terminology it can be a challenge to know where to start. The first part of this series will touch upon biodynamic wines.

Estates whose wines carry 'biodynamic' on their labels receive their certification through the Demeter Association, a not-for-profit organization. Founded in 1924 by the Austrian scientist, philosopher and architect Dr. Rudolf Steiner, Demeter promotes the use of holistic, sustainable and organic practices in agriculture. The use of pesticides and chemicals fertilizers is prohibited as are many other unnatural manipulations...

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Chardonnay profile

Chardonnay was long held to be a favorite white for wine drinkers. Some of the greatest white wines of France are made from Chardonnay such as the Montrachets, or Grand Cru Chablis. Its popularity soared during the 1980s, partially as a result of the 1976 Judgement of Paris competition and continued to rise through the '90s. Because of this increased demand, growers sought to increase their output. The unfortunate result was that world-wide, vineyards containing ancient native varieties were uprooted in favor of Chardonnay plantings. Eventually a backlash against the heavily oaked style that was popular in the 80s (Anything But Chardonnay), led towards a shift to the lighter, more balanced styles of Chardonnay that are now common.

Despite the ups and downs it has recently experienced, Chardonnay is still an incredibly popular variety. Like Pinot noir, Chardonnay is indigenous to Burgundy. It is the most planted of the...

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Sauvignon Blanc is popular world wide with both wine lovers and wine makers. Although it is associated with regions such as Bordeaux, the Loire, California and New Zealand, it is found nearly everywhere. Originally, Sauvignon Blanc is from the South West region of France where it spread up to Bordeaux and achieved great acclaim. Although many will be familiar with Sauvignon blanc in its capacity as a dry wine, in appellations such as Sauternes and Barsac, it is used alongside Semillon as a component in the famous, long-lived sweet wines of these regions. There is of course, plenty of dry white Bordeaux produced as well. From there, Sauvignon blanc found another home in the chalky soils along the Loire river, and appellations such as Sancerre produce wonderful expressions of Sauvignon blanc, grown in the same Kimmeridgian soils as Chablis.

Sauvignon Blanc can be categorized as a semi-aromatic grape variety. Depending...

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Holiday Roast Recipes and pairings

One of the best parts of the holiday season is the time spent with loved ones. Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, there is no denying that December is a great time for holiday roasts and gathering 'round with friends and family to break bread together. Here are two holiday roast recipes with wine pairings for you to try at your next dinner party.

Rosemary Crusted Prime Rib

Ingredients

One 12 pound prime rib
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons salt

Serves about ten

• Place the prime rib in a roasting pan and season it generously with the rosemary, salt and pepper. Leave it loosely wrapped in butcher's paper and let it sit until it is near room temperature. This will ensure that the prime rib will cook more evenly.
• Preheat the oven to 450°. Roast the meat for 15...

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     Last week we did a brief overview of Napa and touched upon a few of its more well-known AVAs. This week we'll take a look at the remaining sub-appellations of Napa and the wines for which they are best known.
    The Napa Valley is neatly tucked in between two mountain ranges. To the west, the Mayacamas, which help form the boundary with Sonoma and to the east, the Vaca Mountains. Although the majority of Napa's sixteen AVAs can be found on the valley floor, quite a few are located along the foothills of both mountain ranges.

    The hot Calistoga AVA located at the northernmost part of Napa is best suited to grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel. It is a fairly recent addition, having been awarded AVA status in 2010. East of Calistoga is Howell Mountain and beyond that lies Chiles Valley District AVA....

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Napa Valley 2015 Harvest Report

2015 is the fourth hot, dry year in a row here in California and it looks as though it is going to gift us with another excellent crop of fruit. The spring started out cool, with a long and slow flowering period. Fruit set was poor as a result, and uneven grape clusters were not uncommon throughout vineyards in Napa Valley. Things picked up with summer turning out to be the warmest in about seven years. The summer heat sped up the ripening process, leading 2015 to be one of the earliest harvests on record. Grapes for sparkling wine were picked as early as July 22nd with most growers having harvested the last of their grapes by the second week of October. To put this in to perspective, that is nearly three weeks early. Vintners typically pick their grapes well into...

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Thanksgiving is next week, and whether you are spending it with family or with friends, you'll need something to wash down all that turkey. With the dazzling amount of choice available to the modern wine drinker, where does one start? We can start by taking a look at the traditional spread. Oven-roasted turkey with a healthy side of gravy, cranberry sauce, candied yams, hams...suffice it to say that our table is laden with quite the range of flavors.

Let's talk guidelines. Consider what will compliment your Thanksgiving smorgasbord. It's the official start of the holiday season, so what better way to kick things off than with some bubbles? Sparkling wine, whether you go domestic or pour Champagne, Cava or Prosecco, is a great aperitif to stimulate the senses and get you ready to eat copious amounts of food.

For whites, think bright wines that have higher acidity....

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 Ingredients

2 big handfulls fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno, sliced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (6-ounce) block sushi-quality tuna
1 ripe avocado, halved,

In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir the ingredients together until well incorporated.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper. Lay the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1 minute on each side to form a slight crust. Pour 1/2 of the cilantro mixture into the pan to coat the fish. Serve the seared tuna with the sliced avocado and the remaining cilantro...

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