Yesterday Oracle Team USA clocked a massive sailing win of the 34th Annual America’s Cup! How did Skipper Jimmy Spithill and the crew celebrate? With bubbly of course (come on what’d you think, pie???). They popped magnums of Mumm Napa Brut Prestige, which happened to be the official sparkling wine of the 34th America’s Cup. … Continue reading
The Oakland Raiders are not very good. But maybe it’s not a sieve-like run defense or an indecisive and largely injured O-line. Maybe it’s just that their training camp is in Napa (I MEAN, AMAAAAAAZING) and these guys couldn’t care less about games over grapes. E.W. McGah co-founded the Raiders in 1960. His son Eddie … Continue reading
I’ve had many wines made by former football players and coaches, but none of these wines that are licensed by teams. Obviously, I LOVE the idea of a team backing grapes over hops for their fans but I always want the wines to actually be good too. I’d heard about the Jets Uncorked for a … Continue reading
It’s always cool to see the place where the grapes that made your wine were grown. And most vineyards are pretty gorgeous too. I just visited two amazing ones so figured a Vineyard Day was in order, starting with Cain in Napa.Cain was a stunner. We drove up the slopes in big SUVs and then … Continue reading
If you’ve never heard of Colgin, here’s what you need to know: they’re incredible Bordeaux-style blends and Cabernets (and a little Syrah) from Napa, they’re expensive (starting at $350 a bottle), they make roughly 2500 cases each year, and you won’t be able to get any since there are 2000 people on the wait list. People go … Continue reading
Even though we’re about to get full-force on summer, I have a perfect spring wine. It’ll also be good for summer, but there’s something about Grenache Blanc that is super springy. That might be because it has an amazing scent of hyacinth and honeysuckle flowers. It’s also got good white peach and yellow apple flavor. … Continue reading
Remember the movie Bottle Shock a few years ago? This is the wine that was in it, and has a big role in the history of wine in this country. Most people hear Chardonnay and think big and oaky – which is what most California Chardonnay is at this point. But that’s not how it … Continue reading
Forget Cosmo’s. Sex and the City also had tons of Champagne, a few bottles of wine, and Big even wound up moving to Napa. Oh, and look whose glass is empty? Miss that show. Continue reading
Straight up I’m going to tell you it’s over $400 so just know that going into this post. That said, it’s one of those wines that’s so EFFING good you’d feel like it was worth it. grape: Cabernet producer: Dana (pronounced “dahna”). It’s the owner’s nickname, which means “generosity” in Sanskrit. And the lotus flower on their labels represents … Continue reading
In the 50s, Jack Cakebread had a car repair business, Cakebread’s Garage. But he’d also studied with photographer Ansel Adams and, in 1972, was hired to take wine country photos for a book. While snapping pictures in Napa, Jack visited some old family friends and wound up buying their property. Cakebread Cellars was born. Now it’s an iconic … Continue reading
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