Tres Sabores Winery: My Perfect Napa Experience

If I could only pick one winery experience to best describe what I enjoy the most while wine tasting, it would have to be the time that I’ve spent at Tres Sabores. I recently enjoyed my second visit to the winery, and from start to finish it was perfection. I brought two of my girlfriends that I knew would appreciate the amazing wines and natural philosophies behind this hidden gem. We were warmly greeted by two beautiful golden retrievers, and then met bubbly Ashley for a sip of Rose to begin our tasting experience. We took in the picturesque views of the valley from the back patio and munched on salami and cheese as we enjoyed our tasting.

Julie Johnson, the owner and winemaker of Tres Sabores, joined us and guided our small group through the property and caves. This was a very special treat, she is such an inspiring woman and an incredible winemaker. Julie is very humble about her many accomplishments as a winemaker. She creates the most amazing Zinfandel that I have ever tasted. It had set such an impression on me from the previous visit, that I had to come back for more to taste (and to take home)! Her wines are not ones that you will find at any mass retailer or even at most wine shops, but head to Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc, and maybe you will be lucky enough to find it by the glass. (Kind of a BIG deal!)
 

As we walked through the property with Julie we learned so much about her methodology around growing the fruits, replenishing the soils we a mixture of different seeded plants, and how the sheep play a role in maintaining the winery. We then entered the cave and were treated to barrel samples of several upcoming cabernet sauvignon vintages. It was amazing to taste the just barreled 2012 juice compared to the beautifully aging 2011, almost ready to bottle 2010, and the perfect 2008 Napa Cab! It made me very excited for her 2011 vintage, especially since 2011 has been plagued with rumors of not being such a wonderful year. I can tell you first hand, in the case of Tres Sabores – the rumors couldn’t be further from the truth.

The girls and I truly had the best time, and this experience is going to be pretty difficult to beat for my personal Napa style! I recommend the wine tasting experience at Tres Sabores for someone who is passionate about wine, interested in nature, ready for a laugh (or two), loves dogs, and is looking for great wine that is difficult to find. The fee is $25/person and the winery is by appointment only. I will definitely be back soon and can’t wait to share this experience with some of you!

Tips - Tres Sabores Winery:

• There is a tour and tasting experience available by appointment only at the winery. Please book in advance to avoid disappointment.
• If you're going to plan a tour or tasting here, make this your first or second stop. You won't regret it!
• Expect to spend 1-1.5 hours here...this is a place where you will definitely want to take your time. 
• Plan a little extra time for the drive, and try to come on a dry day if possible.
• Wear your walking shoes, you will want to tour around the property, and this is not a place for stilettos!

Where It All Began: The Appellation Trail (Round 2 + 2)

Last year, I launched The WineTastic Weekend after attending an inspiring event in Napa. The Appellation Trail, part of Flavor! Napa Valley, is an amazing food and wine adventure through the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. It was so wonderful in 2011, I could hardly imagine that this year would be able to meet my expectations for a second time. There was a little bit of additional pressure this year, because we had convinced two of our closest friends to fly up from San Diego to join us. Sean is a real estate guru with a passion for pinot, and Lisa is a fashionista and fashion blogger (LisaPriceInc.) who has a slight obsession with the bubbly. We had hyped up this event so much over the past year, we had to promise our friends that they would attend with no regrets.

Tasting through 100 of Napa's best wineries and over 30 incredible restaurants later, the consensus was that there were definitely no regrets! This annual event which is held the week before Thanksgiving is still the best event that I have ever attended in Napa. The price of the tickets are $150/person, and the caliber of the wines poured and food offerings well exceed the expected value of the ticket.

Wineries were pouring their nicest bottles, and there were many highlights throughout the evening. In particular, I was extremely impressed with Schramsberg and their offerings of J Schram Sparkling Wine and the fabulous J Davies Cabernet Sauvignon. I also was very impressed by the Coombsville wineries, specifically Ackerman, which was pouring their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. Food-wise, we tasted everything from Redd to Farmstead, and unfortunately didn't make it to Morimoto in time to taste his small plate offering. The funny thing about Morimoto's booth is that last year, he wouldn't really engage with the crowd because he was so focused on the dishes. This year I was able to steal him away for a quick picture (all though I don't think that he was too happy about it), but I had to take the chance!

One of the best things about attending an event like this is discussing the wines and dishes with your friends, and discovering their likes and dislikes. We ended up running into our favorite innkeepers, Jim and Jamie, from The Inn on First and spent our last hour laughing and tasting with them while planning our next trip to the inn. This was such a great night and we will definitely be back next year, hopefully along with our partners in crime! Lisa even posted a great blog here about dressing for Napa, that I highly recommend reviewing if you want to dress it up a little bit but still remain wine country chic. Needless to say, she was dressed perfectly for the event.

Duckhorn Vineyards: Perfect Portfolio Tastings on the Porch

Have you ever seen such amazing wine glass balancing skills? I know that I sure was impressed! I booked a tasting appointment at Duckhorn Vineyards because I had heard many great things about the porch experience and the excellent Merlot. We arrived at the winery and began our tasting with a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc. We were then escorted to the porch for our seated tasting.

We were poured four reds, and I really enjoyed how they paired each estate wine with a single vineyard or special appellation for the same varietal. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly but not overbearing, and the atmosphere was perfect for a casual tasting. We were able to try several bonus pours from their sister winery Goldeneye, and I was extremely impressed the Gowan Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir. I will have to add Goldeneye in Anderson Valley to my list of wineries to visit next. I have a soft spot for single vineyard pinots, and can't wait to try more from this winery! This was a perfect Napa Valley tasting experience that I would recommend for small to large groups looking for a casual sit down experience. The tasting fee is $30/person and there are special mid-week deals available on the DS Deals App, you can find more information on my Wine Tasting Deals page.