Austin Yankee
Social marketer by day.
Wine and Food adventurer by night.
A native New Yorker and recent Austinite rediscovers the Big Apple.
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This is what happens after a long day of winetasting. #winesister
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The type A in me loves the orderly symmetry of vineyards
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Every wine lover has dreamed of making their own wine. So imagine my excitement, visiting the Conn Creek AVA Room for a one-of-a-kind barrel blending experience. HEAVEN!
Conn Creek has assembled barrels of Cabernet Sauvingon from single vineyard sites from each of Napa Valley’s appellations and has categorized the Cabernets by flavor and richness starting with the softest and ending with the boldest.
I sampled all 15 Cabernets and then settled upon three Cabs for my blend plus three other blending Bordeaux varietals to punch up the flavor profile of my wine.
- 35% Yountville Herrick Vineyard for its soft red fruit (262.5 ml)
- 35% Oakville Stanton Vineyard for its velvety texture (262.5 ml)
- 15% Spring Mountain Crowley Vineyard for its bold ripe fruit. (112.4 ml)
- 5% Merlot for a touch of butteryness (37.5 ml)
- 5% Cabernet Franc for structure (37.5 ml)
- 5% Malbec for a bit of jammyness (37.5 ml)
Blending wine is like making gumbo. The various combinations of different ingredients and quantities can completely change the end result. I can barely wait the recommended 3 months to let my wine settle for drinking it. I’ll let you know when I pop the cork.
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Middle Sister keeps popping up in the most random of places.
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Waiting for breakfast at Avia was a bit of a cluster funk but the roasted tomato salsa more than made up for my having to hunt down the waiter for a cup of coffee.
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My trainer doesn’t really approve but instead of counting calories, I just take photos of what I eat.
Hungry?
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What the?
This is something I didn’t expect.
Napa has street art!
Yarn bomb sighted on 1st street, Napa CA
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I think I heart Norman Rose and their posh comfort food without snobbery. The juicy lamb burger topped with garlic spinach and herbed goat cheese was pure pleasure. Not to mention, homemade onion dip and fresh french fries. Simple ingredients elevated with style and panache.
I paired my meal with a Hahn Winery GSM, Southern Rhone-inspired blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. The wine’s aroma of cherry coke and pepper were the perfect complement to my most excellent burger and fries. Diner food done Napa style. Yum.
Try Norman Rose Tavern: 1401 1st Street Napa, CA 94559
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I’m starting the #WineSister Gathering off right with a Stags Leap Petite Syrah and Seduction Cabernet Blend… I’m one hour into the gathering and can already tell I’m going to have a blast meeting other women who wine.
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I ride from SFO to Napa was over before I knew it because these #winesisters
@skampy@AskWifey@Girlfriendology@denisejacobskept the conversation rolling.
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I got to SFO two hours before the other ladies arrived for the #winesister trip to Napa so I took a little ride on the air tran to play with my camera
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I feel special. This weekend, I’ll be a guest of Wine Sisterhood at their first annual Gathering of women in wine. Three and a half days of wine tasting, food pairing, social media sessions and merry making with other thirsty wine loving women is the perfect working vacation before SXSW.
I’m looking forward to the Food and Wine Pairing session with Thirsty Girl and wine media personality Leslie Sbrocco. And can’t wait to meet Christine Trice from OMG I so need a glass of wine or I’m gonna sell my kids, I don’t even have kids and have felt this way, oh so many times. LOL Healthy lifestyle personality, Sonia Hunt will be there, as will Extraordinary Mommy vBlogger Danielle Smith and my hero and friend Aliza Sherman
The agenda includes a visit to Bottega in Yountville, the Kitchen Door at the Oxbow Market in Napa, enjoying Swanson Winery for a VIP tasting and attending a blending seminar at Conn Creek Vineyards. There is even a meet & greet and dinner with some amazing female winemakers in the barrel room of the Black Stallion Winery, an olive oil tasting at Round Pond Estate and a gala dinner at Farmstead Restaurant in St. Helena.
I think you can still get in on the action HERE. Don’t worry, if you can’t make the Gathering this year. I will be live blogging/Tweeting/Trovering/4SQing the whole thing so you can can follow right along here. -
Looking over my photos at Robert Mondavi Winery is getting me excited for my next Napa trip.
I’m really amped up for the Wine Sisterhood Gathering Sunday-Tuesday, February 26-28, 2012 in the gorgeous Napa Valley.
Why don’t you come too anf get in on the wine education and social media seminars. More details here.
Don’t worry, if you can’t make it, I will be live blogging the event on Austin Yankee.
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I’m adding a visit to the Natural Process Alliance as a must stop on my next trip to Napa/Sonoma.
Their wine is strictly local and only available within a 100 mile radius of the winery.(Source: naturalprocessalliance.us)
