after a busy couple of months working in Los Angeles, it is truly exhilerating to return home to the Los Carneros of Napa. while, lA is as vibrant as ever, for me, there is no place other than the Napa Valley to stimulate all of my creative juices to cook, write, study, sip and savor the bounty that this mecca provides. there is no shortage of great food, wine and the sheer beauty of the landscape, provide inspiration at every turn. after a long drive home from la, it was time to relax on the deck, enjoy some delicious chardonnay from our neighbors at Etude Winery, along with snacks and delicious cheese from local artisan Souyong Scanlan, of Andante Dairy, and enjoy a beautiful sunset behind Mt. Tam and the san pablo bay. the next morning, a trip to town to the bustling Oxbow Market for impeccably fresh local organic produce. then, around the corner to re-charge at Model Bakery. finally, a splurge at my favorite local charcuterie store, Fatted Calf. here i was able to find dinner for the next couple of nights. lamb porterhouse chops from Martin Emigh in Rio Vista, duck breast from Jim Reichardt at Liberty Duck in Sonoma, and a nice heritage breed pork blade roast. this morning, i was admiring the green landscape that lays before me in every direction as bud break in the vineyards is in full swing. hopefully, the rest of the spring will bring a modest rainfall and dare i say, no more frost! i am very curious to see how the rest of the season goes. the rythms of the valley are quite special, something i was never really privy to growing up in nearby san francisco. being that this is my first spring living in the carneros, the southern most growing district of both the napa & sonoma valley's, i find myself actually giddy with excitment in being able to live here and see first hand why this is such a special and remarkable area for Chardonnay & Pinot Noir. Merlot and Pinot Gris grow quite well here also. compared to the rest of the valley's, the carneros sits at the top of the san pablo bay. it has it's own micro climate provided by the cool marine layer which finds it's way to the area from the nearby pacific ocean and the san pablo bay. this results in cool nights, often accompanied by morning cloud cover that eventually gives way to warm sunny days. this unique climatic on shore flow enables grapes to ripen more slowly and evenly providing great concentration of flavor without elevated sugar contents, keeping alchohol levels typically at or below 14.5%.
everything is in bloom now. the vineyards, flowers, trees, there is no mistake, it is spring!
in upcoming posts, i look forward to sharing more of the story of our neighborhood wineries as well as more of the local food artisans, as there are many and they are quite talented and special. if you would like to know more about this special area or are planning a visit in the near future, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.
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