NAPA VALLEY & MARIN COUNTY, CA — Some visitors to Northern California Wine Country tell me “it’s about the wine”…

…others insist “it’s all about the food”. 

The one thing I can tell you for certain is that when oenophiles and foodies alike hear the siren’s call and come together for a grand evening of good-natured camaraderie, it’s a “wine-wine” moment for everyone!

What a FABULOUS time we had last week at the Tyler Florence shops in downtown Napa and Mill Valley, California. These beautiful, upscale, stores are playgrounds for people who get great pleasure from artisanal food, fine wine and, of course, cooking.

Joy, Tamara, and the rest of the Tyler Florence staff spent weeks planning these events.

In order to insure a successful outcome, it was imperative that we had a wonderful assortment of wines from The California Directory of Fine Wineries on-hand to taste.

As I explained to the Tyler Florence team, I really wanted to encourage everyone who attended to try wines from wineries with whom they might not be familiar. Our books are designed to get people out into the world to visit and explore some of the Golden State’s wonderful “destination” tasting rooms. That was the mission of each night.

As people began to find their seats I challenged them with this request:

“If you see a wine tonight that is one of your favorites, I must ask that you avoid it and try something else that might be totally unfamiliar to you. That’s how your palate will continue to evolve and that’s how you’ll come to known exactly what you love best.”

When I learned that some local wine lovers lacked the adventurous spirit and preferred to stick close to home, I decided to test and tempt them, turning the focus toward the more rustic wine region of Mendocino Country.

Mendocino’s dramatic coastline has made it famous all over the world, but the county offers a lot more than ocean views and rustic coastal inns. Now inland Mendocino is getting it’s due, thanks to local winemakers who are proving that their grapes are on a par with those of nearby Sonoma and Napa.

An excellent selection of Mendocino County wines from Handley, Greenwood Ridge, and McFadden were presented. From Sonoma County Ferrari-Carano and Jordan shared the spotlight. My previous book signing/wine tasting events relied a little more heavily on Napa Valley producers featured in our books. This time, to mix things up, Frank Family was the lone representative from that renowned region… And, as a special bonus, toward the end of each night we compared pours of Foley Estate’s Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County.

But there was more than just wine on hand to ensure an enjoyable evening!

Jessica Blanco made sure that there were plentiful trays of fine cheese, fruit, crackers, and bread.

Doesn’t this look yummy?!

And, a new friend, Jerushah from TCHO joined us as an added surprise. She brought melt-in-your-mouth samples of their chocolate for all in attendance. Jerushah also happens to be a sommelier and was well-prepared to offer many different chocolates designed to go best with specific grape varietals. Jerushah, I can’t thank you enough for being such a integral part of the evening. The TCHO artisanal chocolates that you brought were “remarkably delicious”.

Before the tasting officially began, I gave some background on the featured wineries and wines being poured. Of course, I stressed the consistency and quality of the specific wines but I also described Rhonda Carano’s splendid gardens, featuring 10,000 tulips that bloom annually, at Ferrari-Carano Vineyards. I went on about food pairings at Jordan Winery in Alexander Valley and it’s classic French chateau clad with Boston ivy. There were questions about the history at Frank Family Vineyards and when asked about the significance of the dragon etched on the bottles from Greenwood Ridge, I told the story of Allan Green and his father who designed the tasting room which was built from a single, downed 400-year-old redwood tree. Milla Handley’s story brought many a smile to the room as they envisioned her eclectic Handley Cellars tasting room set amid the Anderson Valley Redwoods and vineyards.

Many people in attendance were fascinated by Guiness McFadden’s foresight at planting grapes, and farming organically, in Mendocino’s Potter Valley as early as 1970. They were also delighted to learn that his once seasonal employees are now able to work year-round growing herbs and crafting garlic braids and holiday wreaths. Many had never heard of McFadden Vineyard’s tasting room in downtown Hopland but they have now!

One highlight of the evening in Mill Valley was when Tyler came out from the wings to join me. Moments later he gestured toward a large cast iron pot. Heavens! He had specially prepared his famous French Onion soup for everyone in the room. It was topped with a very finely grated breadcrumb-horseradish mixture and, I think, shredded bacon (or panchetta) sprinkled on top. Thank goodness a serving was set aside for me!

Tyler also told about his latest passion—making wines—and his ongoing partnership with Michael Mondavi. Tyler is actively involved in harvest and blending.

So many terrific guests showed up to get their book signed and learn a bit about touring some of California’s most beautiful tasting rooms. My thanks to Rex, Sue, Gary, Stephen, Charz, Jim and Mary Sparks, Amy, Steve, Terry Mulgannon, publisher at WineMerchant.com, and the dozens of others who came to say hello.

It was my great pleasure to meet you all and spend some time together.

My heartfelt thanks go to Tyler and Tolan for their support, great attention to detail, and gracious hospitality. You are dear people!