The Good Life

Our passion is wine!  We are located in the beautiful Napa Valley.  We farm spectacular vineyards and produce amazing wines.  But that is not to say we do not have a passion for other adult beverages.  Anyone who has met our staff knows that our love of the “good life” has no bounds.

I thought today I would introduce you to my favorite cocktail.  As with most things in my life, the history of the drink is as important as the taste.  I was first introduced to the Vieux Carre in it’s birthplace, the Carousel Bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  the Carousel Bar is a historic bar located in the Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street.  In my opinion, this is one of the must stay locations in New Orleans.  The hotel has been hosting guests since 1886 and is the epitome of southern luxury.

Even if you do not stay at the hotel, you must visit the bar.  The Carousel Bar is just what the name implies.  It is a carousel that slowly rotates around the bar.  You sit on stools and watch as the bartenders and busy Royal Street slowly roll by.  Don’t worry, it is extremely slow.  I know some of you are worried about drinking on a moving bar!

Now for the drink.  The name Vieux Carre is the original French term for the neighborhood that we now know as the French Quarter.  The cocktail was invented in 1938 by then head bartender, Water Burgeron.  The drink is as complex as the city itself with a combination of spice from Rye Whiskey, smoothness from the Cognac and herbal notes that Benedictine provides.  There is a little investment in the ingredients, but it is well worth your hard earned dollar.

Here is the original:

3/4 oz of rye whiskey

3/4 oz of Cognac

3/4 oz of Sweet Vermouth (please use Carpano Antica, there really is no other sweet vermouth)

1 tsp of Benedictine

2 dashes of Peychauds Bitters

2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Lemon peel for garnish

Mix all the ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice.  Stir. Strain into an old fashion glass with a large cube of ice.  Garnish with lemon peel (you can also use an orange peel).

Mix up a Vieux Carre, sit back and listen to some New Orleans jazz and discover a new level of the “good life”  Might I recommend some Louis Armstrong, Etta James, Rebith Brass Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band or Kermit Ruffins to get you started!

Cheers

 

It Takes a Village

I feel fortunate to live in an area where the primary industries are food and wine.  Those are the glamorous categories most talked about when the Napa Valley gets mentioned, but there is a whole other industry that is the foundation of both fine dining and wine that guides our principals…agriculture.  This is an agricultural community and for far too long this side of the business has not been glorified.

It is a lot like sports.  The fundamentals and hours of practice are not the sexy part of the sport.  Game day is, and that is what people talk about.  There are rarely highlights of the behind the scenes work that athletes and coaches put in on ESPN.  The highlights are reserved for games played in front of large crowds with all the pomp and circumstance.  Rarely do they highlight the athlete that is up at 4 am to get their first of 3 workouts in preparing their mind and body for the grueling season to come.

Similarly, the fine dining and wine businesses do not always showcase the underlying fundamentals of the work it takes to be successful.  Critics are not in the restaurant gardens at the break of dawn critiquing compost, irrigation techniques, soil preparation, etc…  They are in the luxurious dining rooms taking pictures of finished dishes that are expertly prepared and artfully plated.  They do not visit the family farms that produce products that eventually end up on their plates in Michelin starred restaurants.  I wonder if they even consider the early mornings and hard work that go into each and every component on the plate.  Do they understand that while the dish is the creation of a famous chef, there is a whole team of dedicated artisans that took part in creating and executing that dish?

This is also relevant to fine wine.  There are a lot of unsung heroes who play integral roles in bringing that bottle of wine to life.  Does the wine critic or consumer really understand the hours and back breaking work the vineyard laborers put in over the growing season?  Do they understand the long days managing weeds, working the soil and cover crops, hand farming each vine to produce the fruit that is in their glass?  The hours of maintenance and repairs on equipment.  The days sweating under the beating sun in June and July?  The harvest crew that works 18+ hours processing the fruit when it comes to the winery.  The cellar staff that works in cold and dark conditions, caring for and raising the young wine to maturity.  In addition, there are all the ancillary suppliers who depend on the success of wineries to be able to sell glass, corks, capsules, barrels and labels.

The number of people involved in that glass of wine is much larger than most consumers realize.  I know there are large corporate wineries that mechanize, and their products fill an important niche in the marketplace, but what I am talking about here are the family owned and operated wineries.  The wineries where the family touches every aspect of farming and production.  There is a part of their soul that can be felt in every sip of their wine.  You can taste the hours of hard work.  You can feel the pride on your palette.  You might even be able to see a label that is just slightly off centered because it was hand labeled.

These are the wines that tell a story.  Not just a story of the winemaker or the brand.  Not just about the members of the immediately family.  These wines tell the story of a community.  They are a testament to all the people involved, from the dirt to the glass.

As it goes with most agricultural communities, the wineries of the Napa Valley work hard to support each other and our community.  From loaning equipment to neighbors in need, to showing up to lend a hand when things get tough, I could not be prouder to be a part of an industry and community.

The next time you open up that bottle of wine, think about all the people that helped bring that enjoyment to your glass.

Ciccio in Yountville

I am often asked by customers and friends who visit the Napa Valley which restaurants I recommend.  There is no shortage of fine dining options here in the Valley and, in particular Yountville, where I live.  My number one recommendation is always a small local Italian Restaurant called Ciccio.

What can I say about Ciccio that has not already been said.  They have received critical acclaim from the Travel Channel, SF Chronicle, and just about every other publication that reviews restaurants.  The food there is simple and amazing.  Most of the reviews I have seen focus on the food, as they should.  However, it is the people that keep us going back and giving recommendations.  We are lucky enough to be within walking distance so we dine there often.

The staff at Ciccio are simply fantastic.  Their attention to detail when it comes to hospitality is way above what you expect from a neighborhood pizza and pasta joint.  The crew treats every table as if they are family visiting for Sunday dinner.  Quite honestly, that is the best way to describe the overall vibe here…family dinner.  On most nights you can find the owner there at his table, with his family having dinner.

From the hostess to the servers, everyone makes a point to visit our table and make sure everything is perfect.  They are genuine and accommodating.  For that we make Ciccio a weekly stop and encourage all of our visitors to give it a try.

I could list our favorite dishes and recommend things to try, but why?  Everything on the menu is great.  Pick something that sounds good to you and you will not be disappointed.  Just make sure you order a pre-dinner negroni and a bottle of wine!

Thanks to our friends at Ciccio for providing us such a wonderful neighborhood restaurant.

Pizza at Ciccio