Partridge Cellars Blog
Here's What's Happening at Richard Partridge Wines (12-09-2015 Edition!) December 09 2015
Holiday Wine Shipments
If you have clients, family, or friends who would enjoy the gift of RP Wines, please ensure you place your order by 12/17 so we can make sure the wine arrives by 12/25.
Dreaming of a White Christmas...
DECEMBER UPDATE
Hi, Friends!
Gosh this was a quick year. I am doing everything possible to savor the last little bits of 2015, and part of that involves putting some last minute touches on a trip to Wisconsin to see family for Christmas. With no recorded snowfall yet this month, I'm afraid my dreams of a white Christmas will be shot, although avoiding travel delays due to inclement weather would be wonderful.
If you're behind like me and need some gift giving ideas, check out our recent blog post with gift ideas for the wine lover in your life.
And don't forget, our combo wine packs are a great present! They start at just $99, and come in various combinations of red and white wines.
Each package comes with a personalized information packet, tucked into our custom, gold foil lined envelopes, and wrapped in gold foil logo tissue paper. The presentation is truly beautiful....and the contents of the package are even better :)
Order by 12/17 for delivery by 12/25
Thank you for sharing 2015 with us, and we will continue to make it the best year possible until the clock strikes midnight on 12/31!
Kind regards,
Jessica Stock
National Sales Manager
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
Our large format bottles are etched and hand painted, and come in 6L and 9L sizes. That's up to one whole case of wine in one bottle! Whether you're gifting or hosting, these bottles are sure to impress.
READ MORE HERE
Here's What's Happening at Richard Partridge Wines (11.10.15 Edition) November 10 2015
Hello Fall...
Hi Friends,
We're always left feeling like California is catching up to the rest of the country when it comes to changing seasons, but it would appear we're finally into the fall season now! Chilly mornings are warming up during the day, but there's a great crispness to the air, and the sunsets have been gorgeous each evening.
While not Napa, it's still a beautiful southern California sunset :)
Some good news and bad news for you Cabernet Sauvignon lovers - the bad news is, we're sold out of our 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon. The good news is, we're releasing our 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon on 11/16, just in time for the holidays!
Our 2012 Richard Partridge Cabernet Sauvignon is available for pre-order now!
*Shipping will begin 11/16, weather permitting*
2012 HARVEST REPORT...
The 2012 growing season was perfect in every way. A lengthy stretch of warm days and cool, foggy nights in the summer led to some perfectly timed rainfall in the fall. This vintage has a very rich and appealing profile, and we're seeing deep color, dark cherry and cassis flavors on the palate.
Image courtesy of Napa Valley Vintners - click for full resolution
We're incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to share our 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon with you. This marks our 14th Cabernet vintage, and our 3rd 100% estate release, we've come a long way over the years, and your support has not gone unnoticed! THANK YOU!
The holidays will be here and gone before we know it. Let's make a pact now to enjoy every moment and cherish the time we get to spend with friends, family, and a great bottle of wine :)
Kind regards,
Jessica Stock
National Sales Manager
Here's what's happening at Richard Partridge Wines (10/19/15 edition) October 19 2015
Hi Friends,
October is off to a great start! We had an excellent time at the Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival, and we think this year was even better than last, which is saying a lot.
Saturday's events were bathed in sunshine, and the gorgeous coastal decor and fresh flowers were a great accompaniment to the gourmet restaurant offerings and rows of quality wineries. 
A pleasant surprise was how many guests came through from last year who recognized myself and/or the wines (let's be honest, the real star here is the wine!), and our conversations picked up right where they left off. It's really the personalized feeling of the whole NBWFF that keeps us coming back each year.
On Sunday morning, I awoke a few hours before the event to pouring rain! Drought be darned, Mother Nature had a different plan in store for us. I made my way to Newport Beach and found that the vendors under the big white tents were unscathed (us included), so the show went on!
Sunday turned out to be another great day, and rain free past 10 a.m.! I made a point to try more of the food vendors on Sunday, and the quality, the presentation, and the passion that goes into each of the vendor's offerings is something to be admired. I love having an arsenal of great local restaurants that I've tested and enjoyed, this will make for a fun year of dining out!
Now that we are sufficiently hungry, we hope your October is moving along spooktacularly! Talk to you soon.
Jessica Stock
National Sales Manager
DON'T FORGET
Richard Partridge Wines is donating 10% of every sale made during the month of October to the Breast Cancer Research Fund (bcrfcure.org). Join us in helping this wonderful organization. SHOP NOW
Here's what's happening at Richard Partridge Wines (9/25/15 edition) September 25 2015
[View this email in your browser]
Hello! What's happening?
Upcoming Event:
Join us on Oct 3 & 4 in beautiful Newport Beach for the 2nd annual Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival!
Use code WINE50 for $50 off General Admission.
CLICK for more information or to buy your tickets
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Heads Up: Richard Partridge Wines will be donating 10% of every sale made during the month of October to the Breast Cancer Research Fund (bcrfcure.org). We'll be announcing this on a wider scale next week!
Where has the year gone?
"GAME ON!" - a frenzied announcement from our vineyard manager on Tuesday.
We have harvested! This week was such a whirlwind that we don't even have photos to share right now.
The 2015 harvest is about 3 weeks ahead of schedule for us, and this is due to a combination of heat and drought conditions. On Monday, temperatures reached 92 degrees, and in that kind of weather the grapes were getting ready to burn baby burn. No one wants raisin wine...
Next weekend is already the Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival! We've been sharing about this event on Facebook for a few weeks, and want to state again how excited we are to be a part of this event. It promises to be even bigger and better than last year!
If you're interested in attending, we would like to offer you a $50 discount on general admission entry using code WINE50 at check-out - visit www.newportwineandfood.com.
Hope to see many of you there on Oct 3 and 4!
Have a great weekend,
Jessica Stock
National Sales Manager
It's ok to DRINK white after Labor Day! September 08 2015
Now through 9/7/15, receive 20% with code LDW September 01 2015
In celebration of the upcoming Labor Day Weekend, we're kicking things off with a 20% discount offer on our entire inventory! Use code LDW at checkout.
Offer valid while supplies last, or until midnight on 9/7/15.
14 Easy Wine Cork Crafts August 18 2015
Repeat after me:
Without further ado, here are some creative and useful re-purposing options for your corks. What other ideas can you add to the list?
Wine Cork Candle Holder - a classy piece for the home or as decor for your next event.
Source: http://www.twotwentyone.net/2011/08/wine-cork-candle-holder/
Wine Cork Coasters
Source: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-cork-coaste-157295
Wine Cork Stamps - the possibilities are endless with these cute little homemade stamps!
Source: http://www.sweetspotcards.com/2011/09/diy-cork-stamps.html
Wine Cork Wreath - whether for the holidays or every day use, wine cork wreaths are a great way to show your love of wine to all who enter your home.
Source: http://www.save-on-crafts.com/corkwreath.html
Wine Cork Succulent Planters - adorable and eco-friendly!
Source: http://www.stylebaggage.com/magnetic-wine-cork-planters/
Wine Cork Keychains are easy and helpful. They can also be used as gifts at your next event.
Source: http://cleverlyinspired.com/2011/05/wine-cork-keychains/
Wine Cork Monograms show family pride and wine enthusiasm :)
Source: http://growingupgardner4.blogspot.com/2011/07/wine-cork-letter.html
Wine Cork Planter Labels are a cheap and easy way to identify garden spaces.
Source: http://thechicsite.com/2011/04/08/put-a-cork-in-it/
This DIY Wine Cork Board is chic and useful.
Source: http://suzegeeksout.com/2012/07/10/diy-corkboard/
These champagne cork knobs are a DIY'ers dream.
Source: http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2011/03/make-recycled-champagne-cork-drawer-knobs/
Wine Cork charms are easy to make, fully customizable, and sure to be a hit at your next party!
Source: http://thechicsite.com/2011/03/04/a-charmed-life/
Wine Cork Magnets will jazz up any refrigerator.
Source: http://missmelandmissheather.blogspot.com/2012/08/diy-wine-cork-magnets.html
Use your corks as mini journals for the experiences you've had, these are sure to bring some smiles as you reminisce.
Source: http://mintagehome.blogspot.com/2009/10/wine-cork-journaling.html
Finally, not the crafty type? You might consider recycling your corks. Cork Forest leads the cork recycling movement:
http://www.corkforest.org/cork-reharvest/
Happy crafting!
How Many Grapes are in a Bottle of Wine? And Other Fun Wine Stats! July 13 2015
Ever wonder how many grapes make up a glass of wine? Or how many cases of wine an acre of vineyards can produce? Well, we've created the below handy dandy reference sheet for you!
Disclaimer: Because of the differences in vine planting density and grape cluster size by varietal, these are averages.
Unique Wine Gifts That Make Drinking Wine Even More Fun! June 08 2015
Whether you're looking to up your wine entertainment game or you need a unique gift for the wine-lover in your life, we've got you covered with our list of 15 awesome products that make wine drinking even more fun! Scroll down to explore...
Wine Stakes
Wine Glass Topper Appetizer Plates
Stack N' Go Vino Wine Glass
Cocktail Tree
Wine2Go Flask (fits a whole bottle of wine!)
Silicone wine glasses
The Wine Sack
Insulated Wine Tumbler
Wine Garden Table and Glass Holder
Cute Wine Tote Bag
Musical Wine Glasses
Ozeri Maestro Electric Wine Opener
Features an electric wine opener with an infrared wine thermometer and digital LCD screen, elegant recharging base and compact foil cutter
Wine Cork USB
Wine and Cheese Plate
Wine Pearls - to keep your wine chilled
8 Great Wine Country Hikes to Do on your Next Trip to Napa Valley May 12 2015
(707) 257-9529
(707) 252-0481
(707) 942-4575
14 of our favorite ways to re-use wine bottles! April 20 2015
While we're really good about getting our empty wine bottles into the green "recycling" container, we're not especially good at re-purposing our wine bottles for other uses. We decided to take a look around for some inspiration on this front, and boy is there a lot of ideas out there! We've curated 14 of our favorite wine bottle up-cycling ideas from around the web, and let us know what kind of wine bottle recycling you've done in the comments section.
18 of our favorite wine barrel re-purposing ideas April 02 2015
With all of the skill and passion involved in creating wine barrels, it would be a shame to see them thrown away after their work in the cellar is complete.
We've curated some of our favorite barrel re-purposing ideas from around the web, and hope this brings you as much inspiration as it's bringing us!
Directions for above: http://www.instructables.com/id/Turn-a-wine-barrel-into-an-outdoor-sink/
Source: http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Wine-Barrel-Fire-Pit-Rust?custom_ref=Oby6RP
Most of these pictures were found around the internet, but one great wine barrel furniture maker we've come across is called 2-Day Designs: http://www.2-daydesigns.com. Check them out for some innovative pieces!
What other great designs have you come across?
Disclaimer: We grabbed these photos from a google search, so if we haven't given proper credit please accept our apologies and give us a shout out, we'll rectify :)
The Creation of our 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon March 11 2015
We have eagerly awaited the release of our 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon since harvest.
An anomalous year, 2011 forced us to both intervene more in the vineyards to compensate for exceptionally cool and wet weather conditions and to take a step back and embrace the unique will of nature that we knew would define the vintage.
Harvest was delayed in October as we wished for a heat spike that would mellow out acidity in the grapes, and though we got it by the 11th, precipitation remained a problem.
Vineyard Manger, John Arns, made the ultimate decision to harvest by the end of the second week in October as temperatures reached the mid-80’s, and despite a tough beginning for our grapes, the work of Jeff Fontanella during the winemaking process resulted in a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon that is bright, juicy, and has a balanced acidity that really proves the importance of every step of the winemaking process, from farm to bottle.
Our 2011 Richard Partridge Cabernet Sauvignon is one that should be carefully contemplated and appreciated, as the true story of this wine is in the bottle.
We are excited to share this wine with you during our grand release on March 16! Please check back for details and ordering information.
Cheers,
Richard and Cris Partridge
Shoulder shimmies + holiday offer reminder December 11 2014
The songs of the holiday season...
Holiday music started in the Partridge headquarters this week, and I have been surprised by how many songs I've attached to certain memories or movies over the years. Do they do this for you too?
Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" not only prompted a little shoulder shimmy sing-along, but took me back to the early 90's when my dad would turn it on our home stereo system Christmas morning just before we dove head first into the presents under the tree. That song was the start of our day for as long as I can remember, and even with our own families now it remains a tradition. Who knew my dad's celeb crush on Mariah Carey could turn into such a long cherished memory?
Then I'll also hear songs like Mele Kalikimaka and all I can picture is Clark Griswold dreaming of his in-ground pool, or "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," which is attached to Kevin McCallister singing into a makeshift hairbrush microphone in his bathroom after he's discovered he has the house to himself. 
This year, I know some fun new traditions and memories will be made as my sister and brother-in-law welcomed a baby boy into the family in August. My first nephew! He's too young to remember much about this year, but I hope 30 years from now he's also developed some delightful, song-prompted, memories from our holiday gatherings. If my sister and I have anything to do with it, I know Mariah will be at the top of his list :)
Don't forget about our exceptional holiday offers this year:
- Wine Bundles starting at $88
- Large format bottles at 30% off
- Free shipping anywhere in the U.S.
Kind regards,
Jessica Stock
National Sales Manager
Recap of the First Annual Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival September 24 2014
Take a seat, this could take a minute...
My recap of the First Annual Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival
What an event! This inaugural wine and culinary adventure was beautifully done with rustic coastal style, complementary greenery and florals, and tall white tents with huge crystal chandeliers hanging within....not to mention, it was full of amazing wineries and renowned local chefs.
Living in Newport Beach I knew we had some truly talented chefs in our graces, but having the cream of the crop all in one place really drove that point home. I loved that each restaurant showcased a few dishes that truly represented their style because it made for such a wide variety of dishes.
I would say I often take for granted the longstanding restaurants like The Quiet Woman and Five Crowns in favor of newer noisemakers on the scene, but what a delight it was to sample some of their innovative dishes!
The Quiet Woman had a delicious sampling of gourmet grilled cheeses made to pair with either white or red wines and complemented by the most flavorful creamy bisques I’ve ever had, along with a short rib tart. Five Crowns served up tender and juicy prime rib sliders with an organic horseradish that I craftily paired with our 2010 Cab, divine (my mouth is watering, this recap isn’t fair…).
Lest we forget some of the newcomers to the Orange County restaurant scene:
- I fell in love with the swordfish ceviche from Tortilla Republic (served by the dynamic Chef Chris Tzorin).
- Lark Creek’s Chef Ryan Pitt served up black angus filet mignon with parsnip and bone marrow puree, along with a beautiful compressed watermelon with habanero orange marinade, goat cheese feta, aged balsamic reduction, and micro basil.
- The crispy rabbit confit dumpling with wasabi Dijon, edamame, and fig relish was the most flavorful little pocket of rabbit I've ever had from Chefs Tony Nguyen and Ron Lee of Anqi by House of An.
- A seasonal autumn salad from True Food Kitchen, which they’ll be premiering in the restaurant this week, included perfectly prepared, roasted white beans, Brussels sprouts, squash, cauliflower, candied nuts, and more by Chef Talia Zimmer.
- And fresh seafood was in no way lacking with yellow tail crudo from Wildfish Seafood and Grille (Chef Dante Ascenzi), house cured Scottish salmon from Driftwood Kitchen (Chef Rainer Schwarz), smoked yellowtail tacos with guac, red onion, serrano, and cilantro in a crispy wanton shell from Blue C Sushi (Chef Jeffrey Lunak), and salmon avocado “Louise” from Lemonade (Chef Alan Jackson).
Onto the wines….being a part of the wine side of things, I must say I devoted much of my attention to our own table.
We had so many amazing people come to our table and share stories about where they had their first bottle of Partridge, asking about our previous and current winemakers, inquiring about our estate vineyards, tastings, food pairings, etc. Since the Partridge's also have a home in southern California, our wines largely got their start here. The time really just flew for me, and though I didn’t get to try many other wines, I was surrounded by some great wineries with personnel that I now consider friends. These included Ahnfeldt, Bello Family, Hundred Acre, and Ascension Cellars.
Our wines showed great, which made for some rich conversations with people who had never heard of our wines before. The 2013 Chardonnay was a perfect, light, bright, white wine to pair with many of the soup and seafood dishes being served, and the mid 70’s – 80 degree weather made a white like ours a perfect day drinking wine!
The 2010 Cabernet is absolutely gorgeous right now….as I opened bottles and immediately poured without letting them breathe, I realized that the flavors and aromas are wide open, making this a great standalone wine. It has a great, muscular body that really gives this wine character and class, but the riper red notes that develop on the palate and linger throughout the finish are where this wine shines.
Going into this event we really didn’t know what to expect, but I really hope we get to participate again next year. We were among some of the best and brightest stars of the Orange County wine and culinary scene, and that's where we like to be :)
I’m off to New Orleans for a trade show with our distributor this weekend and early next week. If you have any restaurant/wine shop suggestions for us in Lousiana I’d love to stop in and pour our wines for them!
Cheers,
Jessica Stock
Richard Partridge Wines
What does Mr. T have to do with this? September 16 2014
This weekend I’ll be on hand to pour our wines for the inaugural Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival. It’s an honor to get to participate in this event since only 12 other wineries are pouring at the Grand Tasting Pavilion – exclusivity at its finest!
I love pouring at these events because it gives me the opportunity to speak with people who sometimes haven’t tasted our wines before. They approach my table with a virgin palate, and they often have some of the most enlightening insights into our newer wines because their minds aren’t full of memories and comparisons to past vintages.
One of the best stories I can remember is a guy walking up to me and saying “your wines remind me of Mr. T in a tux!” After my laughter settled I had to ask, “That’s great, but why?!” He went on to explain that our Cabernet was muscular and well-built, but also elegant and refined. I loved it!
So if you will be in or around the Orange County, CA area this weekend, the Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival will be an absolutely stellar event – and I will be dutifully pouring our 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2013 Chardonnay, waiting for your fresh faces to come on by and give me a great new wine comparison to use in future emails :)
If you can’t make it to the event this weekend, well, I pity the fool.
Cheers!
Jessica Stock
National Sales Manager
Join us September 20-21, 2014! September 04 2014
Do you like Wine & Food?
Because we do.
Join Richard Partridge Wines at the Grand Tasting Pavilion of the First Annual Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival as we pour some of our top wines. The Grand Tasting Pavilion will host 12 of the most exclusive wineries on Sept. 20 & 21 from 12:00 - 3:00 each day. We're extremely honored to be a part of this high-end, exclusive group that includes wineries like Hundred Acre, Bello and Bure.Food and wine lovers… prepare yourselves to experience a world-class epicurean journey at the Festival through live cooking demos with celebrity and local chefs, cuisine from some of OC’s finest culinary masters, over 40 wineries, elite sommelier panels, mixology courses, spirits and beer tastings and live jazz.
100% of net proceeds will benefit charity partners Project Hope Alliance and Hoag Hospital Foundation’s Circle 1000.
Purchase tickets here: https://newportwineandfood.com/purchase-tickets/
We hope to see you there!
Jessica Stock
National Sales Manager
2013 Richard Partridge Chardonnay is Now Available! July 07 2014
About
We produce under 100 cases of our Richard Partridge Chardonnay each year. This crisp, sexy Chardonnay does not undergo malolactic fermentation in order to preserve the bright citrus characteristics typical of Chardonnay grapes from the cooler Carneros region of Napa Valley. This wine completed its aging process in 100% French oak for 8 months.
Tasting Notes
Citrus, pear, and plantain aromas. Hints of toasted oak and vanilla bean. In the mouth, apricot and peach flavors integrate with tangerine type citrus. This wine is complex and rich, with a vibrant acidity and a long, silky finish.
Ordering
To order this limited production 2013 Richard Partridge Chardonnay, please visit our website or contact Jessica at 562.802.7345, or Jessica@rfpartridge.com. We look forward to hearing from you, and welcome any questions or comments.
Cheers,
Richard and Cris Partridge
Happy 4th of July from Richard Partridge Wines July 04 2014
All of us at Richard Partridge Wines want to wish you a safe, happy, and fun Independence Day! We can help you by supplying the red and white, you just have to add the blue (maybe some "blue" cheese topped beef tenderloin? Mmmmm).
As a special reminder, our 2013 Chard is all set for release on Monday, so stay tuned for a follow-up email then!
Please enjoy your weekend!
Cheers,
Jessica, and the whole RP Wines team
2013 Chard Release Date Announcement June 23 2014
2013 Chard Release Date Announcement
I’ve had several celebratory glasses of wine since completing my MBA last month, some good and some not so good. Several bottles have come from our own cellar – a little quality control of past vintages, you could say – and what I’ve found is that I really have a preference for our own wines. Call me biased, but they’re darn good, and continue to impress me. I’m digressing…
The real point of this email was to tell you that one of the glasses (a rather heavy pour, I may add) I had the chance to imbibe last week was our forthcoming 2013 Chardonnay (you may have seen that on Facebook if you’re following us there).
With only a week in bottle at my time of tasting I immediately discussed a release date with Richard, as this vintage is about as delicious as any chardonnay I’ve ever tasted. So with that, we’ve decided on a release date for our 2013 Chardonnay! Drumroll please…
July 7, 2014!
My description of this vintage: “Like summer in a glass!” Bright, crisp, citrus flavors with a balanced and smooth finish. Cris adds, “Major pear and some vanilla, peaches too."
We’ll keep you informed as the release date nears, but for now mark your calendars. We only made 80 cases of this wine, the same as last year, and that vintage sold out in 4 months!
With the weekend nearly here, I hope you have some delicious juice to sip on. Enjoy!
Jessica Stock
National Sales Manager
8 Great {Wine Inspired} Gifts for Father's Day June 06 2014
Father's Day is coming and we've curated some of our favorite wine inspired Father's Day gifts. The first is our favorite, of course - a few bottles of 2010 Richard Partridge Cabernet Sauvignon. Rated 90 pts. by Wine Spectator, who also called it one of the "10 Outstanding Cabs of 2010," Dad will delight in opening a bottle of this outstanding wine on his special day.
Click here to find out more information, and be sure to share your favorite Father's Day gifts with us!
Weather Delays Sure Stink! June 04 2014
Beat the heat...summer is coming!
I have an absolute addiction to online shopping.
The internet has made it so easy to avoid the in-store hassles of parking, crowds, check-out lines, and hauling heavy items home. There’s something magical about placing an order from the comfort of your home, continuing to enjoy life, then receiving the order a few days later without any extra effort!
But there IS a downside to internet shopping for us wineries…..weather.
We’re approaching a time of year that I like to refer to as the holding season. Why? Because due to the heat from late June – late September I can’t usually ship any wine to locations that require more than two days of transit. It’s a drag for me because I know I hate waiting more than a week for any shipment (Amazon has spoiled me), so I don’t like having to hold your shipments due to weather either.
At the risk of going thirsty all summer, I implore you to beat the heat and get those last minute summer orders in before we get too hot to ship. 
I had a bottle of our 2010 Cab at a BBQ this past weekend with some carne asada and was majorly impressed. It wasn’t a purposeful pairing, but it worked! I tend to pair our Cab with bigger cuts of meat, but the preparation of the meat with ground peppercorn, chili powder and cumin was spot on.
Don’t forget, we offer free UPS Ground shipping on all orders!
Happy shopping,
Jessica Stock
National Sales Manager
Drought in California, but Vineyards are Fighting May 28 2014
If you live in California or have paid attention to The Weather Channel, you will have noticed the awful drought conditions currently plaguing our state.
The rainy season in Napa last year brought us only 14 inches of rain (77% of normal), and the prospects for additional rainfall this year aren’t looking much better. In fact, we set dryness records that date all the way back to 1908.
Some water dependent crops are going unplanted in order to divert available water to long-term investment crops, such as oranges, almonds, and, our favorite, vineyards!
What does this mean for the state of Napa Valley wines?
Well, The Wine Institute says that wine and grape quality will not be affected by these drought conditions, and although we may see some yields impacted over the next 2-3 years depending on weather this year, we had record high harvests in Napa in 2012 and 2013.
Vineyards are like the heavyweight champions of crops…they take a few hits and might struggle a little, but they often emerge stronger for having made the journey. Lucky for us, huh?
Our 2012 and 2013 harvests are in barrel right now, but the harvest reports came back overwhelmingly positive, not just for us, but also around the Valley. I think we’re in for some special juice!
This doesn’t mean we don’t wish for rain; the whole state needs some, terribly! But as we look out the front door at least we know we’re working with the Muhammad Ali of crops.
Wishing you all a great Wednesday with delicious wines!
Jessica Stock
National Sales Manager
A Great Weekend in Napa Valley! May 20 2014
(Photo from Achetypenapa.com website; we do not take credit)
I enjoyed a lovely dinner with the Partridge's at a new restaurant in St. Helena called Archetype this past weekend.
As we entered the former building of French Blue at 1429 Main St., we were blown away by the rustic, simplistic beauty of Archetype.
With a wide open floor plan, high ceilings, fresh flowers, and busy chefs preparing culinary delights in an open kitchen it felt like we had stepped into a white party in the Hamptons.
As is typical for Napa Valley, Executive Chef Ryder Zetts uses local and seasonal ingredients in his preparations, and dishes are flavorful and beautiful in presentation – plates are informed by the comingling of ingredients, and the whole is definitely greater than the sum of the parts.
Some of the meals enjoyed at our table include Alaskan halibut with bacon crust, manila clams, grilled ramps, and marble potatoes; carola potato gnocchi with green garlic butter, young carrots, pea tendrils, and mushroom condiment; and chilled Dungeness crab with pearl tapioca, hearts of palm, red curry, and fried coconut.
Sounds amazing, right?
Working for a winery, it’s often funny to enter new restaurants and become familiar with their protocol on corkage fees. We were happily surprised with Archetype, where the fee was minimal (and free for the first bottle)– we have to be able to drink the good stuff, ya know.
But let’s be honest, while the restaurant was fantastic, the company was even better. Sometimes you just have to stop and say thank you to the great people who make living out your wine inspired dreams possible.
Jessica Stock
National Sales Manager