Many people have visited Napa Valley, in some cases many times, without setting food on some of its most interesting terroir. That’s because the steep and remote hillsides of Napa’s mountain AVAs tend to be sparsely populated and accessible only by carsick-inducing roads that most tour buses, limos, and unadventurous tourists can’t manage. Depending on your point of view, this is either one of Napa’s best-kept secrets, or something of a shame. You see, there’s something special about many wines made on the wooded hillsides of Napa. The higher altitudes usually mean good drainage and slightly cooler temperatures at night, both of which can translate into a bright complexity in the wines made from these mountainous plots.
Ordinarily, a tour of even one of these areas might take an entire day, but in a couple of weeks, San Franciscans won’t even have to cross a bridge to experience a bit of the Napa mountains. That’s because the wineries of Mount Veeder are coming to town to pour their wines for anyone who wants a taste.
Mount Veeder is on the southwestern edge of Napa Valley, and is part of the Mayacamas range that divides Napa from Sonoma. It is among Napa’s least populated AVAs, both by people and by wineries. But it is also plays host to some of Napa’s most interesting wines. On April 21st, the wineries of Mount Veeder will invade the Presido for your tasting pleasure.
Wineries attending will include: Anthem Winery and Vineyards, Fontanella Family Winery, The Hess Collection, Lagier Meredith, Lampyridae, Marketta, Mayacamas, Mithra, Mount Veeder Winery, Mt. Brave, O’Shaugnessy Estate, Paratus, Random Ridge,Sbragia Family Vineyards, Sky Vineyards, Trinchero Napa Valley, Yates Family Vineyard, and Y. Rousseau wines.
There will be food to pair with the wines, and if you fall in love with any bottles you will be able to buy them on the spot. All in all, it’s bound to be a good time, and an education for your palate to boot. Big Napa wine tastings — those that afford consumers a chance to taste a lot of wines in one go — aren’t too common in San Francisco, so this is one that is worth sneaking out of work a bit early for.
More details on the Mount Veeder association’s web site.
Mt. Feeder Appellation Spring Wine Tasting
Thursday April 21, 2016
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Presidio Golden Gate Club
135 Fisher Loop
San Francisco, CA 94129 (map)
Tickets for the event are $55 in advance, $75 at the door (if there are any left). Buy yours ahead of time online.
My usual tips for such tastings apply: go hydrated, well slept, and with food in your belly; Wear dark clothes to avoid accidental spills; and spit if you want to learn something – you ain’t got no tastebuds in your throat. Also, parking at the Golden Gate Club is limited, so consider parking elsewhere nearby (plenty of spots within a few blocks).
Photo courtesy of Lagier Meredith
