When most people think of Napa, they likely think of broad swaths of vineyards sweeping back from the edges of Highway 29 towards beautifully manicured lawns and pretty architecture. Certainly, many of the most famous spots in Napa fit this description. Some of their names — Rutherford, Oakville, St. Helena — have begun to be recognized by consumers.
But there is another side (or more accurately, sides) to Napa, less trodden, less visible, but arguably more interesting from the standpoint of wine. Those sides, of course, are the hillsides — the mountain terroirs of Napa, where altitude and slope, temperature gradients and well draining soils, shady pockets and hillside breezes make for fresh, powerful wines that can really turn your head.
There are a few such hillside and mountaintop areas of Napa, but perhaps the most significant is the Spring Mountain District, home to some of Napa’s most distinctive (and some would argue, undervalued) wines. It’s a part of Napa that receives far less traffic and attention than elsewhere in the valley, in part because of the winding mountain roads that must be navigated to reach it.
But not on the weekend of November 18th. Because the mountain is coming to Muhammed. Or, rather to San Francisco.
On Sunday November 18th, a whole bunch of producers from Spring Mountain are showing up to pour their wines to anyone who wants to taste. There will be copious and diverse appetizers on offer as well.
This is a great opportunity to taste your way through a set of producers that aren’t often accessible to consumers in a single spot. And a number of them are among my favorites in Napa.
Wineries pouring include Barnett Vineyards, Behrens Family Vineyard, Castellucci Napa Valley, Frias Family Vineyards, Keenan Winery, Luscher-Ballard Vineyard, Paloma Vineyard, Pride Mountain Vineyard, Schweiger Vineyards, Sherwin Vineyards, Smith-Madrone, Spring Mountain Vineyard, Stony Hill Vineyard, Terra Valentine, and Vineyard 7 & 8.
If you’re not doing anything the Sunday before Thanksgiving and you love great wine, you’d be hard pressed to find a more interesting place to be than at this tasting.
2018 Spring Mountain Harvest Tasting
Sunday, November 18
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Presidio Golden Gate Club
135 Fisher Loop
San Francisco, CA 94129 (map)
Tickets for this event may well sell out, so you should purchase yours in advance online. They’ll run you $100 per person.
