I love going to wine growing regions across the world, even though wine tastings are really not my forte. For one, I refuse to spit out good wine. Consequently, I speedily lose my sense of judgement — and gain a mostly inappropriate sense of humour. Also, even after having waded through barrels upon barrels of wine over the years, the finer flavour notes — blackberry, floral, fruity, chocolate and more —continue to mystify and elude. So when I find myself back in Napa Valley, home to some of America’s finest vintages, I have little to no hope that I’ll learn anything new. But I’m looking forward to seeing the beautiful countryside and not spitting out some interesting Californian wines.
Tuscon Villa in Sonoma
Wines aside, Napa and Sonoma Valleys are the perfect places for a lazy weekend with friends. The landscape — undulating and covered with grape vines, with the occasional water body to provide the perfect contrast, is spectacular. And in addition to the mind-boggling range of wines, restaurants here specialise in gourmet food made with local ingredients. No wonder, then, that Napa locals estimate they get almost as many visitors as Disneyland! Being the weekend at the beginning of summer, most restaurants are packed and the winery tours crowded. Having done the conducted tour on a previous visit, this time we decide to visit a couple of wineries on our own. With over 500 of them dotting an area that is barely 48 km long and 8-km wide, it’s a tough choice.
An artist painting the landscape
Before we leave for a day of wine tasting, we stock up on some sandwiches, olives and cheeses at the Sonoma cheese factory. Past experience has shown us the importance of loading up on carbs before wine tasting. The café also has a lovely array of local olive oils, artisanal cheeses, preserves and mustard, so we decide to carry some for a picnic later. Well-armed with goodies, we head to Viansa Winery in Sonoma first.
Barrels inside a wine store
The winery also maintains 97 acres of wetlands and is set atop a small hill, offering incredible views and countless photo ops of its ivy-covered Tuscan-style villa surrounded by olive groves. Inside, the tasting room also offers a range of artisanal cheeses and other goodies. Californian wines are a lot sweeter and fruitier than their Italian and South American counterparts, owing to the fact that the sugar in the grape juice isn’t allowed to ferment completely into alcohol.They’re a little too fruity for my liking, I find. The views and the setting enthrall more than the wine tasting here.
A green grape vine
Silver streamers glint in the sun at Madonna Winery, a hundred-percent organic winery in Napa. These reflect light and naturally repel blackbirds and other pests. Interestingly, almost 50 per cent of Napa’s wineries now have the green tag. The winery is small and friendly, with the vintners happy to uncork new bottles for our tasting pleasure. The sun is achingly bright, and all the wine has given me the beginnings of a headache. The cool dark cellars at the Robert Mondavi Winery offer a nice respite. Next to us, a couple learnedly discusses the merits of using French Oak barrels over their American variants for aging wine. Apparently, the tannins in French Oak are smoother. I listen intently, wondering at how little I know about the world I so love to explore. The tasting is going swimmingly, and we buy a couple of bottles that we like. The thing to note is that many wineries in Napa and Sonoma have wine clubs — an inexpensive way to source good wine every month if you’re a US resident.
A sprawling vineyard
Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chablis and Pinot Noir… the names have begun to roll of my tongue with dangerous ease. We stop to picnic from our deli takeout on a grassy knoll. I had made a mental note the last time I was in Napa, to keep snacking and stay hydrated to beat the effects of wine tasting. I drink a gallon of water and settle down under an olive tree. One minute I’m contemplating Napa’s blue sky and rolling hills, and the next thing I know is that the sun is setting rather magnificently in a purple sky. It’s time to leave, but I know I’ll have a lot more than a hangover tomorrow to remember this beautiful wine country by. Photos: Gaurav Sharma
 "Napa Valley: Tippling in wine country")
