www.julieannkodmur.com
707-963-9632
corking@julieannkodmur.com
Welcome from the heart of Napa Valley.
Cameo Cinema
A diverse Valentine's Day weekend at a gem of a movie theater in St. Helena: on February 13 you can catch Frost/Nixon at 5:30 & 8:15 p.m. and My Bloody Valentine 3D at 11:00 p.m. On February 14 at 11:00 a.m. come for Kenneth MacMillan's production of Romeo & Juliet (performed by The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden), Frost/Nixon at 2:30, 5:30 or 8:15 p.m. and My Bloody Valentine 3D at 11:00 p.m.
Following up on its popular gratis airing of the Presidential Inauguration on January 20, The Cameo Cinema continues its line-up of new films, art and children's-oriented films and community events. The Cameo has recently upgraded its capabilities and now projects all movies in state of the art 3D digital cinema. The Cameo Cinema is located at 1340 Main Street in St. Helena.
As part of its continuing community programming, The Cameo will offer a one-time benefit screening of Bedtime Stories, the recent movie starring Adam Sandler and filmed partly at Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga, on February 21 at 11:00 a.m. The showing will benefit The Young School; tickets must be purchased in advance at The Young School, 957 Brown Street, St. Helena (967-9909). Each attendee will receive a free small popcorn. In addition, Castello di Amorosa's owner, Dario Sattui, will answer questions about the making of the movie at the conclusion of the showing.
The Cameo Cinema is located at 1340 Main Street, St. Helena. Unusual concession items include Ciao Bella ice cream. The Cameo Cinema is almost one hundred years old; it is literally a jewel of a movie house, having been meticulously restored in 1997 under the direction of prior owner Charlotte Wagner. Today the Cameo is one of only 24 independently owned and operated single-screen theaters in the entire country.
Cartlidge & Browne
www.candbwinery.com, www.lot205winery.com, www.moserschardingwine.com
Cartlidge & Browne spun off a new winery this past spring: Lot 205 Winery is a line of screw-capped 100% California-appellation wines which sell for $10.00. You'll see a harvester bearing grapes on the label---the hands---and shoulders---of that harvester send a message about how literally "hands-on" winemaker Paul Moser and his team are in creating these wines. Lot 205 are affordable, varietally accurate and easy to enjoy---they allow you to explore the distinct personality of each wine grape type. Each wine's label gives you a quick profile of the contents. The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is Robust, Berries & Mocha. The 2005 No. 1 Red is Juicy, Rich & Supple. The 2006 Merlot is Stylish, Fragrant & Supple. The 2006 Chardonnay is Lush, Vibrant & Aromatic. The 2006 Petite Sirah is Bold, Spicy & Rich. The 2006 Zinfandel is Jammy, Smooth & Spicy. Lot 205's founder Tony Cartlidge adds that Lot 205 "is a wine snob's everyday wine." Lot 205 Winery is part of a family of wines including Cartlidge & Browne and Moser Scharding. Updates happen also at their blog.
Introducing Lot 205 Winery
Chiarello Family Vineyards
Michael Chiarello wears many toques---chef/owner of the new Bottega in Yountville, founder of NapaStyle (stores in Yountville, Berkeley, Corte Madera, Los Gatos, Costa Mesa, Pasadena and online, www.napastyle.com) and Chiarello Family Vineyards, Food Network host, cookbook author, dad of four, and hands-on grape-grower, tending the 94 old-vine vineyards he's restored to an organic ranch at his home in St. Helena. He explains that "with the proper care, we can farm in the flavor we crave. As a Napa Valley chef I believe food wines require enough personality and acid to celebrate the foods they are served with. With my wines, you'll taste the story of my family and our personal, hands-on care of the vineyards in each glass. The natural and sustainable way we farm is a key factor in the high quality of the final wine. As we preserve our soils naturally, we also preserve our heritage."
Current releases are 2006 Felicia Old Vine Zinfandel, 2006 Bambino Cabernet Sauvignon and 2006 Roux Old Vine Petite Sirah. Each wine is named for a child, whether a daughter or son (the "bambino" is now almost 3 years old).
Date Night
Suzanne Phifer Pavitt will be pouring tastes of 2005
Date Night at ACME Fine Wines in St. Helena on February
13 between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. Also in the Napa Valley,
enjoy 2005 Date Night with filet mignon in one of the
many-course Valentine's weekend menu at Sol Bar in Calistoga
on February 13 and 14.
Current release: 2005 Date Night Cabernet Sauvignon.
** *Listen to Suzanne on 2/14 at 7:00 a.m. (CA time) at www.blogtalkradio.com/joinusatthetable, being interviewed by Robbie Bell and Nancy Ancrum in Miami. ***
Our 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon coming this Spring!
Judd's Hill
Judd's Hill Winery will launch its 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon with a Valentine's Day extravaganza on February 14 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Not only will this be the first opportunity to taste the 2005 Cabernet, the winery will be offering grilled food from Pat Burke (a national champion bbq competitor), live music from Larry Jones and his band, massages and other unique Valentine's Day treats (including Pat Burke's Fudge of Mystery). The winery is located at 2332 Silverado Trail in Napa (94558). The Valentine's Day event will also launch the winery's new video blog, Judd's Enormous Wine Show, which is being co-created by Judd Finkelstein and Rudy McClain (the director/writer/producer of the new feature film Merlove). This new show will first air at midnight on February 13 and be available for viewing at the winery on February 14. The blog will have new installments each week, and will include a wide range of wine-related content---from humorous scenarios and on-air interviews to updates on wines and winery activities.
Beginning as garage winemakers, pioneering vintners Art and Bunnie Finkelstein have been producing respected wines in the Napa Valley since the 1970s. Now, along with their son, Judd and his wife, Holly, they continue to hand-craft ultra-premium wines with the same passionate and intimate style that has been their signature for 30 years. Current releases are 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002 Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Napa Valley Estate Pinot Noir, 2005 Lodi Petite Sirah, and the wines usually offered only to Club members--- 2007 Napa Valley Rose and 2007 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.
PiÑa Napa Valley
Ranndy Piña is one of the four brothers who run a small winery, Piña Napa Valley, as well as their family's vineyard management business, based in Rutherford. They are the sixth generation of their family to farm vineyards in the Napa Valley. Ranndy's new blog features a whimsical essay about the brothers' mother, in which he is soliciting scanned kisses to post (and for which he will make a contribution to Napa Emergency Women's Services): www.PinaNapaValley.Blogspot.com.
Smith-Madrone
Stu Smith considers wild daffodils as Mother Nature's valentine; this year because of a lack of rain, his mountain vineyards are bare of the bright yellow splashes. He's an anti-cliché holiday kind of guy. Authentic is Stu's middle name; blogger Fred Koeppel calls Smith-Madrone 'wines of hope'; ride around the ranch with Stu in his pick-up: here, or here, or even here.
Current releases are 2007 Riesling and 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon; 2006 Chardonnay is still available. All of the wineries' wines are made from the estate vineyards surrounding the winery, planted 34 years ago by brothers Stuart Smith and Charles Smith. All of the vineyards are dry-farmed on steep mountainsides at elevations between 1,300 and 2,000 feet, ranging in steepness up to 35%, in deep red Aiken loam soil. Smith-Madrone is located at the highest point in the Spring Mountain District appellation. Stuart Smith chose specific slopes with different exposures for specific varietals when planting the vineyards: eastern exposure for Riesling, southern and western exposures across flat stretches for the Cabernet Sauvignon and the coolest north-facing slopes for the Chardonnay.
Stubbs Vineyard
Tom and Mary Stubbs planted 11 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 1996 and today are the only organically certified vineyard in Marin County. Their estate defines 'terroir,' given their dramatically beautiful site a few miles inland from Tomales Bay, where the vineyards are planted in a valley surrounded by steeply rising hills, where llamas patrol the perimeter and olive trees line the entrance road, and where the Stubbs family and vineyard operations are run 'off the grid.' Current releases are 2006 Chardonnay, 2006 Pinot Noir, 2006 Merlot.
Swanson Vineyards
Swanson Vineyards pioneered the elegant indulgent seated-tasting-only approach in its Tasting Salon in Rutherford in 2000. Today visitors can also visit Le Cirque, a standing-only tasting space and retail shop next door. Current releases are 2007 Pinot Grigio, 2005 Merlot, 2005 Alexis Cabernet Sauvignon and the winery also offers a group of just-for-sale-at-the-winery Salon wines, currently consisting of 2007 Salon Rosato, 2007 Salon Chardonnay, 2005 Salon Petite Sirah, 2005 Salon Sangiovese and 2005 Salon Cabernet Sauvignon. Seasonally appropriate for Valentine's Day are the winery's proprietary line of chocolates and caviar. The newest addition is the Alexis Candy Bar. The range includes assortments of the chocolate bonbons as well as wild American hackleback caviar and farmed American osetra.
We'll be part of this special Valentine's
Weekend at Le CIRque!
$20. per person, by appointment only, 707.967.3500
Trivium
Doug Wight, Jack Stuart and Stu Harrison released a wine together this past year, the 2005 Trivium Cabernet Sauvignonwhich celebrates their history living as neighbors in St. Helena. Their three daughters became friends and played together in a vineyard near their homes. The vineyard, "Les Ivrettes," takes its name from the French for tipsy girls, recalling the days when Haley, Caitlin and Cassie gathered among the vines for celebrations with friends.
Vineyard & Winery Estates
Cary is a consulting winemaker and winery and vineyard development consultant who has honed his expertise over many years in several California growing regions, from the Sierra foothills to the Central Coast to Napa and Sonoma. He and his wife Vickie are known to throw a pretty tasty party. This is one of their go-to hors d'oeuvres:
Mayonnaise Kisses:
Cookie cutter rounds of Wonder bread (yes) white onions (small boiling onions), cut 1/8 inch thick, placed on top of the bread rounds about a tablespoon of Best Foods mayonnaise is dabbed on each bread-onion round Sprinkle or sift paprika on top. Broil for between 5 and 8 minutes; watch closely; you want the mixture to be bubbly and only lightly colored.
Zinfandel Advocates & Producers
www.zinfandel.org, www.zinworld.org
ZAP has just concluded its 17th Annual Zinfandel Advocates & Producers Festival in San Francisco.- Watch a Braised Duck Tartlet in Zinfandel Reduction be assembled
- Or watch Gary Vaynerchuk taste and discuss the 2006 Heritage Vineyard Zinfandel
Catch ZAP on the move this year, in Atlanta May 12, Dallas on May 14, Seattle July 26-27, Portland July 29. In addition, ZAP is sponsoring a Masters of Zin Mediterranean cruise May 3-15, sailing from Athens to Venice. Founded in 1991, ZAP is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history. The common focus is the preservation and recognition of Zinfandel as America's wine. ZAP organizes seminars, educational programs, and tastings at wineries and other settings across the United States to explain the uniqueness of the Zinfandel grape. ZAP promotes the continuing research surrounding the origins and history of the Zinfandel grape, including support of the Heritage Vineyard, the development of the Zinfandel Aroma Wheel, and acts as a resource, connecting the Zinfandel community around the world.
Sunrise Horse Rescue
Established in 2007, Sunrise Horse Rescue in St. Helena shelters horses of different ages and breeds. It is the only horse rescue operation in the Napa Valley. The residents include Aragon, a six year old Morgan, Apricot, an eleven year old quarter pony, Bella, an eleven year old thoroughbred, Captain, a thirty year old Icelandic pony, Big Guy, a sixteen year old Belgian warmblood, Pippin, an eighteen year old Welsh pony, Tazz, a twenty-eight year old Arabian, Chauncey, a sixteen year old Morgan, Tara, an eleven year old Bureau of Land Management mustang and Cupcake, a seventeen year old Shetland pony---the stable's 'spokespony.'
Founder Tracee Beebe explains "we provide a home for horses who have supposedly outlived their usefulness as well as those who have been abused or neglected. Sunrise Horse Rescue is a grass roots effort whose mission is to rescue and rehabilitate horses who are in need in Napa and Sonoma counties." Local volunteers include local childen, who thrive in the stable's setting amongst vineyards and black berry hedges.
The Young School
www.theyoungschool.org and www.foreveryoungbenefit.org
It's school auction season in Napa Valley, and The Young School's Tenth Annual Forever Young Benefit will offer rare wines including Sloan, Levy & McClellan and Bond; 'priceless' event auction lots will include lunches with authors Leslie Sbrocco, John Hager, Jon Dodge and Karen MacNeil.
It takes place on March 6 at Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga beginning at 6:30 p.m. The evening will consist of silent and live auctions and dinner with the Castello as a breathtaking backdrop. Tickets are $100/person, available in advance at www.foreveryoungbenefit.org. The event is expected to sell out, so it is recommended to buy tickets in advance. Can't be there? Download and send in the online proxy bidding form. Founded in 1991 by JoAnn Bell, The Young School is a private non-profit non-denominational Montessori-derived program for grades one through six.
Young scientist dissecting frogs Feb. 11.