Gifts from Napa

Time to Go Back to School. Wine School!!

by Javy on 2023-01-19 in Filed Under: Activities in Napa, Gifts from Napa

Kellie Martin – Your Personal Wine Mentor

I have spent almost two decades in the wine industry and every single day I am surprised by the joy of learning something new or meeting someone whose knowledge of wine-making adds to my own. To put it simply, we are able to deliver unique and curated experiences because we are constantly in learning and discovery mode and we want to encourage you to do the same.

Being well-versed in enology will absolutely give you the edge when it comes to wine collecting, wine discovery and most importantly it will equip you to have educated conversations on a topic that always enchants those around you. We know that politics, religion and money are verboten in polite company. Wine never is!

In my personal experience knowing and loving wines is best achieved by knowing the people behind each wine and the processes that make it possible. It seems, the more I learn the more I realize how little I know and my appetite for knowledge grows by the hour.

Living in Napa provides me with constant opportunities to mingle with the best-of-the best; among them my amazing friend Kellie Martin. Kellie Martin is the perfect blend of charm and expertise and has a way about her that makes learning about wine fun and approachable. Her credentials are too long to list and her Rolodex within the industry is legendary.

Every single time I host I wish I could have Kellie join us. Since that is aspirational and most certainly unrealistic I want to extend an invitation to get to know her virtually. You will not regret it. Kellie is the owner of SommSchool, an institution whose central goal is equipping wine aficionados with knowledge and social networks designed to take them to the next level. Kellie offers a variety of educational services inclusive of retreats and private events; but my favorite is the Decanted Membership. DM is an exclusive membership that offers three key services that are ideal for your personal enjoyment or as a corporate or personal gift for your favorite wine lover. The membership consists of a comprehensive learning bundle that you can enjoy at your own pace, a monthly virtual learning event that often features industry icons as special guests & the opportunity to have Kellie personally curate a case of hand-selected wine carefully customized to your preferences and available for purchase every month. Having a wine sommelier-selected for you is probably one of the nicest things you can do for your wine cellar.

I can’t begin to tell you how special it is to host a second or third time guest after they have completed Kellie’s educational programs. Hosting a guest with strong wine knowledge is an oasis to my soul.

I asked Kellie if she could issue a special friends and family discount to the NPT family and she generously gifted all of us with a 10% discount. You can access your discount by using code NPT10

You can purchase your Decanted Membership here

Tyler, TX, We are Bringing Napa to You

by nptadmin on 2021-12-10 in Filed Under: Gifts from Napa, Vineyards, Wine Pairings, Wine Tasting

How about you join us for Happy Hour at Villa Montez ? We plan to be there on December 16th and 17th 2021 Starting at five in the afternoon and hanging out with new and old friends until we run out of wine and stories.

We love traditions, and going to Tyler and spending time with each of you has become an almost yearly pilgrimage that fills our heart with happiness. Our goal is to introduce you to some of the finest Napa Wineries Our hope is to help you become a well-rounded wine aficionado. We want to sit by your side and help you discover what it is that makes a wine special and discern your personal preferences.

On Thursday we will have a selection of carefully curated Napa wines that are not normally featured in 1836’s wine list. Some are so rare, we will only offer them by the glass. You will also have the opportunity to purchase bottles normally only available by allocation. This is your chance to stock up for Christmas and impress your friends with wines that are absolutely not available at your local wine purveyor.

Mundo tells me he has asked chef to craft off-menu small bites that will absolutely enhance the wines we have selected for you and yours.

On Friday we will focus our time and energy in helping you become familiar with the wines offered by Scalon Cellars.

Scalon Cellars is very dear to us and has consistency offered beautiful wines guided by the expert hand of winemaker Julien Fayard. Suffice it to say that Julien is an icon in the winemaking industry.

You will have the opportunity to purchase wine by the glass, by the bottle or we can help you join as a member to have exclusive access to limited releases.

So, leave the office early, grab a friend or two and join us for one evening or both. No need to dress fancy, you will be among friends.

We can’t wait to see you. If you plan to enjoy dinner following happy hour we encourage you to book a reservation. The holidays are around the corner and things are crazy. You can call 903-592-9696 The Montez Brothers will do whatever it takes to make you feel at home.

See you soon,

Javier & Javier

How Much Should I Spend on a Wine When Heading to a Dinner Party?

by nptadmin on 2015-08-28 in Filed Under: Gifts from Napa

It seems nowadays wine has become the hostess gift of choice. This is particularly true when your social circle deeply enjoys food. Wine etiquette is always evolving. What worked ten years ago may no longer be true. If you have been wondering about the basics of wine etiquette when heading to a dinner party don’t wonder any longer. Curious to find out more about the topic I reached out to various socialites, foodies and chefs and thanks to their insights I can give you some general guidelines to answer the most common questions on the topic of dinner party wine etiquette. Grab your favorite glass of Cab as we explore what it takes to get it right, and gain the admiration of your host or hostess.

How Much Should I Spend on Wine When Heading to a Dinner Party?

This question has a ton of variables but as a general rule of thumb you want to spend at least 1/5 of the costs associated with the food offered by the host but no less than $20 per bottle.

How Much Wine Should I Bring?

Deciding on how much wine to bring along can be tricky. If you are heading to a dinner party with 12 or more guests you should be fine bringing just one bottle. After all, your wine is a token of appreciation for the host and not necessarily the sole source of refreshment for the evening. On the other hand if you are attending a smaller and more intimate party and you are privy to the drinking patterns of those in attendance you may want to splurge and bring a second or third bottle.

Should the Wine I Bring Be a Sound Pairing for the Menu Offered by the Host?

No, your wine is primarily a token of appreciation for the host. No need to pair.

What if I Don’t Know The Wine Preferences of the Host?

There are plenty of ways to go about this question. You can do a little research by taking a look at their social media or asking if they engage on Apps like Vivino. If you are close to the host don’t be shy, go ahead and ask. If these options are not available to you the best and safest bet is to bring a bottle of white and one of red of a highly rated wine.

How Do I Go About Selecting a Wine That Will Delight my Host?

If you want to go the extra mile the best approach to bringing wine as a hostess gift is to maintain a wine collection that includes bottles not normally available in the local market. This can be achieved by shopping in small production wineries or joining wine clubs from wineries that do not distribute at a national level. As always, it is a good idea to do your homework and make certain you are bringing a well-rated wine.

How Do I Pack The Wine for my Host?

There are beautiful ways to present your wine to a host. At a minimum you should tie a little ribbon. When possible use an artisanal wine bag or gift your host with a cute wine carrier. When transporting wine always remember to manage temperatures and don’t leave the wine in your car during hot days.

Next week I will be sharing some ideas on what it takes to bring the right wine to the ever-important business dinner. Until then, cheers to you and yours. We can’t wait to host you again.

Javy & Team

Napa Private Tours Valentine’s Wines That Will Seduce: The Line Up

by nptadmin on 2015-02-13 in Filed Under: Gifts from Napa

If you are looking for the perfect wine to seduce, impress or otherwise tell her (or him) just how much you appreciate them we have a killer line up for you. At our office we keep a compact but beautiful cellar with highlights of the best that Napa Valley has to offer. Our own wine collection is a reflection of the wines we are most likely to recommend to our guests and is full of little secrets and surprises.

Get your Moleskine out or log into Vivino and take note. These wines are hand-picked to make you look like a Valentine’s superstar.

Etoile Tete de Cuvve 2003 by Domaine Chandon

This seductive bubbly is guaranteed to set the mood. Honey, dried apricot and lightly toasted hazelnut aromas mingle with notes of citrus blossoms and lemon curd. On the palate there are distinctive honey and dried apricot flavors that broaden to reveal nectarine and candied ginger all wrapped in a texture that is defined by elegance and refined complexity. To sweeten the deal the bottle is absolutely gorgeous.

Define Rose by Define Wines

If you are familiar with the NPT family you will know why we whole heartedly endorse this wine as one of the most romantic of the pinks. Five barrel lot of Exotic Red Rosé from whole cluster Napa Valley Pinot Noir grapes. Partial carbonic maceration prior to press was conducted for a slight Beaujolais styled bouquet. Fermented in French Oak barrels & stirred sur lie for 6 months. Cold stabilized in stainless steel & packaged in ½ size bottles. The young winemaker David James continues to redefine the Rosé market with another elegantly expressive ultra-premium Rosé.

THE JUDGE 2012 NAPA VALLEY

For lovers of superior whites you don’t want to miss this beauty. This is a by membership only wine but we do hope you have it in your wine collection. This beauty is nothing short of astonishing. After tasting it from barrel a year ago Parker declared, “This is one of the greatest young Chardonnays I have ever tasted.” All the forces of nature aligned for our six-acre rock pile to produce one of its most profound and concentrated expressions. Here you find nutmeg, cinnamon, and anise aromas, typical of The Judge, setting you up for the incredibly dense yet lively finish. We planted this vineyard 40 years ago with John’s father, the Judge. The gnarly vines long ago settled into their shy-bearing, self-regulating groove, producing around one ton per acre of Chardonnay like no other. 300 cases produced.

Seduction by O’Brien Estate

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot from the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley appellation.This is a wine that is both intense and silky. Deep, dense purple throughout, this wine displays wonderful aromas of sweet black cherry, warm licorice, cedar, oak and toasted espresso bean. Intense currant, berry and crème de cassis flavors on the palate are framed by fine grained tannins in this full bodied, supple, well concentrated blend. This wine will age well for 10 years or more.

Sweet Hart by Hartwell Vineyards

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Production: 25 cases

Aged: 36 Months

Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2010 Hartwell SweetHart Cabernet Sauvignon dessert wine displays soaring aromatics of

blackberry liqueur, melted licorice, roasted coffee bean and baker’s chocolate, with subtle hints of

baking spices and sweet cedar. The full-bodied palate showcases luscious flavors of macerated

blueberries, blackberry syrup, sarsaparilla and mocha cappuccino, defined by a structure of smooth

and ultra fine-grained tannins.

This dessert wine can be enjoyed upon release, while time in the bottle will enhance it’s depth and

character for years to come.

Happy Valentine’s!

Javy & Team

Wine Tours in Napa as a Corporate Incentive: The Next Best Thing

by nptadmin on 2015-01-19 in Filed Under: Gifts from Napa

In the last decade California has shown a remarkable knack for coming out ahead in the race for large companies. During this time almost 40 new Fortune 500 companies mainly in the tech and biotech segments have headquartered in our state. These companies, in tandem with venture capital-funded startups demand laser focus and energy and time investments from all team members like we have never seen before. Lack of leisure time and high intensity routines create a need for work incentives that provide the highest level of enjoyment with the least stress and minimal travel. Napa Valley with 16 AVA’s and almost 800 wineries is an ad-hoc destination to reward productivity in the corporate context when time is of the essence.

Napa Wine Tours Are Accessible & Flexible

For decades human resources leaders have used travel corporate incentives as part of the compensation model for best performers. Unfortunatly the traditional seven day trip is not necessarily aligned with high-intensity agile environments in the tech industry where key leaders might not be able to break loose from their responsibilities for more than a few days. A well planned wine tour provides the visitors with a well deserved respite in as little as one or two days.

For those with ever-changing schedules a wine tour can be scheduled with short notice and there is no need to book air travel. (Napa Valley is just under two hours from Silicon Valley).

Wine Tours Expand Cultural Copiousness

Corporate leaders in particular need to be able to engage clients, partners and social networks in a way that is polite, relevant and neutral. Wine is well loved and trendy topic suitable for social chatter in the corporate context. By providing your leaders the opportunity to become familiar with the best that California has to offer you equip them with great conversation starters that show a good grasp of local culture and a superior way to show California style hospitality. We are partners with a number of wineries that host educational wine tastings designed to introduce professionals to wine pairings perfect for executives who are tasked with a great deal of client entertaining.

Wine Tours are Great for Team Building

Many traditional team building activities put a number of team members in awkward and embarrassing situations by asking for their participation in activities that require coordination, physical fitness or social engagement only suited for those who are highly extroverted. Wine tasting on the other hand does not put many demands nor demands skill-sets from those who get to enjoy it putting all team members on even ground and facilitating a more relaxed and social dialogue amongst each other which is conducive to bonding. We are able to host team building wine tasting groups for groups as large as 50.

The team and I have significant experience hosting wine experiences that will impress even the most demanding and well-versed wine aficionado. We also offer bulk gift certificates that can be used as corporate incentives and host corporate entertaining and corporate gift buying wine tours.

If you would like to discuss options with our corporate sales team please don’t hesitate to give us a call or email us at concierge@napaprivatetours.com