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How to Buy Wine in Napa
Napa Valley is home to over 750 wineries producing wines of many varieties and achieving a range of results from sublime to casual and best suited for a weekday.
Enhancing your family cellar or wine collection is not as simple as it seems. In addition to an educated palate the wine buyer must have a good grasp of what makes a vintage valuable and a sound understanding on how the wine-making process from grape selection to fermentation impacts the overall results of the cup.
A great wine is best enjoyed if the wine collector has a story adding dimension to the experience and helping friends and family expand their grasp on enology and viticulture.
Some of the best wineries in Napa do not distribute their wines to retailers. Instead, they are direct purveyors of wine to their best customers based on ongoing relationships, insider lists or membership-based clubs. If the goal of your visit is to enrich your cellar having insider knowledge of the most private and exclusive wineries can definitvely give you a significant advantage by providing you with superior limited edition wines that your friends won’t find at a local store at a price that makes sense.
To plan your wine buying trip to Napa you need to consider the following:
- What are the current weaknesses and fortes of my wine cellar?
- Do I have specific wine-buying objectives such as corporate gifting or a special occasion such as a wedding or anniversary?
- What are my personal preferences in terms of taste?
- Is my goal variety or do I want to focus on quality and established relationships with exclusive wineries?
- Do I wish to take the wine with me or have it shipped on regular intervals?
- Am I willing to wait for certain vintages not quite ready to hit the market?
- Am I also taking care of the wine preferences of my spouse in selecting our wines?
- Have I allocated sufficient time to discuss the wines with winery owners and wine makers?
- Am I visiting Napa during a time that is best suited for collectors?
Knowing where you stand as you prepare your trip to Napa will help your wine concierge and tour host point you to the best wineries and plan your schedule in a way that best fits your needs while still having a great deal of fun and creating memories.
A wine collector tour can be as short as two days and as long as five depending on your objectives. Let our five-star wine concierges plan your itinerary and coordinate flawless wine tasting and buying experiences.
Here is to excellent wine!
Javy
Rosé for Wine Collectors: An Insider’s Guide
Talking about rosé wines is most likely to happen at the very start of summer when culinary experts begin pairing their menus with light and refreshing wines best enjoyed al fresco. At Napa Private Tours we march to a different drummer and today as summer comes to a closing and days are shorter we want to pause for a moment and share with you a little about “pink wine”.
Up until a decade or so ago mentioning rosé was stigmatic to say the least. Most rosés were and afterthought in the wine making process and you seldom saw them as part of the most coveted wine collections. Today, through the efforts of creative and dedicated wine makers rosé has gained significant recognition and having a part of your cellar specifically devoted to this beautiful drink is a smart and delightful move.
The Flavor Profile of Rosé Wines
As wine makers explore the possibilities of this type of wine the flavor spectrum has expanded tremendously. Made mainly with Pinot Noir, Grenache, Sinsault, Syrah and Zinfandel. Rosé wine is generally perceived by the palate as fresh, crisp and having character in the form of acidity, notes of summer fruits such as strawberry, raspberry, lingonberry and watermelon come to mind and herbal aromas are present in some. Rosé wine can be dry or sweet and the method of fermentation will also surface in the flavor and bouquet. Rosé is generally served chilled and many wine makers are offering their better rosé wines from tap. Rosés are not generally aged for a long time inviting the wine collector to enjoy the current vintage with reckless abandon without the burden of what it might have become with time.
The Making of Rosé
Rosé is made by allowing red grapes to ferment with skin for a short period of time and then removing the skins. The duration of the maceration period (time in which the clear juices are in contact with the grape skins) will determine the depth of color of your rosé wine.
A more common but less coveted way of producing rosé is the soignée method. This is done by bleeding off a small portion of juice during the red wine production resulting in a highly concentrated rosé. Rosé can also be achieved by the mixing of white and red wine but this is the least desirable of methods generally not endorsed by finer wine makers and wine connoisseurs.
Our Rosé Picks From Napa Valley
If you are a wine collector and you would like to expand your wine library by including the most gorgeous rosé wine from Napa and Sonoma we look forward to hosting you during your stay in Napa. We will be honored to point you to the best of the best in rosé production.
Three of California’s Most Luxurious & Beautiful Wineries
One of the best parts of having a customized wine tour is the opportunity to visit the best of the best. If your goal is to treat someone you love to a luxury wine tour of Napa we want to highlight five delightful wineries that won’t disappoint.
We have hand-picked these wineries based on their ability to deliver incredible visual experiences, flawless facilities, gorgeous vineyards and fantastic wine. Behind each winery there is usually a team of passionate wine makers always working on finding ways to create the most delectable bottles of wine. Put your seatbelt on and join us as we highlight our favorite high-end wineries in Napa Valley
Peter Michael Winery
Located on the Western face of Mount St. Helena, Peter Michael Winery is a long-term project dedicated to the creation of elegant limited edition wines with significant focus on vineyard terroir and a commitment to create understated elegant wine with timeless qualities. Under the tender care of Sir Peter & Lady Michael the Peter Michael Winery is exquisite at every level. The vineyards are hand-farmed using low impact sustainable methods
Palmaz Vineyards
Palmaz vineyards exemplifies excellence and luxury in wine production. Their wines are strictly produced using a full gravity flow method which guarantees the development of a smooth wine where the tannines have been minimally disturbed. Their 18 story high wine production cave carved into the living rock of Mt. George is a gorgeous feat of superior engineering and one of the most interesting wineries to tour. Influenced by their South American background Palmaz produces beautiful and complex wines that should be present in every sophisticated wine cellar in the world.
Ovid Vineyards
Positioned 14,000 feet above the Napa Valley floor this outstanding small production winery is absolutely gorgeous. Farmed organically, green-certified and running mainly on solar power Ovid is a delightful example of luxury and stewardship. Under the expert direction of well-known David Abreu, Ovid is a winery that must be included in every oenophile bucket list
If you are hoping to experience the best wine tour in Napa be sure to ask us to include at least one of these exemplary wineries to your visit. You will be glad you did.
Your Wine Coach
Javy
Join our Very Own David James for Define 2014 Harvest
Harvest time is upon us and with it, a tremendous amount of hope for the wines to come. We are super thrilled to be able to extend to you a wonderful invitation from one of our wine coaches and maker of one of the most beautiful and trendy Rosé wines in Napa.
Saturday September 13 2014 9.00 AM to 6.00 PM
If would like to be part of the magic of wine making please join David James from Napa Private Tours & Define Wines as he teams up with friends and family to harvest the vineyard. Here are the details:
“Here comes the next chapter! We’re harvesting our grapes for the 2014 Vintage of DEFINE Wines Exotic Rosé & we’re inviting all close friends, family & followers to grab a picking bin & join the excitement.
We will provide bins & sheers, just bring your two hands & a smile. After harvest we’ll provide food & tap into a keg of last year’s rosé … So without a doubt it’ll be a wild & fun day in the vineyard with DEFINE Wines.
Please RSVP to get a head count, & we will privately message you with vineyard directions. Cheers! Hope you can join us for another spectacular vineyard vintage”
RSVP by contacting David James via Define Facebook Page
Dress for the ocassion with suitable clothes for the outdoors and remember to wear sunscreen
David James, we are radically proud of your work and can’t wait to witness your life story!
Javy






