#Napa Wine Tours

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

When Two Are Better Than One

by nptadmin on 2021-07-15 in Filed Under: Activities in Napa

Touring Napa with Javier Calderon X 2

A couple of weeks ago we had the fantastic opportunity to scout several wineries with a commonality that made our hearts smile and our mouths water. In an effort to design upgraded tours for wine buyers with significant libraries we visited wineries where Phillipe Melka is their wine maker. There are no words to describe the quality and beauty of the time we spent with some of the finest in Napa. At a later time I will share details of our experience and will give you some ideas on how we can help you design a wine tour and buying experience focused on specific wine makers.

For now, I wanted to pause for a moment to talk about my husband. If you have visited us in the last three years there is a good chance he was your host and that means that you most likely experienced touring perfection. Flako, as we all know him is obsessive about delivering the very best. He simply does not miss a beat.

The title of this post may have you wondering. You see, during our time visiting partners it was not uncommon for our winery hosts to raise their eyebrows when receiving our business cards. Here is the thing, Flako and I have many things in common but one of the most peculiar is the fact that we share first and last name. Yes, when you ask you be hosted by Javier Calderon you will be given two choices. Flako or I. We are both in love with Napa, passionate about wine and deeply in love with the idea of delivering the best possible Napa wine touring experience. But this post is not about me. This post is about Flako.

For years, all of us begged Flako to leave his 9 to 5 job in finance and join us. We knew that adding him to our team would be incredibly beneficial but we had no idea to what level. Three years ago he made the switch and we cannot begin to describe how his contributions positively impact our ability to deliver memory-making tours. His ample network has given us access to some of the most exclusive wineries in Napa. You see, Flako has a long history in the area and has throughout the years loved and served his community. His Rolodex is something to behold and a testament to his tender affection to all manner of people which has given us a golden key to many beautiful wine experiences in Napa that would be otherwise beyond our reach. He is for lack of a better word magical.

So wether you tour Javier Calderon or Javier Calderon 2.0 you can rest assured we will do everything in our power to feed your sense of discovery and adventure, delight your palate and make you, at least for a moment forget about the burdens and worries of this life by taking care of absolutely every detail.

Thank you for stopping by our page and taking time to hear me blab. I am deeply proud of my husband Flako and thank God every single day for the way he makes our little company twice as good.

XOXO

Javy

Three of California’s Most Luxurious & Beautiful Wineries

by nptadmin on 2014-09-06 in Filed Under: Uncategorized

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

Fun & Fantastic Napa Wines Under $40

by nptadmin on 2014-08-14 in Filed Under: Wine Pairings, Wine Trivia

Once or twice a month your personal wine consultants at Napa Private Tours head out on discovery trips to sample the best that Napa has to offer. From restaurants to new wineries, spas and tasting salons we strive to be exposed to the best and newest in order to design the most spectacular itineraries for our guests and friends.

Last week, thanks to Jona I had the fortune to be introduced to Acme Wines. A lovely wine tasting salon located in St. Helena. Erin, their GM hosted us with radical grace and utmost hospitality and we arrived to a lineup of the most exquisite hand-curated wines!!

The salon is absolutely gorgeous. Their wine selection lining their walls is the stuff dreams are made of. With wines ranging from $20 to $600 your budget is the limit. The selection is so sublime I felt like a little kid in a candy store!

It was awesome to see cult wines like, Levy & Mclellan,(a personal project from Bill Harlan), Pulido-Walker, Hundred Acre, Buccella, Araujo, Fantesca, Dancing Hares, Vice Versa, Keever, Entre Nous, V29, Realm, Seven Stones (this gem of viticulture is sold out-enjoy yours).

As Erin, Jona and I talked shop I decided to ask Erin about her favorite Napa wines under $40. She displayed tremendous product knowledge and Jona and I took note. We can’t wait to introduce our guests to some of these fantastic wineries.

Below my favorite finds:

Ryme Cellars, “Hers”, Vermentino, Carneros 2013 – $24
Own by Ryan and Megan Glaab are an adorable couple that met in Australia while working at Torbreck Winery. After getting married, between the two of them they have worked at the likes of places such as Pax Wine Cellars, Peay Vineyards, Sine Qua Non, and Marcassin. In 2007, they started Ryme Cellars, producing sustainable, food-friendly wines from mostly Italian varietals. At only 11.2% abv, this wine is all about refreshing herbaceousness, minerality, and zippy acidity.

Stony Hill, Gewurztraminer, Napa Valley 2012 – $24
This 2012 Gewurztraminer is floral elegance in a bottle. Intensely aromatic, honeysuckle and citrus, with a lively mouthfeel and a lovely viscosity.

Farella, La Luce, Sauvignon Blanc, Coombsville 2013 — $20
From the stunning Farella Estate in Coombsville in the south east of Napa Valley, this Sauvignon Blanc is called “La Luce” both as a tribute to Tom Farella’s Italian heritage, and to the spectacular scenic beauty of this west-facing, 30 acre property.

Winemaker Tom Farella, along with Massimo Di Costanzo, worked together to make this fresh, buoyant and zesty SB, one which is vibrant and complex enough to pair with any summer dish imaginable, but also so dang pleasing that you can make it your poolside standard, too.

Frith, Grenache, Napa Valley 2012 – $34
If you ask a winemaker, sommelier, wine shop team member or winery personnel what their grape of choice is these days, they will likely tell you Grenache. Whether it comes neatly packaged in a Chateauneuf du Pape blend, or with the Spanish name Garnacha from Priorat, or simply as a proprietary name like “Upside Down” from Sine Qua Non, this varietal is appealing to many more people as of late. Why? It is typically lighter in style and can be closely related to Pinot Noir in the body department, but it can also be full-bodied and pack a punch; it all depends on the producer.

Chester’s Anvil, Malbec, Mount Veeder 2011 – $40
Just 49 cases produced! While normally wines from Mount Veeder tend to be age-worthy, (read: quite tannic) this wine is an absolute pleasure right out of the bottle – violets, plush blue and black fruit, chocolate, mint, and almonds mingle effortlessly together with a long, harmonious finish. It’s so seamless it’s almost too easy to drink.

Experience, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2011 – $20
A local (anonymous) winemaker used his industry connections to save some premium Napa fruit and create the Refuge Wine Company, and their first wine, Experience. We love the juicy, pie-spiced fruit, the warm cedar notes and the chocolate finish. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

I am thrilled to share our discoveries with you. These amazing wines are within reach and can be enjoyed at anytime. I take great pleasure in writing about the finest that Napa has to offer but I want to also give you options to enrich your wine cellar with everyday wines that don’t break the bank. Like always, it is my great pleasure to share with you the little secrets of this wonderful and fun industry.

Love & Hugs

Javy