Celebrate National Wine Day Everyday at Stag's Leap Winery

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Jill Weinlein

When Stag's Leap Wine Cellars released their 2022 FAY & S.L.V. wines, they invited vino nine members and fans to sensation the caller vintages portion strolling successful the vineyards. Director of Vineyard Operations Kirk Grace and Winemaker Luis Contreras led the way. Rows of budding grapes were waving successful a chill breeze connected a blistery time astatine the historical FAY vines.

The radical stopped 5 times to sensation immoderate caller releases and a fewer beauteous aged ones, earlier an al fresco luncheon nether a canopy of past oak trees. Everyday is National Wine Day astatine Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.

Winemaker Luis Contreras - Photo by Elizabeth Weinlein

Kirk has been managing the winery for 17 years, and winemaker Luis has worked astatine Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars for 26 years. Luis worked his mode up the ranks successful bottling, cellar idiosyncratic and aboriginal Cellar Master. He works intimately with Winemaker Marcus Notaro and Kirk Grace to trade immoderate of the astir elegant Napa Valley wines.

When Luis visits the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars vineyards, helium inspects the antithetic increasing stages of the vines and grapes to measure their performance. His adept palate successful vino tastings on with Notaro's, follows the advancement of each batch during the aging process.

As the Cellar Master, Luis continues to oversee each cellar and bottling operations too. “Being portion of thing that changes people’s lives. Wine is simply a surviving thing, it expresses the varietal characteristic, the increasing portion and winemaking techniques that are used. It involves galore radical moving unneurotic towards 1 goal. Wine has the imaginable to make unforgettable memories and being portion of that is priceless,” said Luis.

Jill Weinlein

Guests sipped a solid of Elia Rose' made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Fay Block 1. The aroma of this airy pinkish vino offered notes of strawberry, with hints of pinkish lemonade and watermelon. This agleam vino offers refreshing acidity, with cranberry and cherry that lingers connected the finish. Retailing for $45, this vino is perfect successful the precocious outpouring to autumn to determination during a backyard luncheon oregon dinner. 

Jill Weinlein

Legend for the sanction of the portion is of a ample stag lasting astatine the V notch of the rocky elevation connected the highest promontory. Seeing hunters approaching, helium leapt to information connected the different broadside to evade his demise.

This is simply a ineffable country and the tone of the stag resides today. It was designated the Stag's Leap District (AVA), and the terroir is perfect for definite varietals, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon. 'Every vineyard has a story,' said Luis.

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Photo by Jill Weinlein

According to Kirk Grace, 'Warren Winiarski, a erstwhile assemblage prof turned winemaker met Nathan Fay successful 1969. When Fay offered him immoderate handmade wine, helium said 'the country was filled with beauteous aromas.' After a stint astatine Robert Mondavi winery, helium purchased 40 acres to turn grapes and started making wine.

His 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon, won a unsighted tasting by French sommeliers and edifice owners successful Paris during the American bicentennial successful 1976. The judges blindly tasted apical prime California Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, arsenic good arsenic French Boudeaux wines. To everyone's astonishment Stag's Leap won. This not lone enhanced Stag's Leap reputation, but that of Napa Valley and California arsenic well. Another astonishment was that the vino was made from 1 twelvemonth aged vines.

The winning vessel is displayed successful the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. It's 1 of 101 artifacts proudly made successful the United States.

Jill Weinlein

Tasting the 2018 HEART OF FAY Cabernet Sauvignon, it's made with 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The fruity and agleam aromatics offered acheronian berries and cherry, with hints of roseate petal. The lush texture lingers with berry and a interaction of cedar.

Made from the archetypal blocks, the grapes turn successful ungraded that produces antithetic characteristics of the wines from the grapes increasing higher connected the hill. The reddish ungraded is younger, portion the older ungraded darker with deeper roots for h2o absorption and much fertility. The berry affluent flaovr of the vino has structure. 

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Photo by Jill Weinlein

The terrior is somewhat antithetic connected the hill, arsenic the volcanic ridge breaks down ungraded owed to upwind elements providing much minerality. The debased ungraded is older with deeper roots that clasp much h2o and person much fertility. Cabernet grapes similar to turn during blistery days and chill nights. They telephone this the 'Goldilocks Zone' successful growing.

2018 FAY HILLSIDE grows higher up the elevation offering a beauteous classical aroma the acheronian effect with hints of ripe cherry, and a interaction of hazelnut and salted caramel. When sipped this vino connected the mid palate is little agleam than the HEART OF FAY, but persistant successful affluent texture with good tannins and notes of cocoa and java connected the structured finish. A vessel retails for $155.

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Photo by Jill Weinlein

Guests fortunate to sensation the 1987 S.L.V. cabernet Sauvignon appreciated however these grapes turn connected vines that were planted successful the 1970s. This vessel offers a acheronian effect aroma, with flimsy salinity and flintiness with a briny achromatic olive essence. It retails for $1,100 a bottle, arsenic does the 2016 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon, made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It's a affluent and analyzable vino offering aromas of currents, violets and dusty cocoa powder. The gorgeous mouthfeel produces hints of acheronian chromatic effect with a interaction of graphite connected the finish.

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Photo by Jill Weinlein

After the tour, guests appreciated the pleasing arorma of barbeque arsenic they approached agelong tables nether trees with views of the vineyard.

The luncheon started with a determination of 2021 ARCADIA Vineyard Chardonnay a Little Gems Lettuce salad. This brushed and elegant vino connected the chemoreceptor offers a equilibrium of citrus and minerality with minimum oak and malic acid.

A buffet array was lined with plates of tender overnight Texas benignant brisket, ample Memphis adust hitch chickenhearted thighs, North Carolina pulled pork, and blistery smoked chaotic king salmon. Warm murphy crockery had capers, chopped celery and tarragon dressed successful fennel and pome cider. Pan roasted greenish beans, and achromatic velvet-vella Jack Mac and Cheese were axenic comfortableness nutrient for the assemblage and soul.

2020 FAY Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and 2020 S.L.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon were poured passim the lunch.

Jill Weinlein

The vino state luncheon finished with a beauteous polenta barroom topped with saccharine berries.

Guests learned that Marchesi Antinori bought the winery, the marque and inventory, positive 300 acres of Napa vines, including the Fay and S.L.V. vineyards. He volition proceed to employment the stellar winemaking unit that marque unique, elegant, fruity Stag's Leap Cabernet and different wines. Stag's Leap produces astir 150,000 cases per year. 

Next clip you are successful Napa Valley marque a preservation to enactment successful 1 of galore immersive tastings passim the year.