Buoncristiani in their Caves
I was touring in Napa yesterday with a group of guys and gals in their late twenties who were visiting the area for a wedding. It was a bus tour for Beau Wine Tours and it’s these kinds of surprises that make me enjoy working with them. The first two wineries were predictable for a large group, Domaine Chandon and Hess Collection (One of my favorites for their great art collection, did I mention my previous career as a sculptor). But then the wild card arrived. They told me they were meeting a friend who was bringing them up to their winery, and did I know about Buoncristiani?
Well, of course I know about Buoncristiani! How many books have I written about Napa and Sonoma, and it’s not like these four brothers have been hiding. I first met Matt at Caldwell winery, one I particularly like, because that’s where the brothers make and store their wine. When you wanted to taste what they were up to that was the place.
But today we were meeting Jay Buoncristiani, the wine maker, and when we did I understood why we took the long ride to Hess. Jay had been the winemaker there before the branched out on his own, and his wife had been in their marketing department, before taking over those duties for the family winery. The family has been building a cave at the top of the hills directly above the Regusci winery, another of my favorites. It’s big enough that they can share it with two other family wineries. I love that kind of cooperation.
After having a picnic at the Soda Canyon market (Hint, the good picnic tables are in the back on the lawn. The front tables are popular with the vineyard workers because you can get in and out quickly), we drove up Soda Canyon Road a couple of miles until we saw Jay’s car parked on the left next to the gate. We went through and a smooth asphalt drive ascended the mountain the right, and a rough, stone and gravel drive climbed goat-like to the right. Which one did you think we took? You guessed it, with stones and dust spitting out from the tires, all the way us to the top of the hill and the prettiest views of the Stags Leap district that I’ve seen (The drive really wasn’t that bad). In the distance you could see the Bay, Mount Tam, and I bet if it was a tad clearer we could see San Francisco.
Under that crest is the cave, still under construction, but eventually this is where they plan to do tastings. For their friends today they could show them around and share a little wine. When I’m driving I never drink, but I do smell and I have a great nose (note the Italian name and profile) and the wines I smelled were sublime. It’s no surprise that Parker gave their top of the line Cabernet 97 points. All of their wines were a very good deal for the quality and distinctive personality they exhibited. An additional treat, Jay and his wife brought along their newborn baby, a handsome young fellow with his mother’s eyes. Clearly this is a family business with a future, and it includes some wonderful wines.
Ralph & Lahni de Amicis are authors of the Amicis Winery Guides, and owners of Amicis Tours. They are authors of over twenty books on health, design, business and travel. Their iPhone Apps, The Napa Valley Wine Tour, and The Sonoma Winery Tour are a tour guides approach to these beautiful area, complete with 1000’s of photos and insights. Their articles and products can be found on the sites http://www.amicistours.com and http://www.spaceandtime.com
Wine,Tours,Napa,Caves
