February 2018 - On The Wine Road

Chappellet Winery Celebrates 50 years in Napa Valley

Yes, for 50 years the Chappellet family has been crafting exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and other varietals from their Pritchard Hill Estate high above Napa Valley. It started with a leap of faith when Donn Chappellet and family left a successful business in Los Angeles to make the kind of wine he enjoyed. He may have been a bit naive but determination, and a little help from Napa Valley icons, helped Donn and Molly Chappellet build a well-respected and sought-after brand. Vice President and owner Dominic Chappellet shares his family’s story from the beautiful estate where he was born and raised.

Wine Uncorked

Even King Tut Enjoyed Wine

Did you know that King Tut’s journey into the afterlife included wine?

When King Tutankhamun’s tomb was sealed in 1322 B.C. there were approximately 26 amphora, or jars, of wine included. These were found when the tomb was opened in 1922. Following a study by Spanish scientists in 2004 it was determined they contained both red and white wine. This predates Egyptian white wine references by about 1500 years. It was presumed only red wine was made in the region. Surprisingly, the amphora were labeled with the year, the name of the winemaker, and vineyard, even comments such as “very good wine.”

San Francisco Bay, Wineries

Donkey And Goat, Berkeley’s Urban Winery

This year’s Wine Expo in Sonoma County featured a seminar on Pét Nat, or Pétillant Naturel. It’s an ancient method of making a sparkling wine with a single fermentation. It predates the more common methode champeniose that is used in Champagne and sparkling wine. On the panel was natural wine producer Jared Brandt of Donkey And Goat. He intrigued me. There’s been a natural wine movement in recent years but Jared and his wife Tracey have been at it for over 2 decades. They rarely filter their wine and add as little sulfur as possible. He explains the reasoning behind that and their process as he shares their story.