Nathan Halverson’s article in the Press Democrat on Tuesday gave voice to a concern and conversation raging around Northern California. Cool temperatures and late rains into the spring already delayed bud break in many vineyards and the continued moderate mid day highs are doing little to help the vines catch up. For delicate skinned grapes like Pinot Noir, there is the grave fear of mold if the grape are still hanging when the fall rains begin. The same is true of Chardonnay where even a few spores of botrytis can multiply beyond control, in some cases inside the cluster where it is not even readily visible. These are concerns for Cabernet Sauvignon producers as well, though the thick skins make them less susceptible. The biggest concern is ripeness – bringing the tannins and fruit into balance before the suns arc lies too low on the horizon, or the incessant rains force people to get the fruit off the vines.
I noted a tweet earlier in the week of verasion in merlot at Frediani Vineyard just east of Calisotga, but Cabernet producers up and down the valley are scratching their heads and laying out plans for diligent and aggresive vineyard management.
As luck would have it, I spotted Meteor Vineyard manager Mike Wolf strolling around block 3 this morning – a perfect opportunity to get his thoughts. His decade long history of vineyard management in Napa Valley entails myriad scenarios, and he is quick to point out that every season has its peculiarities and unique circumstances.
“I have heard several people already compare 2010 to 1998, which was one of the most maligned and misunderstood vintages of the last 20 years.” Indeed, in retrospect, many of the wines from the 1998 vintage are fascinating expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon with vibrant acids and tannins allowing for graceful aging.
Perhaps his most telling comment was one of process.
“We may have to get a little Draconian.”
And here lies the essence. It is vintages like 1998 that separate out the great producers from the middling. Tough decisions are made and implemented. Anyone can make a great wine in a vintage like 2007 (I was going to say 97 but then thought of all of the pruny and overripe wines where there really was need of intervention) – who will stand out in a vintage like 2010?
The vineyard team is making its first green harvest pass now, and I expect to see several more as the months wear on…
Jul 5, 2010 at 10:39 AM
As Meteor’s streak the skies, the viewing points are many. This weekend look for us in 3 cities at once; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii and Seattle, Washington.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
We are excited to partner with Ackerman Family Vineyard for this years Jackson Hole Wine Auction.
Highlights from lot #30, “A Tale of Two Vineyards: Undiscovered Coombsville”, include a 4 nights stay for 2 people beginning on a Thursday and Friday evening at Ackerman Vineyard and proceeding to Meteor Vineyard’s vineyard guesthouse for Saturday and Sunday.
When you arrive on Thursday afternoon, you will be welcomed into the private carriage house nestled in the midst of Ackerman’s 16 acre organic vineyard; the true essence of simple, yet sophisticated Napa Valley. Once settled in, a delicious dinner for two awaits you at a local restaurant of your choice (Cole’s Chop House and Ubuntu are just two recommendations). On Friday, the day is yours to explore the numerous wineries in the valley, with Lauren Ackerman acting as your winery concierge.
Friday evening, Bob and Lauren Ackerman will join you for dinner at the Chef’s Table at La Toque Restaurant, where Chef Ken Frank will work his culinary magic on a special menu selected by your hosts. Accompanying this delectable meal will be a variety of the Ackerman’s favorite wines, including, of course, a vintage (or two or three) of their own Ackerman Family wines!
Saturday morning, make the short, one-mile commute to Meteor Vineyard. Spend the next two days among lush vines, enjoy a farm fresh breakfast, massages and wine and cheese pairings featuring local cheeses and charcuterie. One evening, join Barry Schuler (former CEO of AOL Time Warner and culinary wizard) for a spectacular dinner featuring his culinary creations from the property. Meteor Vineyard wines will be flowing and a few raids on the cellar are inevitable!
Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii
It’s tough to imagine a more beautiful place for a wine and food festival than the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. Now in it’s 28th year, the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival features top sommeliers from around the U.S., exquisite wines from around the world and some of the most exciting chefs from the Hawaiian islands. Winemakers Bill and Dawnine Dyer will be on hand throughout the weekend so make sure you stop by to say hello!
Seattle, Washington
The “hot ticket” in Seattle this weekend is the 5th annual Triple Sip wine and music festival hosted by the team at Wild Ginger. 47 of the top wineries from around the world will be featured alongside the spectacular food of Wild Ginger chef Nathan Uy and music by Man or Astro-man?.
Jun 9, 2010 at 10:35 AM
From Diamond Mountain to Coombsville (and everything in between)
Bidding Live Now!
Since 1981, members of the Napa Valley Vintners and the Napa Valley community have rallied together to offer, each June, an experience unlike any other. What started as a small event has grown into one of the world’s most renowned wine auctions—with more than 350 wineries and 550 community volunteers now taking par—yet remains true to its goal of raising funds for healthcare, housing and youth services non-profits: Auction Napa Valley has given $90 million in proceeds to date.
For this years 30th Anniversary of Auction Napa Valley, Meteor Vineyard has joined forces with Winemaker/Partners Bill and Dawnine Dyer to put together this exclusive package.
Based on a personal interview, we will delve into the breadth of Napa Valley to create your perfect day, a unique experience different from anything else in the valley. What we DO know is that you will start your day at Dyer Vineyard on Diamond Mountain and end the day at Meteor Vineyard in Coombsville, touring the vineyards, tasting the recent releases (and some barrel samples) and experiencing some of the best food Napa has to offer.
In between, anything and everything is possible.
Love the outdoors? Start the morning with a hike along the ridgelines of Mount St. Helena peering south along one of the most exquisite valleys on earth. Prefer to explore the architectural diversity of the Napa Valley? We can arrange that as well (in fact, both properties are interested in alternative building materials and are composed of rammed earth). Gardens and native plantings more your speed? We’ve got you covered. Tell us what you most long to learn or experience about the Napa Valley and we will use our combined experience and expertise to show you the hidden secrets and best vantage points.
Note: Transportation and overnight accommodations not included. Time to be mutually agreed upon. Expires June 2011.
This lot is for 2 couples (or four people) and includes;
6 bottles of wine per couple as described below
Tour and Tasting at Meteor Vineyard And Dyer Vineyard
Lunch at Dyer Vineyard
Dinner “around town” in new culinary Napa
A Personalized Itinerary for the day
Wines from Meteor Vineyard (1 bottle each per couple)
2 bottles 2005 Meteor Vineyard Estate Etched 1.5L Cabernet Sauvignon
2 bottles 2006 Meteor Vineyard Estate Etched 1.5L Cabernet Sauvignon
2 bottles 2007 Meteor Vineyard Special Family Reserve 750ml
Wines from Dyer Vineyard (1 bottle each per couple)
2 bottles 1997 Dyer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml
2 bottles 2001 Dyer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1.5L
2 bottles 2006 Dyer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1.5L
May 12, 2010 at 10:30 AMCoombsville’s unique placement offers the elements for perfect cabernet.
The Coombsville region’s eponymous name comes from a Napa founding father, Nathan Coombs, whose historic land holdings in the city’s southeastern neighborhood have led to common usage of his name for the area. Winegrowers are unified in their recognition of the unique geographical characteristics of this region. The soils are a mélange resulting from various geological events. They include volcanic debris and lava flows from the ancient eruption of Mt. George, distinct from the alluvial soils along the Napa River. Other parent materials are derived from marine sediments and stream deposition of cobbled rock. Through uplifting, weathering, and faulting a mix of well-drained and mineral rich soil has developed throughout and is characteristic of the district.
Cabernet Sauvignon requires warm soils to properly ripen, and Coombsville’s well drained volcanic soils soak up the summer’s heat. Equally important is the area’s distinct micro-climate, resulting from its topography and proximity to San Pablo Bay. The fog typically burns off here earlier than in Carneros to the south, ensuring ample heat and sunshine, but afternoon winds arrive earlier than in Stags Leap District to the north. The result is that summer days are warm, but the daily maximum temperature is of unusually short duration. This temperate profile provides an extended growing season, allowing the slow and even ripening so crucial to Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
To date fifteen AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) within the Napa Valley have received official recognition by the U.S. Treasury. This regulatory agency protects a wine production area’s integrity by enforcing varietal and wine growing criteria. It also controls that what’s on the label is what’s in the bottle. Coombsville’s legitimate claim to such status has been held up in a mire of political disputes, but there is renewed vigor among producers of the area banding together to push the proposal forward.
Meteor Vineyard’s location in the Coombsville region combines the area’s coastal influence and warm, well-draining volcanic cobble and soils. Those benefits, and Meteor’s 500-foot elevation help produce densely flavored, luscious fruit that is crafted into a perfect expression of the finest Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Apr 14, 2010 at 10:21 AMYes South Florida is known for the glitz and glam (and incredible Art Deco architecture) of South Beach, the posh houses and sophistication of Palm Beach and the tranquil beauty of Naples and the Gulf Coast, but it should also be recognized as a destination for a incredibly sophisticated food and wine scene (I am sure the cocktail scene is just as innovative – will have to save that for a personal trip).
In Miami’s South Beach, the beach was the furthest thing from peoples minds last week, with temperatures holding in the mid 60’s during the day and dipping in to the 40’s in the evenings. Couple that with a constant stiff breeze (wind chill in Florida?????) and people are indoors drinking and eating ( a few brave soles braved the beach, huddled among blankets and sweaters, eyes tearing against the whip of Atlantic winds and staring blankly at a distant warm and tropical place).
Much has been written about the influx of money to update many of the classic hotels of South Beach; the Fontaineblue went through close to a 1 billion dollar refurbishment, the Delano is sparkling and reaching back to a romantic period past, the Betsy pulsing with the energy of B Bar and BLT Steak. Each hotel also understood that sophisticated travelers are looking for more than just ocean views, spa service and high thread count sheets; dining is now an integral and essential part of every renovation.
The Fontaineblue houses three of the of the best restaurants in Miami; Alfred Portale’s Gotham Steak serves up classic range of steaks and seafood along with a great wine list (The French Laundry’s lead sommelier Dennis Kelley’s sister in law runs the cocktail program),Scott Conant’s Scarpetta takes Italian dining in Miami to a completely different level, and Hakkasan, London’s Michelin starred Chinese food restaurant, makes a splash with innovative and perfectly executed Chinese cuisine.
At the Delano, The Blue Door, Claude Troigros fuses the cuisine of his french roots (yes, that Troisgros family) with influences derived from his year cooking in Brazil. For something less formal, Plat Blue is the perfect place to relax for the evening taking in the famous Delano scene.
Though easy destinations, these restaurants are only the beginning of the culinary tour. Emeril’s South Beach outpost continues to turn out Emeril’s classics (the night I was there was Emeril’s South Beach Food and Wine VIP event and the place was PACKED). Steak houses, ok – hip steakhouses, remain a staple with Red, The Steakhouse, Meat Market, and Prime One Twelve serving perfectly cooked steaks, eclectic wine lists and slightly over the top cocktails. One little side note, and you will not find Meteor Vineyard here, but my favorite lunch place is the tiny, outdoor seating only sandwich place Le Sandwicherie on 14th Street. One of the best sandwich shops in the U.S.
When you are exhausted of the painfully cool scene in South Beach, its time to head to what may be the most exciting restaurants in the city (and slightly north). Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink has garnered tremendous acclaim, all of it justified. This small “neighborhood” restaurant in the Design District turns out some of the most compelling and authentic food I have tasted anywhere. Perfect ingredients prepared with precision and honesty. It didn’t hurt that they were pouring Krug by the glass (for $28 – incredible!) as well as Diamond Creek. Former S.F. sommelier Matt Turner has escalated the wine list at Michael Minna’s Aventura outpost of Bourbon Steak to a work of art with the worlds greatest producers represented on page after page (look for Meteor Vineyard soon). The stunning beauty of the Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key only adds to the allure of Azul. Sommelier Cynthia Betancourt oversees a diverse and cutting edge wine list. The champagne bottles chilling along the center of the bar suggest (loudly) the best way to start the meal (and end it).
The recent New York Times article on Palm Beach ( 36 hours in Palm Beach, Fl ) did a decent job capturing the vibe of the tony seaside enclave (and the continued introspection of its residents post Madoff), but missed the breadth of options on the dining scene. The Breakers dominates the northern end of Palm Beach Island, historically and in presence. The dining scene alone makes this a must stop. Not one but TWO Master Sommeliers (Virginia Philip and Juan Gomez) oversee a massive wine program that form the foundation for everything from L’Esaclier to the Seafood Bar. Cafe L’Europe remains one of the most loved restaurants in Palm Beach (beware the video on the home page of the website – it doesn’t do justice to the elegant sophistication to say nothing of the epic wine program) and Daniel Boulud’s Cafe Boulud at the Brazilian Court Hotel added an element of cool to the downtown dining scene.
I suppose all of this befits an area know as South New York City. There are far worse places to while away the winter…
Mar 11, 2010 at 10:03 AM
Blending from a single vineyard is a very different exercise from blending fruit from throughout a region.
Many fine wine regions are based on blending; Champagne is synonymous with blends (though far more grower champagne bottlings focusing on one estate), Port is often pulled from multiple vineyards from throughout the Duoro, and many wines from California are labeled under larger AVA’s to allow for a particular style to be created. In many cases this style is intended to provide wine lovers with wines that are similar in style from year to year. Fruit from cooler areas is added for brightness and acidity, warmer regions for base notes and mid palate breadth. In Napa Valley, people will also pull in mountain fruit for tannins and structure.
Working solely with an individual site, you are faced an individual interpretation of a vintage. The models here are many as well, with Burgundy remaining the most recognized with clearly defined vineyards delineated since the middle ages. Each vineyards’ minute changes in soil type and exposition manifests in subtle, and sometimes profound differences. (Of course, human influence has a role here as well with a melange of clones and winemaking techniques creating variations within the variations).
The Meteor Vineyard sits atop a knoll at 500 ft elevation. Soils are a fairly uniform blend of volcanic ash, rounded river stone and sedimentary soils. There is a slight “rolling” aspect to the contour, but for the most part the knoll faces west and southwest. The greatest variation lies in the 3 clones planted, each with fairly unique characteristics. This is where the “blending” comes in.
We describe 2008 as the year of fire and ice, with fires peppering the hillsides in the summer and frost affecting bud break.
Clone 337 is always the most delicate of the clones we pull from the vineyard. Historically, the wines are dominated by red rather than black fruit with a distinct floral component and sandalwood. Everyone agreed that the 337 from 2008 was the best “stand alone” 337 that we have harvested to date. More red hued than in 2007, the wine displayed compelling high tones reminiscent of past vintages, with more weight in the mid palate, and a long, vibrant finish.
What clone 4 holds back aromatically, it compounds and compacts into structure. A range of black and red fruits, with firm tannins and focus. Perhaps lacking completeness alone, the wine adds depth and rounds out the 337, and somehow tempers the brooding nature of clone 7.
Clone 7 remains the most precocious of the clones. Muscular and brooding, filled with black fruit and spice, chocolate and coffee bean. Even at this nascent stage, the tannins are powerful, yet rounded, the finish long and firm. Once again the stand out.
The thing that compels me about these wines is their unique melding of new and old world styles. The temperate climate and volcanic soils clearly impart a restraint and elegance, while the California (and Napa Valley) sunshine imparts a fruit character that is unmistakably California. 2008 is clearly more restrained than the previous vintages, yet unique and substantive – another unique example of the character of Meteor Vineyard.
What will the final blend be? That remains to be seen.
Feb 17, 2010 at 9:58 AMLinda Viviani excels at providing her clients access to some of the most exciting wineries in Northern California. In this video she speaks with Tracy Schuler about finding the property that is now Meteor Vineyard and the elements that make it such a unique and compelling place.
Jan 20, 2010 at 9:56 AM
There have been some heated exchanges recently between sommeliers in San Francisco and winemakers from the surrounding regions. Although nearly every chef in San Francisco embraces the concept of buying local products, wine buyers have shown little such interest, creating wine lists that are largely based on imported wines from both classic and emerging regions from the far corners of the globe while ignoring the innovations of myriad winemakers in California. A recent blog post from New York Times wine and spirits writer Eric Asimov ignited debate, with San Francisco Chronicle’s Jon Bonne following on his heals with an article of his own.
As a longtime sommelier and lover of wine from around the world who now manages a small winery in Napa Valley, I was approached repeatedly about weighing in – but thought it best to let the dust settle. Recent rains have settled that.
My first true wine trip took place nearly 15 years ago when I boarded a plane to Malpensa in November and made my way to the town of Alba. Anyone who has spent time in Alba in November knows that the streets are perfumed with the beguiling musk of white truffles. The streets are full of revelers and seekers, those who make the yearly pilgrimage to this famed northwestern region of Italy to secure and consume one of the worlds most beguiling products.
Aside from white truffles, the other defining product is wine. From the famed nebbiolo based wines of Barolo and Barbaresco, to the more approachable dolcetto and barbera (and cortese), the bars and restaurants of Alba, and Nieve and every other town in the region, are full of locals and visitors alike enjoying the fruits of the nearby land. Order a plate of tajarin with butter and white truffle along with a pristine bottle of 1978 Barbaresco (ok, there are probably very few left in the cellars) and you are in heaven.
For many who travel to the worlds great wine growing regions, one of primary reasons for the trip is to taste the wines of the area. When I am traveling around the Willamette Valley, I am not likely to order a bottle of Angelus. If there is Coche-Dury on the menu at a reasonable price, I may HAVE to buy it, otherwise I, and most everyone else traveling in the region, is going to order pinot gris, chardonnay or pinot noir grown in the surrounding vineyards. Wine lists are full of the new as well as the established, the iconic and the eccentric. This is as true in Champagne as it is Bordeaux, in Rioja as it is in Mendoza.
Lovers of wine in all of these regions (simply living in a famed wine region doesn’t immediately qualify you as a true lover of wine) seek out compelling examples from around the world and well chosen restaurant lists highlight the local while looking outside the immediate evirons for compelling expressions of far flung varieties. THERE IS GREAT WINE MADE IN NEARLY EVERY WINE GROWING REGION IN THE WORLD. As a lover of fine wine you would be doing yourself and your customers a disservice NOT finding the best examples. Coercing the Burgundians to pull the cork on a bottle of Bordeaux is no small feat, and yet if you are truly compelled by the potential for myriad expressions of grapes, you seek them out, ask around. At Cyrus, in the heart of the Sonoma wine country, I was DEDICATED to finding the best examples of wines from throughout the region while paying homage to the greats from around the world. The local wine lovers asked after Burgundy and Piedmont, the visitors after Ceritas and Copain.
So why the allegations that the Bay Area, long home to one of the worlds most progressive and locally sourced food scenes, takes a dim view of its winemaking neighbors to the north and south?
The reasons raised are predictable, if more complex than understandable by a cursory glance.
Buyers are accused of romanticizing the foreign, of coercing their customers into trying wines that fit their preferences and not those of their guests, of simply being too busy or lazy to fully understand the wines and winemakers that work diligently in their own backyards. There is an aura of eccentricity for the sake of eccentricity, with Gruner Veltliner posing as the poster child for a whole era of copycat consumption where suddenly every restaurant in the larger Bay Area was pouring it by the glass (I include myself in this criticism, at Gary Danko I had 2 full pages of Gruner Veltliner…).
Winemakers, also predictably, are accused of making wines that taste the same whether pinot noir or cabernet, of slanting production methods towards the palate of reviewer, or worse, of planting grapes in places that should have remained apple orchards or grazing land. Most damning is the accusation that the local wines simply don’t go with food – all of the ripe rich fruit and wood morphing into some indistinguishable reduction of sweetness and cooking spice.
There is truth to all of these accusations; however, to delve so superficially into the debate is ludicrous. Are there overripe wines that declare themselves the primary point of the meal? Yes. Are buyers wary of preparing lists that are identical to the restaurant down the street? Absolutely. But if we in the Bay Area are devoted to the idea of localization, then buyers need to work harder finding the unheralded gems and innovative winemakers and winemakers need to continue to evolve their approach beyond one that is purely score based and more soul based.
Wines like Lioco are embracing old school methods of non intervention (including un-oaked chardonnays) and seeking out compelling sites that produce wines of balance and individuality. Parr selections is picking fruit early to preserve freshness and balance and demonstrating that wines from California and Oregon can have a sense of place. There is Peay and Corison, Dyer and Melville, Hirsch and Von Strasser – there is Meteor making distinctive site specific wines with structure, balance and elegance that rival (and often transcend) any of the worlds greatest wines!
Asimov and Bonne are right to question and buyers are not wrong to question, but to make grandious statements about an entire industry and declare yourself a supporter of “local” agriculture is hypocritical at best and naive and lazy at worst.
Dec 15, 2009 at 9:46 AM
An article in the recent New Yorker about Johnathon Gold (”the high-low priest of the L.A. food scene…”) explored Gold’s exhaustive quest to eat through the endless array of restaurants in Los Angeles (he covers over 20k miles per year JUST dining in L.A. and environs). Many commentators note L.A. as one of the adventurous places to eat in the U.S.
The wine scene has been slower to develop. While mammoth wine programs like the former Grand Award winning Sona excel(ed) at comprehensive programs delving deep into the classic wine growing regions, others have looked broad and far for the most exciting producers from any number of regions from around the world.
Restaurants like Palate in Glendale fuse a passion for artisanal food with wines ranging from classics like Coche-Dury to biodynamic producers from the Loire Valley and Languedoc Roussillon. Caroline Styn’s Lucques and AOC have long sought out interesting wines from around the world – I remember several years ago enjoying Domaine Vacheron’s delicious Bell-Dame and marveling at the potential for Pinot Noir in the Loire (in ripe vintages). For Italian wines, everyone flocks to Mozza and Osteria Mozza.
For the most exciting wines from Napa, restaurants like CUT, The Polo Lounge, Spago, Boa and Melisse stand at the forefront – constantly surveying the horizon for wines that transcend the status quo.
And don’t forget that many of the most interesting wine programs in Southern California are the regions innovative retailers. Savvy consumers are tied into some of the most interesting wine shops in the U.S.; HK at Red Carpet Wines, Gary Fishman at Wally’s, Michael Brick at Hi Times and Alan Chen at Wine Connections.
Nov 25, 2009 at 9:40 AMFall in the wine country is always serene. The grapes are in the winery, the leaves are slowly changing color and the sunlight feels more refracted and diffuse. The manic nature of harvest feels long ago, and the vines move incrementally toward a period of winter slumber. I was taking a quick respite this afternoon while talking to a buyer in Las Vegas and had to stop and marvel at the pristine natural beauty.
Nov 9, 2009 at 9:34 AM
Last Thursday Meteor Vineyard participated in an exciting Coombsville tasting for Premiere Napa Valley Continue »
Vineyard crew sweeps across Meteor. Continue »
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