I like visiting wineries, and not just for the wine. Wineries have become popular destinations for things other than their obvious product; including for their scenery, amenities, entertainment and as an event venue. In my local area they also function as a gathering spot and even as a focal point for the art scene. And yes they grow grapes and make wine; though in many cases the other revenue sources are necessary to survival; wine production on a small scale is a tricky economic proposition. Sorry, three decades as a business consultant making an appearance. Back to the fun stuff.

The first winery I visited in was Robert Mondavi in Napa Valley, way back in1985. Mondavi was a major force in the growth and success of the California wine industry. They had one of the most comprehensive tours and the advice was “go there first, you’ll learn a lot”. We didn’t know much so we got an introduction to the winemaking process and a taste of the major wine varieties. During our time in California we explored the various northern California wine regions. Napa had the most in number and even then Highway 29 was crowded; we preferred back roads like Silverado Trail and the Sonoma Valley where the rolling hills and more rural scenery made for a more relaxed experience. Livermore Valley was close to where we lived, but there wasn’t much there at the time. The Santa Cruz mountains were a favorite hiking destination, with a few wineries starting to make a name for themselves. The Monterey/Carmel area was a fun weekend jaunt where you could find good wines along with other attractions.

Visiting wineries was very different in the 80’s, not just because we were in our 20’s and relatively clueless about wine. That was part of why you went- go to a few places, try wines of different varieties and price points to figure out what you liked. As you learn more you seek out different things, if you like chardonnay check out the Russian River Valley, for zinfandel Alexander Valley and so on. You learn from people you meet in tasting rooms and the staff of favorite establishments. If you like this- try that, go here, always more to explore. Wineries tended to be either the big producers who took up most of the shelf space at wine stores or smaller, family owned vineyards that you had likely never heard of, but someone suggests you should.

Most tasting was free and the experiences hugely varied. At Robert Mondavi you went on a tour and ended up in a tasting room for a taste key varietals. At one vineyard the tasting room was a huge lower level room where the scene was reminiscent of a college fraternity party. It was packed with revelers who looked like they could have just come from one. You shouldered your way to the bar and asked for whichever of their many wines you wanted. I suspect that these larger places had some manner of “premium” tasting for their upper level products, but we didn’t know enough to ask.

Smaller wineries, especially those getting a name for high quality were a different animal. Some didn’t do public tastings at all, a few did with reservations and a few you just wandered by and if you were lucky they might be open and would pour you whatever they had. Most were pretty rustic affairs compared to the “visitor center” vibe of the corporate concerns. One Saturday I was wandering around Napa, Caymus had just been featured as the latest star in the big rating, big dollar wine firmament. I was passing by, there were cars in the parking lot so I wandered in to the tasting room.. It wasn’t anything special – the wine cask as a table to pour from style that was common at the time. A kid who looked like he had escaped the earlier mentioned fraternity party asked if I wanted some cab- and poured me a glass. No fuss- just here have some of the best cab in Napa, which sold for $35 a bottle, a fortune at the time. I felt like I had won the jack pot. And yes it was REALLY good.

Another up and comer was Duckhorn. Their wines were well regarded and Don Duckhorn was a rising star in the wine press. They were listed in the winery directories (this was pre-internet) as “tastings available by reservation”, I concluded after several attempts that this meant, “we’ll do it if we feel like it, and we don’t”. There was a group coming out to California from Corporate HQ who wanted to visit “the wine country”. One of the group was a “wine guy” who had spent time in the area and knew a lot about wine, his favorite, he said was Joseph Phelps (a fine choice) so we couldn’t just take them to Mondavi. Note: The Wine guy went on to publish books on Wine and Supper clubs, here’s his website. There were a few wineries with good restaurants- that part was easy. I tried Duckhorn again and persevered until I got to speak with a person, told her I had a group of New York business execs coming to town and was there any way we could get a tasting in the time range available. She said she would check, stars aligned and it was set. At the appointed hour we arrived, were greeted by Don Duckhorn who showed us around the winery, then sat down on an upturned barrel and poured us some of their wines. Sometimes you just get lucky.

Anyway, enough about California in the 80’s. Next time move 30 years forward to Virginia- Wine and Deer.