Posts Tagged ‘Silver Oak Cellars’

Napa Valley Opera House Presents Jesse Cook

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

In 1995 I was in Catalina for their 9th Annual Jazz Festival. During the performances, it was announced that a talented musician who had been playing in the bar during intermissions had been invited to perform on the main stage. Whole portions of the audience jumped to their feet while the musician walked on stage. They applauded and cheered for at least 10 minutes before they quieted enough for the musician to begin to play his guitar. Immediately I understood the enthusiastic welcome by the audience – this was a remarkable, undefinable, fusion of flamenco, rumba, jazz, and more. The unforgettable musician was Jesse Cook.

Jesse Cook Napa Valley Opera House Presents Jesse Cook

Jesse Cook Performs at Napa Valley Opera House On Saturday, April 6.

The 27th Annual Catalina Jazz Festival welcomes Jesse Cook this year, in October of 2013 as one the headliners. But for those of us closer to Napa, you can watch him perform at the Napa Valley Opera House this weekend – if there are any tickets left.

Napa Valley Opera House welcomes the engaging, modest, funny, Jesse Cook and his amazing band on Saturday, April 6, 2013. Jesse Cook’s masterful skills on the guitar and as a composer and producer have earned him multiple awards, legions of fans, and a reputation as a leader in musical innovation.

Napa Valley Opera House Napa Valley Opera House Presents Jesse Cook

Outside Napa Valley Opera House

The concert begins at 8 p.m. making it the perfect opportunity for an escape to Napa Valley. Arrive in Napa early and visit a few wineries. For a taste of Napa Valley sparkling, try Domaine Chandon. Visit Silver Oak Cellars for world renowned Cabernet Sauvignon. Or make an appointment for a special tour and tasting at Stags’ Leap Winery before enjoying dinner at one of the many outstanding Napa Valley restaurants. We suggest Angele Restaurant & Bar for a French country dinner, Tarla Grill for a Mediterranean meal, Morimoto Restaurant for Japanese cuisine, and ZuZu if you prefer tapas and paella.

Contact Napa Wine Tours for your private chauffeured car and we will assist you in creating a memorable visit to Napa Valley.

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Food Pairings for Your Napa Valley Wine

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

You’ve visited several Napa Valley wineries and have collected more than a few bottles of wine. A smile brightens your face as you lift each bottle and remember each winery, each taste, and each delicious reason why you knew there was no way you were going to walk out of the tasting room without that precious bottle (or bottles!) in your hand. Suddenly the euphoria is interrupted by the question, “What can I make to go with this?” Napa Wine Tours has collected a few simple, tasty ideas to answer that question including some from renowned chefs.

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

silver oak and cabernet burger Food Pairings for Your Napa Valley Wine

Silver Oak Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon & Napa Valley Cabernet Burgers


The obvious pairing is a juicy steak. But for some of us, cooking steak can be tricky. A safer bet would be a recipe we found on Epicurious.com for Napa Valley Cabernet Burgers. Highlights: You’ll coat your burgers while they grill with a Cabernet Sauvignon, shallot, butter, and brown sugar mixture. Then, the finished burger is set upon sliced focaccia that has been covered with rosemary butter.

Napa Valley Chardonnay

tyler florence beringer Food Pairings for Your Napa Valley Wine

Chef Tyler Florence & Beringer Vineyards Chardonnay


While lobster and Chardonnay rank as one of the most enjoyable food and wine pairings, I am easily intimidated by the thought of unintentionally making eye contact before lowering the lobster into the pot. This recipe for Shrimp Scampi with Linguine from Chef Tyler Florence is a fantastic option.

Napa Valley Malbec

william hill lamb chops Food Pairings for Your Napa Valley Wine

Grilled Lamb Chops with Vegetable Kebabs & Couscous paired with William Hill Malbec


Another recipe for the grill, Grilled Lamb Chops with Vegetable Kebabs Served with Couscous. This easy to make and follow recipe from Martha Stewart will have an impressive dinner served in just a little over an hour from preparation to finish.

Napa Valley Merlot

wolfgang puck castello di amorosa Food Pairings for Your Napa Valley Wine

Castello di Amorosa Merlot paired with Chef Wolfgang Puck’s Bolognese Sauce


This heavy wine deserves a hearty meal like spaghetti with bolognese sauce. This recipe, “Wolfgang’s Hearty Beef Bolognese Sauce,” comes from Chef Wolfgang Puck. Highlight: This is the only recipe for bolognese sauce we found that features lean ground beef for a healthier sauce.

Napa Valley Pinot Noir

emeril lagasse etude Food Pairings for Your Napa Valley Wine

Etude Wines Pinot Noir paired with Chef Emeril Lagasse’s Chicken Marsala


Although Pinot Noir and Filet Mignon qualify as an exquisite pairing, some of us prefer to leave the task of preparing a perfectly cooked Filet Mignon to the professionals. Pinot Noir will also pair deliciously with this recipe from Chef Emeril Lagasse for Chicken Marsala.

Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

john ash st clement Food Pairings for Your Napa Valley Wine

St. Clement Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc paired with John Ash’s Cold Zucchini Soup


This recipe from Chef John Ash for Zucchini Soup with Cinnamon, Cumin, and Buttermilk is served cold or room temperature. Perfect for warm weather, this soup is different and delicious. Found on his blog, Chef Ash’s first choice for a wine pairing with this recipe is Sauvignon Blanc.

Napa Valley Sparkling Wine

gerardo vazquez lugo domaine chandon Food Pairings for Your Napa Valley Wine

Chef Gerardo Vazquez Lugo and Domaine Chandon Sparkling Wine


Oysters is one the most popular foods to pair with sparkling wine but knowing where to buy fresh oysters, how to clean them, and open them are daunting tasks to most at-home cooks. You could choose the easy route and pair your Napa Valley Sparkling Wine with a popcorn or camembert cheese appetizer, or you could take the advice from Chef Gerardo Vazquez Lugo and pair your sparkling wine with a Mexican dish prepared with a black Mole Sauce (instead of a red Mole Sauce). Black Mole Sauce has many ingredients and takes several hours to cook but the reward is an outstanding homemade sauce to generously pour over chicken enchiladas, shredded chicken, or a chicken burrito to create a “wet” burrito. After reading over several recipes, we chose this easy to follow Oaxacan black mole sauce recipe.

Napa Valley Syrah

mario battali cornerstone cellars Food Pairings for Your Napa Valley Wine

Chef Mario Battali & Cornerstone Cellars Syrah


You could use a ready-made pizza crust and store bought pasta sauce to spread on the crust before piling on your delicious toppings, or, you could use this Pizza Dough Recipe and Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe from Chef Mario Battali. After your crust is coated with sauce, we suggest placing bite-sized pieces of grilled steak and sausages onto the pizza crust. Next, pile on about a cup each of shredded parmesan and mozzarella. Add pepperoni and cook in the oven at 400 degrees until the cheese melts (about 10 minutes).

Napa Valley Zinfandel

jamie oliver tres sabores spicy ribs Food Pairings for Your Napa Valley Wine

Spicy Pork Ribs, Tres Sabores Zinfandel, & Chef Jamie Oliver


Jamie Oliver’s easy recipe for Spicy Pork Ribs will pair nicely with your Napa Valley Zinfandel and leave you wondering why you don’t make this delicious dish more often. The perfect pairing every time you open a bottle from that case you bought.

If you’d prefer someone else do the cooking, contact us for your private chauffeured transportation for a special evening out at one of many Napa Valley’s celebrated restaurants.

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How to Host Your Own Napa Valley Wine Tasting Party

Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

With all of the great private tasting experiences offered by the 400+ wineries in Napa, why host your own tasting party spotlighting Napa Valley wines? First of all, you can arrange for Napa Wine Tours to pick up your guests at each of their residences or accommodations then drop them off safely after the event. Second, it’s a way to bring together some of your favorite people. Third, you’re bound to discover something you haven’t tried before.

Supplies
You’ll need:
- Napa Valley wine
- one glass per guest
- a pitcher of water to rinse glasses between tastings
- a “dump bucket”
- pen and paper for each guest to take notes
- bread or crackers and water to cleanse the palate between tastings
- a CD with background music

You won’t need:
- to decorate with scented candles or flowers

hosting wine tasting blog How to Host Your Own Napa Valley Wine Tasting Party

Some of the Supplies Needed for your Napa Valley Wine Tasting Party


Tasting Options
It’s your party, try anything you want to.
- Will you provide the wine or ask your guests to bring a bottle?
- If your guests will bring a bottle, consider asking them to bring a certain type of wine (sparkling, white, red, port)
- Maybe your wine tasting party will focus on the same type of wine produced by different wineries (for example, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon)
- Consider a “blind” tasting where no one is allowed to see the type of wine and the Napa Valley winery that created it until after each wine has been tasted
- Will you prepare a bite (appetizer, cheese, or chocolate) to pair with each wine or ask your guests to provide the perfect bite to pair with the wine they bring?
wines How to Host Your Own Napa Valley Wine Tasting Party

Some of our Favorite Napa Valley Wines from Freemark Abbey, Silver Oak, Chimney Rock, Monticello Vineyards, William Hill, & Cornerstone Cellars


Tips
- Ask your guests to refrain from wearing cologne or perfume
- Each tasting pour should be 2 ounces (1/4 cup)
- Offer a maximum of 4 to 6 wines
- If you have a variety of wines, start with sparkling, whites, reds, then dessert wines and ports
- Start with your driest to sweetest wines
- Brut styles are the driest sparkling wines
- Move from lightest to heaviest wines
- Sauvignon Blanc is a dry, light wine compared to Chardonnay which is a drier, heavier wine
- Pinot Noir is a light dry wine, Merlot is a medium dry wine, and Cabernet Sauvignon is a heavy dry wine

If you plan your party to end right before dinner, continue the evening by having Napa Wine Tours take your group of favorite people out to a Napa Valley restaurant before ending the evening.

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Wine & Cheese Pairing with Wines from 10 Napa Valley Wineries

Tuesday, December 4th, 2012

Someone, somewhere, a long time ago, thought of a delicious idea – the pairing of wine and cheese. For thousands of years this pairing has been satisfying the taste buds and filling the appetites of humankind.

There are plenty of suggestions for pairing wine and cheese. Some suggest pairing the wine and cheese from the same region with each other such as Chianti paired with parmesian. Other suggestions include pairing tannic wines with harder cheeses, pairing creamy cheeses with more acidic wines, and salty cheeses with a sweet wine. After much delicious research, Napa Wine Tours created this simple guide for our readers featuring some of our favorite wines from Napa Valley.

Napa Valley Red Wine and Cheese Pairings

Napa Valley Cabernet Franc
A Napa Valley Cabernet Franc will pair wonderfully with Blue cheese, Brie, and Cheddar cheese. We suggest trying a distinctive Cabernet Franc from Inglenook, or one of Jarvis Winery’s most highly demanded wines 2005 Jarvis Cabernet Franc, or the limited release 2007 Rutherford Hill Cabernet Franc.

Jarvis Cabernet Franc 2005 1 Wine & Cheese Pairing with Wines from 10 Napa Valley Wineries

2005 Jarvis Cabernet Franc pairs well with blue, brie, & cheddar cheese.

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
This varietal also pairs nicely with blue and cheddar cheeses, and with parmesian. Try any elegant Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon, exceptional Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, or award-winning Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon.

blue cheese Wine & Cheese Pairing with Wines from 10 Napa Valley Wineries

Blue cheese makes a tasty accompaniment to Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon.

Napa Valley Syrah
Cheddar, parmesian, and gouda – either one of these will pair with Syrah. If you’re not already familiar with Keever Vineyards, a family-owned and operated winery, make sure to make an appointment to taste their perfectly balanced Syrah (and more!) and take a tour of their winery and wine caves.

keever syrah Wine & Cheese Pairing with Wines from 10 Napa Valley Wineries

Try cheddar, parmesian, or gouda with this Keever Vineyards 2007 Napa Valley Syrah.

Napa Valley Malbec
Up to this point, we’ve tried to suggest cheeses easily found. However, when it comes to this next cheese, it’s important to make sure to purchase an artisanal, high quality cheese. Manchego is the cheese to pair with your impeccable, seductive, and complex Malbec from William Hill Estate Winery.

manchego Wine & Cheese Pairing with Wines from 10 Napa Valley Wineries

A perfect pairing – Napa Valley Malbec and manchego cheese.

Napa Valley White Wine and Cheese Pairings

Napa Valley Chardonnay
Some of the best cheeses to pair with red wines also pair well with Chardonnay. And, some of the best Napa Valley whites are crafted by Napa wineries known for their stellar reds. Brie, parmesian, and gouda pair perfectly with a deliciously complex Chardonnay from Freemark Abbey, or a full-bodied William Hill Estate Winery Chardonnay, or a delightful Jarvis Winery estate Chardonnay.

william hill chardonnay Wine & Cheese Pairing with Wines from 10 Napa Valley Wineries

Pair a William Hill Estate Chardonnay with brie, parmesian, or gouda.

Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Again we find cheeses that pair nicely with some red wines on this list. Brie, cheddar, parmesian, feta, and asiago are some ideas for this pairing. Once more, we continue to discover that the skill of Napa Valley winemakers allows their talents to create a Sauvignon Blanc worthy of the same recognition received by their infamous red varietals. Try a sophisticated Cornerstone Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, or a crisp and refreshing Keever Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, or a bright Rutherford Hill Sauvignon Blanc.

asiago Wine & Cheese Pairing with Wines from 10 Napa Valley Wineries

Asiago varies from smooth to crumbly depending on the age. The texture and taste of the older asiago resembles parmesian and compliments a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

Napa Valley Sparkling Wine and Cheese Pairings
Brie and cheddar will both pair with a classic Domaine Chandon sparkling wine or an alluring Domaine Carneros sparkling wine.

domaine carneros Wine & Cheese Pairing with Wines from 10 Napa Valley Wineries

For a stellar pairing, try brie or cheddar with Domaine Carneros sparkling wine.

Dessert Wine and Cheese Pairings
Every wine and cheese pairing should end with a dessert wine! A velvety Creme fraiche and berry dessert, marscopone, or a cocoa rubbed goats cheese will bring your wine and cheese pairing to a fantastic end with a Freemark Abbey Late Harvest Riesling.

creme fraiche berries 1 Wine & Cheese Pairing with Wines from 10 Napa Valley Wineries

Finish your wine & cheese pairing with this decadent dessert and a Napa Valley Late Harvest Riesling.

So now that you’ve got some suggestions, where can you find the best cheese in Napa Valley? Go to the Oxbow Cheese & Wine Merchant or Sunshine Foods Market.

oxbow cheese merchant Wine & Cheese Pairing with Wines from 10 Napa Valley Wineries

A glimpse inside Oxbow Cheese Merchant

Whether planning a private pairing for two over candlelight or for a group of friends, remember that ultimately there are no rules – pair whatever you think tastes great together.

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Napa Valley Wineries – More Than Just Pretty Grapes

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

When most people think of Napa Valley wineries, they think of a picturesque landscape, impeccable wines, and when they should contact Napa Wine Tours to reserve their private chauffeured car. What most tend to forget, or are not even aware of, is the active role that Napa Valley wineries play in various Napa Valley fundraisers.

On Monday, October 1, 2012, amid amazing talent and delicious hors de’oeuvres prepared by a surprise chef, Schramsberg Vineyards and Grgich Hills Estate provided their outstanding wines during the Napa Valley Playhouse Annual Fundraiser.

One of Napa’s most successful fundraisers, the Napa Valley Vintners Auction Napa Valley, celebrated its 32nd year in 2012. Since the first Auction Napa Valley, this event has raised $100 million for local Napa non-profits. This year’s event alone raised more than $8 million as people from across the United States and from all around the world bid on incredible live lots from wineries such as Chappellet Vineyard & Winery, Chateau Montelena, and Silver Oak Cellars; barrel auction lots from many wineries including Crocker & Starr Winery, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, and Vineyard 7 & 8; e-auctions, and private parties at the homes and wineries of numerous Napa Valley vintners.

auction napa valley 2012 Napa Valley Wineries More Than Just Pretty Grapes

This year’s F.A.M.E. (Foundation for African Medicine & Education) Napa Valley in May at Charles Krug Winery consisted of many participating Napa Valley wineries including Domaine Chandon, Madrigal Vineyards, and Von Strasser Winery.

domaine chandon Napa Valley Wineries More Than Just Pretty Grapes

2012 was also the year for the V Foundation for Cancer Research’s 14th Annual fundraiser. The weekend celebration in August raised close to $4 million. Along with incredible items offered up for bids, the weekend also included an informative symposium with presentations by expert physicians and scientists. One of the most memorable lots was a vertical of 19 vintages of Harlan Estate Wines. The final event of the weekend was hosted by Nickel & Nickel winery.

nickel and nickel Napa Valley Wineries More Than Just Pretty Grapes

During this time in the midst of 2012’s Napa Valley Harvest, it’s nice to remember that the gifts a healthy Harvest brings are shared with the Napa Valley community and beyond.

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An Evening With Tim McGraw & Friends: Honoring Those Who Make a Difference

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

I received a text from one of my best friends who lives far from Napa Valley – her father has a brain tumor and his surgery is scheduled within the next couple of weeks. When I talked to her on the phone, I could tell she had already begun to educate herself about her father’s condition. I immediately went to my computer and typed in the words to lead me to the Tug McGraw Foundation. I forwarded the link to my friend and continued to explore the website. I found help and inspiration for patients and caregivers.

tug mcgraw foundation logo An Evening With Tim McGraw & Friends: Honoring Those Who Make a Difference

Along with maintaining a website and providing other services, programs and events; the Tug McGraw Foundation presents an annual event to honor the people and organizations working to improve the quality of life for individuals with neurological conditions such as brain tumors, post-traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injury. This year, the highlight of this special event, Tim McGraw & Friends: Honoring Those Who Make a Difference, takes place at Lincoln Theater Napa Valley featuring a performance by award-winning musician Tim McGraw.

The evening begins with a food and wine reception. Delectable cuisine created by Chef Michael Chiarello will be served with Napa Valley world-class wines from Silver Oak Cellars, Colgin Cellars, Cosentino Winery, Gargiulo Vineyards, and 750 Wines.

Tim McGraw – winner of multiple awards including Grammy Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, Country Music Association Awards, American Music Awards -will take the stage along with special guests including the Warren Brothers, and Napa Valley’s very own – The Silverado Pickups.

tim mcgraw and friends An Evening With Tim McGraw & Friends: Honoring Those Who Make a Difference

This event helps the Tug McGraw Foundation benefit The Pathway Program which provides support for veterans in California, the Tug McGraw Foundation’s Brain Complex and Brain Food Garden located in Yountville, The Collegiate Athlete Pre-Medical Experience (CAPE) program at Duke University, and other foundation programs promoting awareness.

Gather with friends and family to celebrate and support the dedication of people living in Napa Valley and all across the nation. As always, make sure to enjoy your evening safely in the care of a professional, reliable, designated driver by contacting Napa Wine Tours for your private chauffeured transportation.

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