In an effort to dine
at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants (800 and counting) and to visit all
600 Napa wineries (350 and counting), Linda and I recently traveled to Davis
Estates in Calistoga with our wine and food staff Josi and Ron Hable.
Davis Estates is a
family owned winery that prides itself with passion and attention to detail. It
is about an hour and half drive from our home in Danville. Owner Mike
Davis bought this winery in 2011, opened it in 2016 and hired renowned architect Howard Backen to
add his magic touch to this 152 acres of pristine beauty. The historic
barn was renovated and has an elegant oak barrel table, fireplace and player
piano to entertain wine club members and guests for special occasions and
events.
A stunning replica of
a deep purple cabernet grape sitting on a floating grape leaf proudly graces
the courtyard near the large Howard Backen designed Wind Mill that is
functional and provides energy to water the lush Davis grape vines. A picture
of the Wind Mill is also displayed on each bottle of Davis Estates wine.
Our host was Caitlyn
McCormick, who was very passionate and proud to be working for owners
whose goal is to be the "best." The winery also has caves that are
cleaner than an operating room and elegantly decorated with a sophisticated
stereo system that soothes your soul.
After the historical
tour of the perfectly manicured grounds and caves, we proceeded to the tasting
room and open kitchen to experience a very special tasting and food
pairing that chef Mark Caldwell changes every 8 weeks. The tasting room is
large and beautifully decorated with heavenly views of the vineyard and valley.
Winemaker Cary Gott also has a variety of outstanding wines to enjoy.
Our tasting began with
a 2015 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc paired with heirloom tomato gazpacho, tomatoes,
bell peppers, cucumber, toasted cumin, chili powder, paprika and crème fraiche.
This pairing was a great way to begin this well thought out tasting
experience.
The next wine we
tasted was the 2015 Pinot Noir. It was paired with panazella, toasted baguette,
tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, basil, capers, and champagne
vinaigrette. The combination was sensational.
Next we enjoyed a 2014
Cabernet Franc paired with summer squash with parsley pistachio pesto that was
better than fantastic.
The final pairing was
a 2013 Zephyr Cabernet with 92 per cent cabernet, 5 per cent Cabernet Franc and
3 percent Petite Verdot. It was perfectly paired with braised Colorado lamb and
Cavatappi pasta, tomatoes, celery, onion, carrot, cinnamon, and myzithra
cheese.
Finally, we were
treated with the 2012 Petite Verdot that was 95 percent Petite Verdot and 5
percent Cabernet Franc that was a special bonus to this fabulous tasting
experience.
We enjoyed the wines
so much we took one of each back to Danville with us. We also joined their wine
club and look forward to 3 quarterly shipments of 4 bottles and access to their
special events. You can also receive larger shipments of this special
wine.
In conclusion, we would highly
recommend a visit to this great winery.
For more information and to schedule an appointment go to:
http://www.davisestates.com/
For more information and to schedule an appointment go to:
http://www.davisestates.com/
