Rombauer: Spring Release Party

Recently, we had the pleasure of attending the Rombauer Spring Release Party with some wine friends.

Rombauer is a favorite libation at happy hour in many Blackhawk resident homes. 

KR Rombauer and his attentive staff rolled out the red carpet on this sun splashed Napa day.

The Release Party was filled with ‘joy’ tasting these great wines and enjoying Hog Island Oysters, barbequed shrimp and beef kabobs, assorted desserts, picture booth, and a New Orleans style band on their pristine property.

The real stars of the day were the great bottles of perfectly blended wines.

Everyone received a Rombauer glass and multiple tasting stations were set up to avoid waiting to taste these wines.

Current releases of Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon were served.  

You could also purchase these wines at a discounted price. We took home some Chardonnay and Zinfandel.

If you have not been to Rombauer, it is a ‘must do’ to add to your wine bucket list.

For more information and to schedule a tasting go to:

https://rombauer.com

AuburnJames Winery: St.Helena Gem

 

Recently, we had the pleasure of visiting AuburnJames Winery and Tasting Cottage in St.Helena.

Matt Ospeck and his sister Mary Ann Cope had their dreams come true in 2005 with the first crush of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Raywood Vineyard in Napa Valley with Winemaker Jim Frost.  In 2015, the winery relocated to a historic property nestled between the Napa River and Silverado Trail in the heart of Napa Valley.

 

Matt loves cars and worked over 20 years in the automotive industry. Auburn was a beautiful, stylish and sleek vehicle produced in Indiana from 1900-1937. 

James is AuburnJames winemaker. As a result, the name AuburnJames.

  

In addition to the winery, you can enjoy these ‘great’ wines at Auburn Lounge located in Downtown Danville.

 

Today we had the pleasure of tasting this award-winning juice with Matt. We especially enjoyed the 2017 Reserve Chardonnay, 2014 1001 Napa Valley Proprietary Red, and 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Rutherford. Several went back to Danville with us.

 

For more information and to make an appointment go to:

https://www.auburnjames.com/ or call 707 967 9100 open for tasting 7 days, 10am-5pm.

 

Aperture Cellars: Spring Release Party

Recently, we had the pleasure of attending Jesse Katz’s new winery Aperture Cellars Spring Release party in Healdsburg.  Jesse Katz is a brilliant young winemaker who has traveled all over the world with his famous photographer father Andy Katz. Andy has traveled to 90 countries and has also written 14 books

Andy’s pictures grace Jesse’s bottles of wines thus the name Aperture. He has also done album covers for many famous rock groups like the Doobie Brothers and many others. His pictures also are displayed on the walls of this new winery that was completed in 2020.

Jesse learned his winemaking craft working for famous wineries like Petrus in France and Screaming Eagle in Napa.  He made the wedding wine for his friend Justin Timberlake and sold the most expensive bottle of Cabernet at the Napa auction for $350,000.

The 2022 Spring Release featured these great wines with food bites perfectly paired with these works of art in a bottle.  We especially enjoyed the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 Red Bordeaux blend, and 2019 Oliver Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon.  You can also purchase these “sensational” wines at Draeger’s Market in Blackhawk.

Healdsburg is a slice of “wine heaven” with many great restaurants, hotels and wineries. The Healdsburg Square also has many tasting rooms to enjoy.  You can also just go for the day as it is an easy 1.5-hour drive from Danville. It is a “must do” to add to your wine bucket list.

To make an appointment to visit and taste his wines go to:

https://aperture-cellars.com/