Jarvis: Masterpiece Wine Facility Built in a 45,000 Square Foot Cave

Recently, we had the pleasure of visiting Jarvis Estate, in Napa. 

The entire wine facility is contained in a 45,000 square foot cave built into the Vaca Mountains. 

Founded by William and Leticia Jarvis, much of their vineyard is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon but they also grow Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and a tiny block of Tempranillo, a Spanish Grape Variety. 

The entire tour and tasting takes place within the cave. Some highlights of the tour include a beautiful waterfall flowing into a river channel in the floor of one of the tunnels running through the cave. You must walk on large stones over the small creek to enter the tasting grotto. The Crystal Chamber contains crystals imported from Brazil and large pieces of Quartz from Arkansas.  Another cavern called the Grand Barrel Chai, can also hold up to 500 people for special events. We especially enjoyed  the bottling room where wines are bottled and Reserve Wines and large format bottles are dipped into wax, making for a beautiful bottle presentation. 

Our host was Susan, who was very knowledgeable and proud of the Jarvis wines. Our tasting included 2018 Finch Hollow Chardonnay, 2016 Tempranillo, 2014 Cabernet Franc, 2014 Merlot, 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2014 Lake William Blend. We especially enjoyed the unfiltered Chardonnay and Lake William blend that went back to Danville with us. Both bottles were also dipped in wax that added class to their eloquent and excellent taste. 

Finally, Jarvis also offers a program to make your own wine from their vineyard grapes. You can choose from a half or full barrel, guided through the aging process then bottled with your customized label. It makes a great addition to your wine cellar and a ‘perfect ‘gift for your wine lover friends.

Jarvis only make 5,000 cases of wine per year, all from 37 acres of vines on a 1,300 acre estate.  The Jarvis wines are only available at the winery or through the Inner Circle membership program.

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In conclusion, this winery is a ‘must do’ to add to your Napa bucket list.

 

For more information and to make an appointment go to: https://www.jarviswines.com/

Yountville Gem: Goosecross Vineyards

Recently, we had the opportunity to visit Goosecross Vineyards in charming Yountville. Owner Christi Coors Ficeli has a 5-generation legacy of brewing beer with her Coors family roots. Her love of wine is clearly her passion creating world class wines with renown winemaker Bill Nancarrow. Although the winery has been in existence since the 70’s, Christi brought new life to it when she purchased it In 2013 and opened in 2015.

 

Today our host was Ari who shared his knowledge of these wines on the outdoor terrace of this great winery. We began our tasting with the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc chilled, refreshing and crisp. We then enjoyed the 2019 Rose for Lucy named after Christi’s daughter. The 2017 Pinot Noir boasting a dark Ruby color was also fantastic. We concluded our tasting with the 2016 State lLine Cabernet Sauvignon and 2015 Summit Selection powerful Petite Sirah. We especially liked the Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Petite Sirah and took bottles of each back home to Danville. 

We would highly recommend a visit to this ‘Yountville Gem’. For more information and to make an appointment go to: http://goosecross.com/vineyards/

Atelier Crenn: 3 Star Michelin Experience in San Francisco

In Cow Hollow, San Francisco, Atelier Crenn is a restaurant in the city that had our curiosity peeked. Based on the concept of Poetic Culinaria, we looked forward to experiencing what the The World’s “Best” Female Chef served.

The meal began with a Happy Birthday card personally signed by chef Dominique Crenn.  She also came to our table and introduced herself before our dinner. She is a worldly person who grows her fresh produce from her 4 acre farm located in Sonoma.

Our attentive server Antoine then presented us with a ‘poem’ that described each of the entrees that read:

 “Summer has come with its cool breeze

By the shimmer of black pearls, tumbling in the ashen cloud

See-the efflorescing beauty with rosy cheeks rises

And summer star’s glow, though hidden in the summer gray

As delicate creatures of green and blue surface to bloom

For the verdant bounty of the gatherer’s harvest in caring hands

Gleaming through the canopy, an orb so felicitous and splendid

Summer has come and is full of sweet surprises

Sweetness, bounty, thanks.”

The tasting menu was served outside the restaurant on the terrace that included a Kir Breton, white sturgeon caviar tart with gold essence, miyagi oyster with smoked crème fraiche, tomatoes served on top of a tomato sorbet with nori, trout mousse with bread soaked in squid ink and brioche with house-cultured butter.  All the dishes were perfectly balanced and paired beautifully with the wines. Service was beyond outstanding.

Dominique Crenn moved to San Francisco in 1988 and loved the city. She made her name at Luce in the Intercontinental Hotel, where she earned her first Michelin star.  In 2012 she became the first female chef in the US to achieve 2 stars.  In 2016 she was voted as The Worlds Best Female Chef and in 2018 Atelier Crenn earned the three Michelin stars.

In conclusion, we would highly recommend this restaurant for a very special occasion. It is no wonder that Dominique has a 3-star Michelin rating.  

For more information and to make a reservation go to: https://www.ateliercrenn.com

Pebble Beach Golf 2020: Spanish Bay Inn, Piper, Roy’s Restaurant and More

Recently we had the pleasure to return to Pebble Beach and celebrate our birthdays at ‘Gods Home of Golf’ Pebble Beach. We have a rich memory bank of experiences at this special place.  AT&T’s, US Opens, US Amateur and playing Pebble Beach is one of the greatest experiences in golf.

We always stay at Spanish Bay and enjoy the entire experience. General Manager, Rod Schinnerer runs a ‘first class’ operation.  The oceanfront Inn features world class service, pool, spa, tennis and restaurants.  We especially enjoy sitting by the fire pits on the oceanfront patio bar watching the piper play ‘Amazing Grace’ every night at sunset. Our son MJ is also a great photographer and captured a world class picture of the ‘piper‘ playing a few years ago.

This ‘piper’ experience never gets old and is a great way to relax before going to dinner at famous Roy’s restaurant.  Roy’s is one of our favorite restaurants and offers a variety of sushi creations and steaks from their open kitchen overlooking the ocean.  Last year our favorite chef Thomas Keller was enjoying dinner next to our table. He is also an avid golfer and plays in the AT&T Pro Am.

If you are staying at the Inn, you can also play golf at some of the ‘best’ courses in the world.  Spanish Bay has a challenging links course and for special occasions you can also play Spyglass Hill or famous Pebble Beach. If you are a NCGA member, you can get a great rate at nearby Poppy Hills.  Pebble Beach recently held the US Open and US Amateur.
It is a special experience of ultimate beauty and ‘rich‘ history that ‘every’ avid golfer should do one time.

The new Tiger Woods designed and former Peter Hay short course is slated to open in 2021. It will feature some challenging holes including a copy hole of famous par 3, number 7, on the Pebble Beach course.

After your day playing Pebble Beach, we highly recommend going to the legendary Tap Room.

The Tap Room is rated as one of the most famous 19th holes in the world. You never know what famous people you may see there. The food is great and it is a fun place to discuss your ‘great‘ golf shots and ‘missed‘ putts. Enjoying an ice-cold Guinness or glass of your favorite wine, Kobe burgers and coconut cake is a fabulous ending to your Pebble Beach golf experience.

To conclude your Pebble Beach experience, we recommend that you visit the charming town of nearby Carmel.  It has a variety of restaurants, inns, art galleries and full of happy people from all over the world smiling and walking their dogs.

We especially enjoy ‘Katy’s Place’ for breakfast which features the famous sportscaster and local resident Jim Nantz ‘Augusta Special’ as well as a variety of other sensational selections.

In conclusion, Pebble Beach is a ‘must do’ bucket list experience. We look forward to returning soon.

For more information and to make reservations go to:

https://www.pebblebeach.com/accommodations/the-inn-at-spanish-bay/ 

Raymond Vineyards and John Legend Making Great Wine

Recently, we had the pleasure of visiting Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena.  The late Roy Raymond Sr., who founded the winery in the 70’s with his sons, has a long history in Napa Valley dating back multiple generations to the 1930’s. In 2009, Raymond sold the winery to the well-regarded Boisset Family from Burgundy, France. Jean-Charles Boisset, president of Boisset Family Estates, owns several prominent wineries in the Napa/Sonoma region including California’s oldest winery, Buena Vista and Pinot Noir producer, De Loach Vineyards (both in Sonoma County). Jean-Charles is also married to one of California’s most recognizable winery families – the Gallo family. His wife is Gina Gallo and they own the home that Robert & Margrit Mondavi used to live in. Under his vision, Raymond has become a leading producer of luxury fine wines earning “Winery of the Year” honors from Wine Enthusiast magazine.

In 2015, Raymond partnered with Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe singer John Legend to create LVE=Legend Vineyard Exclusive collection of wines. John Legend’s friendship with Jean-Charles led him to become devoted to the art of winemaking. Raymond now makes 6 wines under the LVE label.

Our knowledgeable and energetic hosts were Ryan and Tasting Room Manager, Bill Farmer.  We enjoyed listening to the rich history of this winery as we sampled a variety of ‘reds’ outside in their heavenly and spacious gardens due to the Covid 19 rules.

Raymond has a great selection of white wines, but our preference led us to taste the vast collection of red wines. We did try the Chardonnay($45) which had tastes of caramelized butter and almond with a hint of citrus zest on this sensational sun splashed summer day.

We were especially impressed with the 2016 LVE(Legend Vineyard Exclusive)red blend($50), 2015 Merlot($40) and 2015 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($108).

We took all of these wines with us back to our home in Danville. We also joined their wine club and look forward to their parties, dinners and sharing this ‘great’ juice with our wine lover friends.

For lunch, we enjoyed deviled eggs and St. Louis barbecued ribs at Farmstead Restaurant with their cheese biscuits. We could never finish without ordering their famous beignets with warm bourbon caramel sauce which is a ‘must do’’ for dessert.

Napa rocks and the vines look very healthy. According to Bill Farmer from Raymond Vineyards, this year is shaping up to be another great vintage

.For more information and to make an appointment go to: https://raymondvineyards.com/

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe: World Class Waterfront Resort

Recently, we had the pleasure of staying at the world class Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Hotel.

From our home in Danville, it is an easy 3.5-hour drive.To break up the drive, we also stopped in Truckee for breakfast and enjoyed ‘world class‘people watching in this charming town. There are many breakfast choices. We enjoyed a hearty meal at ‘Coffee and Coffee’.

The Hyatt Regency resort features ‘something for everyone’ including restaurants, spa, pool,  beaches, casino tennis and golf at nearby Incline Village.

After checking in, we walked to the nearby beach and enjoyed a great afternoon of warm mountain  sunshine  and watching people enjoy themselves boating, swimming and lounging on comfortable umbrella covered chairs on the beach of  beautiful Lake Tahoe.

Due to Covid 19, the only restaurant open was the Lone Eagle Inn. It opens at 7 and closes at 10 serving a variety of delicious items. Reservations are highly recommended as the hotel has been full since reopening in June.

We enjoyed a great dinner on the patio of this massive restaurant just a few yards from the soothing sounds of waves rolling to the beach.

We met Chef Justin and especially enjoyed his barbecued rolled salmon with crab meat frisse on top. Linda said it was one of the best dishes she has eaten and she is a ‘salmon specialist’. 

The Baked Tahoe dessert in the shape of a pine cone with lightly browned marshmallows and filled with chocolate and toffee ice cream was also awesome.

The next day we played the Championship Course at Incline Village. The course has friendly tees for golfers of all skill levels. The Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed course is in magnificent condition and meanders majestically thru the thousands of large pine trees exhaling fresh, pure mountain air.

The snack shack offers great breakfast sandwiches before your round and great tuna sandwiches and drinks during your round.  The restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner.  It is a ‘must play’ golf course in Lake Tahoe.

After golf, we returned to the hotel and rested before enjoying a fun and unique dinner at nearby La Fondue.

Owner Jesus Hernandez has been serving loyal Incline residents and tourists for 6 years. A variety of Fondues are offered to satisfy any ‘foodie’ palate.

We enjoyed the combination special which is a great way to sample all of the choices. Cheese, beef, chicken, shrimp, lamb, meat balls and vegetables are included with a choice of soup or salad.

There is also an extensive wine and beer list and a $20 corking fee if you bring your own wine.

For dessert, we would recommend sharing the vanilla ice cream elegantly presented with a variety of sauces. It is a great way to complete your La  Fondue experience.

In conclusion, Lake Tahoe is a ‘slice of heaven and fun place to enjoy an escape from the stress and rigors of daily life.

For more information and to make a reservation, go to:
https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/nevada/hyatt-regency-lake-tahoe-resort-spa-and-casino/tvllt

Rombauer Rocks

Recently we had the pleasure to visit Rombauer Vineyards. It is located on 40 acres of pristine beauty in sensational St. Helena.  Founded by Koerner and Joan Rombauer in 1980, it is still managed by second and third generation family members.

In our community of Blackhawk, Rombauer is known as a ‘cult’ wine and brings smiles of ‘joy’ to many residents.

Our tasting was outside on a sun splashed day due to the Covid 19 rules.

We enjoyed an extensive presentation of these wines by our knowledgeable host Kerry.   The line-up included 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, 2018 Carneros Chardonnay, 2017 Reserve Chardonnay, 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2017 Merlot, 2018 Zinfandel and finished with a dessert wine appropriately named ‘Joy’.  We liked the wines so much that we also joined their Chardonnay Club.We also bought a selection of wines to participate in their Virtual 40th Anniversary Party with a group of friends.

For lunch, we enjoyed a great meal and outside seating on the large and beautiful grounds of Farmstead Restaurant.  Their beignets with warm carmel bourbon
sauce are a ‘must do’ to complete any meal.  They have an extensive, excellent menu and an attentive service staff that will satisfy any ‘foodie’.

The beignets rival famous Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans who has been serving these passionate powdered desserts since 1862.

Rombauer Rocks!

For more information and to make an appointment go to:

https://www.rombauer.com/

 

 

Sensational Stony Hill Vineyard

Recently we had the pleasure of visiting Stony Hill Vineyard in St. Helena. This long time Napa favorite produces great wines.

The winery was founded in 1952 by Fred and Eleanor McCrea. The stunning 160-acre property produces world class Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, White Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Semillon.
In 2018 Stony Hill was acquired by Long Meadow Ranch. From the web, Stony Hill President Sarah McCrea said, “we consider this as less of a traditional sale and more of an integration of two family businesses to make a stronger whole.”

Our knowledgeable host today was Whitney who bubbled with excitement explaining Stony Hill’s great wines.

We began with the Riesling that was fresh and fantastic. Then we enjoyed a side by tasting of the 2011 and 2017 Chardonnay. Both lived up to their many kudos.
After that, we enjoyed a side by side tasting of 2011 and 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon.
To finish this spectacular day, we enjoyed a 2017 Semillon dessert wine with flavors of apricot, plum and licorice.

For lunch, we enjoyed the nearby Farmstead restaurant that offers an extensive menu and upbeat atmosphere with great service to satisfy any ‘foodie’ palate. It is located on a pristine piece of property that features a General Store, outdoor bar, Castroville wood grilled artichokes, fresh oysters, cheddar biscuits and St. Louis ribs.
For dessert, the beignets with Carmel sauce are a ‘must do’ to complete any meal.

For more information and to make an reservation go to; https://www.stonyhillvineyard.com/

Protea: Must Do Carribean Cuisine In Charming Yountville

Recently we had the pleasure of dining at a restaurant in the charming town of Yountville named Protéa.

Yountville is also the home of famous chef Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Bouchon Bakery. This was our first dining experience since the lockdown during Covid 19.

Protea is defined as a beautiful South African plant or sugarbush. The restaurant offers outside seating and also roof top service. We chose to dine on the roof enjoying a stunning, sunny Napa day.

The menu changes daily and offers high level slow cooking techniques.

Chef Anita has a bubbling and warm personality. She prides herself serving great Carribean cuisine at reasonable prices complimented with outstanding service. Her son Adrien is the sensational sous chef.

We enjoyed an order of Puerto Rican Beef empanadas with a golden crust and seasoned to perfection. We also shared an order of Jamaican Jerk Shrimp slowly cooked, marinated and served over Bomba Rice. Finally, we had the Ramen Stir Fry.   It is fresh Ramen noodles tossed with seared pork belly, onions, topped with adobo soy sauce. They were all outstanding.

We  also enjoyed a bottle of Trefethen Riesling that paired beautifully with the cuisine.

We look forward to returning soon.


To Make a reservation go to: http://www.proteayv.com/

"Lake Tahoe Edgewood Country Club Hosts Super Bowl Of Celebrity Golf"

Famous 17th Hole

Edgewood Country Club hosts the American Century Celebrity Golf tournament and thisyear is number 28. The golf course is a slice of heaven located on the shores of beautiful Lake Tahoe. The tournament gets bigger every year with 80 famous sports celebrities and movie stars trying to win the $125,000 first place prize. This year the tournament will only be viewed on TV.

For the past 15 years, I have been playing in the Celebrity Pro Am  with many interesting people like Alphonso Riberio ala "Fresh Prince", 5 time Champion Dan Quinn, Hall of Famer Tim Brown, and  Super Bowl MVP Joe Theisman to name a few.

I am given Celebrity names prior to the tournament and our son, MJ, chooses the celebrity and rides with him/her during the tournament.  Last year we played  with former Olympic Tennis Star, Mardy Fish, who is also a great golfer and one of the favorites to win. He finished second to Michigan State Spartan Mark Mulder who was also a great pitcher for the Oakland A's. This is the second year that he won the tournament and we hope  to play with him.  

We enjoy our traditional lunch on the patio of Brooks Bar at Edgewood that is fueled by their famous mojitos.  Brooks Bar overlooks the lake and the famous 18th hole pond ala "Lake Lambier" named after Detroit  Piston Basketball player  Bill Lambier when he deposited a lot of balls a few years ago.  Brooks Bar has also been named as one of the best 19th hole bars in America.

We enjoy staying at Edgewood Lodge, a magnificent 151 room 100 million dollar development right on Lake Tahoe and next to the golf course. We will also have a dinner there the night before the pro-am. 

Another tradition is dinner at Friday Station on the top of Harrah's Hotel. It has spectacular sunsets and full of celebrities enjoying the great service and fantastic food.  Many of the waiters have worked there over 25 years. They are  professionally dressed in black tuxedos and intent on making your eating experience a memorable one.  It is no wonder many of them have worked there such a long time as the spectacular sunsets over Lake Tahoe each evening provides for a soothing working environment  and "I love my job" attitude. 

The event is televised on NBC. NBC has just renewed their contract through 2022. Watching it on TV is great but attending the tournament is much more fun.

It is also fun to watch your favorite sports and movie stars try to master the difficult game of golf.  In addition, the deep blue lake guarded by towering pines and snow capped mountains feels like being in heaven. It is no wonder the nearby ski slopes are named Heavenly Valley. 

In conclusion, mark your calendar for July 6-11 in 2021. For more information, go to:

http://tahoesouth.com/events/american-century-celebrity-golf-championship/

Blackhawk 2020 Punta Mita Golf Trip: Marival Armony Resort

Brian Brake and his wife Jennifer hosted a fun group of avid Blackhawk golfers and ‘sun lovers’ to the newly opened Marival Armony Oceanside Resort in Punta Mita, Mexico.

A planning trip meeting was hosted by Tyler Flake from ILT and Brian Brake with wine in the Lakeside Grille to explain the details of the all-inclusive golf trip and to organize the tee times.

On departure day, a bus met us at the Lakeside parking lot and drove us to the Oakland airport for our Alaska charter plane. It is an easy 3 hour direct chartered flight where we were joined by people from 2 other Bay area Golf Clubs.

We arrived to a ‘sun splashed day’ and checked into our oceanfront rooms at the resort. A welcome cocktail party, beautiful sunset and warm breezes on the majestic oceanfront quickly shifted everyone into ‘vacation’ mode.

The trip included golf at 3 great courses. You could also play additional rounds. We played El Tigre, Flamingos Golf Club and Greg Norman designed Litibu. All three challenged any golfing skill level and were in good condition. The caddies were also friendly and very helpful.  We especially enjoyed seeing the crocodiles bask in the warm sunshine and the 3 Bengal Tigers at El Tigre behind the 17th tee. This has to be one of the few golf courses in the world that has Tigers.

Tee times were also set up at the nearby luxurious Four Seasons Resort. The resort includes 2 fabulous courses on the ocean where many celebrities and film stars escape to the warm Mexican sunshine and kind friendly service staff. 

Marival Armony has 5 restaurants, Wi-Fi, multiple bars serving premium liquor, spa, pools, and the beach that is great for walking, swimming, surfing and kayaking Tequila tasting, bingo, dart throwing contests and karaoke. Also provided were evening entertainment concerts under the stars, by copy bands of the 3 Tenors and Michael Jackson which all enjoyed.

 

The Farewell Dinner Fiesta was a fitting ending to a fabulous trip. Great food, drinks, music and a stunning Mexico sunset made for an eternal deposit to the fun section of our memory bank.

This is our 10th ILT trip and looking forward to going again in 2021

Viva La Mexico!

Social Bird:Esin Food Family expands to Layfayette

Recently we went to Lafayette for lunch at a new restaurant called ‘Social Bird’.

Curtis and Esin, owners of renown Esin and Revel in Danville recently opened up this new foodie, fun place.  Located in the the old Yankee Pier restaurant in downtown Lafayette, it is open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

It has a classy, comfortable ambience and a menu similar to Revel. There is also an extensive list of wine, beer and cocktails.  You can also eat at the bar and enjoy watching sporting events on the big screen TVs that are perfectly located over the bar.

We began with the avocado bruschetta with pickled peppers, crispy shallots and sea salt that we shared at the table.  For the main course, my wife, ordered the grilled Mary’s chicken breast with arugula farro, roasted beets, sherry vinaigrette, feta cheese, and avocado cream that was fresh and light. Our friends ordered the grilled wild prawns and fried chicken buttermilk sliders with Napa slaw that brought many smiles and kudos. I ordered the Snake River farms Wagu burger with homemade pickles, hand cut fries on a fresh challah roll that was cooked to perfection. The roll was also one of the best I have experienced on a burger.

For dessert, there are a variety of coffee, teas.  Cognac, ports and cheeses to choose from and of course a nice selection of the ‘famous desserts’ by Esin.

Like ‘happy social birds’, we shared the warm apple crisp with whipped cream that was heavenly. The Granny Smith apples were very fresh and full of flavor.

In conclusion, we all agreed that this is a great addition to Lafayette and we would return soon.

For more information and to make reservations go to:

 https://www.social-bird.com/

Maybeck’s: Famous Beef Wellington

For New Year’s Eve this year we experienced a special treat with a fantastic dining experience in San Francisco at a restaurant called Maybeck’s. This modern Italian-American restaurant is owned by
Erik Lowe and Aaron Toensing previously from BIX and Fog City. Both individuals bring a wealth of cooking expertise to this iconic American mid-priced restaurant located at Scott and Lombard in the heart of San Francisco’s Marina district.  

One of the house favorites is the Beef Wellington which we ordered as our main entrée and we were not disappointed.  In addition, their elaborate menu will satisfy any ‘foodie’ appetite. An extensive wine list and assortment of cocktails are also available. There is a $25 corking fee if you bring your own wine. We brought a bottle of Jesse Katz’s Aperture Cabernet Sauvignon that paired well with the Beef Wellington.

We were pleasantly surprised when Erik sent us a tasting of Hamachi on a forbidden rice cake with avocado and a serrano chile. It was a great way to start our dining adventure. We would also recommend trying the chopped salad and the garlic bread.   For dessert we enjoyed the Dark Chocolate Molten Cake and the sensational Spumoni ice cream.

Maybeck’s has nightly specials and we look forward to returning on a Sunday night where they feature Spaghetti night.  The fried chicken can also be ordered at any time.

We would highly recommend that you add this San Francisco restaurant to your ‘must do’ list.

For more information and to make a reservation at Maybeck’s go to:
http://www.maybecks.com/