Napa Valley

• Atlas Peak
• Best of Napa
• Calistoga
• Conn Valley
• Diamond Mountain
• Howell Mountain
• Mt. Veeder
• Oak Knoll
• Oakville
• Pope Valley
• Rutherford
• Spring Mountain
• St. Helena
• Stags Leap
• Yountville

IntoWine recently had the good fortune of catching up with John Tarabini, Owner of Damian Rae Winery, to discuss the evolution of his wine brand as well as his thoughts on winemaking. Thanks to John for participating. What inspired the name Damian Rae Winery? Damian and Rae are the middle names, respectively, of winery owners John and Sharol Tarabini.

IntoWine recently caught up with Brad Loos of Loos Family Winery: How did your foray into winemaking come about? We come from a family of German and Dutch farmers that settled in Iowa. We were first introduced to the sweet dandelion and rhubarb wines produced there. Later, we relocated to California where a true appreciation of world-class wine occurred during numerous family trips to nearby Napa and Sonoma beginning in 1970. In 1983, Brad Loos met his wife, Dr. Kim Loos, who also enjoyed fine wine. Soon it wasn't enough just to enjoy wine. We longed to be intimately involved in the creative process. Thus, Loos Family Winery was born!

California's Napa Valley is undoubtedly the most famous wine region in the United States. As you might expect from a California wine region, Napa exudes star quality. Even 25 years ago, the valley bustled with activity and attracted tourists from all over the country. Today Napa Valley is one of the world's flagship wine regions, with approximately 400 wineries and a reputation for top-quality wines. For many wine lovers, Napa Valley is synonymous with cabernet sauvignon. This late-ripening grape flourishes in Napa Valley's warm days and cool nights. While cabernet sauvignon grapes thrive all over the Napa Valley AVA, they do particularly well in the Rutherford and Oakville sub-regions, which are AVAs in themselves. (Napa Valley has 15 subregions, all of which are also AVAs.)

IntoWine recently sat down with Bon Coeur Cellars Founder David Freeman to discuss his foray into winemaking. In 2006, Freeman, a children’s heart doctor, teamed with his wife, Marilyn Cairney Freeman, a cardiac nurse, to establish Bon Coeur Cellars, a family owned establishment focusing on small...

IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts for their recommendation for the best Napa Chardonnay (for the money): California Chardonnay has entered a new golden era, and there are terrific, cooler climate examples available from all over the State. These great new Chards tend to be balanced, with minerality and strong acidity, as well as less obtrusive new oak than was the trademark of California Chardonnay even five years ago. Napa does not have a particularly cool climate, so the wines from this region tend to have more ripe, tropical fruit characteristics, and more richness, as well as more of a creamy mouth feel, thanks in large part to the new oak typically used for fermentation and aging. Nonetheless, for those who like the rich, tropical fruit style of Chardonnay, there are some great examples from Napa that are relative values. My top pick for the money is the Arnot-Roberts Watson Ranch Napa Valley Chardonnay, with the current release going for a relatively reasonable average of $35. Here I get more lemon and lemon cream than super-ripe tropical fruit, but with solid weight and creamy texture. Also quite good but considerably pricier, at about $50, is the Hestan Vineyards Chardonnay, made by sought after Napa winemaking consultant Mark Herold. - Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com