Day 3 of our family reunion started with a release party at Fisher Vineyards. What happens at a release party? Well, at Fisher we started with a walk through the vineyards…
…then we watched a falcon demonstration…
…note the chick hanging from the falcon’s beak…
…then an owl made an appearance…
…and finally some wood fired pizza and lots of wine!
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Every year for our family reunion, my dad and Irene truly outdo themselves planning activities for us that showcase the beauty and resources of Napa and Sonoma. Our visit to Lynmar Estate was no exception – we had the pleasure of meeting Lynn and Anisya Fritz, took a tour of the thoughtfully tended gardens, enjoyed a summer seasonal lunch, and tasted some exceptional wine. No surprise that we couldn’t resist leaving with a few bottles of the 2009 Russian River Chardonnay and the 2008 Quail Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir.
Lynmar Estate Gardens
Dining room at Lynmar Estate
Truffle popcorn to start…
Colorful summer seasonal menu by Chef David Frakes
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This July, Jeff and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary – and we thought our family reunion would be a great time to open the large format 2000 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon that our family and friends signed at our wedding. While the wine was decanting, Jeff seasoned and grilled up some amazing lamb chops and our Lamb & Large Format night was on its way.
2000 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon
(6L bottle – can’t figure out whether this is called a Methuselah or an Imperial)
My dad opening the bottle…
Decanting was a must…
This lamb was beautiful and Jeff paired it with some rosemary fingerling potatoes
and a salad picked right from the garden.
Lamb & Large Format Night at Vineyard 511
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In 2001, Robert Mondavi gifted $25 million to establish the UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science and its new facilities to ensure Davis’ position as the world’s leading educational center for viticulture, enology and food science. The institute’s vision -
The institute will be the gateway between UC Davis and a broad community of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, industry professionals and technologists engaged in all dimensions of wine- and food science-related activities. The RMI will be the global innovator in university-based wine and food sciences research, education and outreach.
My dad has been involved with the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology for the last several years as part of the Board of Visitors and Fellows, which helped raise additional funds to build the RMI research winery. This LEED Platinum certified research winery opened in January 2011 and has 150 identical fermentors allowing for experimental design in wine making research never possible before. We were fortunate to be able to tour RMI and hear about its history and vision from Dr. Roger Boulton, a man truly passionate about his life’s work. I really can’t say enough about how impressed we were with the institute and those involved.
LEED Platinum Certified RMI Complex
1 of 150 Identical Fermentors
Wireless Fermentation Monitors
Experimental Wine
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This year our annual family reunion took place over Labor Day weekend. And as always, it was filled with amazing wine, delicious food, and fun activities. I’m still going through all the photos, but here’s a peak at what’s to follow.
~Thursday, September 1st~
Tour of the UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science
Lamb & Large Format Cab Dinner
~Friday, September 2nd~
Family Tennis Clinic at Meadowood
Tour, Tasting, & Lunch at Lynmar Estate
~Saturday, September 3rd~
Release Party at Fisher Vineyards
Tour & Tasting at Chateau Boswell
Pork & Pinot Night
~Sunday, September 4th~
Family Croquet “Tournament” at Meadowood
Tour & Tasting at Jarvis Winery
Burgers & Shiraz Dinner
~Vineyard 511~
My parents’ house and vineyard in Calistoga
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I’m still catching up on our July 4th trip to Napa! For dinner on the 4th, we headed to Farmstead in St. Helena for good food, good wine, and good fireworks.
Good Food - Farmstead is part of Long Meadow Ranch Winery & Farmstead - a tasting-room, restaurant, seasonal farm stand, and nursery in St. Helena. The restaurant, actually a restored barn, features a farm-to-table menu where almost every ingredient comes from the LMR farm and the dishes are meant to showcase the ingredients at their seasonal peak – and as a result, the food tastes…like food, really delicious food. Everything produced at LMR is either sustainable or organic.
Good Wine - Farmstead has the best corkage fee I’ve come across – it’s $2 per bottle and gets donated to a non-profit…and you get proper glasses. Thanks again to my dad’s cellar, we enjoyed a great selection of reds:
2002 Gralyn Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
2003 Rudd Oakville Estate Red
2004 Shafer One Point Five
2005 Vineyard 29 CRU
Good Fireworks - Last year we attended Louis Martini’s July 4th celebration – the fireworks were great, but the wine was….not good. Farmstead is only about a mile north of Louis Martini and from our outdoor table, we were able to enjoy all the same fireworks – but with better food and wine!
Caramelized Beets with Goat Cheese and Greens
~This salad was amazing! So flavorful! I would definitely order this again next time.~
Grass-fed beef cut of the day - 14 oz. New York Strip Steak
with corn and asparagus
~This steak was full of flavor…delicious.~
Creamy Macaroni and Broccoli with Garlic and Grana
~The broccoli had a bit too much garlic for me. But the Mac and Cheese was delicious – not sure about what cheeses were used for the sauce, but the combination had just the right hint of tanginess.~
“Brick Cooked” Chicken with Flageolet Beans, Bloomsdale Spinach and Pistou
~Moist and flavorful – this is some of the best roast chicken we’ve had.~
Strawberries, Blueberries, Mascarpone, and some kind of Crumble
~This unassuming dessert was incredible – honestly, one of the best desserts I’ve had in a while.~
And fireworks courtesy of Louis M Martini.
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