Visiting Napa, but not for Cabernet or Chardonnay?

You mean there's something in Napa Valley besides Cab and Chard? I know, a wild thought, but there are alternatives!

Yes, this is a Sonoma Wine Blog, but our next door neighbor is Napa. For folks that go to Napa Valley, but maybe tire of Chard and Cab after a while or have someone in their group that's not a big fan of either, there are ways to keep everyone happy.

 

Other Varieties and Where You Are Most Likely to Find Them

Sauvignon Blanc

Napa is mostly about Cabernet Sauvignon, the most famous grape from Bordeaux, France. The main white Bordeaux is Sauv Blanc so it's reasonable to assume you'll find it at a number of wineries in Napa. If you are a big fan of Sauvingnon Blanc you might wonder why there isn't as much of it as Cab. It's the economics of grape prices. In Napa at harvest a ton of SB sells for about $3,000 on average, a ton of Cab for $9,000.

You'll find most places in Napa will have Sauv Blanc. The grapes used to make the wines will usually be from Napa Valley, but sometimes it comes from nearby Sonoma, Lake, or Solano Counties because the grapes are less expensive. A few of the best Suavignon Blancs are from Flora Springs, Frog's Leap, Honig, Mondavi, St. Supery, and Twomey. If you look hard enough you'll find several places making a $100+ Sauv Blanc. Why? Because somebody will buy them.

Riesling

There's not much of this grape in the county, as Riesling has never been that popular in the U.S. Drier ones can be found at Bouchaine, Smith-Madrone, and Trefethen. Riesling is rare here.

Sparkling Wines

Sparkling is the primary wine of several places in Napa: Chandon, Domaine Carneros, Mumm, and Schramsberg. Several other wineries will also have a sparkling wine or two available. Whatever your reason for coming to Napa, be sure to stop at a sparkling wine house.

Pinot Noir

Pinot is a bit difficult to find in Napa Valley. The very southern end of Napa County sits on cool bay waters and is great for Pinot Noir. The appellation is called Carneros, and it actually extends across southern Napa and Sonoma Counties. So you may find Pinot in Napa from either county in the Carneros area. I've also seen Russian River Valley Pinot in Napa wineries. Joseph Plelps Winery, known for their Cabernet and Cab blend Insignia, makes some great Pinot from their vineyards near the Sonoma Coast. Besides Carneros, there are Napa Pinots from Coombsville.

A few wineries known for their Napa Pinot Noir are Artesa, Domaine Carneros, Laird, and Saintsbury.

Merlot

Merlot has really been a staple of Napa since the early days of its popularity in the 1970s. Plenty of places will have Merlot available. Some of the best known wineries are Duckhorn, Markham, Pahlmeyer, Pride, Rutherford Hill, and Trefethen.

Zinfandel

Zinfandel was very popular in the area a hundred years ago. Sonoma, Paso Robles, Lodi, and Amador are now the key areas for this grape though there is still quite a bit to be found in Napa. A great spot for Zin is from the Howell Mountain area. Zinfandel comes in distinct styles from softer and lighter (for zin) to the full-throttle fruit forward ones. Whatever your favorite style, some of the best ones in Napa come from Biale, Clif, and Storybook Mountain.

Source: visitnapavalley.com and various winery websites