While visiting Napa with our friends, the Kitchura’s, they mentioned that we should take a drive along Silverado Trail. It’s a really pretty drive. It’s a road off the main Napa drag with a lot wineries you’d likely recognize.
Then my godson, who had recently been in Napa, messaged me recommending that we drop by Duckhorn Vineyards. It’s right on Silverado Trail. He said they have a very nice tasting room and thought it would be worth visiting.
Decoy is a popular wine where I’m at, but I have never really had any. “Sure. Why not?” I thought and we put it on our itinerary.
It was very interesting driving up a road where you recognized names I had only previously seen on wine labels. There was:
- Joseph Phelps Vineyards,
- Rutherford Hills, Stag’s Leap and
- a few others.
The place was what you would expect from a Napa winery tasting location. These folks do their marketing right. There in the parking lot you had grape vines all over the place. It had a huge porch that just yelled out, “Welcome!!” Given that we had been tasting a ton of really good wine, I opted just to walk around and not sit down for a formal tasting. In Napa, you have to pace yourself. They did give us a taste of their Decoy 2017 Pinot Noir which they do NOT grow in Napa. They grow it over the hills in Sonoma where Pinot grapes grow so well. (I’ve written an article on Pinot Noir growing if you’re interested.)
I did take a bottle of this Pinot home for me to taste with Sofia. I’m publishing another video of that tasting. I’m starting to like Pinots. Below you can see me walking through the vineyard which is right off the parking lot. They grape vines are everywhere in Napa like slot machines in Vegas. It’s really beautiful. I want to return in the early fall right before harvest to see what that looks like. I’ve never done it, but it’s on my list.
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