Posts Tagged ‘travel’
Vineyards Estate Wines
Barlow Vineyards – A Superior Napa County Winery
Barlow Vineyards is an up and coming Napa Valley wine producer. Definitely a winery to watch, Barlow Vineyard wines exemplify quality, family tradition and an incredible value for wine enthusiasts who seek exemplary Napa cabernet sauvignons, merlots, zinfandels or Bordeaux style blends. Best yet, as wine buyers you won’t find yourself having to wait in frustration for an exclusive winery “buyers list”, or worse feel that the only way to acquire Barlow Vineyards wines is through a wine auction.
Warren and Jeanne Smith had been traveling to the Napa Valley since the 1950’s. Son Barr Smith says, “Mom and dad fell in love with the valley and the wine country lifestyle. It was always their goal to eventually move to Napa. They both had hoped to accomplish this dream in the 1970’s, but dad’s work obligations in the pharmaceutical industry kept them both in Newport Beach, California. In 1993 the family found a great piece of land in Napa, and I asked my parents if they would be interested in a partnership in a winery.” Ann Smith owned a landscape design company, and Barr worked in the office equipment industry in Costa Mesa prior to the move to Napa in 1994. “Both Ann and I had met at CSU Humboldt in Arcata, California in the late 1970’s, and we have spent much of our spare time in northern California since then. Ann and I and we have been married for twenty five years. When the opportunity to move to Napa came up we didn’t even give it a second thought.” recounts Barr.
Barlow Vineyards, located in Calistoga on Napa’s historic Silverado Trail, was established in 1994 as a partnership between Warren and Jeanne Smith and their son Barr and daughter-in-law Ann. The first cabernet sauvignon vines were initially planted on the property in 1992, and today blocks of merlot zinfandel, cabernet franc and petit verdot can also be found on the estate property. Currently, Barlow Vineyards is classified in the Napa Valley American Viticulture Area, and application for AVA reclassification was filed with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approximately two years ago, to be reclassified into the more prestigious Calistoga AVA within Napa County.
Barlow Vineyard’s first release was the stellar California 1997 vintage with only 25 cases of cabernet sauvignon being produced under the direction of former wine maker Art Finkelstein. 125 cases were produced in 1998. 1999 produced 200 cases of cabernet sauvignon, and that particular vintage ushered in the inaugural release of Barlow Vineyards merlot (100 cases) and their zinfandel (45 cases). These quantities doubled with the release of the 2000 vintage. The 2001 vintage debuted the “Barrouge”, a Bordeaux style blend. 1,700 cases are now being produced annually.
Today finds the Smith family actively involved in the daily vineyard and winery operations. Family patriarch Warren Smith oversees winery operations and hospitality. Barr Smith is the assistant winemaker, sales manager, and as on call “jack of all trades”. Ann Smith is the winery’s marketing manager, and she assists her husband Barr with sales. Warren’s wife Jeanne Smith sadly passed away in December of last year. Barr recalls, “Mom was continuously involved in volunteer projects, but somehow could always be found by dad’s side. When all of us moved to Napa in 1994, mom ran the day to day business operations of the winery up until her passing. She was instrumental in guiding our vision and leading us to where we are today.”
The 2004 vintage is currently available to the public for purchase. Very few bottles of the 2003 vintage remain available to the public according to Barr Smith. I asked Barr about his perceptions of what the public might come to expect next year with the release of the 2005 vintage. “2005 was a very good year” states Smith. Favorable growing conditions, mature crop with controlled yield, mild summer with few heat spikes, and great ripening conditions were some of the many reasons that contributed to what we expect to be a terrific vintage according to Smith. Barr said, “I am very enthusiastic about the release of the 2005 Barrouge, as this release will now feature the inclusion of cabernet franc and petit verdot into our proprietary Meritage blend.”
Many of Napa’s current cult wine makers started out in much the same way as Barlow Vineyards – small, independent, and holding true to their personal convictions. The Smith family has every intention of remaining a small family operated winery. Barr and his father have intentionally avoided the enticements and trappings of the valley’s ever present wine marketing giants, instead seeking their own pace and pursuing their own course. Having tasted all of Barlow Vineyard’s wines from vintage 2002 up to the present, I have been continually impressed. A few points of fact are guaranteed to the wine drinker – consistent, outstanding quality with bottles being available at non-cult wine prices! Information about Barlow Vineyards wines can be found at www.barlowvineyards.com.
About the Author
Tom DiNardo is the founder of DiNardo & Lord Auctioneers. He is a nationally recognized keynote speaker, licensed auctioneer, certified master appraiser, expert witness, and sommelier and wine educator. DiNardo & Lord Auctioneers is ranked as one of the nation’s “Top four benefit auction firms,” and has raised over $50 million dollars for nonprofits.
Wine-Ing With Ray J – Mixed Up March
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Antique Bronze Estate Wine Opener Set Material: Hardwood $155.00 0250 Material: Hardwood These sets are perfect for the wine lover. They also make great wedding, housewarming or holiday gifts. Comes complete with Champion opener, table set, and matching handle in your choice of material. Watch the Rogar Wine Openers In Action! About Rogar Rogar was founded in Abilene, Texas in 1975. The goal then, as now, was to design, manufacture and market top quality produ… |
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Rogar Estate Wine Opener, Antique Bronze $122.00 The Estate wine opener is a replica of the “Champion Cork Removal System” first patented and produced in 1897. The original mechanism for removing the cork has been improved through modern engineering and materials. The outer design and inspiration come from the 19th century but the inner workings are 21st century technology. The Estate combines speed, functionality and beauty. Uncorks and recorks… |
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7 Piece Estate Vineyard Dish Towel Set/ 3 Dish Towels 2Pot Holders/OVen Mitt and Dish Cloth $19.99 … |
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Wallmonkeys Peel and Stick Wall Decals – Vineyard and Winery near Bordeaux – Removable Graphic WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l… |
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Wallmonkeys Peel and Stick Wall Decals – Vineyard Dining – Removable Graphic WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l… |
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Wallmonkeys Peel and Stick Wall Decals – Vines Growing in Vineyard – Removable Graphic WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l… |
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A Good Year (Widescreen Edition) $6.02 A feel-good movie that highlights the beauty of France as much as it does its stars, A Good Year provides a languid, gorgeous viewing experience. Director Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe–who first worked together on the Academy Award-winning Gladiator–are reunited in this romantic film, which is based on Peter Mayle’s book A Year in Provence. Crowe plays Max, a workaholic London bonds trader who … |
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The Vineyards and Wine of Cassis The best white wine in the world $2.99 … |
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Chef in the Vineyard (Hardcover) $22.91 In his exceptional fifth book, Chef in the Vineyard, John Sarich presents over 140 wine-friendly recipes. The recipes are complemented by John`s personal wine recommendations.Through a visual tour, John introduces ten of his favorite wineries. Each has… |
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The Wine Travel Guide to the World $23.43 Footprint’s Wine Travel Guide to the World takes you around the globe to over 650 of the best vineyards, wineries, museums, restaurants and bar: from the grandest estates of Bordeaux to the high-altitude vineyards of Argentina; from Bei… |
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Vineyards Of Italy Vol 1 & 2 – 2-Disc Set (DVD) $11.38 Italian wine is so much more than simply Chianti. There are the wonderful whites of Alto Adigio, the light reds of the Veneto, and literally thousands of varietals that are as complex and fascinating as the history of the land from which they derive. T… |
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