© December 10, 2011
Disneyland is the largest tourist
attraction in California. Napa Valley is
the second. On a typical weekend, the
roads between Napa, Sonoma, St Helena, and Calistoga are gridlocked with
traffic. There are wine tour buses,
limousines and trains that run non-stop across the valley. We had the pleasure of visiting Napa on a
week day recently. It was a beautiful,
mild day in Napa and traffic and crowds were at a dull roar. The grapes were being harvested and we saw
that many wineries were advertising grape-crushing events.
We are not regular wine drinkers
and by no means claim any knowledge of the wine-making process, the
wine-tasting process, or the proper appreciation for a fine wine. However, we are students and we learn. We have been to Napa several times
previously. We are fortunate to be a
short drive away and enjoy driving through the vineyards, having a picnic
lunch, lunch in one of the small towns, or enjoying a small snack with a
tasting at one of the wineries.
The drive into Napa is picture
perfect with the rolling hills of vineyards surrounding you as far as the eye can
see. Every once in a while there is a
break in the grapevines where a driveway leads to a majestic winery. There people can sample and buy the wines
produced. On previous Napa trips, we have
sampled wine at Chateau Montelena, featured
in the motion picture Bottle Shock, in Calistoga, CA, and Domaine Carneros in Napa,
CA. The vineyards, grounds, and
wine-tasting experience at both were impeccable. We almost felt out of place, these wineries
are so majestic, but the staffs at both treated us warmly and made us feel
comfortable. They answered basic
questions they likely hear thousands of times and provided rich backgrounds
about the wines and the vineyards.
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| Larkmead Lane |
On this beautiful Fall day we
decided to visit the Frank
Family Vineyards in Calistoga, CA, a charming town about twenty miles from
Napa. The ride up to the vineyard is
spectacular with views of passing vineyards and large oaks dappling the road
in shade along the way. Larkmead Lane is
a country road cutting through acres of vineyards with a panoramic view of the
hills and mountains behind it.
When you arrive at the Frank
Family Vineyards, there is a stone building on the roadside. This is the site of the historic Larkmead
Winery, established in 1884.
The name was changed when the Frank family purchased the winery in 1992. There is a 2010 and 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Best of the Best List banner at the winery entrance.
The name was changed when the Frank family purchased the winery in 1992. There is a 2010 and 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Best of the Best List banner at the winery entrance.
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| Historic Larkmead Winery |
The courtyard is planted with
flowers and there is a small fountain in it.
On the left is the big red building and to the right is what looks like
a yellow farmhouse. The yellow building
contains the wine-tasting rooms.
Upon
entry, a person greets you at the cash register (the cash register at the door is
a source of many online review complaints) and explains the tasting packages. The Frank Family Vineyards currently offers
four types of wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon. There are usually two tiers of tasting available and this was no
exception. A $20 Classic tasting
included four samples, one of each of their standard table wines. A premium tasting was available for $30 where
samples of reserve stock were offered.
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| Winery Entrance |
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| Tasting Room |
The first thing that struck us
when we entered the tasting building was how loud and noisy it was. We weren’t part of a weekend crowd and
although there were several people there at the time, the rooms seemed to amplify
and echo people’s voices. There was
nothing to absorb any sound and it left the rooms feeling uninviting. The experience is clearly about the wine and
not the ambiance as some would argue it should be.
We selected the standard
tasting. After paying, we were given a
receipt and directed to another room where a bar was set up against one
wall. We joined a party of four already
being served. The bartender was engaged
with the other party and shared with them that the owner was a pleasure to work
for, spared no expense, and when something was needed, never hesitated to
authorize it.
Frank Family Vineyard wines are
not sold in retail outlets. They are
only available at the winery, through The Frank Family Vineyards exclusive
clubs, and in select restaurants. The
first wine sample was a 2009 Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay. This had a lovely bouquet and was a very nice
offering. What came next was quite
unexpected. The bartender brought over a
2009 Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir next… and poured into the same glass the
Chardonnay had been in. After that, he
proceeded to pour the Napa Valley Zinfandel and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
in the same glass as well. We are mere
amateurs in the world of wine tasting, but it seems one would not want to
contaminate the flavor of one wine with another wine. We checked the other party’s glasses to be
sure it was not just an oversight with us but he was pouring in one glass each
for them as well.
The Pinot Noir was very nice and
was followed by a 2009 Napa Valley Zinfandel, again, in the same glass as the
previous two tastings. We did not care
for the Zinfandel and when the bartender asked what we thought, he agreed with
us. He told us that it was going to be
really good in about another year. We
wondered then why it was being served.
The bartender engaged in small
talk, telling us it was his Friday and how busy he had been the previous
weekend. He shared with us that on the
weekends, the winery averages 600 to 700 visitors a day. We were glad to only hear about those kinds
of crowds.
The last taste in the package was
a nice 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
However, at this point, we weren’t sure how much the taste was
contaminated by the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel. The bartender then offered a taste of the
Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, this time in a separate glass. This sample was noticeably better than the
previous samples and was true to its description.
As we were leaving we asked where
the restrooms were and were directed to the big red building we saw on the way
in. The restrooms were clean, well-maintained,
energy-efficient, industrial-sized facilities ready to accommodate those
hundreds of visitors. The adjacent
parking lot also had ample parking for cars and the caravans of tour buses that
routinely visit.
We were very interested in seeing
the Frank Family Vineyards because of owner Rich Frank’s involvement in
Prospect Park, the company who acquired the licensing rights to daytime serials
All My Children and One Life to Live. We
were curious to see Mr Frank’s vision of Napa Valley, especially with his
background at Disney. Online reviews of
the vineyard were mixed and it seemed people either loved it or hated it. Although our visit had its hiccups, it was a charming
country winery. While not majestic like
some of the other Napa wineries, The Frank Family Vineyards has a country feel
and surrounding idyllic vineyards and countryside that is worth the trip.
