MCBEE'S WINE DIARY: Napa Trip 2016: Second Day and Still Going Strong

THE MCBEE WINE BLOG DIARY

My mother, Camille McBee, partnered with Bobby G. Smith, Winemaker, in North Texas for over 30 years. Together they worked to develop a National and International name for Texas Wines. In 2009 she passed away too young, but she left behind a Texas Wine Industry that was better because of her dedication and she left a family with a deep rooted love and appreciation for wine and entertaining. This blog serves as a diary of my adventures in wine and as a lasting toast to my mother. -Cheers!

This blog is NOT intended to be the authority on tasting notes, or a professional guide for wine experts; it's simply a place for me to share some of my opinions and findings about wine with my friends and other wine lovers.

I truly hope you will use this blog to help you the next time you are thinking about what to buy at the wine store or deciding what to order at a local restaurant or when you travel to the wine country. ENJOY!

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Napa Trip 2016: Second Day and Still Going Strong

Hit the day running on day two with a quick stop into Napa Wine Company. I became a member at NWC years ago and do my best to stop in every time I'm in town. They always take good care of their members and this time was no different. One of my favorites this time was a 2013 Oakville Zinfandel. The wine is really big with lots of fruit, but it was reasonably priced and give this Napa Zin a few years and it will be perfect. Great value option, buy a case and fill your wine fridge!

After this, a stop into Oakville Grocery to pick up a quick bite before the big tastings started.

After that, it was on to the Silverado Trail and Quintessa. A super VIP tour, thanks to our friend Marc, opened the tasting. Then on to a full tour of their Super Cabs. A tasting at Qunitessa is essentially a rainbow of wine glasses, each filled with a 2 once sample of some of the finest Bordeaux inspired Cabernet blends in the world.

They take you through a tour of serveral vintage years and blending recipes so that you can get a feel for how impressive each of these factors can be on a vintage. It never ceases to amaze me that you can have 6 people at the tasting table and everyone will get a different impression, different taste or different result from each glass. As much as you want to believe that wine snobs know more about how wine tastes than you do.... You have to remember that wine taste really is in the eye of the beholder. When the wine snob is paying... Drink, enjoy and compliment the choice. When you are paying.... Drink what you like! This

Qunitessa remains time and time again one of the best wineries in the valley and we had some great ones here. The wine steward was great, fun and knowledgable. I highly recommend seeking an appointment on your next trip.

The equipment and facilities at Qunitessa are mind boggling. The massive oak fermination tanks are big enough for a small family to live. The cave system is massive and one of my favorite parts of any tour. I love the temperature and the smell of all the barrels of wine aging.