Great wine and equestrian pursuits go extremely well together. That’s why when you are watching an important race event such as the Breeders Cup you want to have something that deliciously ties them both together.
New cookbooks come out weekly, and it’s our mission to help you find and explore some of the best and most intriguing that we’ve recently discovered. Check these out of your local bookstore and into your home library.
Red wines continue to fascinate, and are often the wine of choice for many. Add these three romantic California reds selected by TasteTV to your lineup, and you will not be disappointed.
Premium Prosecco from UNESCO World Heritage site Conegliano and Valdobbiadene has a finish that is both bright and buttery, providing a luxurious tasting experience.
If you’re hungry or thirsty for great food, wine and beer in Napa or Sonoma, the Oakville Grocery has been re-energized with a new vision, new partners, and fantastic quality.
Oakville Grocery, the general store that has been a gathering place for locals and tourists for nearly 140 years, has been enhanced since joining the Boisset Collection in 2019. Visitors to both Oakville in Napa and Healdsburg in Sonoma will now find an emphasis on local sustainable, organic and Biodynamic food offerings as well as an expanded wine selection that includes exclusive, highly allocated wines by the taste, glass or bottle. These new items, as well as the grocery’s signature favorites, can now be enjoyed on renovated patios during extended summer hours.
“We are so excited to bring new life into community landmarks in Napa Valley and Sonoma County,” said Jean-Charles Boisset, proprietor of Boisset Collection. “Oakville Grocery is a phenomenal destination where guests can spend a relaxing afternoon trying a selection of amazing wines; fresh, healthy and local cuisine; and fabulous craft beers!”
The historical legacy of the Oakville destination has been made more prominent through extensive signage throughout the property that tell the story of its founding role in Napa Valley. In addition, the property next door — 1881 Napa Wine History Museum & Tasting Salon — features tastings of wines from 13 sub-appellations of Napa Valley as well as an archive of wine relics open for complimentary visitation and has published its own history of the region.
“Normally wine lovers have to wait on allocation lists for years to purchase these [hard to get] bottles,” said Ed Maass, Oakville Grocery Wine Program Manager. “We are thrilled that we can make these beautiful wines more accessible and offer them by the taste and glass at Oakville Grocery, and through our Oakville Wine Society.”
Throughout each store, the wine selections have been significantly expanded and diversified as well as organized by appellation. In the Oakville location guests can discover wines from nearly 300 Napa Valley vintners and in Healdsburg they can browse through an equally large selection of Sonoma County producers. The flagship location in Napa Valley also has two new spaces dedicated to wine: a “cave” where guests can sample the highest-end wines from the Napa Tech machines as well as a wine vault that guests can enter and make selections from, as if they’re perusing their own wine cellar at home.
“Our motto is ‘Eat Local, Drink Local, Picnic Local.’ We want to sell products that are made as close to Oakville Grocery as possible,” said Oakville Grocery General Manager Barry Dinsmore, referencing both the Oakville and Healdsburg locations of the store. He estimated that 70% of products in the stores hail from California, with another 20% from the U.S. and the remaining 10% international.
One of the new food providers Oakville Grocery has partnered with is Ohm Coffee Roasters. The Napa Valley-based company led by former sommelier and wine marketing professional Derek Bromley is the exclusive coffee provider for both the Oakville and Healdsburg locations. The Oakville location now has a coffee machine from La Marzocco, the benchmark Italian brand, as a central feature of the upgraded coffee program.
In addition to new foods and wines, the Oakville location has a renovated patio with new furniture and umbrellas to better enable guests to take in views of some of Napa Valley’s most notable landmarks—the Mayacamas Mountains and the landmark To Kalon vineyard to the west and the valley’s highest point, Mt. St. Helena, to the north.
“None of us own 1881 Napa or Oakville Grocery. We are just guests in their history. These places will outlive us,” said Boisset.
More Information
In Oakville (Napa Valley), Oakville Grocery is located at 7856 St. Helena Highway. In Healdsburg (Sonoma County), Oakville Grocery is located at 124 Matheson Street
About Boisset Collection
Boisset is a family-owned collection of historic and unique wineries and lifestyle destinations led by Jean-Charles Boisset and bound together by a common vision: authentic, terroir-driven wines in harmony with their history, their future and the land and people essential to their existence. With more than 25 historical and prestigious still and sparkling wineries in the world’s preeminent terroirs, including Burgundy, Beaujolais, Jura, the Rhône Valley, the south of France, and California’s Russian River Valley and the Napa Valley. Its California wineries include DeLoach Vineyards, Raymond Vineyards, Buena Vista Winery and JCB by Jean-Charles Boisset; its French properties feature Domaine de la Vougeraie, Jean-Claude Boisset, Bouchard Aîné et Fils, J. Moreau et Fils, Louis Bouillot, Henrie Maire, Fortant and Bonpas. Each house retains its unique history, identity and style, and all are united in the pursuit of fine wines expressive of their terroir. Wine is at the center of Boisset’s mission, and is complemented by spirits, beer, cider, gourmet foods and luxury goods, both of its own design and from partnerships with historic companies such as Baccarat, Lalique, St. Louis, Riedel, Christofle, and Bernardaud. To learn more about the Boisset Collection, please visit www.boissetcollection.com.
California is home to dozens of distinct wine regions, including some of the world’s most famous destinations. But hidden among even the high-profile appellations are the wine roads less traveled featuring stunning rural scenery, delicious wines and, often, fewer visitors. To help consumers discover new wines and wineries this summer, Wine Institute’s California Wine Country Back Roads series highlights off-the-beaten path wine roads and regions.
The California Gold Rush from 1848-1855 occurred in the heart of the Sierra Foothills wine region which covers 2.6 million acres of rolling hills, old mining towns and several of the coolest and highest elevation vineyards in the state. The region is a haven for small, family-run wineries known for their rich history, 100-plus-year old grapevines and full-bodied red wines, located throughout eight counties—Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Tuolumne and Yuba. Here, visitors can enjoy pairing the latest vintages with some of California’s spectacular scenery, as this wine region has three national parks and 20 wilderness areas that include Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe.
El Dorado County has more than 70 wineries and mountain vineyards that produce more than 70 winegrape varieties. Photo credit Lava Cap Vineyard.
Visitors can attend Amador County’s Barbera Festival and might also go past 140-year old vines. Photo courtesy Deaver Vineyards.
TASTE: The Sierra Foothills region is home to more than 200 wineries and a diverse range of grape varieties. Amador County, tucked into the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, includes more than 40 wineries—many specializing in Zinfandel, Barbera and Rhône-style wines. In Calaveras County, where Mark Twain gave the county its claim to fame with his bestselling story “The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” there are more than 25 tasting rooms on the charming Main Street of Murphys. El Dorado County, with its mountain vineyards perched high above the valley, features 70 wineries producing everything from Cabernet-based varietals to wines made from Rhône, German, Italian and Spanish grape varieties. Back-road gems can also be found in Nevada County, Placer County and Yuba County. For a taste of several sub-regions, take a scenic excursion up historic Highway 49. The road begins in Oakhurst, then winds its way north through several winery-rich counties, including Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Nevada and more.
In Murphys, Calaveras County, there are over 25 wine tasting rooms and the historic Murphys Hotel along Main Street. Photo courtesy Calaveras CVB.
TOUR: Celebrate local wine, food and agriculture June 20-21 during the Placer Wine Trail’s Grape Days of Summer, a self-guided tour that features food, music and educational experiences at every stop in Placer County. Amador County’s annual Barbera Festival in September during California Wine Month offers tastes from more than 50 local wineries, plus fabulous food, live music and artisan vendors. Also, in September is the WineDerLust Renegade Wine Festival in Placerville, a wine bazaar and concert showcasing the best of El Dorado wines.
Visitors enjoy wine in a cavern tasting room during Placer County Wine Trail’s Grape Days of Summer. Photo courtesy of Placer County Wine Trail.
For all of the wine regions included in this series, use the discovercaliforniawines.com interactive map to search wineries by amenities such as tours, gardens and picnic areas, and view winery events around the state.To see Wine Institute’s Back Roads guides to other California wine regions, visit https://discovercaliforniawines.com/media-trade/news.