What’s Up Napa Valley: World class service training available
By Paul Franson
The Winetasting Network, a division of 1-800-Flowers is hosting a series of seminars focused on the topics “World Class Customer Service” and “21st Century Leadership Excellence,” Jan. 23-25.
These workshops are hosted by 1-800-Flowers director Neil Halloran.
The free half-day classes are limited in size.
The classes will be held at Yountville’s Lincoln Theater conference center.
Local entrepreneur Jerry Nunn will talk about his great, great, great-grandfather, local mountain man Caleb Greenwood (1763-1850) who helped rescue the Donner Party. He speaks at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Napa City-County Library.
Nunn operates Mountain Man Survival in downtown Napa.
The program is sponsored by the Napa County Historical Society program.
Greenwood and Isaac Hitchcock are credited with opening the Truckee River Route off the Oregon Trail into California, opening the first overland wagon route to California.
Greenwood developed a wagon route that avoided the treacherous Truckee River gorge leading to Stephens Pass, now known as Donner Pass.
When the Donner Party became stranded crossing the Sierras in the winter of 1846-47, Caleb and his sons William and Britton Greenwood led the travelers to safety.
Wild game at Hurley’s
Bob Hurley is holding “Wild Game Weekends” every Friday and Saturday night in January at Hurley’s Restaurant.
He’ll be serving buffalo ribeye, wild boar, roasted pheasant, venison carpaccio, though the menus change according to availability.
Regular dinner items are also available.
Hurley’s Restaurant and Bar is at 6518 Washington St., Yountville.
Info, 944-2345, www.HurleysRestaurant.com.
DeLeuze family helps find lymphoma cure
Norman deLeuze, founder of ZD Wines, has been battling lymphoma with non-toxic methods the past three years.
He has tried a number of alternative treatments but often without scientific research to prove or disprove their worth.
The lymphoma is not cured, but he is doing well and enjoying life.
To help find a non-toxic cure for lymphoma, the deLeuze family has given $200,000 to the UC Davis Health System to benefit its cancer center.
An additional, $13,300 was donated in the name of ZD Wines’ First Taste club members.
Info, 963-5188 ext. 104.
Sparkling wine tasting
Like all good wineries, Schramsberg Vineyards occasionally holds blind tastings of competitive wines to see how it’s doing.
President and winemaker Hugh Davies even invited some press to the tastings — a tactic that could backfire if his wines did poorly.
He needn’t have worried.
I attended a tasting of 12 sparkling roses (including Mumm Napa’s blanc de noirs, which is really a rosé).
In the blind tasting against French and California wines costing up to $89, both Schramsberg wines came in second (it was a tie), with only Roederer Estate from Anderson Valley besting them (another sign of honesty).
Results from other tastings were comparable.
This reinforces Schramsberg’s position among the elite of sparkling wine not just in California but worldwide.
They’ve always made good wine, but in the last decade have improved even more as it’s adopted grapes from cool — and even cold — grape-growing regions from Marin to Mendocino and Carneros.
Fortunately, it put its home vineyards to good use after it pulled out the former pinot noir and chardonnay. The J. Davies cabernet sauvignon remains among Napa’s most elegant and tasty if not the blockbuster the big critics prefer.
Release of BarnBurner cabernet sauvignon
Lauren and Tom Scott of Tom Scott Vineyard have released their inaugural 2003 vintage of BarnBurner cabernet sauvignon. Bill Ballentine is the winemaker.
Tom Scott was raised in Oakville and was previously production manager for S. Anderson Sparkling Wine Cellars in Yountville.
The Scotts produced 135 cases in 2003 and expect peak production at 400 cases.
Info, www.tomscottvineyard.com.
Hess Cellar Door weekend
On Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can fill up your jug of the Cellar Door Red at Hess Collection Winery. It’s 90 percent Mount Veeder cabernet sauvignon and 10 percent petit verdot.
Those who bought full bottles earlier can refill them the second weekend of each month, as locals did a hundred years ago.
A half-gallon jug and wine is $18, a refill is $15.
The winery is on Redwood Road.
L’Chaim weekend
The second annual L’Chaim weekend with Jewish vintners and winemakers is June 29 to July 1.
The cost is $500 and special rates are available at local hotels.
A reminder to nonprofit groups, restaurants and wineries: I have concise summaries about publicizing your events and news. It won’t replace a pro, but should help guide those who aren’t expert in public relations.
