Harvest America 2009- Part One





Harvest America 2009
By Christopher J Davies

Harvest is a vintner's celebration of the culmination of a year's hard
work. It marks the transition period in the winemaking cycle from
vineyard to cellar. In physical terms, it is the process of picking
ripe grapes from the vine.




This past week, Darcy and I had the pleasure of visiting the Napa Valley where Harvest is already in full swing. We were honored to attend the 43rd Blessing of The Grapes at The Robert Mondavi Winery. Margrit Mondavi and Director of Wine Making, Genevieve Janssens hosted the event for friends, employees and a handful of press. Monsignor John Brenkle of The St. Helena Catholic Church presided. Afterward we all enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking the vines!















Margrit Mondavi with grapes

We stayed at the lovely Wine Country Inn, located in St.Helena. This place is awesome! We stayed in a private cottage overlooking a lush vineyard. Every afternoon they host a delicious wine tasting with tons of snacks. The staff was ultra-friendly and made sure that we were happy. They are centrally located.

The Wine Country Inn & Gardens 1152 Lodi Lane St. Helena, CA 94574
Toll Free: 888-465-4608
Phone: (707) 963-7077
www.winecountryinn.com

Just down the street, Duckhorn Wine Company. One of the Napa Valley's most revered producers. Their tasting room and headquarters is a large modern house with a wrap around porch. They offer several levels of tastings some with food pairings included. Since they are off the beaten path, Duckhorn is not that crowded. They offer an intimate setting with some of the best wines in the region.

Duckhorn Wine Company
1000 Lodi Lane
St. Helena, CA 94574
Tel. 707 967-2008
www.duckhorn.com


Check back soon for more posts about this trip!



Coming September 27, 2009
Harvest Fest Long Island

Long Island Wine Country. com cordially invites you to take part in
this once-a-year activity by joining our 8th annual Harvest Fest 2009"
Day in the Vineyard".This full day event will take place at Laurel
Lake Vineyards, in the quaint hamlet of Laurel, on the North Fork of
Long Island. Laurel Lake Vineyards is a modern vineyard & winery
focusing on producing premium quality estate wines. The winery
building features a massive elevated wrap around deck that offers a
picture perfect view of the vineyard below.

Darcy and I will host up to 150 guests. For details visit:
http://www.longislandwinecountry.com/harvest.html

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