Cakebread Cellars is one of the most known names in the Napa Valley and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2013. It is a family-owned winery, which has generated remarkable success. This is due to the quality of their wine and the quality of their people. This is a winery that has grown and evolved over that time period, adding vineyards and expanding its facilities.

Cakebread is known most broadly for their white wines – Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. But this is only the beginning of their portfolio. You will find quality throughout their offerings from Syrah, Zinfandel, and red blends to their Cabernet. In fact, their most recent vintage (2012) of Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet was given a score of 99 points – that is nearly perfect.

“Mending Wall” is a poem by the twentieth century American poet Robert Frost (1874-1963). The poem is about two men who mend the fence that separates their properties, yet it brings them together. This is part of the inspiration for the Mending Wall, a new winery located on the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley. Wine is that wonderful beverage that brings people together, and the Mending Wall is the vision of three families who come together in an endeavor to make wine of great quality and flavor. There are excellent beginnings here on the Trail, since this is an endeavor of talented vintners and a highly-regarded winemaker.

None of those involved is new to the winemaking business, but this is a new beginning to “press the boundaries” in an effort to produce the best expression of the grape. At Mending Wall, Frank & Kathy Dotzler (of Outpost Winery and Vineyard) and Donna Walker & Mark Pulido (of Pulido-Walker) come together with winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown to craft a new set of quality wines. They are off and running!

Favia Wines is a marriage that sings beautifully. This winery is the work of husband and wife team Andy Erickson and Annie Favia, and it is a pairing that works extremely well.

Just recently, I had the chance to visit and taste the current releases from Favia. I had discovered their wine back with the 2006 vintage. My first introduction was the Cerro Sur Red Wine. This is a blend of predominately Cab Franc and Cabernet. (The Cerro Sur is a blend – for a wine to be characterized as a certain varietal, it must contain at least 75% of that grape.) I am a big fan of Cab Franc, and this one was done splendidly. I was hooked.

The forecast for the West Coast is hotter than usual. By now, that is no surprise for many who live here. The thermometer has been over 100 degrees in Sacramento several days this summer, and it is only July. Hot daytime temperatures make us all a little thirsty. A great, refreshing white to “pound on down on the patio” is Pinot Grigio, as the Italians call it. It is also known as Pinot Gris in other parts of the world. In fact, this little grape is produced all around the world and has many different titles depending on whether you are in France, Germany, Austria, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or Australia. This is a lovely white wine that hails from around the world.

The Pinot Grigio I’d like to tell you about today is grown in Napa. It’s lightly honeyed, with a hint of spice and minerality. It’s darn good and refreshing! It is the perfect apéritif to start the evening and set up the palate for dinner or simply to enjoy in the afternoon with no food at all. I unfortunately have drunk all that we bought and must go back for more.