Pool in the living room of Mondavi house ... why not? /File photo
Remember that two-bedroom steal I told you about in the Napa Valley? That’s right, the former home of the late wine pioneer Robert Mondavi and his wife, Margrit, that was going for nearly half off?
Well, if you had your eye on it, you’re too late, buster. Someone has snapped that puppy up.
Unfortunately, the details, reported in today’s Napa Register are a bit scant. There were apparently two bids which were “strong,” but below the listed price of $13.9 million.
Other than that all we know is that the house sold for an undisclosed sum to an undisclosed buyer. Apparently the purchasers own property in the U.S. and overseas, but do plan to use the place as a residence. So, Napa friends, you might want to pop over with a nice house-warming gift basket.
Here’s what they got: 11,500 square feet in a 56-acre estate with fabulous views, a tower and a 50-foot indoor pool off the living room.
Vinecdote has said this before, and she will say it again. Is this a great country, or what?
Psst, looking for a hot deal in Napa real estate? I’ve got a good one for you, half off.
OK, the minimum bid is $13.9 million. But, still.
The property in question is the mountain top retreat of the late wine pioneer Robert Mondavi and his wife, Margrit. The original asking price was $25 million but what with the recession nipping at the heels of even the private jet set, it’s been marked down 44 percent.
Sale of the 11,500-square-foot pied-a-terre is being handled by Sheldon Good & Co. Details are here and if you are interested sealed bids are due by Nov. 16.
I interviewed the Mondavis a time or two but never did get an invite to the house. I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that there’s a 50-foot indoor pool off the living room. That right there is one of the many reasons I love this country. Oh, and there’s a tower overlooking the Napa Valley. Naturally.
You’re probably wondering. So, Michelle, are you and Mr. Vinecdote going to put in a bid? Well, we would, but, you know it would be an awfully long school commute for Child 1 and Child 2.
However, after taking a nice. long look at the fabulous views of kitchen, terrace, 56-acre estate, et al, I have decided to make one change in re: real estate. Come hell or high water, I am absolutely going to fix the leaking J-trap under the kitchen sink this week.
Put yourself in the picture at Raymond Vineyards /Michelle Locke
Looking for something a little different? Raymond Vineyards fits the bill and then some.
Interested in organic and biodynamic farming? They’ve got that. Want to meet a weed-eating sheep named Woolly Wonka? Check. Meanwhile, if you want to indulge your inner hedonist there’s the Crystal Cellar, which has the usual tanks, etc., you’d find at any winery juxtaposed with some most unusual accoutrements including artful lighting, a fabulous chandelier and Baccarat crystal.
The changes come at the direction of proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset of Boisset Family Estates, which bought the property in 2009. Among his many innovations are the frames strung up on the winery grounds that make a fun frame for snapshots.
Wines are well-made and well-priced, starting at about $13 and going up to $85 for the flagship cabernet sauvignon. There’s also an interesting barrel-to-barrel program featuring 10- and 3-liter bags that fit into a stylish wooden barrel equipped with a tap for dispensing.
In a nod to the legacy of the founding Raymond family, the winery has started a club for anyone with “Raymond” as a first, middle or last name. Membership is free and comes with such perks as complimentary tastings for life.
Crystal cellar at Raymond Vineyards /Michelle Locke
VINECDOTE VITALS
Address: 849 Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena, CA
Phone: 707-963-3141
Website: www.raymondvineyards.com
Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily
Cost: Tasting fees start at $15
Don’t miss: Taking pictures through the frames hanging outside
Sure, there are a lot of great vistas in Northern California wine country. But if you had to pick just one place that would be Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga.
You know you’re someplace different when you step into the aerial tram that whisks you up a steep hillside to the winery, a white, monastic-style building reminiscent of something you might see in the Greek islands. Winery founder Peter Newton wanted something in the style of island of Mykonos. (And thank Newton’s British heritage for the winery’s name, which invokes sterling qualities and pounds sterling, the Brit’s currency.)
For $25 _ but you can get a $5 discount by going to the website _ you get a tour and tastings of five wines.
Highlight of the trip: The rooftop terrace from which you can gaze down the full sweep of the green and luscious Napa Valley, taking in the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges that run on either side of the valley. Close your eyes. Open them. Breathe.
Vinecdote vitals:
Address: 1111 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga Phone: 800-726-6136 Website:www.sterlingvineyards.com Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Price: Tours start at $25, $5 discount available Don’t miss: The late-afternoon view from the rooftop terrace
Like golf? A lot? Then the Silverado Resort and Spa is worth checking out. This luxury hotel has not one but two 18-hole, par-72 PGA championship golf courses.
Golf not your bag? Not a problem. In addition to acres and acres of lushly maintained grounds, the hotel features a 16,000-square-foot spa where you can get gussied up or simply chill out.
Specials are available, like the girlfriend getaway package in which four people share a two-bedroom fireplace suite with wine tasting, a spa gift and wine tasting for four at a nearby winery, all for about $200 per person per night.
The Vinecdote Vitals:
Address: 1600 Atlas Peak Road, Napa Phone: 707-257-0200 Website: www.silveradoresort.com Price: Rooms start at about $150 Don’t miss: Golf!
The red brick and metal style of this hotel is a callback to its heritage as the Historic Napa Mill established in 1884 by Capt. Albert Hatt.
This hotel is within walking distance of several restaurants including Celadon, Angele and Morimoto nearby. Rooms come with a hot breakfast from the popular bakery Sweetie Pies and can be delivered to your room.
Accomodations vary, with some rooms in the historic building and others in modern additions. The cheapest rooom available is the “standard,” which is nicely decorated, but quite small. “Superior” double rooms which come with a fireplace and river views are popular for friends traveling together.
The Vinecdote Vitals:
Address:500 Main Street, Napa, Calif. Phone: 877 251-8500 Website: www.napariverinn.com Price: Midweek winter rates start at $209 Don’t miss: The ham and swiss croissant at Sweetie Pies
Harvest is getting its groove on in the Napa Valley. The sparkling wine houses _ who want grapes with a little less sugar than those used for still wines _ have been picking for a few weeks. And I recently had the chance to experience one of the harbingers of harvest, the annual Blessing of the Grapes at Grgich Hills Estate in Rutherford.
The blessing of the grape harvest is a centuries-old tradition and has been observed at Grgich Hills since 1977. This year Father Mark Christy from the Carmelite Monastery in Oakville did the honors over a few containers of grapes glistening green in the sunshine. Winery cofounder Mike Grgich was there, wearing his trademark black beret and beaming at the small crowd of friends and well-wishers.
“This is a great day for all of us who work here,” said Grgich. “We promise out of these grapes we are going to make wine artistically, scientifically and use all our experience to make the best wines in the world.”
Here are a few snippets from the ceremony.
Grgich Hills _ it’s ger-gich, by the way _ makes a good stop on your wine country itinerary. It’s easy to get to, right off Highway 29, and centrally located, near Beaulieu Vineyards, Rubicon Estate and Rutherford Grill, where you can get reasonably priced and reliably good grub.
It’s also one of the few places where you can indulge your “I Love Lucy” fantasy. They’ve got a tub of grapes waiting, you just take off your socks and have at it. I’ve done it. A lot squishier than you expect but quite soothing.
Grgich has plenty of experience making great wines. He was winemaker at Chateau Montelena for the ’73 chardonnay that beat French white wines in the 1976 Paris Tasting, a revolutionary event that changed the way people thought about California wines. And at 87 years old he’s been in the business for more than half a century. That’s right, 87. I had to go back and check my math because you’d never know it just from talking to him.
It makes me wonder what I’ll be up to three years shy of 90.
View from the rooftop terrace at Sterling Vineyards /Michelle Locke
Set at the top of the Napa Valley, Calistoga is a little bit more laid back than Napa or St. Helena. Which is odd, because below the surface the place is positively seething with energy. Underground thermal activity creates hot springs that feed a spa culture that ranges from no-frills rustic, I’m looking at you Doc Wilkinson, to extremely refined.
Mme. Vinecdote does not pay people so she can sit in mud, she did enough of that in merry olde England as a child. But I do know several people who swear by the restorative qualities of the treatment, so chacun a son gout on that one.
One attraction that doesn’t require digging up any dirt is to sit and wait for the Old Faithful geyser to spout off, something that happens about every 40 minutes. The geyser is a bit on the slender side but shoots up to 60 feet high. I visited recently and found it extremely restful to sit in the shade of an umbrella and stare mindlessly at the pool of hot water until it roared to life right on schedule. Query: Does this indicate I’m appreciating life in a Zen-like manner? Or is my laziness reaching chronic levels.
The Calistoga “downtown” is about a block long, something else I like, but has a clutch of restaurants. Buster’s Southern BBQ has been getting a lot of buzz lately.Just around the corner is Sterling Vineyards, distinguished by the fact that you ride a tram up the hillside to get to the winery. Lots to like here, but my favorite is the view from the rooftop. You see a vista that stretches the length of the Napa Valley.
Despite its tranquil vibe, Calistoga was until recently the site of a pitched battle over naming rights. A number of wineries and grape growers wanted to established a California American Viticultural Area, or appellation, which meant wines using the name would have to be made primarily from grapes grown in the district _ not fruit trucked in from elsewhere. At one point, pro-AVA forces protested the opening of a tasting room belonging to a winery that opposed setting up the appellation. The issue finally was resolved in 2009, and the AVA was officially established this year.
You know, I don’t want to sound bitter, but permit me to point out that of the countless protests I have covered, not one was at a wine tasting room. I think a vending machine was about as good as it got.
What should you wear when you’re going to get out in the vineyard to observe the nitty gritty, emphasis on gritty, of grapegrowing?
Here’s a hint. Don’t follow the example of a group I encountered recently who showed up for a vineyard tour wearing sleeveless tops and flip-flops _ and here’s a bulletin folks; toes are not pretty _ not to mention one ill-advised pair of 3-inch platforms. Stumbling and shivering ensued followed by the kind of whines you don’t find in a tasting room. Continue reading “What not to wear, vineyard version”
Parade of wines at Far Niente 125th Anniversary /Michelle Locke
The Far Niente Winery is turning 125 this year. And the old girl is looking good. A birthday like that merits a party and that’s what the owners did this weekend, throwing open their gates to about 800 people who flooded the grounds to dine, hear music from world-famous performers _ Joshua Bell, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and trumpet sensation Chris Botti _ and finish up the evening shaking what their mommas gave them at a barn dance.
Mr. Vinecdote and I put on our gladdest rags and joined the party. Guests included Margrit Mondavi, widow of wine country pioneer Robert Mondavi, Gordon Getty, resplendent in blue and white stripes, Bo and Heidi Barrett of Chateau Montelena, Boots Brounstein of Diamond Creek Winery, chefs Cindy Pawlcyn and Michael Chiarello and the lovely Leslie Sbrocco, host of KQED’s “Check Please.”
Festivities started with a sip of Dolce dessert wine and then it was into the cellars for chardonnay and a candle light stroll past barrels and strategically placed hors d’ouevres. After that it was on to the food booths, where restaurants from throughout the valley were serving. I had roast pork, pulled pork sandwiches and steak-on-a-stick. I wanted to be sure to get in all four food groups, so I had another pork sandwich.
Fortified in every way, we were in just the right frame of mind for the entertainment portion of the night, which began with duets by Bell and Thibaudet. “Wow, this is gorgeous,” Bell said of his surroundings as he introduced a piece by Dvorak. It really was. The stage glowed softly as night fell, each perfect note hovering in the air before melting into the darkening sky.
Here’s a little snippet.
Bell, who got to know the people at Far Niente through his appearances at the Napa Valley’s summer Festival del Sole , joked that his 1713 Stradivarius was of an older vintage than anything on hand at the winery. He’d been abstemious, keeping a clear head for playing, but he assured concert-goers he had something good waiting in his dressing room. Trumpet sensation Chris Botti was next, putting on a smooth show that moved effortlessly from classic favorites to an intense jam session.
A highlight of the evening was the Parade of Wines, in which friends and staff hefted in methuselahs (the big bottles that hold the equivalent of eight 750 mls) of old vintages. The 1984 was a standout for me, amazingly fresh and velvety.
The winery goes back nearly a century beyond that, to 1885 when it was founded by one of the original forty-niners, John Benson. He picked the name Far Niente from the Italian, “dolce far niente,” or “sweet to do nothing.” Which makes sense if you think about the hardscrabble life of a miner.
The winery was abandoned with the onset of Prohibition in 1919 and stayed that way until 1979 when the late Gil Nickel bought it and began a three-year restoration while taking courses in winemaking and grapegrowing. Today it’s run by Nickel’s partners, among them his widow, Beth Nickel, and the venture includes the Nickel & Nickel Winery as well as Dolce, a winery devoted to a single (delicious) dessert wine, and En Route, a pinot noir.
After Saturday night’s party, the Far Niente crew was taking Sunday off, Beth Nickel announced with a smile. And then, she said, they’ll start planning the next celebration.
What should you wear when you’re going to get out in the vineyard to observe the nitty gritty, emphasis on gritty, of grapegrowing?