CONN CREEK WINERY
Located on the Silverado Trail in St. Helena, the Conn Creek Winery, is another of our must stops whenever we visit the Napa Valley! It was established in the early 1970’s, and became an important player among a small group of wineries that led a renaissance that established the Napa Valley’s reputation for producing world class wines. One of our all-time favorite and without a doubt one of the most fun tasting experiences that we’ve had anywhere in the world is offered here.
The AVA Room at Conn Creek is the setting for their very popular “Barrel Blending Experience”! Winner of the International “Best of Wine Tourism” Award this unique and educational blending experience gives you a fabulous tasting tour of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, from Carneros to Calistoga.
Upon entering the room the first thing you see is 15 barrels of Cabernet lined up against the wall, three each representing different styles beginning with Bold, Rich, Complex, Supple and Soft. There is an explanation at each station of the “terroir” and a sample of the soil, along with information on the difference in the taste of the wine from each region. Assistant Wine maker Tom Klassen joined us as we decided which barrels to use for our blend. We choose between Bold-Supple and Bold-Complex then used the 4 blending varietals Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot to top off our perfect blend!!
We named our creations, designed a label, placed it on our bottle, poured the blend into it and then corked it. The whole experience is a dream come true for wine lovers…you can be a Winemaker for a Day and go home with a one-of-a-kind souvenir to share with your family and friends. While there you also enjoy a tasting of the beautiful Conn Creek wines. Our “Absolute Must Tries” are: the Conn Creek Anthology, a premium Bordeaux style blend that is their flagship wine; The 2013, Conn Creek Carneros Chardonnay, the 2011, Conn Creek Sauvignon Blanc and the 2011, Conn Creek, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon.
To try out your winemaking skills or to simply enjoy the creations of Winemaker Mike McGrath please go to www.conncreek.com or call 800-793-7960.