USHG Wine Directors Visit Napa Valley
Once a year, our USHG wine directors step away from their cellars and hang up their corkscrews for a few days of bonding and hands-on learning in one of the world’s great wine regions. Last month, the team led by James Beard Award-winning Master Sommelier John Ragan set off for Napa Valley to spend some quality time with winemakers, producers, chefs, and one another. After touching down in San Francisco, the group’s first stop was lunch at an old favorite, Zuni Cafe. Over plates of brick-oven roasted chicken, the team reviewed their wine-fueled itinerary for the coming four days, which would take them all over the diverse region, tasting and researching Pinot in Carneros, Zinfandel in Calistoga, and Cabernet from the mountains and hillsides. With over 400 wineries spread across all of Napa Valley, the group had a lot of ground to cover. See what they got up to.
Back row - Justin Timsit, Gramercy Tavern
Middle row from left – Juliet DeRose, Blue Smoke | Jeff Taylor, North End Grill | John Ragan MS, USHG | Jenni Guizio, Maialino | Jason Wagner, Union Square Cafe | Edgardo Costas, USHG
Front row from left – Katie Morton, Marta | Michael Engelmann MS, The Modern and Untitled
Day 1
Team USHG capped off a busy travel day with dinner hosted by Bridget Favia and Andy Erickson in the Coombsville area of Napa. Annie and Andy joined up with winemakers from Farella Vineyard, Pahlmeyer, Spottswoode Estate, and Shafer Vineyards to show a great cross section of different subregions through some of the most popular plantings.
Day 2
Thursday began bright and early with a whirlwind of events including a Napa Valley geology lesson with Master Sommelier Matt Stamp at Mayacamas Vineyards, a spectacular tour of The French Laundry’s newly renovated, world-class kitchen led by Chef Thomas Keller himself, and a Cabernet Sauvignon panel discussion with winemakers from throughout the region. One of the highlights of the day was a delicious, home-cooked lunch at Matthiasson, paired with lesser-known varietals that are gaining a foothold in the region, such as Ribolla Gialla, Chenin Blanc, and Mondeuse. The opportunity to taste these uncommon wines with the people responsible for making them was a memorable experience that our Wine Directors will undoubtedly bring back to share with their sommeliers throughout the USHG restaurants.
Day 3
Friday kicked off with a tour of diverse Napa Valley terroirs, with stops at Cain Vineyards in St. Helena, Harlan Estate in Oakville, Dominus Estate in Yountville, and Hudson Vineyards in Carneros, the southernmost AVA (or American Viticultural Area) in Napa Valley. From mountainside to valley floor, the group observed the product of millions of years of geologic history, and capped off the busy day with dinner in downtown Napa.
Day 4
On the final day of the trip, our intrepid wine directors charged further northward into the region, with stops in Calistoga, St. Helena, and Oakville. A highlight of the busy day included a visit to Opus One, where winemaker Michael Silacci led the group through a technology-centric tour of the winery’s vineyard, barrel room, and production facilities, followed up by a comparative tasting of Napa Valley classics across various vintage conditions.
The next morning, the group grabbed a hearty breakfast at Freemont Diner in Sonoma to fuel up for the flight back to New York City. Luckily for the rest of our teams, what happens in Napa doesn’t stay in Napa! Our wine directors returned from their journeys with an endless supply of stories, tasting notes, pairing suggestions, and other exciting discoveries to share with their sommelier teams.
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