Don's Gillette's Wine Blog
Musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Read Don's full bio...
Email Don directly with your wine-related questions.
A Bit of Harvest-Time Advice and Etiquette
Few would plan an April holiday with a tax accountant. The idea lacks romance and one could logically expect ejection upon arrival. In the world of winemaking however, we hope for a better reception, although those bringing in the harvest may be busier in the Fall than the taxman was in the Spring.
If you plan to be in Napa this fall, or the Russian River, or Santa Barbara: be prepared and be adaptable. If you don't already have a room booked, you will have to stay elsewhere and drive in each day, or pay extra for whatever accommodation remains. ("Well Mr. Jones, we do still have the wedding suite...")
As soon as you know where you are staying, book dinner reservations. Make a list of interesting tasting rooms that are "open without appointment". Then make a list of "appointment only" favorites. Call the later in appropriate order. In other words, call Sherwin (located on top of Spring Mountain) and if they say yes, ask how long you be will likely to visit there; then call Pride Winery (also on top of Spring Mountain) and if they say yes, ask how long it takes to get there from Sherwin. Get directions! Your cell phone will probably not work on Spring Mountain. The last time I went to Sherwin, we had three different cell phones in the car and we got lost and none of them worked.
If Sherwin can't accommodate you (almost certainly they can't, as Steve Sherwin normally conducts tours himself and he is the winemaker after all), say "thanks" and call your next choice. Use the list of "open without appointment" wineries to pad your day trips. Drop one if you get to spend extra time at a favorite spot. Remember, it is an expected courtesy to reaffirm your winery reservations when you arrive in the valley.
Expect lines at restaurants. I sometimes run late and have to cancel them, so I usually keep some munchies in the car. I typically hit Oakville Grocery or Dean and Deluca in Napa, or the Downtown Bakery and Creamery in Healdsburg, for Foccacia bread, etc.
Enjoy the bustling excitement of the Harvest, eat some good meals, drink some good wine, put up with some bad traffic and overpay for a room. Then forgive your favorite winemaker for saying NO, or for turning you over to the indifferent bozo he hired as a pourer so he could bring in the harvest. Enjoy it for what it is. After all, you can come back in the Spring for a more intimate visit. The taxman will forgive your absence.