[blue_large]For San Francisco NCCA Members[/blue_large]

Photos by Greg Wright, Wrights Photography

Transportation graciously provided by Paula Caddy, As You Like It Wine Country Tours , and Nick Perata, Perata Luxury Car Services.

Thanks to Jaime Fusco, Concierge at Ritz Carlton San Francisco , for his summary below on the day.

It really was a special treat to meet everyone and be warmly welcomed into their vehicles, homes, wineries, gardens, dining rooms and caves.

Carol Ainsworth’s Great Olive Tours

introduced us to Villa Mille Rose (with adorable property manager Loy). This was a great start to an early morning tour. A guided tour of the gardens, vegetables, olive trees and a peek at a VMR. **Group oil sip-w.jpgprivate estate was a pleasant surprise. Imagine me, sitting around Marie Manetti Farrow’s kitchen table sampling olive oil and vinegar. Who knew such a tasting could be fun and educational. Carol’s passion and knowledge was contagious.
 
Hill Family Estate Tasting Room and Farm – Interesting concept for a tasting room to be combined with a lovely antique shop, although it could prove dangerous to the credit card after a few tastes! Ryan Hill’s marketing ideas – wine stained surf boards, guitars, and … – showcased his unique and creative side. Ryan’s bright, charismatic personality showcased his passion for the family business.

A tour of the Hill family farm by Ryan, even in winter, was a interesting and exciting experience as he had us eating rosemary flowers off the plants.

Persimmons seem to be a theme throughout the day.

 
Lunch at Brix – The savory dishes of Anne Gingrass-Paik paired with the wines of Hill Family Estate was a winner. I hadn’t been to Brix before, so learning about the restaurant, surrounding extensive gardens, and sampling the food was both a tasty treat and and a positive research experience to share with my guests. My two favorite wines were the sauvignon blanc and the dessert wine. My only disappointment was the lost opportunity to purchase Hill wines right then.

There are those persimmons again, only this time to taste.

Brix’s lovely cellar room. It accommodates up to 12 people.

 
Keever Vineyards – Husband, wife, son and daughter all involved and on sight for this Kev. Arrival.w.jpgsmall, immaculate private winery situated on a hill top with magnificent views. They produce 3 great wines (although I’ll have to take the word about the sold-out cabernet sauvignon). I was lucky to take home a bottle of the syrah.
 
Gabrielle Collection – We were greeted with canapes and wine by proprietor Wayne Gab. Wayne greeting-w.jpgO’Connell as he walked us through the grounds of this estate with extensive gardens designed by his wife Gabrielle.

We were invited into his lovely country home, sat around a beautifully set table. and treated to a pairing of cheeses, salumi, flavored salts, chocolates with delicious full-bodied red wines. I’m a big fan of wine decanters and Wayne had a nice collection that he poured from. My favorite wine was the 2004 Equilateral Cask. – but it was the salt collection that I took home as Christmas gifts.

 
Sodaro Estate Winery – Breath-taking views of the rolling hills, even after sunset, not far off the beaten path of Hwy 29 as we were greeted by Kari DiFabio, Director of Sales & Marketing Sod. **Terrace View-w.jpgthe esteemed wine maker Dawnine Dyer and Michael the Vineyard Manager.

Kari then hosted a candle-lit cave tasting of two wonderful reds, Felicity and Sodaro, both poured from beautiful decanters. I was also thrilled to learn this winery has a heliport for those guests wishing to fly-in.Sod. Cave tasting.jpg

Summary of Research Day for our San Francisco Concierges.

We want to thank Kathy Cady, President of the Northern California Concierge Association, for her lovely summary of the San Francisco Concierge Research Day. We had fun, too!

Good Morning Colby and Monica –

I, for one, can’t wait to thank you for the absolutely marvelous and unique experience in the Napa Valley Wine Country that you provided on our Research Days adventure yesterday.

You provided entree to another layer of Napa Valley and made us privy to a world I had only suspected was there. Thank you.

From the start, our driver Paula Caddy, (As You Like It Wine Tours) provided animated and interesting information on the trip up to our first stop, Villa Mille Rose, which was a stunner. Who wouldn’t be immediately impressed at being invited into the gardens and home of one of San Francisco’s socialites, guided by the knowledgeable and charming Carol Ainsworth (Olive Press Tours) and delightful estate manager, Loi? It’s always fun to learn something new and Carol taught us all something we didn’t know about olive oil tasting while sitting around the kitchen table. I felt like part of the family.

At the next stop, Hill Family Estate’s Yountville tasting room, we added charming Ryan Hill to our group and followed him to the farm. What a delightful and entertaining host he was! And, now we know where French Laundry chefs get their ingredients! Lunch at Brix gave us the opportunity to enjoy Hill Family Estate wines, paired with Anne Gingrass cuisine (superb is all I can say) in another beautiful garden setting.

Olga Keever at Keever Vineyards, newly-engaged daughter Ashley and science son, Jason, made us feel like we’d been taken to a Napa Valley secret – it’s a ‘word of mouth’ only place and how special is that! We got a little science lesson from Jason and another one in de-stemming grapes from Olga. This family is ‘hands-on’ when it comes to making their wine and we got to taste the difference that makes.

The garden theme of the day was repeated at Gabrielle Wines where we got to tour the estate grounds (400 year old trees) before being seated in the dining room for a unique tasting experience that paired the wines with chocolates and cheeses soaked in honey and flavor-salted (basil, fennel, etc.). Our host, Wayne, could not have been more gracious.

Our last stop at Sodaro Estate Winery gave us a glimpse of the beautiful views possible at sunset before a delightful cave experience where a selection of meats and cheeses helped us enjoy their wines.

Paula thoughtfully provided the movie, ‘Bottle Shock’ for us to enjoy during the ride home – we were too sated with food and wine to talk!

The over-riding memory I have of the day is that I felt like an invited guest, not a visitor, everywhere we went. And I feel like I truly made friends with everyone we met so when I call on behalf of a hotel guest, I’ll look forward to the opportunity to renew the friendship.

I can’t thank you enough, Colby and Monica, for providing this experience. Please pass along my praise to all who participated in yesterday’s fun!

Kathy Cady, Concierge
San Francisco Marriott Union Square
President
Northern California Concierge Association