Tasting Room of the Week:

CONNCREEK

by Charles Neave
It’s the olfactory sensation – maybe a little bit of confusion even – that hits you first when you visit Conn Creek on the Silverado Trail, on the eastern side of the Napa Valley. It is the smell of rosemary bushes near the front door, then the subtle and elusive smell of grapes and wine as you enter the tasting room. It is a wonderful bit of confusion, if that is what you want to call it.
Conn Creek Winery has always concentrated on making some of the finest Bordeaux-styled wines to be found at any winery, along the way winning admirers and a wall full of awards. To that end they limit their focus to producing small and exceptional amounts of their Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. They also make an exceptional and much-coveted blend called “Anthology” that uses only their finest grapes, as well as single-vineyard Cabernets, a tradition that began six years ago. In every case, regardless of the varietal, the terroir – the soil and the climate where the grapes grow – is reflected in each and every vintage.
You taste inside the winery itself, with the stainless steel tanks and the rest of the necessary equipment separated from the tasting room only by a wall with imposing wood doors, and large glass windows that let you look into the heart of the winemaking operation. The tasting room – not too big, not too small – adds to the charm by combining warmth and style in a welcoming blend. There is a polished terra cotta tile floors, soft earth tones on the walls and on the high ceiling, and a tasting bar at the front done in a U-shape, divided in the middle by an archway.
Wines tasted include the one white that the winery produces, a Sauvignon Blanc full of hints of grapefruit, orange and lemons. Then there is the surprising Cabernet Franc, a varietal that is hard to find but always worth searching out. (These two wines are available only at the winery.) After the Franc it is on to the Cabernet Sauvignon, then the complex flavors of Anthology. While you are sipping, ask about the eight-or-so members of the Conn Creek AVA Series Cabernets, wines also available only in limited quantities and, once again, exclusive to the tasting room. A friendly staff will be more than happy to guide you through the process.
“Upon leaving our tasting room, the customers we interact with take with them a truly unique Napa Valley experience,” Paul Asikainen, the winery’s guest service manager, said recently. “We provide not just a tasting of our wines, but an education of the winemaking art of blending.
“Our philosophy to source Cabernet Sauvignon from every distinct region of Napa Valley allows us to truly showcase the complex and beautiful wines that are possible within our home.”
This echoes the reality found in every glass of wine poured at this comfortable and informative tasting room on the ‘quieter side’ of the Napa Valley.
The Conn Creek Winery tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. (from 10 a.m. on Saturday). It is located at 8711 Silverado Trail not far from St. Helena For more information or directions, call (707) 963-9100 or 1-888-617-9463, or go on the Internet at www.conncreek.com.

Related Information

• Conn Creek Winery