Hans Fahden Vineyards is actually in Sonoma County and this is a Napa and Carneros blog. So, why write about a winery that is not in Napa or Carneros? Well, for two reasons. The winery is only 600 feet beyond the Napa County line and secondly the best way to get to the winery is on the Petrified Forest Road from Highway 128 in Calistoga.

We found this winery to be quite interesting and worth a visit. We were greeted by Antone Fahden and he was very informative and quite pleased to show us around and talk passionately about the winery. Hans Fahden makes only Cabernet Sauvignon and there is no pretentious talk here about “cult” Cabernet. There is no tasting fee for the vertical tasting of 2000, 2002, and 2003 Cabernet. All the Hans Fahden Cabernet comes from their estate vineyards located on the Mayacamus Mountains at an altitude of 1200 feet. The price of the Cabernets is $25 and the wines are sold only at the tasting room or through their Web site. The Cabernet is very elegant without heavy tannins and the alcohol content is below 14%. The Hans Fahden Cabernets have a distinctive earthy characteristic to them. Only 2500 cases of wine are made per year.

The setting is very beautiful and peaceful, the perfect spot for a winery wedding or a special occasion event. Because Hans Fahden Vineyards is in Sonoma County, permitting issues for big events at wineries are much less restrictive than Napa County. Hans Fahden Vineyards has become a popular wedding venue, so much so that they are almost booked solid for 2008 with 116 weddings scheduled. That is impressive and hard to imagine.

To get to Hans Fahden Vineyards from the Napa Valley, head towards Calistoga. At the stop sign at Highway 29 in Calistoga continue straight ahead to Highway 128. Turn left onto the Petrified Forest Road and continue up the road until you arrive at Hans Fahden about 3 miles.

The Good: Pretty setting in the Mayacamus Mountains, Good Cabernet, Good value.
The Bad: If you don’t like Cabernet, they do not make any other wines.

It has been about a year since we last visited the wineries just north of the town of Calistoga. The most notable winery in this small area is Chateau Montelena, but there are several other wineries worth exploring. This little wine area is currently in an interesting battle to establish its own AVA called Calistoga. We ventured off to Tubbs Lane where Chateau Montelena and Summers winery are located. Just as we turned on to Tubbs Lane off Highway 128, we discovered a winery that was not there a year ago, Envy Wines. What used to be there was Calistoga Cellars, which has opened a tasting room on Lincoln Avenue in downtown Calistoga.

The Calistoga Cellars vineyards and the winery were purchased by the renowned winemaker Nils Venge along with a partner, Mark Carter. Nils Venge owns both Saddleback Vineyards and Venge Vineyards and also is a consulting winemaker for various wineries. Mark Carter has been producing cult wines under the label Carter Cellars.

Envy Wines has been open less than a year. Current wines have been released in very small amounts. For example, only 100 cases of Petite Sirah were made and those quickly sold out. Case production will eventually reach 2500 but the tasting room also features the Carter Cellars wines and a second label by Nils Venge called Vine Haven.

For $10 you can taste 5 wines and the fee can be applied to the purchase of wine. The tasting room is exquisitely designed and very comfortable. Our host was energetic and very knowledgeable about the winery. We were the only ones in the tasting room but are host kept things lively and entertaining. She provided a very upbeat and pleasant wine tasting experience.

The wines are all very good but on the expensive side. We purchased a bottle of the Envy 2006 Sauvignon Blanc for $26. This Sauvignon Blanc is very rich and full-bodied, very different from what we are used to in a Sauvignon Blanc. The best wine we tasted was the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon but, at $55 a bottle, too far out of our price bracket.

Tip: If you are in Calistoga, visit the Visitor Center on Lincoln, and they have a coupon there for a two for one tasting at Envy Wines.

The Good: Beautiful winery and tasting room, off the beaten path.
The Bad: The wines are expensive and most out of our price bracket of around $20.

On our last visit to Calistoga, we booked the Best Western Stevenson Manor Inn with a coupon special of $79, good for during the week only. What a deal! But a strange thing happened on the way to Calistoga. We got a call from the Stevenson saying their remodeling project was behind schedule and our room would not be ready. Instead, they were shifting us to their sister inn, the Eurospa & Inn at the opposite end of Calistoga. They said the rooms were better and the room rates higher, but they would honor our rate at the Stevenson. So, we ended up at the Eurospa & Inn for one night at the room rate of $79.

This is one of the older inns in Calistoga. The bungalow style rooms have all been renovated and have all the usual amenities including a potbelly gas stove and wireless Internet access. The rooms were comfortable and clean. The pool area is really nice and a great plus in the summer weather. But this is winter so the pool is not much of a factor in our stay. Who wants to swim or jump in the spa when the air temperature is 40 degrees?

We liked the fact that the Inn is within easy walking distance to town, but the Inn is situated in a very residential part of town and it seems a little out of place. We also did not like the fact that they do not have an inside area for the continental breakfast that is included. No one wants to eat outside when it is very cold, which means eating your breakfast in your room. We opted to skip the breakfast and head into town for our meal.

We have to say that the people that run the Eurospa are very honest and trustworthy. We left a very valuable and sentimental ring in our room at the Eurospa. We did not notice we were missing the ring until arriving home. We called the Eurospa about the ring and they told us they would search our room at first chance. The ring was found; it had apparently fallen off the nightstand and rolled under the bed. Thank you, Eurospa!

The Good: Easy walk to town, trustworthy staff.
The Bad: A little old and worn. The Stevenson is a better choice for us.

We must say, after visiting Frog’s Leap Winery a week ago, our experience was one of our more fun and memorable visits to a winery in recent times. We enjoyed everything about the hour tour and tasting except, for perhaps the cold and rainy day. Next time we open a bottle of Frog’s Leap wine not only will we savor the wine, but we will think of all the wonderful and caring factors that went into making that bottle of wine.

What we liked so much about Frog’s Leap was the philosophy that permeates the winery. The staff we met was exuberant and excited about Frog’s Leap wine and the opportunity to work for the winery. Everyone on the staff works year round, no seasonal workers are brought in and all workers enjoy full benefits.

The winery is totally green and environmentally friendly. Presently, Frog’s Leap has 130 acres of organically-farmed vineyards. The organic farming goes back to its origin in 1981 when owner and winemaker John Williams first established the winery and began his organic adventure with just a few acres of vineyards. The winery’s new hospitality center is LEED certified. LEED is the U.S. government environmental benchmark for what are called “green buildings.” The entire winery is solar powered. They also have an organic vegetable garden and when a crop is ready it is put to use by the kitchen or given to the visitors and staff. We took home a few fingerling Yukon Gold potatoes and a couple of tangerines.

The tour takes about an hour and while the tour is conducted four wines are tasted. We began the tour on the porch sipping Chardonnay and learning about the history and mission of the winery. Then, off to the barrel room for a healthy sample of Sauvignon Blanc and a close look at the bottling line. Next, it is a visit to the historic Red Barn that was built in 1884, the site of the original Adamson Winery. It was renovated in 1994. Here we viewed the fermenting tanks while tasting the Merlot and later the delicious and wonderful Rutherford Cabernet. The Cab is from their Rutheford vineyards, the AVA that produces a unique aroma in Cabernet Sauvignon that has become famously known as the Rutherford Dust.

The tour ends at the lovely hospitality center where one can purchase wines. There is no pressure to buy wine. There is no fee for the tour and tasting, something that is very rare in the Napa Valley.

The tour and tasting at Frog’s Leap is by appointment only, Monday through Saturday. Call the winery if you want to schedule a tour.

The Good: Wonderful staff, organic winery, solar powered, excellent wines.
The Bad: The winery was sold out of the Zinfandel on our visit.