Are Grgich Hills wines gone?

[lovecruzin]

2 minutes ago, markeb said:

Looking forward to it. Donny is meeting us there to taste Trespass as well. That’s going to be a nice day. Uber all the way 😀. 

I’ll have to check out Trespass next time we’re in the area.

Looks like a great selection of tastings you have planned, although Sattui is an interesting addition with the other more boutique wineries!

[markeb]

22 minutes ago, lovecruzin said:

I’ll have to check out Trespass next time we’re in the area.

Looks like a great selection of tastings you have planned, although Sattui is an interesting addition with the other more boutique wineries!

We loved visiting Sattui when we lived in the Central Valley 20 years ago. Nostalgia trip…

 

(And you kind of have to work to make bad wine in St Helena!)

[NMTraveller]

13 hours ago, scrapcreator said:

Would you and @NMTraveller be willing to share the wineries you are visiting? Family is gathering in March for a 90th birthday celebration and they want to visit some of the wineries near Napa while in town. The last time I visited wineries in Napa or Sonoma was more than 30 years ago. Thank you.

The wineries I am visiting are:

 

   Castello di Amorosa

   Far Niete

   Chateau Montelena

Darioush Domaine Carneros   Still looking for a couple more.  I will take a peek at some in Mark's list.   I will likely visit some in Sonoma also.  I have not figured that part out yet.

Edited December 5, 2023 by NMTraveller

[mahdnc]

On 10/28/2023 at 6:38 PM, steve3008 said:

I was excited to get the premium beverage ugd last week. Looking at the current and upcoming Millennium sailings I don’t see Grgich Hills anymore. I realize wines by the glass do change regularly. Still very disappointed. 

The famous wine maker and founder of Grgich Hills, Mike Grgich, passed away earlier this week at the age of 100. 

[Blazerboy]

On 12/16/2023 at 10:15 AM, mahdnc said:

The famous wine maker and founder of Grgich Hills, Mike Grgich, passed away earlier this week at the age of 100. 

Yes. I was there (Grgich) for an industry event to support the St.Helena Chamber of Commerce in November.  Calistoga Chamber of Commerce had their holiday party on Wednesday night, when his passing was announced.  I used to be a member at Chateau Montelena- where he made the famous '73 Chardonnay that won the "Judgement of Paris."  That is truly what launched his career.

 

In retirement, I'm working at a Napa Winery(tasting room in Calistoga), Ladera Vineyards, famous for its Howell Mountain Cabernets- coincidentally served on Celebrity ships back in early 2000's.  As they now start at $179. per bottle, not likely to find there anymore (it would retail for $600. or so on Celebrity with their pricing structure)

 

Sailing in two weeks, and will buy some good Spanish wines to bring aboard in Barcelona.  And drink more Bourbon Manhattans, I guess.

 

If you're sailings have the J Pinot/Vin Gris, it's a decent white from Somona.  J was Judy Jordan's winery, but she sold out a few years ago to Gallo Brands.  Reasonable price bt the glass and bottle.

 

I don't see reds that I'll like.  I am totally spoiled now.

[NMTraveller]

10 minutes ago, Blazerboy said:

Yes. I was there (Grgich) for an industry event to support the St.Helena Chamber of Commerce in November.  Calistoga Chamber of Commerce had their holiday party on Wednesday night, when his passing was announced.  I used to be a member at Chateau Montelena- where he made the famous '73 Chardonnay that won the "Judgement of Paris."  That is truly what launched his career.

 

In retirement, I'm working at a Napa Winery(tasting room in Calistoga), Ladera Vineyards, famous for its Howell Mountain Cabernets- coincidentally served on Celebrity ships back in early 2000's.  As they now start at $179. per bottle, not likely to find there anymore (it would retail for $600. or so on Celebrity with their pricing structure)

 

Sailing in two weeks, and will buy some good Spanish wines to bring aboard in Barcelona.  And drink more Bourbon Manhattans, I guess.

 

If you're sailings have the J Pinot/Vin Gris, it's a decent white from Somona.  J was Judy Jordan's winery, but she sold out a few years ago to Gallo Brands.  Reasonable price bt the glass and bottle.

 

I don't see reds that I'll like.  I am totally spoiled now.

Perhaps you could give us a recommended list of NAPA wineries to visit?  Thanks.  Looking for a couple of more for the list...

Edited December 18, 2023 by NMTraveller

[Blazerboy]

25 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Perhaps you could give us a recommended list of NAPA wineries to visit?  Thanks.  Looking for a couple of more for the list...

There are over 800 wineries to try! 

 

Love Ladera, of course. Small, family owned and high quality. Wines from $40 to $300.

 

Suggestions:

Frank Family,

Larkmead

Ehlers

- are all good choices in Calistoga.

 

Best sparkling wine in the Valley is Schramsberg - fun tour, too.

 

Popular with tourists: 

- V.Sattui

- Castelli d' Amorosa "the castle"  - also owned by V Sattui

-Sterling just opened up, and has a funicular to ride up to the tastings.

 

Sparkling wines:

-Domaine Carneros,

-Mumm or

-Domaine Chandon are popular.

 

Cabs: (besides ours) 

-Ehlers

-Chappellet

-Joseph Phelps

 

Cakebread, St. Supery, and Grgich are all big and fairly well known. Can be fun to see larger operations.

 

Tasting fees range from $45. per person to $125. per person, and some have add ons for food pairings.  Some wineries will refund fee if you buy enough wine.

 

Even huge Mondavi can be good to visit, as they are a big part of Napa history- for better wines, book the reserve experience.

 

And that is just scratching the surface!

 

Good luck and have fun!

 

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by Blazerboy

[Blazerboy]

Also, Chateau Montelena is fun, with beautiful grounds!

[zitsky]

8 hours ago, Blazerboy said:

There are over 800 wineries to try! 

 

Love Ladera, of course. Small, family owned and high quality. Wines from $40 to $300.

 

Suggestions:

Frank Family,

Larkmead

Ehlers

- are all good choices in Calistoga.

 

Best sparkling wine in the Valley is Schramsberg - fun tour, too.

 

Popular with tourists: 

- V.Sattui

- Castelli d' Amorosa "the castle"  - also owned by V Sattui

-Sterling just opened up, and has a funicular to ride up to the tastings.

 

Sparkling wines:

-Domaine Carneros,

-Mumm or

-Domaine Chandon are popular.

 

Cabs: (besides ours) 

-Ehlers

-Chappellet

-Joseph Phelps

 

Cakebread, St. Supery, and Grgich are all big and fairly well known. Can be fun to see larger operations.

 

Tasting fees range from $45. per person to $125. per person, and some have add ons for food pairings.  Some wineries will refund fee if you buy enough wine.

 

Even huge Mondavi can be good to visit, as they are a big part of Napa history- for better wines, book the reserve experience.

 

And that is just scratching the surface!

 

Good luck and have fun!

 

 

Ouch.  I was going to recommend V. Sattui but that’s “popular with tourists”. So is Ferrari Carano.  My neighbors liked Sattui.  I like Louis Martini because they do more than cheap wine.

[Blazerboy]

48 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Ouch.  I was going to recommend V. Sattui but that’s “popular with tourists”. So is Ferrari Carano.  My neighbors liked Sattui.  I like Louis Martini because they do more than cheap wine.

To be clear, "popular with tourists" often means it's a fun experience.  Also my partner works there!

[mahdnc]

We are currently on Solstice (ready to disembark this morning here in Hong Kong).  I did ask our Blu sommelier about Grgich Hills and he confirmed that Solstice had their Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Fume' Blanc in inventory.  We ended up ordering a bottle of the Fume'.

 

 

[Cruising Princess]

When I sailed on Equinox this past October they “supposedly” ran out of Cherry Pie Pinot.  The following night we ate in Tuscan and they had it!  I think in the MDR they are trying to limit the quantity of finer wines in the premium selection. I say this because they kept offering us options that were in the classic package. 

[Spif Barwunkel]

I had a glass of Grgich Hills Cabernet on the December 3rd '23 sailing of Ascent. A three-dollar upcharge with the premium package. 

[markeb]

6 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

I had a glass of Grgich Hills Cabernet on the December 3rd '23 sailing of Ascent. A three-dollar upcharge with the premium package. 

 

Then you got a great deal or someone screwed up. It's listed at $25/glass, same as it was in mid-November. That's an $8 + gratuity or $9.60 upcharge. Compared to the others on the menu, that was worth it to me. But it certainly wasn't a $3 upcharge!

[Spif Barwunkel]

2 hours ago, markeb said:

 

Then you got a great deal or someone screwed up. It's listed at $25/glass, same as it was in mid-November. That's an $8 + gratuity or $9.60 upcharge. Compared to the others on the menu, that was worth it to me. But it certainly wasn't a $3 upcharge!

 When ordering, I knew the numbers and mentioned that I was aware of the upcharge. Had I ordered a second glass, I'm sure the numbers in your post would have been in play. If you cruise long enough you will enjoy the occasional perk or nicety provided by a crew or staff member. You really don't have to know the reason, just appreciate the gesture and enjoy.    

[theopup]

On 12/17/2023 at 8:29 PM, Blazerboy said:

Also, Chateau Montelena is fun, with beautiful grounds!

Would love to visit this one 

[markeb]

Not directly cruise related, but I said I'd do this if the thread was still going...

 

We spent 4 days in the Napa Valley in early December. We visited 6 wineries. Five were more or less boutique wineries and one was one of oldest and best known in Napa, but not available for sale outside of Napa.

 

We pretty much picked the best possible week to be in the valley, other than the day we went to Spring Mountain and you couldn't see Howell Mountain for the rain! The first week of December is a total down week. The hotel was affordable, the wineries weren't busy, and for the most part the weather was good. The wineries:

 

Porter Family Vineyards: Located in Coombsville. $75/person tasting fee waived with an equivalent purchase. A great visit. We were the only ones on our particular tour and tasting. It was a wonderfully clear day in that part of the valley, and we had great views of Atlas Peak, Stags Leap, and much of the valley. Porter sells their product in a limited number of states (Virginia is one of them!). The tasting is in a manmade cave. Great cabernet sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends. Our fun fact from Coombsville is that it's typically cooler than the rest of the valley, and you get what I would consider much more "French" style fruit and wines. Absolutely delicious and a great visit.

 

Caldwell (I mistyped Crawford originally): Also in Coombsville. $130/person tasting fee. 1 tasting waived per six bottles purchased. They only sell on premises and online, so no widespread distribution. I have mixed feelings about this one. The wines were lovely. The tasting is also in a cave. On our visit, the experience was iffy, and we didn't buy a full case (we did buy 6 bottles; they were very nice wines) so we ate a tasting fee. Many of the tastings are with the owner/winemaker, John Caldwell, sort of affectionately known as JFC; our wasn't. The "F" is a reflection of his apparently favorite word...  

 

Paloma Vineyards: Spring Mountain, north of Saint Helena. $100 deposit refunded with purchase. Tastings are one on one in Sheldon Richards' dining room. Literally. Our favorite experience during the trip. It was rained in pretty badly and it was hard to see much, but when it cleared a bit, you could see Howell Mountain just across the way. Their specialties are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. This tasting was an absolute blast. It was a total wine geek tasting, obviously. The merlot was amazing, and they'd put together a six year vertical. Yes, we bought it. We actually joined their club having sworn we wouldn't do that. (6 bottle a year commitment for 2 years. One of the most innocuous wine clubs out there). We would go back tomorrow! Only sells on premises and online.

 

Venge/Trespass (Trespass tastes at Venge): Venge tasting fee is $45/person waived with purchase. I don't know what the fee was for Trespass but it was waived. Venge is in Calistoga at the north end of the valley. Trespass is in Saint Helena but they make their wines at Venge in Calistoga. They were both wonderful tastings separately at the Venge tasting room. Again, we were the only two there, and Donny Gallagher from Trespass met us at Venge. Venge had some incredible Cabernet sauvignon, but also a beautiful Chardonnay sourced from Los Carneros. The Trespass tasting was a blast because we were sitting there with Donny as we tasted. Great Bordeaux blends, a Napa Zinfandel, and a very nice Pinot Noir that actually doesn't show up in their catalog. Or in the Cellar Tracker database. Fun tasting. If you're a wine geek, contact these two wineries if you're in Napa!

 

Hendry: Hendry Ranch is just west of Napa (just a few miles from the Marriott where we were staying). They're largest production wine is Albarino, which they didn't have on hand when we were there! If you can find it, it is one of the best fish wines you'll find out there. They also had an amazing Los Carneros Chardonnay (not for the wine lovers: Los Carneros is a great source for Chardonnay!). Hendry Ranch actually butts up to Los Carneros, which isn't obvious on a map. This was our last tasting of the week, and we really enjoyed it. We left (well, had shipped actually) a cabernet sauvignon, the Chardonnay, petit verdot, and a wonderful and not expensive at all Primitivo.

 

V. Sattui: V. Sattui is actually one of the oldest wineries in Napa Valley, located in Saint Helena. They are a very popular spot for visitors to Napa Valley. They also own Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga. It's been 20 years since we'd been there, and it has changed. If you're a first timer to Napa, it's a fun stop. There's a great deli and a nice lawn for a picnic. Their standard wines are, unfortunately, pretty pedestrian. Their reserve wines are much better. When we were living in California once you bought a case you were in their cellar club and you never really went to the main tasting room again. We did taste a couple of their reserve cabernets and they're still good. Not as good as the other stops, but if you're in Napa and want a nice cabernet, their single vineyard cabs are still good (although I didn't price them). The also have an excellent California "Madeira". It's kind of a large group tasting bar experience, and we hadn't done that on this trip, so that was different.

 

OK. That's too long and I'm counting on Anne to humor the thread. I don't think you can cruise to the Napa Valley. Maybe 10,000 years ago...

 

[MizDemeanor]

Was Grgich Hills Chardonnay ever a wines by the Glass??? I don't think so....

[markeb]

2 minutes ago, MizDemeanor said:

Was Grgich Hills Chardonnay ever a wines by the Glass??? I don't think so....

The Opulence co-brand was and is. It’s now $25 a glass, apparently. Same as the cab. It was in the premium package in November. 

[MizDemeanor]

9 minutes ago, markeb said:

The Opulence co-brand was and is. It’s now $25 a glass, apparently. Same as the cab. It was in the premium package in November. 

Not the same, but I get the label love. Could see if I give it a try....Thx. 

Edited January 10 by MizDemeanor

[markeb]

2 hours ago, MizDemeanor said:

Not the same, but I get the label love. Could see if I give it a try....Thx. 

Oddly, I don’t know that I’ve ever had Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay. The real one. Need to track down a bottle in memory of Mike and what his Chardonnay meant to American winemaking a long time ago…

 

I’ve certainly had Grgich Hills wines. Not the just the cobrands. The cobranded cab though is very good. 

[zitsky]

10 hours ago, markeb said:

Oddly, I don’t know that I’ve ever had Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay. The real one. Need to track down a bottle in memory of Mike and what his Chardonnay meant to American winemaking a long time ago…

 

I’ve certainly had Grgich Hills wines. Not the just the cobrands. The cobranded cab though is very good. 

What does it mean when the cab says 2015 grown vintage 2019?  From Total Wine.

 

It was cobranded Grgich that kept me going in South America recently.  But they raised the price to $8 over premium so I didn’t drink it every time.

 

Cabernet locally is $67 and Chardonnay $45 and Sauvignon Blanc $33.  I get discounts of 15% sometimes.

[Beachlover1989]

14 hours ago, markeb said:

Oddly, I don’t know that I’ve ever had Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay. The real one. Need to track down a bottle in memory of Mike and what his Chardonnay meant to American winemaking a long time ago…

 

I’ve certainly had Grgich Hills wines. Not the just the cobrands. The cobranded cab though is very good. 

We found the Estate Chardonnay at our local Binny's, if you happen to have that in your area.

[JDPCruisers]

On 12/17/2023 at 10:25 PM, Blazerboy said:

There are over 800 wineries to try! 

 

Love Ladera, of course. Small, family owned and high quality. Wines from $40 to $300.

 

Suggestions:

Frank Family,

Larkmead

Ehlers

- are all good choices in Calistoga.

 

Best sparkling wine in the Valley is Schramsberg - fun tour, too.

 

Popular with tourists: 

- V.Sattui

- Castelli d' Amorosa "the castle"  - also owned by V Sattui

-Sterling just opened up, and has a funicular to ride up to the tastings.

 

Sparkling wines:

-Domaine Carneros,

-Mumm or

-Domaine Chandon are popular.

 

Cabs: (besides ours) 

-Ehlers

-Chappellet

-Joseph Phelps

 

Cakebread, St. Supery, and Grgich are all big and fairly well known. Can be fun to see larger operations.

 

Tasting fees range from $45. per person to $125. per person, and some have add ons for food pairings.  Some wineries will refund fee if you buy enough wine.

 

Even huge Mondavi can be good to visit, as they are a big part of Napa history- for better wines, book the reserve experience.

 

And that is just scratching the surface!

 

Good luck and have fun!

 

 

I can concur having visited the following plus a number of others, such as Hall and Merry Edwards- former wine club members

 

Frank Family

Schramsberg - yes, the best and we are still wine club members

Mumm and Domaine Chandon - former wine club members of both

Chappellet - former wine club members

Joseph Phelps - former wine club members

Cakebread

 

Depending on where you're staying a number of places have wine tastings in their bar/lounges (at least they used to) - Harvest Inn comes to mind. 

 

 

[zitsky]

4 hours ago, JDPCruisers said:

I can concur having visited the following plus a number of others, such as Hall and Merry Edwards- former wine club members

 

Frank Family

Schramsberg - yes, the best and we are still wine club members

Mumm and Domaine Chandon - former wine club members of both

Chappellet - former wine club members

Joseph Phelps - former wine club members

Cakebread

 

Depending on where you're staying a number of places have wine tastings in their bar/lounges (at least they used to) - Harvest Inn comes to mind. 

 

 

Schramsberg the best compared to Napa or others?  I have a bottle of Blanc de blanc 2019 at a price of only $37.

Edited January 10 by zitsky