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For the most part, I carefully followed the instructions. The fourth wine I sampled was a prize-winning, garnet-hued red. Yes, I think I could really detect the hints of vanilla, stewed prunes, and earthy herbs that several of the more experienced oenophiles suggested. Gulp. I swallowed. The smooth, flavourful warmth going down my throat was well worth a feeling of guilt for not spitting. I would do this many more times at the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival's final gala tasting event, grateful that the organizers provided taxi vouchers to get everyone home safely. The annual festival gave my wife, Suzanne, and me a great excuse to tour part of the splendid Okanagan Valley between its busy winter and summer seasons. With more than 100 events during the first 10 days of May, its organizers throw out the red carpet to wine lovers (from curious amateurs to serious oenophiles), foodies, and casual travellers alike. Adam Lau / Special to The Chronicle The tasting room's stone facade, below, belies the inside, where Mario Leon and Adrianna Trimble are sampling wines. Bay Area residents tend to be surprised at the Livermore location of Page Mill Winery, knowing that Page Mill Road meanders above Stanford down in the South Bay. Dick and Ole Stark founded the winery in 1976 in the cellar under their Los Altos Hills home. But since 2004, under the leadership of the Starks' youngest son, Dane, and his wife, Angela, Page Mill has settled quite comfortably into rustic surroundings at the gateway to the Livermore wine country. It's one of the first wineries one comes across, after passing through downtown on Livermore Avenue. ‘Sustainable farming may be a recent phenomenon in the valley, but has not been so at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars,’ says Kirk Grace, their renowned vineyard manager. “Ever since Warren Winiarski founded the winery in 1970 he maintained that environmental friendly wine growing practices influences the quality of wine.” Grace’s expertise in sustainable winegrowing caught Winiarski’s eye, and he was brought aboard to manage Stag Leap’s 225 acre estate in 2006. With his expertise in farming and leadership acumen in various sustainable farming practices including agricultural conservation, Grace was undoubtedly the best man for the job. With an estate that offers a unique terroir, along with its proximity to the San Pablo Bay, Stag’s Leap vineyards are a mix of the best soil and climate that Napa Valley has to offer, comparable to Bordeaux’s unique elements. While the northern vineyard, FAY, is more alluvial in makeup, the southern vineyard, SLV’s soils are more volcanic in nature. Both these estates are divided by a water body, Chase Creek, and produce distinctly unique wines. The premium CASK 23 estate wine is made from the best fruit of both estates, only in great vintages, after careful inspection of each vine. While driving me through the estate, Grace pointed out that while most of the estate has been replanted, a certain section has vines which are more than 40 years old. “We try to preserve our vines as long as we can. If you’re doing it right, you get better experience of the land you’re farming on and produce better quality,” he explained. Grace went on to explain that each vineyard block has different requirements and therefore cover crops are matched accordingly. He also pointed out that the phenomenon of covers crops originated in vineyards, and proved to be so successful that the concept was adopted by other farming industries. Some have grumbled that Silicon Valley moguls have helped turn the Napa Valley from an agricultural paradise into a winery theme park. The Bay Area Blog features coverage of public affairs, commerce, culture and lifestyles in the region. We invite your comments at bayarea@nytimes.com . Take the planned Vine Trail, a 44-mile hike-and-bike path between the ferry terminal in Vallejo and Calistoga, at the top of the valley. One month ago, in Yountville, ground was broken on its first dedicated mile. Preventing Data Corruption in the Event of an Extended Power Outage Learn more, download free white paper. The wine comes from two Rocca estate vineyards in Yountville and Coombsville in the Napa Valley. It's 40 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 33 percent Cabernet Franc, 17 percent Merlot and 10 percent Petit Verdot. The wines were harvested and fermented in oak barrels separately for eight months. They were then blended and spent another eight months in oak barrels. The wine spent two more years aging in the bottle before it was released. WINERY: The Rocca Family Vineyard began when husband- and-wife team Eric Grigsby and Mary Fran Rocca bought their first vineyard in Yountville in 1999. The Grigsby Vineyard is a 21-acre parcel near the corner of Silverado Trail and Yountville Crossroad planted mostly with Syrah and Cabernet.
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