Top 5 Wineries?
I receive a weekly flyer from Wine Spectator in my email that outlines some highlights from their website. The information changes, but I continue to see one section that stays the same week after week, the top 5 winery searches on their website.
Top 5 Winery Searches:
1. Caymus
2. Beringer
3. Lewis
4. Columbia Crest
5. Silver Oak
It’s pretty much these 5 wineries week after week. Let’s take a look at each winery in detail and see if we can descern a theme, starting today with #5: Silver Oak.
5. Silver Oak “Life is a Cabernet” Website
Ray Duncan has been in Napa since the 60’s and founded Silver Oak in 1972 with Winemaker Justin Meyer. Meyer was also co-owner giving him a vested interest in the business, until being bought out a while later. The wine is now made by Daniel Baron. This winery is a Cabernet house and bottles 2 Cabernets, the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Napa Valley Cabernet is now made in a Bordeaux style, a blend of 5 varietals. The first wine from Silver Oak was the 1972 Silver Oak North Coast and came from the Alexander Valley Vineyards. The winery also made a wine called Napa Valley Bonny’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon which was produced from the late 70’s to the early 90’s.
I’ve had Silver Oak on numerous occasions, both the Alexander Valley which retails for around $60 USD, and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which retails for around $100 USD. The wines are good, but for that price, I feel that there are better deals out there. I think the point here, as seen by it’s search ranking on Wine Spectator, is this winery remains enormously popular and will most likely continue to have a successful business, selling lot’s and lot’s of wine. You can taste Silver Oak Cabernet for yourself by picking up a bottle or at either of their 2 tasting rooms,
The Napa Valley Estate, open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m 800.273.8809 915 Oakville Crossroad, Napa,CA 94562 (Map)
or The Alexander Valley Estate open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 800.273.8809 24625 Chianti Road, Geyserville, CA 95441 (Map)
October 27th, 2005 at 10:33 am
My husband and I celebrated our anniversary this month and took a ‘97 Silver Oak Cab (Alexander Valley) to the restaurant. There we did a five-course chef’s tasting for dinner. Two of our courses were paired with selections from the restaurant’s cellar, two with the Silver Oak. Of course it was fabulous with the beef tenderloin, but the chef presented sea bass with a Cab reduction that dispelled the seafood/red wine myth. In the right hands, they pair beautifully!
The amazing thing was just how the wine changed over the course of the evening … and the way the distinctive label stopped those in the know right in their tracks. It pays to share, so several from the staff were grateful when we offered a taste. Why is the ‘97 so hard to get?
October 27th, 2005 at 4:29 pm
Hobess,
Yes! Cabernet goes with seafood very well, and I’m glad your chef helped you appreciate that. Silver Oak is definitely a recognized label, no doubt about that, and I like you, love to share my wine with our server(s). It’s just a nice thing to do.
As far as the 97’s being hard to get, try this link http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-select.lml?ID=XKC5B786NPB00BT
You may have to pay a little more than you initially did, but if that bottle has some nostalgic meaning to you now, by all means buy it!
Cheers,
Jathan