Winter in Wine Country
Winter in Wine Country can be an exciting time even though the vines are dormant. For the grapevines it is a time of hibernation. While the vines are sleeping, workers are in the fields skillfully doing the pruning. They work in the cold and damp, cutting back the vines and preparing them for the inevitable new growth in the Spring.
For the wineries and tasting rooms it can also be a time of relative quiet. With fewer visitors in Wine Country, the more attention a guest can receive. It is more likely that reservations at popular restuarants are attainable. It is certain that tours at wineries are easier to arrange. The tours are also more intimate.
For us romantics, staying in a quaint and quiet bed and breakfast, with a fireplace and jacuzzi is nirvana. Add a massage, a special wine and nice dinner to the experience and you'll be rejuvenated. Your spiritual dormancy will suddenly awaken and you will realize what author Robert Louis Stevenson meant when he called Napa "The Land of Eternal Spring".
Even though winter finds the Wine Country quiet and peaceful, there are special events and festivals taking place. One of my favorites is the Napa Valley Mustard Festival. For the last fifteen years, this eight week long series of parties has served to brighten up the Valley. The Festival was started by a Yountville furniture store owner who was on the Yountville Chamber of Commerce. It has become a yearly favorite of many Wine Country visitors.
The last Saturday of January was the first event of the Mustard festival, "Mustard Magic". It is also my favorite event of the Festival. The venue is one of Napa Valley's most beautiful and historic buildings, Greystone Cellars. It is now home to the Culinary Institute of America. All three stories of the magnificent stone building, which was Christian Brother's Winery for many years, were used during Mustard Magic.
Incorporating themes of France, New Orleans, Mardi Gras and decadence, scores of Napa's best wineries and food purveyors offered up treats that dreams are made of. There were silent and live auction items. There was original art on display and for sale. Ballet dancers were twirling around. Mimes were performing. A Cajun style Zydeco Band was playing.
Many of the attendees were in black tie, and there was a high percentage wearing Mardi Gras masks made of feathers and sequins. Against the backdrop of the ancient stones and timbers of Greystone Cellars this colorful, rythmic, almost pagan celebration coexisted nicely with the ghosts of the Christian Brothers Catholic Teaching Order. The Brothers lived in a nearby monastery, making wine at Greystone for religious purposes and to support the Christian Brother Schools around the country until the 1980's.
During the event, the wonderful Culinary School kitchen staff prepared and served a world class buffet in the large and ultra modern teaching kitchen. I had tri-tip, salmon, seared asparagus, fettucine alfredo with shrimp, cheesy potatoes, and a salad of arugula and mixed baby greens. There was some vinergarette of raspberry and mango that increased my pulse rate. Dessert of chocolate ice cream and cookies calmed me down a little.
Once I had dinner it was back to the party, with samples of gelatto, roast beef, chocolate truffles, micro beer, tapas, champagne, and world class Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. It was certainly a feast for the senses on that late January night.
Throughout the next month and a half, the Mustard Festival will continue to sponsor fun wine- themed events featuring wine, food and the arts. Bring your cameras and enter a photo in the Mustard Festival Photo Contest. The final event in March will exhibit the photo entries and celebrate with more food and wine.
At this writing, in mid-February, there are signs of Spring in Wine Country. There are many colorful flowers and birds singing. The rain is turning a little softer now. I think the celebration of Mustard Magic had something to do with this smooth transition of seasons. Spring is close now.