Wine tasting at Spring Valley: Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Nestled in the heart of Napa Valley are several other smaller valleys that provide a seemingly endless variety of vineyard views.  One of these lesser traveled ones is Spring Valley. Joseph Phelps fell in love with it in the 1970’s and a thriving winery was born.

Located on a perch overlooking Spring Valley, Joseph Phelps’ terrace tastings offer a microcosmic encounter with one of the Napa Valley wine country’s most spectacular tasting experiences.  The wine is excellent.  The view is sublime.  Both add up to excellence.  It’s simply a “gotta’ do” for the wine tour.

And with a full line of wines to pick from, the Phelps tasting experience measures right up to the view.  In fact, with additional wines from their Sonoma Coast property in Sonoma County, the selection also includes Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs for a nice ramp-up right through the flight.

Ending with a selection of the supple Napa reds they are known for, you will need to set aside an hour or two to enjoy this experience to the fullest.  This past season they were offering both their top of the line Insignia and Backus wines at the tasting bar.  Even though the current releases of these are far from the full spectrum of flavors that will be present after cellaring, it is still quite an experience to taste these gems as they begin their long lives.

So if you find yourself cruising along Napa’s Siverado Trail, you may want to take a turn on Taplin Road to this spot just off the beaten path.  They will make sure your visit is well worth it.  And even if a wine tour is not in the cards soon, there’s always a bottle of their Cabernet Sauvignon waiting at the local wine store.

Article by Tom Peiffer, Phoenix Wine Shopping Examiner at Examiner.com

View more of Tom’s articles on Examiner.com by visiting his writer’s page.