Napa’s wines of Miner (In memory of Ed)

No wine tour is totally fulfilled without a visit to a smaller family-owned winery.  True, these may involve diverting your attention off the beaten path a bit, but in the case of Miner Family Winery, being located along the well-traveled Silverado Trail, “convenient” is where it’s at.

However, unlike many other Napa wineries, they feature a wide selection of varietals, including Rhone-inspired whites and reds.  This makes for a very interesting tasting lineup that assures something for everyone.

Another touring surprise is the size of their cave, located immediately behind the main building.  It expands rapidly into a huge totally underground storage area that impresses visitors during a leisurely barrel tasting that’s available most of the time.  It’s just cool to be sampling a toasty young Cabernet while imagining how many years it would take for a person to drink up all those barrels!

Of course, Minor’s tasting room is one of the friendliest around, especially after noon.  That’s when Ed Minor (the owner Dave’s father) would traditionally exercise his “extreme banking hours”, arriving around lunchtime to team up with their winery dog Tyler.  You see, Tyler, affectionately known as Ed’s “wingman”, would bound over to the ladies, immediately followed by an apologizing Ed, a great setup.  But after Ed’s passing last December, this tradition has ended, but the spirit lives on!

As for the wine tasting, this is one of the few Napa Wineries where you can actually sit down in one spot and enjoy an ample flight of Rhone varietals.  This includes Marsanne, Viognier, Grenache, Syrah, and a red Rhone blend (The Odyssey).  Enough to make a Frenchman proud!

And if you are up for a few other vinos that are not easy to find in Napa, they also offer a Sangiovese and Tempranillo.  When you add in their Bordeaux-inspired varietals, plus Pinots and Chardonnays, it could easily end up being a rather long sitting.

Fortunately, they have several tasting flights available to focus on what you’re looking for.  But they will accommodate your interest if you want a “one stop education” of the many faces of wine.

How does their winemaker, Gary Brookman, keep up with it?  You’d just have to ask their staff.  There are very few winemakers who can even come close to managing such a variety, much less all the far strung vineyards that contribute fruit every year.

So come over here Tyler, for a scratch, we’re heading out to the patio for a vicarious tour of Rhone, with a thick notepad, camera, and my lady.  Down boy.