Rock 'N' Roll Wine School.

I did something a bit out of the ordinary today: I went wine tasting.  What?  Is that really that unusual for Vinogirl?  No, not really.  But please, let me elucidate.  I went wine tasting with an in the flesh, genuine rock star - and his lovely family.  Yup, I went drinking with the stars (sounds like a TV show, maybe it should be) at Black Cat Vineyard (BCV).  Being a bit starstruck, it would all have been a bit of a blur if I hadn't been roused out of my reverie by the fabulous, expertly crafted wines at BCV.  A truly fun, and tasty, event.
When it comes to producing fine wine, Tracey Reichow is a bit of a rock star in her own right.  Winemaker and proprietress of BCV, Tracey is a brilliant person to taste wine with, very engaging and terrifically passionate about her art.  Our little, socially distanced group was schooled on the wonders and trials of making wine; the challenges and rewards that different vintages can bring; and the varying approaches and skill sets needed to work with fruit sourced from different AVAs across the Napa Valley.
Our tasting began with a 2018 Napa Valley Chardonnay.  Focused and crisp (lots of Granny Smith apple), aromatic and generous with just a touch of oak (quite Mersault-esque).  The rest of the tasting was comprised of red wines all from the 2017 vintage; the Winemaker's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, the Family Cuvée, the Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and the Rutherford Cabernet Franc.  All beautiful and distinctive.
My favourite amongst the lineup was the Cabernet Franc (CF).  At once intense and subtle, the fresh yet super-ripe-perfumey-raspberry component was delightful.  As the wine opened up in my glass the telltale vegetal characteristic of the varietal began to pop, but not in a bell pepper-like way.  No, the green character in the CF was more like gently bruised grape leaves, sun-warmed and earthy.  Stunningly complex, the CF went from strength to strength, palate-pleasing with supple, polished tannins and just a hint of dark chocolate.  Yum!
Overall, the entire tasting was a lesson in quaffability.  #funfortracey and everyone else.

BottleRock.

Napa is hosting it's first ever music festival this weekend.  BottleRock billed as "the biggest thing to hit Napa since the grape" is being held at the Napa Expo (fairgrounds).  In addition to good, old rock'n'roll there will also be a smattering of comedy acts performing and lots of wine thrown in - it is Napa after all.  It is estimated that 35,000 people will attend the festival on peak days, so there has been a fair amount of grumbling from local residents and merchants who fear that navigating the east side of the city will nigh be impossible.  I am a little concerned myself about being able to get my grocery shopping and errands done over the next few days, as I have to cross that area to get into town.
At $599 for a four day pass the cost of admission was seen as a bit steep for many locals, especially younger folks who one would think would be the demographic that the organisers would have targeted.  (To their credit, the organisers getting wind of this perceived blunder hot-footed it over to the college at the beginning of the week and donated 200 free tickets to the students.)  Further, from what I hear, not a lot of people recognise many of the bands that will be appearing.  I had a quick gander over the list of featured artists and had heard of only a few;  Jane's Addiction, The Black Crowes, Joan Jett, and Blues Traveler.  Oh, and Dwight Yoakam..."who?" said Vinomaker.
I do like their logo though.