First stop was Caymus Vineyards. Boy, how Caymus has changed! Fresh off their $1,000,000 fine, the Rutherford winery, in my opinion, has been turned into a zoo (they now see 400 plus people on a Saturday). Or as Mrs. TWWIAGE quipped, "...a patio furniture showroom." There is indeed an awful lot of garden furniture in which folks can lounge and sip wine. I can't even be bothered to comment on their wines, except for a beautiful late harvest Viognier.
Next stop, Paradigm Winery. A great Oakville location, with wonderful wines made by Heidi Barrett (of note, a 2011 Cabernet franc), our host was none other than owner Ren Harris. Of particular interest to me was Paradigm's modified vineyard trellising which is made out of the frames of US Army cots from the Viet Nam war. True!
Last stop, (three winery tours is quite enough for one day), was Silver Oak Cellars. I hadn't visited Silver Oak since they rebuilt the property in 2008 (the iconic water tower is still there). The facility is gorgeous with modern winemaking equipment. And our tour guide was great. But Silver Oak wines have always been just okay for me, a 2004 Napa Cabernet sauvignon in the tasting lineup being the stand out.
Fun day, good company, glorious weather, but I was glad to get home, walk Vinodog 2 and then put my feet up.
