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I am really excited about the new tasting room about to open at Swanson Vineyards in Napa Valley. Sure, they’re known for Merlot, and for the elegant Salon wine tasting experience. That’s an intimate sit down tasting, paired with caviar and chocolates. Super luxe, right? But it’s also limited to groups of 8, a couple times a day. What if you want to stop by and try a few bottlings? Up until now, you were SOL. Although they’re not taking text reservations (not yet anyway!), soon you’ll be able to phone up and stop in at the new Sip Shop. The bright red and white striped room is whimsical and fun. Not your average tasting room!

Here you can sip flights of Swanson’s wine, paired with some small bites. One signature pairing will be the Swanson Pinot Grigio matched with American caviar on a potato chip. Mmmm. Opening is planned for June 1st. Yes you do have to call ahead, as tastings are by appointment only. Calling on your way there qualifies. There will be a fee for tasting, from $14-$28 per tasting. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, I joined a group of wine writers and bloggers in a tasting led by winemaker Chris Phelps. He’s tweaked the blends since joining the winery in 2003, and you can taste the results in the 2005 and 2007 Merlot and 2007 “Alexis” Cab, which show lots of fruit and finesse. The ’08 Cab in barrel is lush and should develop quite nicely.

The Merlots fall into the description “iron fist in a velvet glove” and have a voluptuous mouth feel, full of lots of ripe black fruits. The Pinot Grigio is a beautiful wine for sipping on the warm days of summer. The rice body comes from time spent on the lees. The perfect ending – a glass of the 2005 “ Tardif,” a late harvest Chardonnay.
Our tasting took place in the Salon, and as you can see, it’s a beautiful space, with high ceilings and bright coral walls. Here’s the TV story we did about it for In Wine Country.

http://www.inwinecountry.com/?cat=7274242&subcat=5901916&video=243

I’m always asked what’s a good wine at a good price?  For me, good price is under $20 a bottle.  Under $10 is even better.  Somewhere in between is where Layer Cake falls.  This wine is made by Jason Woodbridge.  The crazy thing is he also makes Hundred Acre, an amazing Cab that sells for $300+  I’ve tried it and really liked it, almost enough to think about buying one bottle.  But Layer Cake fits my budget.  I bought a bottle of Shiraz at Trader Joe’s for $14.99.  It was a deep, rich and opulent wine, especially for this price point.  The Shiraz is grown and made in Australia, under Woodbridge’s supervision, and all the Layer Cake wines are made in a similar manner to Hundred Acre.

Even the labels are top notch — great design, raised fonts.

I have a bottle of Primitivo at home – also $14.99 at Trader Joe’s, that’s from the Puglia region in Italy.  Laker Cake also makes an Argentine Malbec and Napa Valley Cab.  This is a more democratic group of wines – affordable and approachable.