Dreaming of St. Supery - Story about our recent visit

The weekend before Easter, I was lucky enough to be invited to a Blogger's Conference hosted by the amazing team at St. Supery. Lesley Russell, Emma Swain, Tina Cao, Michaela Rodeno, Josh Anstey and Ron Barber produced an wonderful introduction to St. Supery on a picture perfect Spring Saturday in one of the most beautiful places in the world, the Napa Valley (yes, Janesta's GPS, the Napa Valley, but thanks for the detour through Sonoma). Once we arrived, all three BrixChicks thought we had been turned into Disney princesses as we toured the vineyard, tasted the wine and devoured the sublime lunch. All the while accompanied and welcomed by the entire St. Supery team. It was a stunningly lovely event and words do not convey the great job they did hosting. Along with Lisa De Bruin, Shana Ray, Ward Kadel, and Russ Beebe, and of course, Thea Dwelle. We knew it was a magical day, because Thea made it through the whole event with out smashing, spilling or otherwise creating havoc with wine. Or maybe it was because that wine tastes just that good. After an informative walk in the vineyard, where Josh instilled in all of us a respect for St. Supery's viticulture, answered our questions and filled us with unrequited longing for the heirloom peaches grown on property, we ventured up to the Divine Light Tasting Room and we were treated to a selection of delicious wine. Expect more detailed notes on the wines from my fellow BrixChicks, but allow me to wax ecstatic about my favorite: '05 St. Supery Cabernet Blend, Rutherford. While each glass seemed to taste more delicious than the previous and the Cab blend was the last glass, I was still fascinated by the fragrance, flavor and mouthfeel of this wine. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot, a trio of fallen angels tempting you with a siren's song would be easier to resist. Delicious aromas of cassis, cherry, with a touch of mocha wafted from the glass. It tasted of more black currants, cherries and a whisper of tobacco. The succulent silky mouthfeel was described by Russ as having "HVF" or High Voluptuosity Factor. Voluptuous for sure.

From the tasting room, we walked to a lovely spot under a tree with the table beautifully set. A progression of courses that were matched perfectly to the St. Supery wines promenaded by and were devoured. The Goat Cheese souffle with tiny delightful tomatoes for color and a pop of acid was at once rich and light. The gourmet gray salt on the tables provided a delicious crunch. Next came perfectly crisp Cornish Game hen with Israeli couscous and English peas. A cheese plate rounded out the lunch, all paired elegantly each with its perfect wine. And just when we thought we were happily full, they brought out house made truffles; chocolate, dark as sin, simple, coconut or hazelnut. St. Supery honey was the secret ingredient to the sensuous delights. Now truly full, I still looked to the future and stocked up on the wines I tasted. Later I found that in addition to the generous gift of more wine, they had also provided more recipes. Expect a DIY St. Supery dinner for a special occasion TBD. Speaking of DIY, I highly recommend St. Supery wines for your home wine pairing experiments. The whites are crisp and food friendly. The reds are supple, complex and delicious. They stand up easily on their own as great sipping wines and also pair well with food. The Elu and Virtu sport labels with beautiful vignettes of the namesake saint, Supery. A great discovery for this Little Foodie! So on your next visit to Napa, make plans to visit and see for yourself:

http://www.stsupery.com/

All in all a fabulous experience. Many thanks to the team at St. Supery for hosting, but also for the many hours of skilled dedication it takes to put out such a quality offering.

Time for a tummy rub? Great idea, GG!