Napa Valley Events

If you love your mother, that’s just fine by a host of wineries around Napa Valley who suggest you do something special for her this weekend. Many of them suggest chocolate as part of the treat. Here’s a tiny sampling of the fun.

Saturday celebrations include Goosecross Cellars in Yountville - they maintain chocolate goes too well with wine to pass up the pairing on Saturday afternoon - and Mom gets a rose too.

Sunday afternoon Hall in St. Helena offers music and massage for Mom, as well as treats and sweets and artisan wines. Also in St. Helena, 125-year-old V. Sattui Winery offers Music on the Grounds, flamenco guitar open free to all.

Moving south on the Silverado Trail, organic grower ZD Wines offers complimentary tastings for Mom all day, while in Napa itself Wineries of Napa Valley offers Sweet Treats for that feted lady late afternoon.

And if you’re Wild About Your Momma, try Safari West wildlife preserve for an elegant adventure with mimosa brunch.

One of the jokes in the film Sideways was how much Paul Giamatti’s character hated merlot. Now, we loved that film, but feel it did an injustice to a whole grape varietal. To this day there are probably people who feel a twinge of shame when asking for a merlot in a fine restaurant, as if the waiter will sneer and say, “Monsieur! Did you not see Sideways?”

That’s part of the reason filmmaker Rudolf McClain made Merlove, his indy documentary praising merlot. Merlove has been making its way through the film festival circuit and is now available on DVD.

On Saturday, November 14 McClain himself will be on hand for a DVD signing at V Sattui Winery. As part of the event the winery will be offering a free tasting of two merlots, the 2006 Henry Ranch (Carneros appellation) and 2006 Napa Valley.

The event is open to the public, no reservations necessary. More info at the V Sattui Winery web site.