Whether you are a wine novice or expert, a visit to a winery is a great way to learn more about wine. Touching the grapes, walking around the estate, smelling the damp caves, tasting the wine, and learning the stories can make the complex world of wine less daunting.
Francis Ford Coppola first became involved with winemaking in 1975 when he purchased his first piece of the vineyard with the proceeds from the first “Godfather” film. The estate changed names over time and he never wavered from wanting to preserve pieces of the Inglenook estate’s history. In 2011 he spent more money buying back the rights to the name “Inglenook” than he spent purchasing the entire estate.
Outside the cafeWe were welcomed with a 2014 Inglenook Blancaneaux.Blancaneaux is Inglenook’s white Rhone-style blend that’s produced in extremely limited quantities. Its grapes come from vines that are more than ten years old and received afternoon shade from Mt. St John.
Francis Ford Coppola film museum at Inglenook
The Caves
The Vines
We went outside to the learn about the vigorous Zinfandel vines.
Each type of wine can be identified by the shape and characteristics of the vine’s leaf. It would be cool to have a print of all the different vine leaves with the name of each wine next to the leaf.Zinfandel grapes have a high sugar content and grow in tight bunches making them susceptible to “bunch rot.” Proper pruning prevents this from happening.
Salon Tasting
While you can certainly hop around Napa Valley on your own or attend tastings in your area, there is something magical about experiencing a scheduled tasting at the estate. Most wineries have a variety of tastings to choose from at different price points.
Salon tasting at InglenookSalon tasting at InglenookEdizione Pennino is music company owned by Coppola’s grandfather. Rubicon. Flagship wine made from their best grown fruit, first planted in the 1880s. CASK wines are new era cabernets made same way now as over 50 years ago.Mushroom bite paired with the Edizione Pennino.Salon tasting at InglenookSalon tasting at InglenookShort Rib, Quinoa, GrainsInglenook Extra Virgin Olive oilPistachio macaron
Mushroom bite paired with the Edizione Pennino.
Short rib, quinoa, grainsPistachio macaron
Info
Inglenook | 1991 St Helena Hwy, Rutherford, CA | 800 782 4266
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