CheekyChicago

This month we’ve taken you on a wine tour through the Midwest, we’ve experienced Australia and we had a convo with Washington wines. Now, we’re giving you a taste of Napa Valley.

As I’ve relayed in earlier posts, the September harvest in Northern California is arguably the best time of year to visit the region. And I can personally atest to that statement: as I write, I’m overlooking the Carneros appellation of Sonoma County. I’m lucky enough to spend over a week in wine country for a little work-mixed-with-pleasure trip.

Fitting that as I relay a great Q&A with Michael Honig, who heads up Honig Winery in Napa Valley, I’m enjoying a glass of their crisp 2008 Sauvignon Blanc ($16 a bottle). Coincidently, the very bottle that Michael says is this season’s “It” girl. I had a chance to catch up with Michael when he was in Chicago earlier this month with 70 other Napa winemakers to showcase all things wine, food and entertaining.

Take it away Michael…

Under $25:

“Although Napa has a well deserved reputation as producing some of the best wines in the world, not all of the bottles cost triple digits – in fact, those wines are but a fraction of the overall production of wines from the appellation. There are many great wines from the Napa Valley that cost under $25 and part of the enjoyment of wine is opening bottles and finding the gems that fit your taste and budget. Wines like our Sauvignon Blanc or Folie a deux Cabernet and Merlot are great examples of wines under $25 from Napa Valley.”

Nothin’ but Class:

“Wine grapes are like weeds and will grow anywhere, but there is only a small area around the world that can grow world class wines. The Napa Valley is an area that is represented by only 2% of the world and is the reason that we are able to grow a variety of grapes at the highest level.”

This Season’s “It” Girl:

“An underrated varietal is Sauvignon Blanc and I believe it is the new “It” wine. This varietal is related to Cabernet Sauvignon and has always grown in the Napa Valley, but has been eclipsed by Chardonnay. As consumers look for wines that are fresher, lighter, complement food and are great values, they will find that Sauvignon Blanc fills all the requirements of the next hot varietal.”