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Nero Buono’s history is unknown. Claudio Gargiulo of Carpineti explained. “We are working with the village of Cori to find the DNA origin of the Nero Buono grape, but we have not found a relative, and it’s possible that none exists today. So, we are [literally] writing the history of Nero Buono now.”
The worlds of wine and art have been linked for centuries. Wine appeared in ancient drawings of vines and harvest in Egyptian tombs, the Renaissance brought paintings like Caravaggio’s Bacchus, and today wine still has the power to inspire artists. Both passions are associated with creativity, culture, and pleasure, and both express and evoke emotion—so naturally blending the two creates a heightened sensory experience.
That seems especially true in Napa Valley, where oenophiles and art experts often produce the perfect pairing. Here are five places to experience them together.
Riding the Wine Train is a combination of nostalgia and adventure; it is easy to imagine the amazement of the first travelers as they were wined and dined and entertained by the experience and views as they rode the rails. Today, the ancient train supplies modern conveniences like air conditioning, but the feeling of train travel during the time of the pioneers is still there. The difference lies in the miles of vineyards in every direction and mammoth world-class wineries lining the road as the train chug-chugs along Napa’s Vine Trail, whistle blowing as it passes crossroads along the way.
The Relais & Châteaux GourmetFest is not, nor does it try to be, an event for the average food and wine lover. This is where true connoisseurs come to play, where elite wine collectors gather to share their very specialized obsession with like-minded folks such as legendary sommeliers Rajat Parr and Larry Stone.
Several years earlier, when deciding on varieties, Palazzo adamantly selected Merlot and Cabernet Franc. “Everyone discouraged me and said, ‘You’re in Napa, Cab is king,'” Palazzo said, “I said, ‘No, I’m going to make what I love – a Right Bank Bordeaux Blend.'”
Founder Donald Hess’s art collection began when he bought a painting as décor for his new home. Years later, a friend studied the painting and informed him that he owned a Picasso. That gave Hess his first inclination that he might have an eye for art curation.
Healdsburg is at the epicenter of three world-class American Viticultural Appellations. Just a few minutes outside town in any direction, estates and tasting rooms dot the rolling hills of vineyards wrapped around two-lane country roads.
“We gave our babies a huge haircut this year, and it wasn’t easy.” Katie was referring to the 117-year-old Zinfandel vines on the property her family has owned for almost 150 years.
Enriquez Estate is more than a winery and vineyard—it’s a wine country experience. Visitors to the estate can tour the beautiful 8.5-acre estate on ATVs, enjoying breathtaking vineyard views and then relaxing with a picnic lunch prepared by a private chef at the property’s lookout point.
Technically, it’s the French who say rosé; the rest of us have adopted their usage of the word. It’s right that we use the French version; France is the indisputable land of rosé wine.