Devastated about the West Coast fires

I worked in St. Helena to give my wine dream a “real” go. I lived below in this amazing house with an even more amazing family. They basically took me in and made me feel like part of their family. One of the wineries I worked for, while I was there, was Burgess Cellars. They were a smaller producer, in the Napa spectrum, and they were one of the first pioneers in Napa Valley. Tom Burgess was still alive and he was a great guy. I worked more closely with his son Steve Burgess.

What’s the point? The house I lived in is gone. The Glass Fire burned it to the ground. The family I lived with are all safe and well, but it’s a tragic loss. The winery didn’t go untouched, either. The original part of the winery was burned badly and much of the vineyard.

What can we do to help? There are countless threads of info going around the internet, but I’m going to make a point to continue to support the wineries in the Napa Valley by purchasing their wine, while tourism is discouraged, so they can make things safe for residents.

I’m toasting to the Napa valley with Schramsberg “Mirabell” California Brut Sparkling Wine. I first tasted the wine with the Davies (owners) at the Magnum Party, a party that kicks off Auction Napa Valley, where the owners go with a large format bottle of their wine to share with the group. It was a memory I’ll always cherish.

2 sips, 1 score : 8.7

Very good! I think most people that like classic champagne would like this sparkling wine. Nice yeast notes and fruit, with a luscious mouthfeel.