January 21, 2025 • 24 mins
In this flavorful episode of Breaking Bread in Napa, Tyrene and guests (Tane Cavich, Joan Tadlock) share their recent experiences at two distinguished Napa Valley wineries, Odette and Faust. The episode delves into the nuances of wine tasting, discussing the 2022 Odette Estate Cabernet and various wines from Faust, including a notable Syrah. Guests praise the hospitality at both wineries, highlighting hosts Laura and Gabe for their expertise and engaging presentation. The narrative captures the essence of Napa's wine culture, from the meticulous crafting of wines to the architectural charm and historical significance of the wineries' settings. The discussion also touches on the impact of seasonal weather on vineyard yields and wine quality, offering listeners insider tips on what to look for in Napa Valley wines.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Okay, hi everybody.
(00:11):
We're live, Breaking Bread and Napa with your host Tyreen.
I've got a really special lineup for you today.
I've got some really important guests in my life who happen to have a lot of background
on some of the topics we'll be talking about.
We've got a newbie, first time in Napa here, so we're going to hear her experiences.
(00:33):
We had some great tastings, had a wonderful time, wonderful meals.
So we're going to really go through a few of those events and kind of give some background
and how much we enjoyed, what we didn't like, and we're just going to run through that real
quick.
So with that, I want to turn it over to my good friend Tani.
(00:57):
She's going to introduce herself.
Tani, you want to say a few words about introducing yourself and your background, please?
My name is Tana Dusilovic.
I was born in Europe, in Yugoslavia, of those days.
And when I finished college in Zagreb, capital of Croatia, I went to Heidelberg, Germany,
(01:25):
for postgraduate studies, where I met my future husband.
And a few years later, we moved to the United States to Washington, D.C.
And here I am now, and I love it here.
Wonderful, wonderful.
And what did you study in your postgraduate work, Ms. Tani?
(01:49):
Well, I was at the Interpreters Institute, and when I finished that, I took up Shakespeare
studies, and that's what I did in postgraduate.
Wonderful.
And how many languages do you know?
Well, you know, I think Latin and Greek are the basis of the Indo-European languages,
(02:17):
and having had eight years of each, it did help me develop the other languages.
So right now, I am acquainted and speak some seven languages.
Seven languages, amazing.
She's just an absolute, wonderful wealth of information, history, and she's just one
(02:40):
of my top people in life.
I love her to death.
Thank you, Dairie.
You bet.
And I'm excited.
Our newbie who just joined us first time in Napa, I still see the smile on her face.
I don't know if she wants to leave today, but Joanie, why don't you say a few words
about yourself, and how are you doing over there?
(03:01):
I'm doing great, and you are correct.
I do not want to return to the East Coast.
I love the title of your podcast, Breaking Bread, because that just gives me a vision
of people sitting around a table, learning and growing together, and I don't think I've
ever felt any more welcome any place than I have in your home.
Awesome.
So I'll tell you, I'm very grateful for that.
(03:23):
Awesome.
I met Tana when I was 14 years old.
I was one of her students, and then we ended up teaching together down the road.
I'm a product of Alexandria, Virginia, born and raised.
I'm a mom.
I'm a student athlete from George Mason University.
Dog lover, coffee connoisseur.
(03:45):
Hopefully, it won't be a wine connoisseur before it's over.
Awesome.
Awesome.
Thank you.
So I think you took it all in these last three, four days that we were here.
So lovely, and we would really love to have you back soon, very soon come back and see
us.
So we were here about three or four nights, and I want to give a shout out to, I'm a big
(04:08):
fan, most of you all know that I'm a big fan of the music scene.
Of all kinds of music.
And Friday night, we went to the Napa Blue Note.
Shout out to Napa Blue Note.
One of my favorite jazz saxophonists when I was in college, in university, Candy Dulfer,
(04:30):
she's a Dutch saxophonist.
I used to play her nonstop during school, and it just so happened that she was in town
this weekend at the, playing at the Napa Blue Note.
So we all got tickets and we went down there, and it's a small venue, very small venue.
Even if you get a bar seat, you're perfect.
(04:52):
It's just really, it's close knit, you know, your community tables in there, but it just
really adds to the experience.
And, you know, the musicians are right there.
They come into the crowd, and it's just such a beautiful experience.
And to see Candy, and she was just hitting all those notes, and she played some of a
couple of her older tunes that I can certainly relate to in college.
(05:14):
But if you're in town in Napa, and on a Friday night, Saturday night, or whatever night,
the Blue Notes usually open, you know, seven days a week, as long as they have some musicians
in there.
Look it up, see who's playing, and drop by there.
You won't be disappointed, especially if you're drinking wine all day, go back to the hotel,
(05:34):
have dinner, take a little nap is what we did.
And then we are ready for that 9 p.m. slot, so it was all good.
So I want to talk about the two wineries.
I just want to get impressions from my guests here of what they thought about those wines
and the winery.
We're going to, you know, kind of discuss what the experience was at the winery, where
(05:59):
we welcomed, and we'll kind of go through some of that.
And then, which, you know, we tasted probably three or four wines at each winery.
And we're just going to actually just shout out what your favorite wine was out of the
three or four that we tasted, and I'll go through with those.
But just to kind of set the stage here, we started at Odette, which is one of my favorite
(06:22):
vineyards.
It's in the Oakville region of the Napa Valley, and it's part of the Plumpjack portfolio of
wineries.
And when we got lucky, we actually went to all three of their wineries, which was pretty
amazing.
A couple of them were planned, but the one we just popped in at, and we'll talk about
(06:45):
that wine as well.
But the first one, again, is Odette.
I want to give a shout out to Laura Drells.
She was our host there.
She was fantastic.
She was, you know, on top of it, asking us, you know, our thoughts about the wines and
just coming back.
Did we want to revisit any?
(07:05):
She was just very tentative, very informative, but without being super intrusive, she was
running a few other guests' tables, and she let us kind of just, you know, experience
the wines and then would come back and check.
But she's just a wonderful host.
If you are in the valley and you want to visit Odette, highly ask for Laura.
(07:26):
She can definitely take good care of you.
So at Odette, we tasted the 2022 Odette Estate Cabernet, and that was actually really, really
highly rated on the wine specter.
(07:47):
But we're going to get our thoughts from the guests.
And we also, and when they say a state wine, that means the vineyards that are actually
on the estate where we were actually drinking the wine.
So those were the vines that we were drinking, the Cabernet.
We also, they have another blended Cabernet, which is not as high end as the estate cab,
(08:12):
which is really excellent wine.
It's usually in the, probably like the 60 to 80 dollar range, but we tasted the 2019
and the 2022 adaptation, which were both very good.
And in fact, we, I was doing a wine pick up there and we brought those and we drank them
(08:33):
all weekend and they were amazing.
We had a barbecue one night.
We opened up a few of those bottles and all paired very nicely with what we were, what
we were barbecuing.
Just to kind of level set some of the 2022, most of the vineyards are just releasing that
one and we did get to taste some of the 22 as well.
(08:57):
It was a balanced season, growing season 2022.
However we did get a big spike, heat spike Labor Day weekend, which really impacted the
vines, the grapes tremendously.
So it's not yet rated 2022, but they're certainly pouring.
(09:17):
They're ready to pour.
However, for the growers who picked before Labor Day versus the growers who waited till
after Labor Day to pick, there's definitely some inconsistency there.
So something to watch out for when you're out, you know, purchasing wine in 2022.
Do a little research on that just to see where it, so it's a little, you know, again, it's
not rated yet, but there was some, some of that inconsistency there.
(09:42):
So 2021's that we were drinking wine spectator gave it 97 points.
It was a small crop and it was a very cool summer from what I remember.
So there wasn't those heat spikes that impacted the grapes at all.
So 2021 was a small crop because it was cooler, but however it was a very even, very balanced
(10:07):
crop that the, the winemakers had to work with in outstanding year there.
So with that, Odette, so Miss Tani, what were your impressions overall of Odette winery?
What you thought about the winery, your experience when we got there?
This is not my first visit and I really liked it.
(10:31):
I was looking forward to going to Odette again and Laura, I believe, is very informative
and very friendly, but at the same time professional.
She gave us very good insight into the wines and plenty of time to taste it, to discuss
(10:57):
it while she was tending to another table.
So I would recommend it very much, especially their Cabernet is, I mean, I bought some.
That says it all right there.
Yeah, I'm taking it back in my suitcase.
(11:18):
That's right.
Exactly.
And I hope that the receivers of those bottles will appreciate as much as we did.
Oh my gosh.
Wonderful.
And Joni, let us know what your thoughts were on the winery, what the experience was
like, what your, what your favorite wine was that we tasted out of the group.
(11:42):
Well, again, shout out to Laura.
Fabulous, great personality, knowledgeable, fun, attentive, met up with her again yesterday.
Where were we, Cade?
Cade, yeah, we were talking about.
Gave us a private show up in the cave.
Amazing.
Went out some very prominent people in the wine community here in Napa, but back to
(12:06):
the winery, beautiful setting.
The yellow leaves were falling around our wine glasses, which she was worried about,
but it just added to the ambiance for us.
The 21 Cab ends down.
Yeah.
Bring it.
Bring it on, on.
And listeners, we actually, so we did taste some of the adaptation.
(12:28):
We tasted, as we said, the estate wine, which was outstanding, not to take away from the
adaptation lineup all good, but we were really focused on, you know, smelling, swirling, tasting.
I was giving these guys a little bit of a lesson here of, you know, how do you look
at the wine, look at the color.
So when we were smelling the bouquet of the wine, there was a very pronounced smell that
(12:55):
I was like, I can't identify it.
What is it?
And I was asking Tony and they're like, yeah, we could smell it, but we just couldn't put
our finger on.
So we brought Laura over and we're like, Laura, you know, do you smell that?
What's your take on it?
We can't get that note quite down.
And she was just like, oh boy, she's like that, that might be a little tainted there.
(13:16):
So shout out to us for identifying that.
Again, you know, there's nothing against the wine.
It does happen.
Cork taintage does happen, but certainly something to be aware of when you open that bottle of
wine to take that smell.
If something doesn't smell right, you know, put it down, go back to it, smell it again.
And if it's still pronounced, then, you know, you might get a cork bottle.
(13:40):
So bring it back to your wine cellar.
But anyway, the overall, the experience, would you say thumbs up?
Would you recommend it to our listeners?
Thumbs up.
Thumbs up.
And you're a repeat guest there.
All right.
So again, listeners, that was the Odette estate.
(14:01):
It's over in the Oakville area, just off a Silverado Trail, just beautiful, you know,
gorgeous winery, gorgeous scenery.
They have their cave there.
Highly recommended ask for Laura.
Now the other winery that we visited was Faust, which is over in Spring Mountain area, just
(14:23):
a little outside of St. Helena.
So it's a little further north in the valley on the west side of the mountain range of
the valley.
So a little bit different over there, experience to see, you know, from that point of view on
the other side of the valley.
And this winery is really interesting.
(14:46):
It's one of the oldest.
It's a Victorian house, I think was from, was 1800s?
I think it was 1800s, right?
Just gorgeous.
Preserved, pristinely preserved, they redone it.
It's just absolutely, certainly adds, and you're up quite high on a hill.
So the views are just stunning.
(15:08):
And the patio is amazing.
And we tasted three wines there, and oh, shout out to Gabe.
Gabe was our host there, not to take away from Laura, but Gabe was phenomenal.
He was really, he had a great sense of humor.
He had, he actually, I mean, I've been to Faust several, several times.
(15:30):
And I learned a few new nuggets of information, which I really appreciate that when the hosts
are really informed and they share that knowledge and can ask my questions without being annoyed
by it, but really nice, a nice, nice guy.
So the three wines, well, we actually tasted four at Faust.
(15:52):
We did start out with the Sauvignon Blanc, which was very good.
It's a nice, easy, you know, Sauvignon Blanc, poolside, seafood, shrimp cocktail, cerveche.
I think it's really easy, easy to drink.
And just to let you guys know that the grapes, all of these Faust wines, we tasted four, three
(16:19):
reds in the Sauvignon Blanc all come from the Coombsville Appellation.
That's the newest appellation that was brought forward in the Napa Valley.
So that was like the last one.
They had been trying for decades to try to get that part of the valley to be accredited
and they did.
(16:39):
I think he said 10 years ago.
So yeah, that was really good.
So we're going to talk a little bit about that.
And you guys could even comment about, you can actually, they call it the toroir.
So the other wines, we were Floor Valley, Coombsville is a little bit higher, a little bit more
volcanic, I think Gabe said.
So a little bit subtle differences in the wine just based on literally what part of
(17:04):
the valley it comes from.
So we tasted a 21 Syrah, a 21 Merlot, and a 21 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is called the
Pact.
It's their high end, which actually, it's a very, very quality value wine that I would
(17:27):
highly recommend that would stand up to any of the valley's two, $300 Cabernets.
And it comes in at 125.
So it's a value.
And I think it really stands up to those big cabs, which I think they're really, you know,
using that marketing edge there.
But anyway, Miss Tiny, what did you think about the wines at Faust and your experience
(17:51):
at Faust?
It was your first time at Faust, was it?
That's right.
Okay.
I was intrigued by the name.
I've never heard of Faust before, and being that I pretty well am introduced to British,
I mean, British and American and German literatures, you know, I was thinking, why Faust?
(18:14):
Where is my fist?
Where is the devil?
What kind of name is this for, and why, why this name?
And anyhow, I thought it was very well organized, binary, and I really liked their syrup.
(18:36):
Oh.
Syrah was, I mean, I like a little bit heavier wines, and I loved Syrah.
Awesome.
So you, out of the wines we tasted, you really went for that Syrah?
I did.
Awesome.
Very good.
Joni, how about you?
What are your experiences with the winery, and which of the wines that you liked?
(19:00):
And again, listeners, this is all degrees of greatness.
All the wines are amazing.
It's a matter of taste, and certainly your palate.
So shout out to Gabe.
He was excited.
That's the word I'd use to describe him.
He was excited to talk about the wines.
I love the decor of the Victorian, the black and white, the contrast, the history behind
(19:20):
the house, and of course, the speakeasy.
You have to visit that around the back door.
21 is a good year for wine, and I've learned from Ty, it's the dollar value wine that I'm
going to have to look out for.
Awesome, awesome.
I can just sneak it by me anymore.
Awesome, awesome.
(19:42):
Yeah, just that speakeasy, I forgot to mention, I'm glad you brought that up.
Because of this Victorian house that they built the tasting room in from the 1800s,
then obviously when prohibition came, I think in the 20s, was it?
Late 20s?
They had a little, like a secret room area, which is where they would continue to enjoy
(20:08):
their libations and alcohol there, and it's really a nice spot.
If you do visit Faust, check it out, they have about three or four parties a year.
Parties are really special, but certainly visit on a regular day if you're there.
But if there is a party, when they open up that speakeasy in there, they bring a lot
(20:33):
of oysters in there.
They definitely like to have an oyster room in there.
It's all really nice.
And you're free to walk all over that, it's like two floors of the Victorian, and it's
just really nice.
They have the murals back to the Faustinian kind of theme of the winery that double good,
(20:54):
you know, good, bad, light, dark.
They've got that.
And the labels on the bottle itself is just gorgeous, just gorgeous.
But anyway, again, I think for value, quality value, these wines, the Merlot, the Syrah,
and the Cab will definitely stand up.
(21:15):
They're like in the $100 to $80 to $90, they'll stand up to any of the Napa Valley's $200,
$250, $300 bottles of wine easily.
I think you're getting a really good value at that level of wine.
And also too, just to shout out there, Faust makes an everyday Cabernet.
(21:37):
They don't serve it at the winery.
However, you will see it at, you know, steak houses, and you'll see it at Benny's, you
know, your Bevmo, wherever you buy your wines at.
They do circulate.
It's a large production.
However, it is a really good value.
You can get it at $45 a bottle, and I got to tell you, it is really amazing.
(21:59):
And actually, that is what brought me to seek out that winery.
We were at a restaurant.
We had a bottle for dinner.
I was like, wow, that's a really solid bottle of Cabernet.
It wasn't breaking the bank by no means.
And then here they just opened the tasting room, and it was awesome to get acquainted
with their wineries that they have as well.
(22:22):
Any last words from Miss Taney on the wineries, on the wines?
Well, no place like Napa.
I mean, I know La Champagne in France, and in general, French wines, Italian that I'm
acquainted with.
(22:44):
What about Croatian wines?
What about Croatian wine?
I think we have a father of Croatian winery here that unfortunately we lost.
Exactly.
He passed away at his ripe age of 98.
Yes, 98.
Close to 100.
(23:06):
He did bring some Croatian seedlings from Beliešac.
That's a peninsula where I go.
When I'm in Croatia, I go there frequently.
There is garbage winery over there also.
Ah-ha.
It's a little bit more modestly priced, but very good.
(23:30):
Very good.
All right.
Me.
I was excited when I first came to visit the garbage wines here.
I didn't even think about him as an American producer of wine.
But now I believe his daughter is in charge of the winery, and they do have wonderful
(23:54):
during the Croatian independence fight.
He would send for the embassy because the embassy was broke.
Of course, there was no money at the time.
He would send cases of his wine to the Croatian embassy in Washington.
(24:15):
Is that right?
When we had, yeah, we would have reception, diplomatic receptions.
Very good.
The garbage wine was served.
Awesome.
Very good.
Free of charge.
Free of charge, of course, a donation.
Any last minute thoughts, Joan, from you on the Valley, your Valley experience?
(24:35):
Just epic.
Epic.
I love that word.
Love that word.
All right.
In the next few years, we will take a break and be right back.
Okay, hi everybody.
(00:11):
We're live, Breaking Bread and Napa with your host Tyreen.
I've got a really special lineup for you today.
I've got some really important guests in my life who happen to have a lot of background
on some of the topics we'll be talking about.
We've got a newbie, first time in Napa here, so we're going to hear her experiences.
(00:33):
We had some great tastings, had a wonderful time, wonderful meals.
So we're going to really go through a few of those events and kind of give some background
and how much we enjoyed, what we didn't like, and we're just going to run through that real
quick.
So with that, I want to turn it over to my good friend Tani.
(00:57):
She's going to introduce herself.
Tani, you want to say a few words about introducing yourself and your background, please?
My name is Tana Dusilovic.
I was born in Europe, in Yugoslavia, of those days.
And when I finished college in Zagreb, capital of Croatia, I went to Heidelberg, Germany,
(01:25):
for postgraduate studies, where I met my future husband.
And a few years later, we moved to the United States to Washington, D.C.
And here I am now, and I love it here.
Wonderful, wonderful.
And what did you study in your postgraduate work, Ms. Tani?
(01:49):
Well, I was at the Interpreters Institute, and when I finished that, I took up Shakespeare
studies, and that's what I did in postgraduate.
Wonderful.
And how many languages do you know?
Well, you know, I think Latin and Greek are the basis of the Indo-European languages,
(02:17):
and having had eight years of each, it did help me develop the other languages.
So right now, I am acquainted and speak some seven languages.
Seven languages, amazing.
She's just an absolute, wonderful wealth of information, history, and she's just one
(02:40):
of my top people in life.
I love her to death.
Thank you, Dairie.
You bet.
And I'm excited.
Our newbie who just joined us first time in Napa, I still see the smile on her face.
I don't know if she wants to leave today, but Joanie, why don't you say a few words
about yourself, and how are you doing over there?
(03:01):
I'm doing great, and you are correct.
I do not want to return to the East Coast.
I love the title of your podcast, Breaking Bread, because that just gives me a vision
of people sitting around a table, learning and growing together, and I don't think I've
ever felt any more welcome any place than I have in your home.
Awesome.
So I'll tell you, I'm very grateful for that.
(03:23):
Awesome.
I met Tana when I was 14 years old.
I was one of her students, and then we ended up teaching together down the road.
I'm a product of Alexandria, Virginia, born and raised.
I'm a mom.
I'm a student athlete from George Mason University.
Dog lover, coffee connoisseur.
(03:45):
Hopefully, it won't be a wine connoisseur before it's over.
Awesome.
Awesome.
Thank you.
So I think you took it all in these last three, four days that we were here.
So lovely, and we would really love to have you back soon, very soon come back and see
us.
So we were here about three or four nights, and I want to give a shout out to, I'm a big
(04:08):
fan, most of you all know that I'm a big fan of the music scene.
Of all kinds of music.
And Friday night, we went to the Napa Blue Note.
Shout out to Napa Blue Note.
One of my favorite jazz saxophonists when I was in college, in university, Candy Dulfer,
(04:30):
she's a Dutch saxophonist.
I used to play her nonstop during school, and it just so happened that she was in town
this weekend at the, playing at the Napa Blue Note.
So we all got tickets and we went down there, and it's a small venue, very small venue.
Even if you get a bar seat, you're perfect.
(04:52):
It's just really, it's close knit, you know, your community tables in there, but it just
really adds to the experience.
And, you know, the musicians are right there.
They come into the crowd, and it's just such a beautiful experience.
And to see Candy, and she was just hitting all those notes, and she played some of a
couple of her older tunes that I can certainly relate to in college.
(05:14):
But if you're in town in Napa, and on a Friday night, Saturday night, or whatever night,
the Blue Notes usually open, you know, seven days a week, as long as they have some musicians
in there.
Look it up, see who's playing, and drop by there.
You won't be disappointed, especially if you're drinking wine all day, go back to the hotel,
(05:34):
have dinner, take a little nap is what we did.
And then we are ready for that 9 p.m. slot, so it was all good.
So I want to talk about the two wineries.
I just want to get impressions from my guests here of what they thought about those wines
and the winery.
We're going to, you know, kind of discuss what the experience was at the winery, where
(05:59):
we welcomed, and we'll kind of go through some of that.
And then, which, you know, we tasted probably three or four wines at each winery.
And we're just going to actually just shout out what your favorite wine was out of the
three or four that we tasted, and I'll go through with those.
But just to kind of set the stage here, we started at Odette, which is one of my favorite
(06:22):
vineyards.
It's in the Oakville region of the Napa Valley, and it's part of the Plumpjack portfolio of
wineries.
And when we got lucky, we actually went to all three of their wineries, which was pretty
amazing.
A couple of them were planned, but the one we just popped in at, and we'll talk about
(06:45):
that wine as well.
But the first one, again, is Odette.
I want to give a shout out to Laura Drells.
She was our host there.
She was fantastic.
She was, you know, on top of it, asking us, you know, our thoughts about the wines and
just coming back.
Did we want to revisit any?
(07:05):
She was just very tentative, very informative, but without being super intrusive, she was
running a few other guests' tables, and she let us kind of just, you know, experience
the wines and then would come back and check.
But she's just a wonderful host.
If you are in the valley and you want to visit Odette, highly ask for Laura.
(07:26):
She can definitely take good care of you.
So at Odette, we tasted the 2022 Odette Estate Cabernet, and that was actually really, really
highly rated on the wine specter.
(07:47):
But we're going to get our thoughts from the guests.
And we also, and when they say a state wine, that means the vineyards that are actually
on the estate where we were actually drinking the wine.
So those were the vines that we were drinking, the Cabernet.
We also, they have another blended Cabernet, which is not as high end as the estate cab,
(08:12):
which is really excellent wine.
It's usually in the, probably like the 60 to 80 dollar range, but we tasted the 2019
and the 2022 adaptation, which were both very good.
And in fact, we, I was doing a wine pick up there and we brought those and we drank them
(08:33):
all weekend and they were amazing.
We had a barbecue one night.
We opened up a few of those bottles and all paired very nicely with what we were, what
we were barbecuing.
Just to kind of level set some of the 2022, most of the vineyards are just releasing that
one and we did get to taste some of the 22 as well.
(08:57):
It was a balanced season, growing season 2022.
However we did get a big spike, heat spike Labor Day weekend, which really impacted the
vines, the grapes tremendously.
So it's not yet rated 2022, but they're certainly pouring.
(09:17):
They're ready to pour.
However, for the growers who picked before Labor Day versus the growers who waited till
after Labor Day to pick, there's definitely some inconsistency there.
So something to watch out for when you're out, you know, purchasing wine in 2022.
Do a little research on that just to see where it, so it's a little, you know, again, it's
not rated yet, but there was some, some of that inconsistency there.
(09:42):
So 2021's that we were drinking wine spectator gave it 97 points.
It was a small crop and it was a very cool summer from what I remember.
So there wasn't those heat spikes that impacted the grapes at all.
So 2021 was a small crop because it was cooler, but however it was a very even, very balanced
(10:07):
crop that the, the winemakers had to work with in outstanding year there.
So with that, Odette, so Miss Tani, what were your impressions overall of Odette winery?
What you thought about the winery, your experience when we got there?
This is not my first visit and I really liked it.
(10:31):
I was looking forward to going to Odette again and Laura, I believe, is very informative
and very friendly, but at the same time professional.
She gave us very good insight into the wines and plenty of time to taste it, to discuss
(10:57):
it while she was tending to another table.
So I would recommend it very much, especially their Cabernet is, I mean, I bought some.
That says it all right there.
Yeah, I'm taking it back in my suitcase.
(11:18):
That's right.
Exactly.
And I hope that the receivers of those bottles will appreciate as much as we did.
Oh my gosh.
Wonderful.
And Joni, let us know what your thoughts were on the winery, what the experience was
like, what your, what your favorite wine was that we tasted out of the group.
(11:42):
Well, again, shout out to Laura.
Fabulous, great personality, knowledgeable, fun, attentive, met up with her again yesterday.
Where were we, Cade?
Cade, yeah, we were talking about.
Gave us a private show up in the cave.
Amazing.
Went out some very prominent people in the wine community here in Napa, but back to
(12:06):
the winery, beautiful setting.
The yellow leaves were falling around our wine glasses, which she was worried about,
but it just added to the ambiance for us.
The 21 Cab ends down.
Yeah.
Bring it.
Bring it on, on.
And listeners, we actually, so we did taste some of the adaptation.
(12:28):
We tasted, as we said, the estate wine, which was outstanding, not to take away from the
adaptation lineup all good, but we were really focused on, you know, smelling, swirling, tasting.
I was giving these guys a little bit of a lesson here of, you know, how do you look
at the wine, look at the color.
So when we were smelling the bouquet of the wine, there was a very pronounced smell that
(12:55):
I was like, I can't identify it.
What is it?
And I was asking Tony and they're like, yeah, we could smell it, but we just couldn't put
our finger on.
So we brought Laura over and we're like, Laura, you know, do you smell that?
What's your take on it?
We can't get that note quite down.
And she was just like, oh boy, she's like that, that might be a little tainted there.
(13:16):
So shout out to us for identifying that.
Again, you know, there's nothing against the wine.
It does happen.
Cork taintage does happen, but certainly something to be aware of when you open that bottle of
wine to take that smell.
If something doesn't smell right, you know, put it down, go back to it, smell it again.
And if it's still pronounced, then, you know, you might get a cork bottle.
(13:40):
So bring it back to your wine cellar.
But anyway, the overall, the experience, would you say thumbs up?
Would you recommend it to our listeners?
Thumbs up.
Thumbs up.
And you're a repeat guest there.
All right.
So again, listeners, that was the Odette estate.
(14:01):
It's over in the Oakville area, just off a Silverado Trail, just beautiful, you know,
gorgeous winery, gorgeous scenery.
They have their cave there.
Highly recommended ask for Laura.
Now the other winery that we visited was Faust, which is over in Spring Mountain area, just
(14:23):
a little outside of St. Helena.
So it's a little further north in the valley on the west side of the mountain range of
the valley.
So a little bit different over there, experience to see, you know, from that point of view on
the other side of the valley.
And this winery is really interesting.
(14:46):
It's one of the oldest.
It's a Victorian house, I think was from, was 1800s?
I think it was 1800s, right?
Just gorgeous.
Preserved, pristinely preserved, they redone it.
It's just absolutely, certainly adds, and you're up quite high on a hill.
So the views are just stunning.
(15:08):
And the patio is amazing.
And we tasted three wines there, and oh, shout out to Gabe.
Gabe was our host there, not to take away from Laura, but Gabe was phenomenal.
He was really, he had a great sense of humor.
He had, he actually, I mean, I've been to Faust several, several times.
(15:30):
And I learned a few new nuggets of information, which I really appreciate that when the hosts
are really informed and they share that knowledge and can ask my questions without being annoyed
by it, but really nice, a nice, nice guy.
So the three wines, well, we actually tasted four at Faust.
(15:52):
We did start out with the Sauvignon Blanc, which was very good.
It's a nice, easy, you know, Sauvignon Blanc, poolside, seafood, shrimp cocktail, cerveche.
I think it's really easy, easy to drink.
And just to let you guys know that the grapes, all of these Faust wines, we tasted four, three
(16:19):
reds in the Sauvignon Blanc all come from the Coombsville Appellation.
That's the newest appellation that was brought forward in the Napa Valley.
So that was like the last one.
They had been trying for decades to try to get that part of the valley to be accredited
and they did.
(16:39):
I think he said 10 years ago.
So yeah, that was really good.
So we're going to talk a little bit about that.
And you guys could even comment about, you can actually, they call it the toroir.
So the other wines, we were Floor Valley, Coombsville is a little bit higher, a little bit more
volcanic, I think Gabe said.
So a little bit subtle differences in the wine just based on literally what part of
(17:04):
the valley it comes from.
So we tasted a 21 Syrah, a 21 Merlot, and a 21 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is called the
Pact.
It's their high end, which actually, it's a very, very quality value wine that I would
(17:27):
highly recommend that would stand up to any of the valley's two, $300 Cabernets.
And it comes in at 125.
So it's a value.
And I think it really stands up to those big cabs, which I think they're really, you know,
using that marketing edge there.
But anyway, Miss Tiny, what did you think about the wines at Faust and your experience
(17:51):
at Faust?
It was your first time at Faust, was it?
That's right.
Okay.
I was intrigued by the name.
I've never heard of Faust before, and being that I pretty well am introduced to British,
I mean, British and American and German literatures, you know, I was thinking, why Faust?
(18:14):
Where is my fist?
Where is the devil?
What kind of name is this for, and why, why this name?
And anyhow, I thought it was very well organized, binary, and I really liked their syrup.
(18:36):
Oh.
Syrah was, I mean, I like a little bit heavier wines, and I loved Syrah.
Awesome.
So you, out of the wines we tasted, you really went for that Syrah?
I did.
Awesome.
Very good.
Joni, how about you?
What are your experiences with the winery, and which of the wines that you liked?
(19:00):
And again, listeners, this is all degrees of greatness.
All the wines are amazing.
It's a matter of taste, and certainly your palate.
So shout out to Gabe.
He was excited.
That's the word I'd use to describe him.
He was excited to talk about the wines.
I love the decor of the Victorian, the black and white, the contrast, the history behind
(19:20):
the house, and of course, the speakeasy.
You have to visit that around the back door.
21 is a good year for wine, and I've learned from Ty, it's the dollar value wine that I'm
going to have to look out for.
Awesome, awesome.
I can just sneak it by me anymore.
Awesome, awesome.
(19:42):
Yeah, just that speakeasy, I forgot to mention, I'm glad you brought that up.
Because of this Victorian house that they built the tasting room in from the 1800s,
then obviously when prohibition came, I think in the 20s, was it?
Late 20s?
They had a little, like a secret room area, which is where they would continue to enjoy
(20:08):
their libations and alcohol there, and it's really a nice spot.
If you do visit Faust, check it out, they have about three or four parties a year.
Parties are really special, but certainly visit on a regular day if you're there.
But if there is a party, when they open up that speakeasy in there, they bring a lot
(20:33):
of oysters in there.
They definitely like to have an oyster room in there.
It's all really nice.
And you're free to walk all over that, it's like two floors of the Victorian, and it's
just really nice.
They have the murals back to the Faustinian kind of theme of the winery that double good,
(20:54):
you know, good, bad, light, dark.
They've got that.
And the labels on the bottle itself is just gorgeous, just gorgeous.
But anyway, again, I think for value, quality value, these wines, the Merlot, the Syrah,
and the Cab will definitely stand up.
(21:15):
They're like in the $100 to $80 to $90, they'll stand up to any of the Napa Valley's $200,
$250, $300 bottles of wine easily.
I think you're getting a really good value at that level of wine.
And also too, just to shout out there, Faust makes an everyday Cabernet.
(21:37):
They don't serve it at the winery.
However, you will see it at, you know, steak houses, and you'll see it at Benny's, you
know, your Bevmo, wherever you buy your wines at.
They do circulate.
It's a large production.
However, it is a really good value.
You can get it at $45 a bottle, and I got to tell you, it is really amazing.
(21:59):
And actually, that is what brought me to seek out that winery.
We were at a restaurant.
We had a bottle for dinner.
I was like, wow, that's a really solid bottle of Cabernet.
It wasn't breaking the bank by no means.
And then here they just opened the tasting room, and it was awesome to get acquainted
with their wineries that they have as well.
(22:22):
Any last words from Miss Taney on the wineries, on the wines?
Well, no place like Napa.
I mean, I know La Champagne in France, and in general, French wines, Italian that I'm
acquainted with.
(22:44):
What about Croatian wines?
What about Croatian wine?
I think we have a father of Croatian winery here that unfortunately we lost.
Exactly.
He passed away at his ripe age of 98.
Yes, 98.
Close to 100.
(23:06):
He did bring some Croatian seedlings from Beliešac.
That's a peninsula where I go.
When I'm in Croatia, I go there frequently.
There is garbage winery over there also.
Ah-ha.
It's a little bit more modestly priced, but very good.
(23:30):
Very good.
All right.
Me.
I was excited when I first came to visit the garbage wines here.
I didn't even think about him as an American producer of wine.
But now I believe his daughter is in charge of the winery, and they do have wonderful
(23:54):
during the Croatian independence fight.
He would send for the embassy because the embassy was broke.
Of course, there was no money at the time.
He would send cases of his wine to the Croatian embassy in Washington.
(24:15):
Is that right?
When we had, yeah, we would have reception, diplomatic receptions.
Very good.
The garbage wine was served.
Awesome.
Very good.
Free of charge.
Free of charge, of course, a donation.
Any last minute thoughts, Joan, from you on the Valley, your Valley experience?
(24:35):
Just epic.
Epic.
I love that word.
Love that word.
All right.
In the next few years, we will take a break and be right back.
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