White Hot! Wines for summer

I wrote this a while ago for another publication, but thought it bears repeating....

Napa's Respectful White Grape History

I asked quite a few winemakers in the valley- "what was the first white varietal planted in Napa?" Many puzzled over the answer, and guessed- mission grape. Well, I did my research before I asked the question - I already knew the mission grape was a red varietal- albeit a flabby, weak flavored wine with not much substance, its color was "light" maybe why so many winemakers mistakenly call it white. George Yount first planted the mission grape, he was given the vines from General Vallejo. In 1888 there were over 4000 acres of mission vines planted in Napa Valley. You would think that the mission grape would gracefully go away due to its lack of, well, taste. However, it fought for its place in history, grew angels wings and became a very popular dessert wine - Angelica. You'd be hard pressed (no pun intended) to find one grown and bottled in Napa today- maybe Heitz Cellars still makes one? If you do find one, buy it and enjoy some Napa history!
Dig a little deeper - and along comes the riesling grape. First planted in Napa Valley in 1861 - as far as I can tell, it is actually the very first white varietal planted in our valley. The German immigrants thought the steep hills of the valley were much like what they left behind, and felt riesling would do well here. They were right! (By the 1880's you could find a few whites, riesling, muscat and chenin blanc, etc.) The riesling grape held its own, surviving even Prohibition. It wasn't until the 1980's that riesling and these other whites were eventually pushed aside in the valley for Chardonnay - the queen, and Sauvignon Blanc, But be on the lookout for some whites that deserve your attention- viognier, roussanne, colombard, gewurztraminer, maybe some pinot grigio! Many small produces still grow these respectable whites - check with Small Lots Big Wines for advise on your next white wine tasting trip to Napa Valley!
Tour more than just wineries on your next trip to Napa..do a Segway Napa Tour and make a happy memory!

these little guys are waiting to be pollinated.

Below is a picture from the springtime - of "flowering" when the grapes get pollinated

this is what some zin grapes looked like today in Calistoga..

- August 25th

Calistoga Grapes, Guns and Geysers

After a cold spring, it looks like summer is finally here.
Today we expect a high of 94 in Napa. That's nothing compared to how hot it got in Calistoga - around 105! You can always catch a cool breeze on a segway!

This is Jan, or Young - not sure. I use to see him riding his bike up and down Hwy 29 - he'd sit on someone's stone fence with his shirt off, getting a nice tan. He no longer does that - he now keeps his shirt on, says he needs protection from the sun. You can see him often in the mornings on Lincoln Ave in Calistoga. If you see him, be sure to say "hi" to this delightful Dutchman!
We are very excited to introduce our newest tour - Grapes, Guns and Geysers. It's a 3 hour tour and includes a very tiny "cult" winery where one can relax for a few minutes before getting back on the segways.

The grapes in the valley are growing fast! Here are some pictures of Spring and Summer grapes.

Hope to see you all soon!

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No Blarney - Napa does have it's own stone!

Wee Bit O’History

When you think “Irish”, certain images are bound to come to mind. We see a tall glass of whiskey laced coffee topped with cream, emerald hills, pots of gold, leprechauns, four leaf clovers, Lucky Charms, pink stars, yellow moons….. wine?

Sure – Napa is rich in wine history and Irish immigrants. Think Fitzpatrick, O’Brien, Brown, Dillon, Sullivan, Taylor Family, Twomey – that’s just a wee sampling of the Irish owned wineries in Napa Valley.But I sort of wanted to get away from wine this time. I wanted to cut through the blarney. How’s that for a segue?

There is a lot of history about this Stone, which is part of the Blarney Castle in Ireland. Biblical characters used the stone- Moses, Jacob, David, maybe it was even the stone that was rolled away on the third day! It eventually made its way back to Ireland. My favorite story was that Elizabeth I was also queen over Ireland- Queen Bess wanted all the land owners to sign their land over to her, but she’d let them continue to act as landlord. The Lord of Blarney, with wit and good humor, would send notes to her pledging his support, but never really signing over his land. It finally dawned on her that he was flattering her, she threw down his last letter and in frustration claimed “Oh! He’s just giving me a lot more blarney!!!” If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Ireland – kiss the Stone and you too will be imparted with eloquent speech and the ability to sling the bull.

Napa too has a stone – thousands of folks visit it every year. Oh, that’s just blarney- more like hundreds, from our tour! It’s the amazing communal grinding stone that the Wappo Indians used. You can see where the village squaws sat or stood for hours grinding acorns to make the meal that would sustain their families through the cold and wet winter months. Tiny starter mortars crown the top of the stone, probably from some little kid sitting on top of the stone helping her mom out. And wow – look at Spike – he uses the mortars for fresh rain water when he needs a drink! The deep holes are shaped like porous cones where the pestle ground the meal for thousands of years. Come on the Segway Napa Beyond Wine Tour and I’ll take you there! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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March Mustard Madness, and Segway Napa Fun!

March is always a fun month in the Napa Valley. The mustard is in full bloom, the lupin are starting to bud all over the valley. The annual Mustard Festival will soon have their marketplace- this year at the River Walk in Downtown Napa. (March 13/14)
Green emerald hills, rainbows arched over the vineyards, bright yellow patches please your eyes as you drive down the country roads. St. Patrick Day celebrations are in full swing. Check out our fun history article at http://www.smalllotsbigwine.com/virtual-tours, then click on Napa History.

The downtown merchants are getting ready for the season. Lots of sales to move merchandise as new arrivals get stacked in the back rooms. The downtown tasting rooms are gearing up as more and more tourist realize how much Napa has to offer in the way of history and wine tasting. Stop by Mason Cellars at the Oxbow for a complimentary tasting. Get a Napa Valley wine for the $20 range you won’t find that often. Unbelievable that this tasting room hasn’t truly been discovered – but now you know!

Another fun tasting room is Gustavo-Thrace. Stop by and maybe Gustavo- of Bottle Shock fame – will be in the tasting room pouring his wines. Or you can get lucky and the ever so charming Thrace will share her vast knowledge of wine and the best places in town to visit. Or - - set up a private tasting tour with Segway Napa and we’ll take you there, and throw in a little history.


Our regular Napa History tour does not include the tasting rooms, but we will show you where many of them are. What you get on our Beyond Wine Tour is a few treats that are exclusive to Napa, quirky facts about Napa that will surprise and delight you, and a fun ride as we glide through redwood lined streets of painted ladies. Oh, yes, we did have a red light district, but painted ladies refers to the glorious Victorian Mansions, many of which are now Bed and Breakfasts! You can stay in the spring for a pretty good discount and get the best breakfast Napa has to offer!

Spike is our promotional mascot. Those of you who follow me on Facebook know that Spike likes really expensive cheese that is accidentally left in the grocery bag - so now he has to work for his room and board! Here he is making sure gliders stay safe on the trails!

Below is a very short video of segwaying in Yountville - this is a family shot, our family-we don't normally allow little kids to ride with their moms - but it's cute so we thought we'd share it :)


We hope to see you soon!
Happy St. Patricks Day!
Segway Napa
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February - A Sweetheart of a Deal!

A Sweetheart of a Deal! and a Contest to boot (scroll to the end for details)
February is upon us. For Valentine’s Day and Presidents Weekend only – have we got a deal for you! Book a tour with us, and bring your sweetheart for ½ off. That’s Feb 12th -15th (If you book that weekend and we have to cancel due to rain, we will reschedule at the discounted price) For some reason, gliding on a segway is romantic. Really! Here are some pictures to prove it :

The Vineyards
It’s a new year, and another season has stated here in the Napa Valley. If you visit now, or in the next month or so, you will notice that some vines have lots of “wood” and some have been pruned to the base. The pruning needs to be completed before bud-break. The vines are dormant right now, so the rain we are currently getting will not do any harm. You will see some vineyard workers in the fields, pruning the vines. These are 92-yr old Zinfandel vines! Ever seen a grapevine wreath? This is the time to harvest that portion of the vine.
It is also Mustard Festival Time! You will see vineyards with brilliant yellow flowers. I took this picture during a storm, in a moving car, when the sun all of the sudden broke through – so it’s a little fuzzy – but gorgeous!
The mustard plant adds nutrients to the vineyard land during the dormant season. Napa Valley has a Mustard Festival – amateur and professional photographers are all over the valley trying to get that winning shot! You might see some segway photos too!
The Segways
Lots of rain in January meant few tours for Segway Napa. Spike kept a watch over the Napa River to make sure there were no floods.

In addition to rain, we even had some snow! Check out this picture – mustard blooming on the valley floor and snow on the top of Mount St. Helena!

We take this opportunity to do maintenance, take mini vacations and time to enjoy the sunsets!

We added two more segways to our fleet – yeah!! 2009 was a good year for us, 2010- should be great! Even in this rain, every week we’ve had gliders don the ponchos and head to the streets. Luckily, no one got too wet! I love this adventurous side of segway riders- why let a little rain stop you? Especially if you’re on vacation.

New Tour Coming Soon! Calistoga is jam packed with interesting history! This year we will be adding a Calistoga Historical Tour. We’re working out the kinks right now. It promises to be a fun and entertaining tour.

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A Contest!! Be sure to check out our history article at http://napa.smalllotsbigwines.com/napa-history/the-zin-trial email us the correct answer and your name will be submitted into a drawing for a segway ride for two! Winner will be announced on Valentines Day!