silver oak

If you were to ask Mike or I for a good Cabernet recommendation, we would tell you to get Silver Oak...ok, first we would tell you to get Joseph Phelps, but after that would be Silver Oak. Particularly the 2006 Silver Oak...or was that the 2007?  Hmm, I can't remember. One of those years was a particularly good year for the Silver Oak cabs. (I'd say it's the 2007, but that's only because that's the year that we got married. 2007 was a really good year.)  Sorry I can't be of more help on that one...although I'm sure the price tag will tell you the good year - you know, use your deductive reasoning, people.

We stopped by the Silver Oak vineyard in Sonoma County last year and absolutely loved it.  We made friends with the other people in the tasting room (everyone had a Minnesota connection, and you KNOW how much we love that!), we got a free tasting because we used a particular credit card and we had a wonderful wine guy that offered us so many tidbits about the wine. 

We like tidbits.

Now, fast forward to my birthday this year, we wanted to try out some wineries that are off the beaten path. Silver Oak in Napa is hardly off the beaten path, it's just on a cross street that intersects the main roads (Hwy 29 and Silverado trail run parallel down the valley.)   

The grounds at the Napa location are absolutely beautiful.  The view is something that I could stare at forever. Give me a glass of Cab and a chair in the sun and I'm a happy camper.  The Sonoma location is very nice, however, not the grandiose view that the Napa location has. 

So, Napa wins the scenic contest, however after that, Sonoma wins all other battles.  The people at the Napa location had no interest in tidbits.

Again, we like those tidbits....I'm sure this Napa wine guy didn't know that I have a very famous blog.

(ok, not very famous.)

(OK, not famous at all - Hi mom!)

But still, it doesn't mean that you, Mr. Silver Oak Napa wine guy, don't have to offer information about the wine, the valley that the grapes were harvested in.  Because you know what? We blog (ok I do, Mike blogs in spirit), we studied soil science (ok, not Mike, but I did) and we like to learn about the wine we drink.  It's what the wine country experience is all about. 

Pardon my soap box interlude, but I really like Silver Oak wine and this Napa experience struck a nerve.

Clearly.

On another note, Barkley really did enjoy the winery.

(just look at her smile!)