Sarah Perry

B Cellars in Napa Valley

California. Redwood trees, wine and plastic people. That’s what I always thought of when I heard the state mentioned. Of course, I could never forget Arnold Schwarzenegger. But when I landed in San Jose on Monday, I quickly figured out all my assumptions about The Golden State were wrong.

I’m here to write about one of my assumptions – wine. For a few years, I’ve been obsessed with the cabernets, merlots and pinot noirs that come from the Napa Valley region. I worship Beaulieu Vineyards and would gladly shine any Mondavi’s shoes. I want to crawl inside Andy Beckstoffer’s head (the new king of Napa Valley) and learn his grape-growing secrets, and I’d love to pick the grapes from his To Kalon vineyards.

For years, I’d thought of wine as a status symbol that someone achieves with a certain level of success. You can recognize the oaky flavors or the slight hint of cinnamon and nutmeg in a good wine – if you’ve achieved enough, I’d always thought. Someone’s palette wasn’t enriched with the experience of tasting wine, but with the experience of living the good life, in my imagination. Boy, was I wrong.

As soon as I arrived at B Cellars and began interviewing the assistant winemaker and tasting tour guide, I knew all my assumptions about wine were naïve. Laura, my tour guide, was quick to tell me that any person could have a bad or good experience with the finest or worst of wines – it all depended on what the person likes, and that’s okay. If someone enjoys a $5 bottle of Sutter Home from the gas station, hey – that’s all right. Wine is flexible, and meant for people to enjoy in different environments. You don’t have to be a millionaire or in a wine club to appreciate a good bottle, and it’s okay if you think that $100+ bottle of aged perfection tastes like dog doo. It’s all up to you.

On a different note, the owners of B Cellars, Jim Borsack and Duffy Keys, are entrepreneurs at their prime. They left their long-time careers in high-end luggage and the luxury hotel business, respectively, to pursue their passion with wine. They blend the best grapes they can buy, and a few years ago, acquired the coveted grapes from Beckstoffer’s To Kalon, and created a smooth, spicy blend that Jesus would sin for. They’ve got one of the best wine makers in the valley, and in a few years, I predict they’ll be as well-known as Mondavi for their wines.

How’s that for busting assumptions?