Mumm Unveils America the Beautiful exhibit

Mumm Napa Valley Winery has a gallery at which it features fine art photography at no charge — though few visitors are likely to resist enjoying some of its sparkling wines on the patio after viewing the exhibits.

Showing through October 10th is “America the Beautiful,” an exhibit of landscape photography featuring works by acclaimed western photographers.
The exhibit showcases more than 100 color and black-and-white images of western scenes through the lenses of more than 17 American photographers. The curator of “America the Beautiful” exhibit is the Ansel Adams Gallery.

In addition to work by Adams, other contributors include Martha Casanave, Charles Cramer, Brad Cole, Chuck Davis, Michael Frye, Carol Henry, Geir & Kate Jordahl, Robert Glen Ketchum, Bob Kolbrenner, Roman Lorenc, Tom Mallonée, A. Leo Nash, Ted Orland, Ken Parker, and Norbert Wu.

Mumm Napa Valley Winery
8445 Silverado Trail in Rutherford
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (707) 967-7700.

One of the hottest and Newest appellations

The hottest appellation in Santa Barbara County is one of the coolest in California.

The Santa Rita Hills, which enclose a Y-shaped valley close to the cold Pacific Coast between Lompoc and Buellton, are gaining increasing notice for their elegant Pinot Noir wines.

The area has sandy and loam soils, ideal for Pinot Noir, and the cool winds that blow through the valley also help reduce crops and concentrate flavors. The wines tend to intense blueberry and blackberry flavors yet remain ethereal unlike Pinots from warmer areas.

The pioneer more than 25 years ago was Sanford & Benedict, but many other small wineries and vineyards now dot the area: Babcock, Brewer-Clifton, Fiddlestix, Foley, Hitching Post, Longoria, Melville, Sea Smoke, Siduri and Taz among them.
Other wineries such as Andrew Murray, Au Bon Climat, and Rusack outside the appellation also buy Santa Rita Hills grapes.
It’s an easy detour off Highway 101 at Buellton to make the loop through the distinct sides of the region. Call the wineries first, however, as some are open only by appointment or on weekends.

Napa Soap Company
 
Looking for something unique to see and do in Wine Country? How about a demonstration of soap making. You can find owner Sheila Rockwood of Napa Soap Company in St. Helena, making soap most weekdays and she is always willing to explain the process. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at 651 Main St. behind Tesoro florist. (707) 963-5010. 

Finding the Perfect Pumpkin

When it comes to selecting the perfect pumpkin, know that there are many more available than the run-of-the-mill orange ones that we’re all used to seeing at Halloween time. The newest trends and styles of pumpkins reveal some interesting varieties. White pumpkins, such as “Casper” and “Lumina” are not typically used to make jack-o-lanterns, but are quite spellbinding nonetheless. The “Rouge Vive de Tanse,” or “Cinderella” pumpkins, perhaps so-called for their strong resemblance to the said fairy-tale carriage, are very heavy and dense. So what if there are bumps on the surface? They give character; and its you who will decide if its the perfect pumpkin for you.

A tip to remember: if you’re interested in using the pumpkins for cooking and not just decorations, the tastiest ones are the small sugar pumpkins, also known as pie pumpkins, as they are perfect for making pumpkin pie.

Taste Napa Downtown

Downtown Napa is now filled with many great wine tasting opportunities, and ten of them teamed together to make it even more attractive to taste downtown. 

The “Taste Napa Downtown” card allows holders initial tastes at 10 downtown tasting rooms for only 10 cents a taste.
The participants are Copia, Back Room Wines, Bounty Hunter, JV Wine & Spirits, Napa General Store, Napa Valley Traditions, Napa Wine Merchants, Robert Craig Winery, Vintner's Collective, and Wineries of Napa Valley. 

You can buy a “Taste Napa Downtown” card from many downtown merchants and tasting rooms or send a check for $15, payable to Napa Downtown Association, 1556 First St., Suite 102, Napa, CA.