Let’s get down to business…the three P’s.
So for those of you who know me it comes as no surprise that I love Pinot Noir. And yes, I loved it before the movie Sideways came out and was happy that Pinot started getting the attention it deserved after the movie’s release. However, I still love Merlot no matter what anyone says, especially since it was my gateway grape to start drinking wine, but I digress.
To me Pinot Noir is such a versatile wine. It pairs beautifully with many dishes, but is delicate enough to stand on its own when you just want to enjoy a glass (or two, who’s kidding) without a meal. The hubs and I are members at a handful of wineries that all make Pinot Noir in their own style. I love all my wine “children”, but one winery in particular does get special treatment from time to time. My favorite child is Papapietro Perry Winery, in Healdsburg California, and they make the most wonderful, delicate, and delicious Pinot Noirs I’ve ever tasted in addition to some killer Zin, Chardonnay and Rose´wines.
Now I have to give credit where credit is due and thank our good friends, Tye and Courtney Medrano, for introducing us to this winery. The Medranos have a similar infinity for Papa, and wine in general, so you can imagine what happens when the four of us get together…wine, lots and lots of wine. Back to the star at hand though, Papa is a small family operated winery that only distributes wines through their club, which I think keeps the quality high and consistent. They source from several Appellations – Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley, Russian River Valley, and Dry Creek Valley. Each area imparts different nuisances to the wine and, honestly, I can’t say I like one over another; they are all simply wonderful.
On our most recent trip to Healdsburg we joined them for Pinot on the Patio, which involves a sit down tasting of their wine paired with some fantastic cheeses (here comes the 3 P’s – Papa Pinot Patio!). Pinot on the Patio is hands down one of the best wine experiences we’ve been to and we try to go at least once a year to enjoy the pairing with newly released wines. On top of making some of the best Pinots around everyone at their tasting room is knowledgeable, helpful, and so friendly, plus they really want you to connect with the wine.
We are fortunate enough to get a couple cases a year and I try really, really hard to open the bottles on special occasions (like say a Friday), but sometimes a bottle of Papa is exactly what you need after a rough Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…etc. you get my drift.
If you are ever in Healdsburg I hope you give Papa a go, you just may fall in love with them like we did.
Cheers!
