Wine Wednesday: Girard 2012 Napa Valley Petite Sirah

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Of the many incredible wines J and I tasted on our honeymoon in Napa, we fell in love with wines by Girard Winery. Our experience at their tasting room was sublime and we ended up joining their club. Four times a year, we receive four bottles of wine. Every time a shipment arrives, we're just instantly taken back to our wonderful vacation and get to try new, usually not-widely-distributed wines.


The nose of this wine was surprising to me. I smelled a lot of blackberry initially, but then could only come up with "earth, like rich soil" to describe the secondary note. The back of the bottle noted "coffee", so I guess that's what my nose was searching for. Once sipped, it has a rich, velvety mouthfeel. We enjoyed with an herb-crusted steak and a version of the grilled peach salad. The price is listed at $30 on their website's product page, but I believe we have a slightly discounted price as club members.

We both enjoy Napa-area wines already, but I'm making a concerted effort to buy more of them after the terrible earthquake that impacted the area recently. I know that in the grand scheme of terrible things that are happening around the world, broken bottles of wine and olive oil doesn't stack up to war or poverty, but it's still a devastating event for people, businesses, and a community. So, even though it probably doesn't make any impact at all, at least my Napa wine purchases make me feel like I'm helping, or at least being mindful of bad things while I am lucky to sit down and enjoy a delicious glass of wine.

Enough deep thoughts - what is your favorite Napa-area wine?

2 comments:

  1. My husband and I went to Sonoma for our honeymoon and absolutely loved it. Our favorite wine/winery was Buena Vista. We also liked some of the reds from the Ledson winery. I'm curious to know what you think of joining a wine club? I have been thinking about joining one since our trip but haven't been sure if it is worth the pricetag.

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  2. I have to confess that I just don't have much of a nose or a palate. I've tried through the years to be more of an oenophile, but I've only succeeded in...drinking wine. (So I did succeed, right?!) I was in a local wine club but sadly I had to cancel it in January, as I was taking a med that absolutely would not allow me to drink not one drop. I've since stopped taking it, so bring on the vino!

    I love that your honeymoon was in Napa, and if I'm ever wed, I might just borrow that idea. (It's kind of America's Tuscany in a way, don't you think?) I also found it quite sad about the earthquake, and sure, we feel a little silly saying, "Oh, all that poor spilled wine!" but you're absolutely right in that there are real people with real jobs (and I don't just mean vintners) who were truly affected. I think you've inspired me to head to my local wine store and pick up some nice Napa white this evening. If I find one by Girard, I'll be sure to snag it.

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You can be sweet or spicy, but no sour grapes.

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