t h e b e s t o f n a p a va l l ey l i f e • Best Advice “Making great wine is more than just winemaking.”—Anonymous. A vintner’s job is not to be overly focused on the activities in the cellar, but rather to attend to the needs of the vineyard, the people and the wine. • Best Napa Valey Secret Vintners and winemakers are very open to sharing their experiences and advice. This truly is a valley of colleagues who collaborate. • Best Home-Coked Meal Paella Palmaz! I assume I can call this home-cooked, since I live on the vineyard. Once a year my brother and I prepare a giant paella for our Brasas Wine Society Members. We hang a seven-foot-diameter paella pan on our big BBQ hoist in front of the winery, use an old barrel for firewood and more than fifty pounds of fish, octopus, scallops and shrimp. This is quite a sight to behold, and all the flavors meld into a divine concoction! • Best Bok I love to dive into big historic epic novels. My latest is The Fall of Giants: Book One by Ken Follett. I dream of being able to go back in time and experience history firsthand. Until time travel becomes possible, I guess a good book will have to suffice. • Best Competitive Sport Bocce—where else can you compete and still hold a glass of wine in hand? • Best Workout The hike between our lower and upper vineyards. This trail was known in the 1840s as the Whiskey Trail of Napa. In the middle of our 1,200-footelevation vineyard is the footing of Bill Woodward’s Whiskey Ranch, where Napa folks would venture into the hills for a taste of the old man’s handiwork. Unfortunately the still is gone, but after hiking 1,000 feet you can turn around and see all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. The view will take your breath away, if you have any left. 80 www.nAPAVA L L E Y L I F Emagaz ine.com • Best Inspiration The Palmaz Vineyards mission statement is my best inspiration, and it will take at least my lifetime to achieve it. “Know the Land, Love the Grape, and Make a Wine that Honors both.” • Best Place to Unwind My favorite place to reflect at the end of the day is the historic orchard on our property. There are ten giant grapefruit trees that smell so fresh and cast a welcome shade in the summer. I sit there for an hour watching the chickens frolic, and generally manage to collect enough fruits and vegetables to prepare dinner. featuring florencia palma z CEO, Palmaz Vineyards by Sharon Ufberg
NVLife_NovDec_2013
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