Milat

First published in the Benicia Herald on July 27, 2008.

Since joining the Herald staff and moving to Benicia, I have been lured by the siren song of the Napa Valley. I am the kind of person who loves everything to do with wine - the aroma and flavor, the ceremony involved in pulling in sips to taste, the tangled vines arranged in rows in vineyards, the elegant shapes of the bottles - and most especially - the way the bottles look reclining in the metal shelves of my wine racks, each one just waiting to be retrieved for its turn in the place of honor upon my dinner table.

I can think of no better way to celebrate my passion for fermented grapes than to start up a weekly column that allows me to share the winners and losers I come across in my ongoing quest to assemble a collection of vintages to be envied. There are about a million ways I could do this, but I have settled on a template that will focus on one particular producer each week. I hope that you will find my musings helpful and entertaining.

To start off, I have decided to focus on a family-owned winery in St. Helena called Milat Vineyards. The estate began as a summer home to Richard and Izetta Milat in 1949. The couple soon moved their whole family to the vineyard, and their four sons were raised there. During the 1970's, two of the sons, Mike and Bob, took over the day-to-day operations of the vineyard. Grapes grown there were primarily sold to the Napa Valley Cooperative Winery.

It wasn't until 1986 that the first vintage, produced by the brothers and their wives, Carolyn and Joyce, came out under the Milat Vineyards label. The winery is still running successfully, putting about 3500 cases of estate-grown, produced, and bottled wine each year. The tasting room, located right on Highway 29, pulls in a steady draw of wine lovers.

I had the pleasure of stopping in the tasting room a week ago with some friends. We could not have been more impressed with the thoughtful and attentive service we received from Bob Milat. As he poured various varietals into our glasses, he told us stories about his family, the operations of the vineyard and even a few jokes to keep us smiling. It was the last stop for us that Saturday afternoon, and we had seen both sides of customer service. It was clearly agreed that Bob had succeeded in winning our vote as Mr. Congeniality.

I will admit that I tend to favor the reds, but the '07 Chenin Blanc we tasted first was perfect that toasty afternoon. Made up of 75 percent Chenin Blanc and 25 percent Chardonnay, its flavor was light and had an airy finish. I was equally impressed with its reasonable $18 price tag.

We sampled four reds during our visit, and my favorite had to be the '05 Zinfandel. The nose was sweet with vanilla and oak. The flavors, mostly citrus and other tangy fruits, led me to believe that the vintage would be great paired with the summer barbecue dinner we had planned for later that evening. Again, it's price tag - $23 per bottle - made purchasing a couple bottles an easy decision.

But I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about the best the discovery I have made in years. The Milat brothers have teamed up with local chocolatier to produce a chocolate sauce that is leaps and bounds better than anything I have ever poured over ice cream. Made with Milat Vineyards' Zivio port, the sauce has brings the hint of berry flavor into the deep richness of the chocolate. My companions and I were smitten as soon as the tiny tasting spoons hit our taste buds. Needless to say, more than one $18 bottle of the indulgence made it out the door with us. I can honestly say that I have yet to make it through one dessert without it since our visit. It's that good.

Milat Vineyards is located at 1091 St. Helena Highway in St. Helena. You can order wine and learn more online at www.milat.com.