The Ireland Funds : WineGeese Society
All activities are funded by WineGeese Society members

Napa Valley Visit :: October 22-26, 2003

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This was the inaugural visit of the American Ireland Fund WineGeese Society to Napa and what a time to be there! The harvest was at its height and the leaves on the vines were changing color to deep purples, reds and oranges. Our VIP tour took us to off-the-beaten- track wineries, not generally open to the public. At night we enjoyed lavish dinners with specially prepared menus, designed in conjunction with the chefs. We learned about some of the complexities of tasting wine and had a lot of fun in the process. Thanks to Robin Lail, our coordinator, we got a unique inside look into Napa and what makes this region special, tailored specifically to our interest in Irish wineries. Robin’s family first came to the Napa Valley in 1879 and her grand-uncle, Gustav Niebaum, founded Inglenook Vineyards. Four generations later, no one has better connections to the Valley than Robin.

We left the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on a crisp, bright October morning. The city seemed to float on the fog above the Bay as we sped across the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin. The sun shone brilliantly as we made our way north to the Napa Valley, one of California’s foremost wine-producing regions and the home of several of the greatest vineyards in the country. The region now boasts over 300 wineries and many have won national and international acclaim. We were on an exclusive tour of vineyards owned by some of the great Irish-American Wine families, led by the Provost of the Order of the WineGeese, Ted Murphy. Since the year 1607, when Irishman Francis Magnell recorded the earliest account of colonial wine at Jamestown, Virginia, families of Irish ancestry have played a significant role in the historical development of wine in America. Today, there are several important vintners in Napa who have enormous pride in their Irish roots and we were thrilled at the prospect of meeting them.

“From wine what wondrous friendship springs” is the motto of the newly formed WineGeese Society and that was certainly true on our trip. We were joined by a delightful group of friends including: Dorothy and Luther Campbell from Montana, Carol Geary (who was later joined by her husband, Mike), Mike and Lou Ann Corboy, John and Sylvia Tillotson, Luanne Tierney and Sue Dickie from Dallas, John and Helen Sharkey from New York, Dan and Mary Mulvihill from San Diego, Bob Dunfey and Jeannette Marston from New Hampshire, Bill and Lucetta Ganley from New York, Ted and Garry Murphy from Cork, AIF President, Kingsley Aikins from Boston and Marjorie Muldowney, San Francisco Regional Director. We are enormously grateful to AIF Board Members, Jon Folan and his wife Gail and Bill Walsh and his wife, Jane for their generous hospitality during our WineGeese trip. Consul-General Donal Denham hosted a delightful cocktail reception at his home overlooking Alcatraz and the Bay on our arrival in San Francisco which was followed by a delicious dinner at Bizou Restaurant, partly owned by Jon Folan. Our farewell dinner at the Walsh’s home was wonderful and a great sendoff for our ‘Geese.

Thursday, October 23rd

Our first stop was at CARNEROS CREEK WINERY where we were warmly welcomed by vintner Francis Mahoney, a serious devotee of the WineGeese, for a private tour, tasting and luncheon on a beautiful porch overlooking the vineyard. The Wall Street Journal called this place “One of the five best wineries to visit in Napa” (July 12, 2002). When the foundation for Carneros Creek was laid in 1972, the region was an abundance of fruit orchards and, as its name suggests, sheep pastures (carneros is the Spanish word for ram). The winery blossomed from Francis Mahoney’s desire to grow and produce Pinot Noir which would evoke in him the same passion as that of Burgundy. At a time when most Californian Pinot Noir was unremarkable, Francis discovered exceptional quality and character, through breakthrough research with U.C. Davis. Among the first to produce noble wines from this renowned region, Carneros Creek continues to pursue the passion. Francis and his winemaker, Ken Foster, have a tremendous ability to impart a huge amount of information in a way that makes it easy to distill. Definitely an unforgettable experience!

After lunch, we departed for FLORA SPRINGS Winery located at the end of Zinfandel Lane near St. Helena. We met Pat Garvey, Owner, Vice President and Vineyard Manager along with his son, Sean and they gave us a terrific tour, out into the warm vineyards and back to the cool caves. Harvest was still in progress and there was a lot to see. We learned that the name Flora Springs has significance – Flora is the matriarch and the springs refer to the water source on the property that has flowed uninterrupted regardless of periods of drought.

It all began over 20 years ago, when Jerry and Flora Komes bought the first vineyard – a vineyard with lots of history, great soils and two ghost wineries. Their retirement project became a lifetime passion for sons John Komes and Julie Garvey and their families. John quickly talked the family (including another brother Mike Komes) into making wine. Julie worked side by side with John and within the first two years they began producing their wines. Julie’s husband Pat Garvey took over the vineyard side of things. We sat in the very attractive outdoor tasting area overlooking the fields and enjoyed several bottles of Flora Springs wines including a 2001 Soliloquy, a 2001 Napa Valley Merlot and particularly the 2000 Trilogy.

We arrived at VILLAGIO INN AND SPA in Yountville, which would be our base for the next couple of days. The architecture was inspired by the villas and gardens of Tuscany and the lovely pool was a welcome sight for several in our group. Daytime temperatures were in the 90s for the duration of our stay, a particularly warm spell for that time of year in Napa.

On our first evening, we had a superb dinner at AUBERGE DU SOLEIL. Executive Chef Richard Reddington has worked at some of the world’s most celebrated restaurants: the Michelin three star Arpege in Paris, New York’s Restaurant Daniel and the Park Avenue Café, Postrio, Jardiniere, La Folie, Spago in Beverly Hills, California. He put on a great show for us, each course more delicious than the one before. As with all our dinners during the excursion, our wine selection for the evening incorporated only WineGeese wines including: Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, 2000 with our appetizer followed by a Monticello Corley Family Pinot Noir 2000. We had the Flora Springs Trilogy with our main course and an excellent Lail Vineyards “J. Daniel Cuvee” 1999. Dessert was washed down with a Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs 1999.

This was the night of inductions into the Order of the WineGeese for several in our group. John Tillotson and Ted Murphy did a wonderful job of initiating as a chevalier of the WineGeese fraternity the following new members: Dorothy Campbell, Bob Dunfey, Bill Ganley, Marjorie Muldowney, Dan Mulvihill and John Sharkey. Their new membership will be officially recorded at the home of the Order of the WineGeese at the International Museum of Wine, Desmond Castle, Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland.

Friday, October 24th

We were very fortunate to visit the Chappellet Estate and meet with Molly Cosgrave Chappellet, brilliant horticulturist and gracious hostess, on her property commanding a stunning, different view of the Napa Valley. For many of us, this was the highlight of the trip. Climbing from 800 to 1,800 feet on Napa Valley’s eastern ridge, Chappellet has over 110 acres planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Sangiovese. Molly’s son, Jon-Mark, took us on a fascinating tour of the winery and out into the vineyard where we learned about the history of the family’s development of Chappellet. On this hot and sunny day, Molly’s offer of parasols was very welcome as we toured through her garden, overlooking Lake Hennessy. What a view! She brought us to the 500 year old oak tree, beneath which her daughter was married and we tasted a range of bottles from the vineyard. Then she brought us into her lovely ranch house high on the hill and we lunched on the terrace before Ted Murphy presented Molly with a beautiful cut-glass decanter. Molly proceeded to tell us about her family, her Irish roots and her unforgettable bike trip around Ireland. She had us spellbound and no one wanted to leave!

We finally did leave and wound our way back down the Valley for a private tasting at SEQUOIA GROVE VINEYARDS with vintner Jim Allen. Established in 1978 in Rutherford, Sequoia Grove is known for its award-winning Cabernets and Chardonnays. We sat outside the rustic little barn in the shadows of the towering Sequoia redwoods and heard Jim describe the “crushing” which would only last for a few more days. He also told us about a freak thunderstorm that had raged through the winery in early September causing havoc, blowing in half one of the largest Sequoia trees on the property.

Dinner that evening was an adventure. The newest addition to the Auberge du Soleil family of hotels is Calistoga Ranch, off the Silverado Trail, described as “the one to watch” by Town and Country’s new Traveler magazine. It’s an exclusive development, scheduled to open in Spring 2004, and we were able to see one of the architecturally innovative new homes on the property. We were among the first, and certainly the most warmly welcomed guests entertained on this property and our host was the General Manager, Seamus McManus (formerly of The Crescent in Dallas). We were delighted that former movie star, Gary Conway and his wife Marian McKnight, a former Miss America, could join us. They operate Carmody McKnight Vineyard in Paso Robles, California and we thoroughly enjoyed their excellent chardonnay. Gary was honored to be initiated as a chevalier of the WineGeese fraternity and we toasted this very special couple with glasses held high.

Saturday, October 25th

Our private Visit at the old ivy-covered stone winery, CHATEAU MONTELENA in Calistoga, was memorable. Although Jim Barrett, the managing partner of Chateau Montelena was unable to join us due to illness, his son Bo, the vineyard’s winemaker, stepped in at the last minute and told us the tale of Montelena.

In January 1882, Alfred L. Tubbs, a San Francisco entrepreneur, purchased 254 acres of land two miles north of Calistoga. The complex volcanic, alluvial, and sedimentary soils were to produce a unique and distinctive wine. His magnificent chateau of stone quarries from nearby hillsides was soon built and in 1896, he christened his winery Chateau Montelena. Winemaking came to an end for the Tubbs family with Prohibition but the family stayed on their land until 1958. In that year, the land was sold to Yort & Jeannie Frank. Although the Franks did not reactivate the winery, they did landscape the grounds extensively. Today, you will find Jade Lake, arched bridges, red lacquered pavilions, and gardens reminiscent of Mr. Frank’s native homeland, China.The property was sold again in 1972, and, under the ownership of James Barrett, the vineyards came to life again. The 1973 Chardonnay won top honors for a white wine in Paris causing the beginning of a revolution in worldwide appreciation of Napa Valley wines. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the tasting room and were treated to the outstanding 1999 Montelena Cabernet Estate Sauvignon

On departing from Chateau Montelena, we drove south for lunch at COPIA, the American center for wine,food and the arts. Julia’s Kitchen, named for the patron saint of the pantry Julia Child, is the main dining room at Copia but as it was such a beautiful day, we sat outside under the olive trees. We were joined by the charming Bob and Nonie Travers of Mayacamas Vineyards who brought their delicious sweet sauvignon blanc to accompany our parfait of Copia garden apples dessert. Bob was initiated into the Order of the WineGeese and hopes to visit Kinsale and the Wine Museum next year, especially as it’s close to his ancestral home in Timoleague, County Cork. We were reluctant to leave Copia and would have liked more time to explore but knew it was time to get back to the Bay Area.

We arrived at the Stanford Park Hotel in Menlo Park and had a quick turnaround before departure for our farewell dinner at the stunning private home of Board Member Bill Walsh and his wife, Jane in Atherton. Our menu was prepared by acclaimed celebrity chef, Mark Sullivan (son of AIF Board Member, Craig) of the Village Pub in Woodside and our VIP speaker, Ken Jowitt, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution gave a powerful presentation about American foreign policy entitled, “The Humvee and the Apple”. That certainly worked up an appetite and we enjoyed a tremendous evening of excellent food, wonderful wines and great chat. Bill Walsh and AIF supporter, John Ryan, were the final two initiated into the Order of the WineGeese during our visit and Bill was presented by Ted Murphy with a gorgeous decanter.

And now the Napa WineGeese have flown...in preparation for their next stop in Bordeaux, June 2004. Remember, “From wine, what wondrous friendship springs” and we hope to see new and old friends on our next trip. We are so pleased that Ted Murphy will lead our group again!

For more information please contact
Marjorie Muldowney at (650)949-5239 or Netta Blanchard (469)-232-9601
Do come!