While in Napa Valley, the group I was accompanied by made quite a few stops. A few that stood out were Raymond Vineyards and Winery, as well as Wente Vineyards.
        
          Raymond Winery has quite a remarkable selection of wines. The group I was with was given a tour and tasting by their director of wine making, Stephanie Putnam. One of the wines I really enjoyed was a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Husic lot. The Husic Cabernet was from the barrel and will be used in a Cabernet only blend known as Generations. We were given a number of bottles to sample and we were shown the new label they will be coming out with in the upcoming vintages. The winery was located in the middle of an area of their vines. It had interesting art work on the lawn before you walk in. They have a lot of landscaping and redesigning right now but in a few months, and until they redesign the grounds again, it will be a beautiful area to visit. Currently, we were told, they are working towards becoming a bio-dynamic winery. Overall, my impression of Raymond was nice, I wouldn't mind going back in a year or so to see how the renovation has come along, and re-sample the Husic!

    Wente Vineyards is located in a small area south of Napa Valley in Livermore Valley. The colors we saw while touring and tasting, and enjoying dinner at The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards, were incredible! I know why they have a Chardonnay named Morning Fog. You can watch the orange grasses on the hills give way to the crystal clear skies with spots of lush green coming from the vines. If you visit this winery, you must stop for a wonderfully high class dinning experience at The Restaurant. While touring the vineyards and tasting the wines, we were able to sample some of Karl Wente's own wine, The Nth Degree. Did I mention Karl Wente took us around his winery? He is the wine maker at his family owned winery and gets very hands on in his job, he definitely has a passion for his work. Our group found out that Wente Vineyards also makes some other wines we are all familiar with, Tamas Estates for example, as well as a hot item in my store, Hayes Ranch. Livermore Valley is a different little town with its hidden treasures, I would highly recommend you check them out!