Last night Anita and I enjoyed a couple juicy, delicious Tortas from Tres Hermanas, the best Mexican restaurant in the Los Angeles area. Trust me, when I say the best, I really mean the BEST! But before dinner we decided to open our palates with something extra special. Thus, we chose the 2007 Arger-Martucci Viognier.

Be warned that this is no ordinary white wine. I first discovered it at the 2009 Family Winemakers of California presentation last March. It was actually Anthony Arger (winemaker’s son and director of sales & marketing) who invited me to come. Needless to say I wouldn’t miss it for the world; another great opportunity to represent the Napa Valley and support my peeps.

The Discovery

Due to the popularity of the event, it was hard for me see over the shoulders of the gathering crowd. Anthony reached for my glass and quickly poured me a taste of their first white wine. I lifted it to my nose… elegant hints of melon and peach decorated my senses and it took me a moment to realize exactly what I was about to taste. It was then that Anthony smiled back and introduced me to their Viognier and the rest of their delicious wines.

This experienced ruined me for white wine. In fact it’s all I could think about. Since I couldn’t purchase any wine at the event, I would just have to wait until the next time I was in Napa. About two weeks later I gave into temptation and scheduled a barrel tasting at their winery.

My Epiphany

The Barrel Tasting itself was a pivotal moment in my life. My family joined me on this journey and it was here that I met the Estate Vineyard Manager Chris Maschauer. Never in my life have I met someone who knew so much about farming, the environment, the history of Napa and the role everything plays into the creation of the wines they produce. We spent over 2 hours in the barrel room doing what I love most, tasting wine and discussing the politics and technology changing the wine business.

I left that winery with a new focus. My destination was clear. I was meant to be in this industry and there was nothing in this world that could keep me from doing just that.