James Cole Estate Winery» James Page

WE’RE ALL MAD HERE. I’M MAD, YOU’RE MAD, WE’RE ALL MAD. (5/30/10)

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:51:04 +0000

Thank you to everyone who came out and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon with as we hosted our first ALICE IN WONDERLAND party. We found ourselves both challenged and having fun transforming the winery into what we hope came across as a magical world from a classic childhood adventure.

We are so happy with our 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 “Umbral” Reserve, we wanted to think outside the box from our traditional tastings and arrange a day of fun while releasing what we think is some of our best wines to date.

And what better way to enjoy these wines than to sit back and listen to the tunes of Johnny Smith, dive into a gourmet spread from our good friend Angel, and watch Abel capture the day on his canvas as the day went on. Not to mention the supersized chess game set, bocce ball, ladder ball and other “big” games set out about the garden.

We are already thinking of things to incorporate into this event next year, so we look forward to seeing all those who attended again — as well as some new faces.

In the meantime, here a few of our favorite quirky quotes from Alice in Wonderland — feel free to write us back and provide some of yours so we can post them too!

The King
“Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

Alice
“You’re nothing but a pack of cards!”

Doorknob
“Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction.”

Alice
“It would be so nice if something made sense for a change.”

It is going to be a taco summer. (5/6/10)

admin — Fri, 07 May 2010 04:36:28 +0000

My wife and I lead busy lives. We try to steal time together whenever we can. So while my invite to have a taco with her last night at a local mexican taqueria to celebrate cinco de mayo back-fired because she had to work late….until after 2a.m. to be exact — I threw the offer out again this evening. And guess what?….she accepted. So, I came home tonight with some fresh crab, cilantro, avocado, lemons and authentic corn-milled tortillas and paired it with our 2008 Chardonnay — little did I know that we just experienced our perfect ‘go to’ meal for the summer! Stay in touch with us….this just may inspire a “Wine Club Member Only” event to be enjoyed along side a good game of bocce ball this summer. !Salud!

What goes up, must come down! (3/21/10)

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:12:42 +0000

It’s a funny thing when you wake up on the first day of spring and you’re celebrating your wife’s birthday with a latte and a breakfast burrito …. and then the next thing you know a hot air balloon is making an unscheduled landing in your front yard. So what do you do? Greet them with a glass of Chardonnay, of course — while still your pajamas at the early hour of 8:00am. Here are some pics from this past Sunday morning…. (Sidenote: I chose to show you the cute pictures of the kids as Colleen deleted the one of her in her pj’s and unkempt hair)

If James’ doesn’t have time to drop a few lines, then I will! (3/2/10)

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:12:12 +0000

It is hard to believe that we are already into March with Spring just around the corner. Before, I lose myself in excitement about the prospect of sunshine, let me first thank all our amazing and supportive James Cole clients.

As most of you know, James and I have worked for many years to realize our dream of making best-in-class wines — and through it all, it seems we underestimated what a truly amazing experience it would be to get to know our loyal customers. We love sharing stories, telling jokes, and just kicking back with you all when we are around for your visits.

Speaking of which…James and I continue to juggle a million things (between our children and day jobs), so we may not always be as present as we’d like – but we check in with Lisa and Ben every day to see who visited and a little about each person’s experience in the winery. And of course, we are just a click away and always look forward to your direct (and unbiased) feedback. So let us know how we are doing!

Now about that sunshine….everything around us it just ready to bloom. No bud break yet, but the cherry and plum blossoms are a plenty. So allergies aside, we hope you are planning a trip our way soon. We are excited to share the new release of our 2008 Chardonnay (yum) and 2008 Merlot Icewine (OMG, is this good). You won’t be disappointed.

All the best,

– Colleen (Cole)

Family fun in an empty tank!

Salute to the kings… (9/1/09)

James — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:55:36 +0000

As I get ready for another harvest, I have been thinking a lot lately about some of the men that have paved the way for us here in the Napa Valley. There are two men in particular that really set the tone for creating world class wines from this region: Mr. Robert Mondavi (who I had the pleasure to meet and offered me great advice 15 years ago when I was just starting out) as well as Mr. André Tchelistcheff (The Maestro) whom I never met, but his ideas still resonate with us all today. Thank you gentlemen, I salute you both tonight with a glass of Napa Valley Cabernet!

I’m not into ratings… (8/14/09)

James — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:22:15 +0000

“I’m not into ratings. The day that I’m satisfied with what I do is the day I give up.”

– Keith Richards

Thanks Keith! I couldn’t have said it better myself. People often ask me if my wines have ever been rated from publications like the Wine Spectator or Robert Parker, and the answer is no. I dont’ submit my wines for ratings and I never will. Nothing against those wineries that do, its’ just not for us.