Look up "Tulocay" on
the internet and usually the first thing you get is the cemetery
down the road. Like where dead people hang out.
In case anybody's wondering, that's not us. Well, we might act like zombies
sometimes, especially after a long afternoon of wine tasting, but by and
large we're very much alive, thank you very much.
And who are "we"?
Well, first there's Bill, then there's Mark, and then there's me, Skippy,
Chief Cellar Rat. And there are also various other good friends like Mickey
and Ron.
Bill is the boss. He has owned the place ever since he founded
the winery in 1974.
He quickly became known in Napa Valley wine insider circles for making
not only outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons but exquisite Pinot Noirs, some
of which have been confused for French Burgundy in older vintage blind
tastings.
Mark Bunter is our wine consultant. He's been with us for many
years, and has a lot to do with crafting "the Tulocay style."
What makes Tulocay wines unique?
The winery itself is located in the Coombsville district
just east of downtown Napa. This was once an area devoted to horse farms, but
now has come into its own for its uniquely cool grape growing climate (relative
to the rest of upper Napa Valley). The Haynes and Rancho Sarco vineyards are
located in the Coombsville district.
As Napa Valley wineries go, Tulocay is
one of the oldest. It's also one of the smallest. And just in case you're wondering,
it doesn't have any trams, fancy tours, gift shops or anything else if the
sort. And, oh yeah... It's NOT owned by a mega international corporation. | I see you have a lot of older wines in your repertoire. How come?
There are two reasons:
First, Tulocay wines are made to develop with age. Most are bottled unfined
and unfiltered, leaving in the wines all the "stuff" that nature
endowed them with. That means they are capable of aging for a
long time, unlike so many of the corporate wines of today that are fashioned
for the "drink
me now" generation.
Second, we are terrible marketers, which means we believe in the old-fashioned
way of selling wines; that is, from the winemaker directly (as possible)
to the customer. Wine is a connection. It is family. We would like nothing
more than to know each and every person who buys each and every bottle
of our wine.
Gee, can anyone visit your winery? Do visitors have to pay a tasting fee?
"Yes" to the first question. "Not at all" to the second.
Unlike the hoity-toity tourist-focused wineries that Napa has (unfortunately)
become famous for, we offer FREE tastings and our own "down home" style
of tour — just
like Napa Valley used to be in the old days before it became Beverly
Hillsified.
And you're even welcome to bring a lunch here and dine at our picnic
table under the giant oak in the front patio. The only requirement is
to give Bill a call in advance so he can make sure someone's around. Fair
enough?
If you need to get a hold of him, all the contact info you need is below.
We look forward to seeing you!
— Skippy, Chief Cellar Rat
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