Napa Valley’s esteemed Palmaz Vineyards has announced a new tasting menu. It combines exceptional, elegant wines with carefully constructed food pairings for an escapade of culinary bliss. Beginning with a pour of 2022 Louis Riesling, the menu evolves and showcases Palmaz’s wine-making prowess, including a range of Cabernet Sauvignons paired with dishes like the Wagyu Gyoza, concluding with its 2022 Florencia Muscat for dessert.
This elegant, innovative tasting menu is just one example of what sets Palmaz Vineyards apart. The small-scale, second-generation, family-run operation is located on the historic property of the old Cedar Knoll Vineyard and Winery, founded by western settler Henry Hagen in 1881. (The Napa Valley road on which Palmaz Vineyards is located is named after Hagen.) Hagen was a true Napa Valley pioneer; his noteworthy wines were featured at the San Francisco Opera House and served to the city’s VIPs, and his Cedar Knoll brandy won a silver medal at a Paris competition in 1889.
After Hagen passed away in 1895, the property’s winemaking endeavors were abandoned until the Palmaz family purchased the property nearly 100 years later and restored it to its former glory. Hagen’s pioneering spirit inspires and fuels Palmaz Vineyards to this day.
Embedded within the feet of Mount George, Palmaz’s subterranean winery utilizes gravity-flow and finish technology, which works remarkably with the cave’s old-style, natural temperature control. The combination of this, the 24-tank fermentation dome, and its vast landscapes, all work toward one common goal.
Visitors of Palmaz Vineyards have the option of private tours and tastings, indulging in the seasonal wine and truffle pairings, and, of course, this fresh and exciting tasting menu. Plus, the exclusive Brasas Club offers members exclusive access to both high-end and casual Brasas estate events, new wines prior to their public release, and a custom-curated wine assortment upon joining.
The Tasting Menu:
Reception – 2022 Louis Riesling
2019 Amalia Chardonnay paired with Winter Squash Veloute – Ginger Apple Mostarda
2021 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Curry Braised GVR Beef Arancini and Japanese Curry Yuzu Aoli
2019 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon paired with GVR Wagyu Gyoza, Smoked Ponzu, and Black Sesame
2017 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Braised Short Rib, Plum and Truffle Bordelaise, Puffed Rice, and Scallion
Dessert – 2020 Florencia Muscat paired with Candied Winter Citrus and Valrhona White Chocolate
With its combination of 19th century California history, a depth and breadth of fine wines, ambitious culinary program, and show-stopping architecture and technology, Palmaz is most definitely one of Napa’s most distinctive wineries.
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Photos courtesy of Palmaz Vineyards