A Taste of Old and New at Alpha Omega Winery, Napa Valley

If you’re looking for something more laid back than your typical explore the grounds and taste the barrel, then head to the outdoor terrace at Alpha Omega Winery for a casual wine tasting experience.

I spoke about our private tour and tasting at Sinegal Estate in my previous post, but the beauty about Napa Valley is that you can experience a variety of wineries and tasting experiences. When we checked into the Ink House, an itinerary had been made for us. Our host, Brian, wanted to make sure we experienced all the different approaches wineries take to their wine tastings. Take Alpha Omega Winery for instance. If you are looking for a more laid back, less private approach to wine tasting then this is the place for you. Of course they offer private tastings as well, but we went for the more public one. Brian got the House Bentley started for us and we hopped in and were escorted to Alpha Omega Winery. Fore more on my experience at The Ink House, see my post The Ink House: You’ve Never Experienced Napa Valley Like This.

When you arrive on property, you will need to pass through the main indoor tasting room or bar area in order to get to the terrace. The modern touches in the room reflect the Alpha Omega approach to the winery, which I will elaborate on later on. 

Step onto their terrace and the first thing that strikes you is Alpha Omega Winery’s large pool. Something of note in Napa. You’ll notice that many wineries aren’t able to offer this sort of tranquility and approach to wine tastings, but Alpha Omega can. The pool contains five fountains in the middle. A porch wraps around the pool and Pat and I take a seat on one of the many lounge chairs facing the mountains and vineyards. The backdrop of the Napa Valley mountains make for the ultimate place to relax alongside other wine enthusiasts, locals, and vacationers alike.  

Alpha Omega Winery is a Bordeaux house. The name is derivative of the wineries style. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and represents the old-world wine making style. Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet and represents the new world and the fruit they utilize in Napa Valley.

After taking in the view, we were greeted by our Sommelier who talked us through the various wine tasting options—the Current Selection and Library Selection. Pat and I experienced both.

Patrick’s Library selection allowed us to taste the different wines and how they age, with wines up to 9 years old (2009), for just $75. We began with the Chardonnay 2011. 2011 was one of the coolest growing seasons in Napa history. Cooler climates mean higher acidity, giving the wine more pop to it. The wine was rich and oaky, sweet yet refined with a light taste of tropical fruit and apricot with an intense note of lemon. If you’re looking for a wine with a bit more bite, this is for you. As we enjoyed our wine, we wandered around the property and got a better look at the vineyard.

We nibbled on some crackers our Sommelier had brought us to cleanse our palette in between wines. Our Chardonnay was followed by the Proprietary Red 2012. This was crisper than the Chardonnay 2011 with very structured tannins and hints of cardamom and nutmeg spices masking a lot of the fruit. This was more up my alley and less oaky in flavor. Our third flight was the Cabernet Sauvignon 2012—rich in fruit, concentrated and powerful. This structured wine definitely retained the acidity levels from 2011, but still had that elegant and delicate taste to it. Our last flight was the Cabernet Sauvignon 2009. This was the oldest wine we had thus was more well-rounded and balanced. The age allowed the fruits and acid to merge together, which is why wine gets better with age. The wine had an after taste of baked cherry pie and spices, making it my favorite of the Library selection.

As we sipped our wine what we saw in front of us was 6 acres of the properties Sauvignon Blanc. The remainder of their wine is sourced from single vineyards in Napa Valley. They don’t just buy the grapes from the vineyards, but they manage the vineyards themselves to make sure the grapes stay true to Alpha Omega’s house style. They mix and match the terroirs in order to offer consumers a taste of the different terroirs in Napa, from valley floor to hillside to mountains and coast.

Moving on we focused on my Current Selection, which was a flight costing $50. We began with the Chardonnay Unoaked 2015 made in stainless steel tanks, giving the wine a Chablis-style taste. The result is a wine that leaves a crisp and clean palate with hints of green apple and pear and a strong aftertaste of acidity.

My second flight was a Chardonnay 2014. The grapes from this Chardonnay undergo malolactic fermentation, giving the wine this creamy butter taste. Alpha Omega maintains the wines heavy density and texture by using a technique where they go in everyday and stir the barrel so that the yeast on the bottom mixes with the wine. Although the scent is that of a chocolate, coconut and nutmeg, on the palate you taste fresh grapefruit and citrus with some lingering cherries. This rich yellow Chardonnay has a dry finish that fades away nicely.

FYI

For those who don’t know, malolactic wine is the process where the acid in wine is converted into a softer, creamier lactic acid. The same acid found in milk.

My third flight was a Proprietary Red 2014 with a high concentration of vanilla bean and black licorice this red was intense and opulent. The finish was lengthy and stuck with you. My last flight was a Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 so supple over the palate. Beautifully toasted with oak notes and rich in blackberry and vanilla, this rich yet muted wine left a velvety finish.

Trick

If you and another person’s wine are brought out simultaneously and you can’t remember which glass is yours, there is a trick you can use. If you turn your glass to the side, you can see that the older wine has more color variation from the middle of the glass to the outside. When it’s older it also looks browner vs. newer wine which is ruby red.

Towards the end of flights we got to talking to the couple next to us and started chit chatting about Napa Valley and our experiences thus far. Alpha Omega Winery is a casual place where you can sit alongside other wine enthusiasts, enjoy a glass of wine, and get to know people. It’s different than your typical private wine tasting experience and maybe a bit less personal, but it gives you the time to get to know others like you in the surrounding area while enjoying a taste of the Old World in the New World.

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