Foodie Chap Visits Homage Winery In Calistoga

CALISTOGA (CBS SF) - Avia was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY in 1990. She began her career as a chef at the Bayrischer Hof in Munich, and then took on a restaurant management role at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York. In 1995 she moved to the Portland Oregon area and served first as a butcher, then had her own culinary school at a local organic supermarket. It was working as a butcher that she met her husband Simon.

Since moving to the Napa Valley Avia has served in several roles in the food and beverage industry, most recently finishing a stint as the Forager for Farmstead Restaurant. Avia now works full time at Homage vineyard and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the wine business as well as sales, hospitality and managing to look after the farm itself. She also speaks fluent Spanish.

Avia has been the driving force behind taking homage vineyard from a run down vineyard to a small producer of high quality wines. It is her love of the Napa Valley and passion for the vineyard that has allowed Homage to begin its new year.

We met in Calistoga recently for our Foodie Chap chat. Please enjoy our wine fueled conversation.

Cheers, Liam!

WINE NOTES

Homage
2014 "Maestro" Dry Riesling

Homage Dry Riesling has 0.3% residual sugar and is bone dry. It is the perfect warm weather and first course wine. It has a green apple and peach aromas. The mouth feel is crisp and balanced with stone fruit and gooseberry flavors. It has a clean flinty, and mineral finish. The wine is named "Maestro" as this is what Avia calls Simon at home as an ironic appreciation of his inability to be handy at manual tasks around Homage Vineyard.

Homage La Amante'
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

La Amante', or The Mistress, is Homage Vineyard's finest expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. Only made in 2012, and using only fruit from the best block on Homage Vineyard. The wine was fermented in open top, new French Oak barrels and aged for 2½ years in French Oak. Only 120 Cases were produced.

 
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