As some of you know, I flew out to a wedding in California’s
Napa Valley two weeks ago expecting the new…and finding an old friend.
We saw the Giant Coastal Redwoods in the Muir Woods National
Monument north of San Francisco; rode the historic San Francisco Cable Cars;
saw toppled redwood trees petrified into solid rock when covered by volcanic
ash over four million years ago; and watched one of only three “old faithful”
geysers in the world in Calistoga.
Then there was the California sticker shock. An ordinary
salad bar in the CalMart sold for almost $8 a pound, with not an ounce of
lobster, caviar, or pâté to be found. In addition a gallon of regular gasoline
was going for an average of $3.17 a gallon.
The tiny touristy town of Calistoga where we stayed in the
northern-most reaches of the Napa Valley was a combination of California funk
and Wild West quaint.
And what’s with that name…Calistoga?
In 1846, Sammuel Brannan purchased 2,000 acres of land with
the intention of creating spas to rival those of Saratoga Springs in New York.
Brannon was slated to boast in a speech, “This town will be the Saratoga of
California.” But somehow his pomp or perhaps the early Napa Valley wines got
the best of him, and it came out, “This town will be the Calistoga of
Sarifornia.” Ooops!
The name “Calistoga” stuck, and today on its one main
street, is the aptly named Café Sarifornia.
But we also found a nice surprise in Calistoga that made us
feel right at home.
Perched precariously on the edge of the Napa River (less
than half the width of the Brandywine as it flows through Calistoga) sat the
Vermeil Winery with their appropriately named OnThEdge label. Its sign was
classic laid-back California, listing hours as “10:00-5:30-ish”
The walls of the reception room were adorned with framed
football posters and photos featuring Dick Vermeil former head coach of the
Philadelphia Eagles.
So what’s a hometown Philadelphia boy doing making wine in
the Napa Valley of northern California?
The surprising answer: Dick Vermeil was born in his great
grandfather’s home in Calistoga, Calif.
After successful coaching stints with Stanford, the Los
Angeles Rams and UCLA, Vermeil was hired to take over as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in
1976, a career that was highlighted by an NFC Championship in 1980 and a trip
to Super Bowl XV.
Returning to the L.A. Rams and leading them to their first
Super Bowl victory in 1999, Vermeil then teamed with winemaker Paul Smith of
OnThEdge Wines with over 30 years of experience in the wine field, including 17
years with Robert Mondavi.
The foundation for the majority of their best wines is the
Frediani Vineyards where the warm Calistoga days and cool foggy nights combine
to produce fruit rich in color and flavor density.
Winemaker Smith is married to the ultra vivacious Mary Sue
Frediani-Smith, tasting room manager and co-owner of the Frediani vineyards,
who greeted us that day and led us through the museum-like display of family
photos and history.
A current price list shows the Jean Louis Vermeil Cabernet
Sauvignon, named for both of Vermeil’s great grandfathers, selling at $85 a
bottle.
So what did I miss in California? The lush green hills of
Pennsylvania…and Dick Vermeil leading the Eagles again.
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About Sally Jane Denk-Hoey
Current OccupationHionis Properties- 1986 to present; Exec.Assist. to Loukianos HionisPresident- Sanderson Museum, Chadds Ford, PA. 2005 – presentSenior Vice President- 1999- 2005President- Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates, Chadds Ford, PA. 1984 – 19902nd Vice President- 1997 -2001 Daily Local News- 1989 -1999 CorrespondentThe Upland School 1979 – 1986 EducationMasters Degree cum laude, West Chester UniversityHobbiesFolk Balladeer, “Bard of the Brandywine” CDRevolutionary War re-enactor with the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment Hiking nature trails on Assateague Islands, VASailing Penobscot Bay, Maine
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