DRINK: Honig Vineyard & Winery

850 Rutherford Rd
Rutherford, CA 94573
(707) 963-5618
Appointment Only


A few months ago, I took a job that landed me in the wine industry. I'd always been curious about wine, especially living so close to Wine Country, but I was hesitant about getting into the whole food & wine scene in the Bay Area. One thing that has always turned me off about it (wine in particular) is the level of pretentiousness that seems to be rampant within the industry. Napa Valley is absolutely full of food & wine snobs, and I don't have the energy to feign knowledge of the origins of Zinfandel or to pretend to know what the hell "legs" are on my Merlot.

Have no fear, wine n00bs - Honig is the Anti-Snob.

At Honig, it's like being invited to someone's house - the tasting room feels just like a friend's kitchen, with a granite island and rustic wooden table. And your friend knows a lot about wine, and isn't going to make YOU feel bad for not knowing a damn thing. Honig specializes in two varietals - Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Honig even sells shirts that say "Friends don't let friends drink Chardonnay." Hilarious. "Honig" means "honey" in German, and if you forget that, you'll remember when you see the bee logo! The property is small, and the staff is equally little - it seems that many of them have been working there for years.

We showed up fairly late on Saturday afternoon without realizing they were appointment only, but David (aka The Guam Bomb) poured us some wine anyway, and didn't rush us out. We got to hear a little bit about the winery, their sustainable practices, about the winery's dogs, and actually ended up tasting their entire library of wines (the honey-colored 2004 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc was wonderful if you like dessert wines, but they may not have any left by the time you read this!). We ended up meeting a couple from SF that shared the large inside table with the three of us, and David sat down with us and it basically ended up feeling more like a casual afternoon with old friends than wine tasting in Rutherford! (There are two seating areas - inside (photo above) and outside - a nice patio area with lots of shade for those warm Napa Valley days.)

A few tasting notes:

2007 Honig Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley - one of my favorite wines, easy to drink and perfect "introductory" wine for friends of mine who aren't really wine at all. I like that they use stainless steel, as it leaves the wine crisper and cleaner on the palate.

2008 Honig Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley - very inexpensive and nice to have on hand as a casual drinking wine. Just like the 2007, very clean and easy to drink. Would go great with many Asian foods that lean towards the sour (like my mom's chicken adobo!).

2003 Honig Cabernet Sauvignon Bartolucci Vineyards - probably one of my absolute favorite Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa, but at $100 a bottle, I can't quite bring myself to buy it. The tannins have smoothed out quite nicely and the wine is still full bodied without being heavy on your palate.

2006 Honig Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc - If you can't get your hands on the 2004 (and you probably can't), definitely invest in a bottle of the 2006. Totally worth it. A great dessert wine with subtle honey notes and a pretty golden hue.

Suffice to say, Honig is now one of my regular stops when I'm up in Napa Valley. Here's a little video of our friend (and now home-skillet) David talking about Honig. Isn't he a cutie?