As for Napa, they too have a rich history, yet it is one more of rags to riches than of landed gentry. Here, with their all too reliable sunshine and rainless summers, they craft wines that display purity of fruit, seamless tannins, soft mid-palates, and simply put, gobs of flavor. Both locales, however, offer up many exceptions to these stereotypes, leaving one to consider the producer and not the region alone.

We will taste a number of wines blind so you can decide without the label which you prefer. We will also sample wines of different price points to determine if the higher priced bottles are actually worth the added cost. Older vintages will also play a role with overall bottle prices for the tasting ranging from $20 up to $100. We will accompany the wines with a number of perfectly aged cheeses, some French, some American.