The Count of Buena Vista is alive and well at Buena Vista Winery. Well, the actual count, Agoston Haraszthy died in 1869 where it is presumed he was eaten by Alligators in Nicaragua. George Webber now has the mantle of Count of Buena Vista and I couldn’t help but get sucked in to history being brought back to life. Buena Vista was one of the first wineries in California and is working to establish themselves as not just a winery but a living piece of history.
I love heading to wineries and spending time in the tasting room geeking out over the nuances of what’s in the bottle with a winemaker. But I have to remember that there is more to visiting a winery than looking to stock my collection at home. Buena Vista is as much about the experience as it is about the wine. They are very good at what they are doing. I have no tasting notes from my visit there, but I liked every wine I tasted.
The facility is a marriage of old and new with some of the earliest caves carved right out of a hillside that currently houses some barrels. The winery was very busy while I was there but there is no shortage of costumed staff to attend to the customers. There is a museum dedicated to the history of winemaking in California that includes some tools that were used in the failed attempt to fight of phylloxera. For a Canadian it’s interesting to see the painstaking work taken to earthquake proof the property to help preserve this piece of history.
The highlight was definitely having a tour by the Count. George is much more than just a hired actor who is playing a part he knows his stuff. As much as he knows the history of the life of the original Count of Buena Vista he was able to geek out to any questions I had about what I was drinking. Needless to say that in spite of all the touristy glitz Buena Vista is a serious winery ready to handle even the most cynical wine snobs.
As I said, I have no tasting notes from what I sampled at the winery. I make no apologies about this. Visiting Buena Vista is about more than just picking up a bottle or two. When I didn’t even notice the dull ache in my cheeks from smiling so much throughout the afternoon. If you do plan on visiting the winery make sure you’re not in a rush you will need a couple of hours to experience everything the winery has to offer.
I will make one note about something I tasted. I am not the biggest fan of Californian Pinot Noir but I definitely recognize that they have developed their own style and have run with it. The 2013 Private Reserve Pinot does offer something a little more delicate than anything else I tasted while in California while still very much offering a distinctly Californian style. I have no qualms about raising a glass of Pinot to the count. (****+)
