Julia and I have been friends and colleagues since we met on the crushpad at Tenbrink in 2012, her first year in Napa.

It is Julia who brought Mt. Veeder to my attention. It is because of her that I have brought you the Mt. Veeder Fantasia. I can’t point to anyone in Napa I have learned more from or whose opinions I trust more. She began revealing, about nine years ago, what you could call an obsession with Mt. Veeder.  At first, I was merely charmed, in a way that reflects badly on my judgement. She served blind, night after night, Mt. Veeder wines from the 70s to the early 2000s. They were really good, one after another. After a few years, I paid attention and began realizing that something special was taking place on Veeder. But-- “What is so special about Veeder?” is what I thought deep down.

And then Julia and her partner Rob somehow put together a deal to buy land on Veeder. That land is planted and will bear fruit this year.

We will discuss their project but mostly we will drink classical wines of Mt. Veeder and discuss in piercing detail what makes Veeder so special.