Orropas = Saporro

I visited a beautiful little winery called St. Clement on one of my first trips to Napa Valley. I was with a group of friends and after countless tastings and a bottle of Sauv Blanc on their patio, we found ourselves rolling down their hill like school children…yes we were drunk. I LOVED this little winery. It was what a winery should be…small production, family run, awesome wines, and a warm and relaxed atmosphere to take it all in…until I found out that it was owned by Japanese brewer Saporro. It’s not that I’m not a beer lover (I actually brew my own beer), but this “little winery” lost its luster once I found out that it was part of a corporate machine. That was, until I returned a year later and splurged on a bottle of their signature red called Orropas. OK…I was back in love…corporate machine or not. This was an awesome wine. St. Clement has since been sold into the Beringer empire, and I must admit that I’ve enjoyed many a bottle of Orropas since my rediscovery of the winery. I was back at St. Clement a couple of months ago with a friend of a friend who works for Beringer…she was outgoing, extraordinarily generous, and very knowledgeable…and she taught me this little tidbit: Orropas spells Saporro backwards. I should have figured this one out on my own, but oh well (I’m not that bright when I’m buzzed). The name is a tribute to the wine’s history, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be changed. Thanks to my friend’s corporate discount, I left with a number of bottles of Orropas. I’ll always remember rolling down the hill in front of the little winery, and will surely enjoy drinking their wine for years to come…big business or not.