The result is an aroma of toasty almond and ripe mango, plus a rich palate of chamomile, peaches, and notes of vanilla. A hint of oak lingers in the long finish.

At the end of the meal, Barbara simply said, “Let’s drink the ÂME more often.” She’s right. We won’t be having it just on special occasions now.

One of the highlights of this past week was having dinner with Bob Travers, the man who hired me for my first Napa Valley job, Assistant Winemaker at Mayacamas Winery.

We had some good news last week, when I learned from our old friend Daniel Brunier that he was going to be in California for a few days.