Clif Family
If you’re spending the day cruising around the Howell Mountain wineries and are looking for a place to have lunch, chances are you will have a difficult time finding a spot…unless you know of this hidden gem. Where to even begin…I’ve visited close to 400 wineries in my career, and the experience I had here stands out above them all. Why? If you like superb wine, healthy/organic/tasty food, good business practices, ethical decisions and believe in the integrity of humanity…then this is your place.
You may be familiar with the Clif Family name because you’ve probably seen their parent company Clif Bars in your travels, an all-natural energy bar popular amongst bicyclists-but those bars are just a teaser of what they have to offer.
Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford discovered the sublime combination of bicycling, food, wine and hospitality in Italy, and resolved to bring these experiences home with them to Napa County. They moved to Howell Mountain and began creating their own wines. In time they established their food truck The Bruschetteria, which paved the way for the food and wine pairings that I was fortunate enough to experience this week. And I can’t stop thinking about it. I have visited the winery/tasting room numerous times and each time I am greeted with the warmest, most sincere hospitality. So much so that the first time I visited I signed up with the wine club and bought Gary’s book, Raising The Bar. Gary and Kit are true entrepreneurial leaders. While developing the company they did not sell out to the status quo but instead listened to the inner voice. In this day and age, it’s rarity to find.
My experience began with being greeted by Tom Inners with a glass of Chardonnay. I enjoyed it as we strolled through the vineyards and discussed their all organic farming practices. Most of their produce comes from their own farm, and I later got to taste the results in the form of a delectable Firecracker Kale Salad with toasted coconut, seeds, and Clif Family Maple Curry Cashews & Peanuts, Mary’s Organic Roast Chicken w/ Rosemary oil and lemons & Mixed Bean & Zucchini vegetable side with lemon aioli and hazelnut dukkah paired with 2016 Kit’s Killer Howell Mountain Cabernet & 2016 Cold Springs Estate Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.
You can enjoy lunch with a full tasting experience. They offer a $40 chicken or vegetable lunch (this does not include the wine pairing), or $60 for the steak option.
The house/ outdoor dining area where the tasting takes place was built in the 1930’s, and it is utterly charming. Nestled in the peaceful nature that is Howell Mountain, it’s impossible to not just put your worries aside and immerse yourself in this thoughtful and exquisite food and wine experience. If you have to choose just one memorable food and wine pairing while in Napa County, I believe this should be on your list. - Lea Gourley/Dandy Noel
“We’re working to run a different kind of company: The kind of place we’d want to work, that makes the kind of food we’d like to eat, and that strives for a healthier, more sustainable world-the kind of world we’d like to pass on to our children”
