GREAT EATS HAWAII: DEL DOTTO ST. HELENA VENETIAN ESTATE WINERY AND CAVES

DEL DOTTO

ST. HELENA, CALIFORNIA

DEL DOTTO

ST. HELENA VENETIAN ESTATE WINERY AND CAVES

1445 ST. HELENA HWY SOUTH

ST. HELENA, CA 94574

707-96302134

www.deldottovineyards.com

Del Dotto should be on every wine enthusiasts places to visit when in Napa. It is a little different than most wineries with a younger, hipper and thirstier crowd. Even their website recommends visiting here on the weekdays because it can get pretty crowded, wild and crazy on the weekends. We rolled into Del Dotto after getting primed at one other winery. The other people in our group tour had been to five. Suffice to say they were pretty lit up by the time they grabbed a glass at Del Dotto. Me and my buddy were odd men out as everyone in our group was coupled up. We were given a glass of White Wine as soon as we paid the $60 fee here. Then we were led into the wine cave where we tasted several wines right out of the barrels. Glass after glass and everyone was feeling pretty darn good. We were then led upstairs to a lounge area where appetizers were served. I was not to interested in hanging out with the intoxicated couples so I told my buddy that I was going downstairs to hit the bathroom. He said cool and I walked downstairs and was passing the kitchen that was in full action getting ready for a party this night. A gentlemen literally grabbed me by the arm and said "hey, how you doin". I said "great". The man introduced himself as Dave Del Dotto the owner of the winery. Holy Cow I thought. This is Dave himself. I asked Dave some questions about how he got in the wine business and he started to tell me about his early days when he pioneered the infomercial with a real estate lesson. He then went onto write books and amass a fortune flooding the early days of cable with his informercials. Fortunes were made and lost before he was thirty. I told Dave I was from Hawaii and he told me stories of how he did infomercials from the Beach in Kona and then in Waikiki. Now Dave spends a month a year in Maui at a great resort. We kept talking and Dave asked me if I wanted some pizza. He grabbed a pie from one of his waiters and we stood and talked while eating some really good pizza. Dave asked if I wanted to see the kitchen and I said yes. We walked in and he showed me the freshest of vegetables, Rack of Lamb and other items that were being prepared for an evening party. He pointed to his Chef and told me that he was the best and came from Per Se in New York. We then walked into the dining room where food was beginning to be presented. Dave was excited about the food and quality being served this night. There was an excitement in his voice that I will never forget. All in all we spent about a half an hour talking one on one. Great to hear his stories and his life journey that has landed him in Napa. I then went upstairs and grabbed my buddy so I could take him down to meet Dave. We went back down and Dave took more time to say hi and chat. What a day at Del Dotto. Oh....the wines. They were great!