Pavi Wines was founded by a husband wife team, Pavi and Rob. Besides the obvious reason for the name of this winery, Pavi pays homage to her strong Italian heritage and all their wines are made from Italian varietals. Rob is the winemaker and has a long family history in the wine industry. Rob was past CEO of the well-known Napa Wine Co and naturally his wines are made here and is where we met him for this review. Pavi specializes in three very affordably priced wines, two Pinot Grigio's and a Dolcetto and if you know Napa wines, these are not varieties you typically find at area wineries. As a result, it is always refreshing to taste some "lesser" known area varietals. We tried their 2006 Pinot Grigio sourced from various California vineyards. You won't go broke with this wine as it is amazingly priced. It has the viscosity, weight and character of a Pinot Grigio that is priced much higher.
We also tried their flagship wine which is their Napa Valley Pinot Grigio. The fruit for this wine comes from the Oakville and Carneros appellations. This blends grapes from a warmer with a cooler growing climate. In addition, the grapes are harvested at different sugar levels throughout the harvest to best obtain flavors and show the varietal characteristics. This wine is aged Surlie (aged on deposits of dead yeast and other wine matter formed after fermentation which helps provide additional flavors). The end result is very nice. The wine has a viscous mouth feel with lots of floral tropical flavors in the aromas. Drinking this wine can magically whisk you off to Hawaii or some other exotic tropical place! It has more depth of flavors than their California version with some pear fruit characteristics on the palate.
Dolcetto is a northern Italian varietal rarely made in the valley. Pavi's version is characteristic of how this varietal tastes but with ripe California grown fruit. Its a nice easy everyday drinking wine that is somewhat fruity with raspberry and cherry flavors. Both their grapes for the Napa Pinot Grigio and their Dolcetto come from certified organic vineyards. Look for several other interesting varietals to be released in the near future including Vin Santo which is a sweet Italian dessert wine and a Super Tuscan blend. Rob is actively involved in several Italian winery projects as well as with the Vines of Mendoza, in Argentina. You can taste Pavi Wines in Napa Wine Co's Cult Tasting Room (they have their own identifying plaque and tasting section on the counter). Visit: www.paviwines.com
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Open to Public: Private, You can taste at Napa Wine Co
Appointments: No
Regular Tours: No
Hours: N/A
Phone: 963-9566
Address: Oakville
 Winery Website
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