Until the 1980’s, I don’t think I had ever gone to Napa Valley. There was no reason to, really. I didn’t drink wine and it was just another farming region as far as I was concerned. Besides, it had only recently become famous for the Judgment of Paris.

But after our life-changing trip to Bordeaux, D’Aun and I knew we had to visit Napa. It was our first day of wine tasting, hopping from winery to winery. We were both enchanted by the beauty and calmness of the Valley (remember, this was before the crowds).

At some point we passed a winery called Caymus Vineyards. I had heard of the wine and knew it was suppose to be good, so we pulled in to check it out. There were no cars in the parking lot; no people to be found anywhere. Hmmm…I hope this isn’t a bad sign.

We walked into the tasting room. My memory of details is weak now, but I remember the tasting room as being tiny, with a small bar that had seating for perhaps four guests. Behind the bar was an older guy, wearing suspenders or perhaps overalls, with a look of boredom on his face. We sat down and without saying much he poured us a glass of wine. Not a taste, mind you, but a full glass.

It was delicious. Unbelievable, actually. I think our enthusiasm brought out a smile in the old farmer. We began chatting. I asked him for his name; it was Charlie. Something about his demeanor, his inner confidence, made me pause. Maybe it’s because I’ve worked with small business owners all my life and was raised in a family run business, but I sensed this was no ordinary farmer. I asked him what he did around here, sensing the answer. He said, “Pretty much everything.” D’Aun, bless her completely guileless heart, asked, “Oh, so you must own this place?” He smiled and nodded, “Yes, you could say that.”

We were sitting at the counter, by ourselves, with the legendary Charles Wagner. What a treat!

And what great wine. Not long after this I was in Safeway and found a bottle of 1979 Caymus Special Selection for $9.99. I bought a bottle and we had it for dinner. It was incredible. A few days later I went back to Safeway to buy more, but it was now at $29.99 a bottle! I asked why, and it turns out the $9.99 was simply mislabeled because the stock clerk had forgotten to add the 2 to the price! I bought a bottle anyway and we enjoyed it for Thanksgiving.

Earlier this year I boarded a plane for a business trip. I had the aisle seat, and the guy in the window seat was intently working on his new iPad. Father’s Day was coming up and I had begged for an iPad, so I started talking to him about the new toy. In the midst of the conversation I sensed my traveling companion was more than just the normal hurried business commuter. Sure enough … it was Chuck Wagner, Charlie’s son and now CEO/President of Caymus Vineyards. We talked about our fathers (Charlie passed away a few years ago, as did my father), about the oddities of a family business, and about the wine industry. For me it was a fast 5-hour flight; hopefully I didn’t bore him.

Today I’m an unabashed fan of Caymus. For most people it’s not a wine to drink every day because of the cost, but when you want a truly great wine for a special occasion, Caymus should be near the top of the list. Their Cabernet Sauvignon ($70) is great; their Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection ($130) is legendary. And their Zinfandel is a wonderful wine at a much more affordable price ($32). They also produce other wines, but the big reds are what makes them famous.

Even though Charlie Wagner is gone, D’Aun and I still remember that time we found ourselves sipping wine with him in an otherwise empty tasting room. To this day D’Aun still calls him “Mr. Caymus.” And I suppose he was. So if you find Caymus wine in Safeway for $9.99, buy everything they’ve got! And if you see a guy in 5A working on an iPad muttering about early Autumn rains, be sure to smile and ask him about his Dad or his sons. You won’t be disappointed by the wine or the people. And that’s ultimately what wine is all about.