A Ferrari of distinguished vintage

Great wine and Ferraris get better with age. Few things compare to a crystal goblet filled with my favourite Chardonnay or Riesling from the orchards of Niagara, or a full-bodied Pinot from the wine regions of California. And when it comes to the stable of stallions from Maranello, Italy, what else is there to say but incredible!

So it was that I found myself trolling the backroads of Napa Valley searching for unique vineyards from behind the wheel of the breathtaking Ferrari F430 Spider. Featured in Racing Red, the only sound sweeter than a cork bursting from the bottle was the howl of a 90-degree V8 resonating behind my head.

No other supercar brand comes close to reproducing the noise a Ferrari makes at full gallop. While Lamborghini and Porsche both own unique voices, stirring the heart to frenzy with the mere twist of a key, a Ferrari touches the soul. It is equivalent to the late Luciano Pavarotti standing head and shoulders above the crowd in a sea of tenors.

Performance is spine-tingling! A 4.3L V8 engine produces 490 horsepower @ 8500 rpm and 343 lb.-ft of torque @ 5250 rpm. Zero to 100 km/h is achieved in merely 4.1 seconds. Top speed is rated at over 310 km/h. Bred to run; the Ferrari F430 Spider is equally comfortable gliding on the boulevard as it is tackling taut mountain asphalt.

To engage the engine, the driver presses a large “Engine Start” button located on the left of the steering wheel. F1 designed paddle shifters eliminate the typical stick and clutch arrangement from days of old. Mounted behind the steering wheel on both the left and right sides of the column, in my opinion they provide one of the best options for manually shifting gears.

A coordinated flip of both paddles places the F430 Spider in neutral. Engaging the right paddle moves the transmission into 1st gear, with successive gears available by a simple flick of the finger. Downshifts are achieved using the left paddle, while reverse can only be activated by coming to a complete stop.

When not enjoying the comfortable confines of the F430 Spider, the sunniest part of the day was spent sampling several of the wines at the Domaine Carneros Chateau. Limited amounts, due to my driving responsibilities, didn’t stop me from gaining an appreciation for their excellent Brut Cuvée, Brut Rosé and Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs sparkling white wines. Producers of award winning wines, the chateau is a fixture on the American wine scene and a must see destination in Napa Valley.

On a perfect day for open air driving, we finished lunch and moments later buckled up in the Ferrari F430 Spider for round two. It took a mere 25 seconds to let the sun shine in as the carefully choreographed movements of the canvas roof thrilled a group of onlookers.

Inside, power seats on both sides offer excellent body support. As you would expect in a vehicle of this magnitude, the leather interior is sumptuous. Large circular gauges provide instant feedback regardless of the car’s speed. Climate control settings are simple to adjust and even the AM/FM/CD player is easy to use.

After a few hours, we made our way to Infineon Raceway to watch the start of the third race in the Ferrari Challenge Series. Now in its 16th season, the action was exciting both on the track and in the parking lot. Here old and new Ferraris drew a continuous crowd. Seizing the moment, I couldn’t help but raise and lower the roof of the F430 Spider one more time. There is something about a red convertible Ferrari that is sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.