Pinot Noir, great personalized service, beautiful grounds, and good prices. This is the epitome of Carneros Pinot Noirs and they have several excellent vintages and labels to choose from. We went for an all Pinot tasting and I enjoyed each one tremendously. I have been told their whites are also good, but I will need to review those on a subsequent visit. Reservations are necessary, but not difficult to get. Please go to this place...you will NOT be disappointed!
I'm hesitant to tell anyone about this gem so I can keep this secret to myself but the zins are so outstanding that I suppose I should share. This is a small production winery that definitely focuses on quality over quantity but their price point is still so reasonable! If I were coming to the Napa Valley and only had time for one winery, I would come here, well worth the extra drive (it's sort of in the middle of nowhere). Appointment only and be prepared for the steep one way driveway.
Frank Farella founded Farella-Park Vineyards in 1985, starting with a small 400-square-foot winery adjacent to his home in Napa. His journey from a modest, depression-era background to growing premium wine grapes unfolded gradually. Beginning with homemade wines from his Italian grandparents and test vintages from young Farella Vineyard grapes, the commercial venture started with a barrel of Chardonnay, a stainless-steel fermented Sauvignon Blanc, and a Merlot/Cabernet field blend in 1985.
While Frank Farella produced the first five vintages with Tom’s assistance, Tom took over winemaking duties in 1991 and continued until the end of 2018. In 2019, Ryan Pass, also a UC Davis Viticulture and Enology graduate, was promoted to Winemaker. His passion and expertise have perfectly aligned with the winery’s winemaking goals, and he and Tom continue to collaborate on the production of Farella wines.
In 2009, amidst the Great Recession, Tom Farella spearheaded the effort to petition the federal government for the designation of the "Coombsville" American Viticultural Area (AVA). This designation was granted in November 2011, making it the 16th sub-AVA of Napa Valley.
Hunnicutt is a family-owned winery in Napa Valley that specializes in producing small lots of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Chardonnay. Established in 2002 by Justin Hunnicutt Stephens, the winery reflects his extensive experience in the wine industry, which he gained through part-time jobs in his youth as well as various roles in wine production, sales, and management early in his career. Situated on a hillside in the foothills of Napa’s eastern Vaca Range, Hunnicutt boasts an 18,000-foot network of caves carved into volcanic tuff. The winery's wines are crafted by Kirk Venge, a respected winemaker and close friend of Justin, and are sourced from distinctive estate vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma County.
Palmaz is one winery that you absolutely MUST visit! This family owned and operated winery will blow you away. The high tech gravity flow processes, extreme commitment to quality, and overall tasting experience are all top notch. My experience with Florencia was amazing, compared to other tours and tastings at the same price point, $60/person with small bite pairings, I would recommend Palmaz over many others. The wines were delicious and the perfect pick for a special occasion. This tour is perfect for wine enthusiasts at all levels, the family is approachable and open to discussing any questions you have about the winery and wine making processes.
Sloan Estate Winery is owned by Sloan Falily Winery LLC and managed by Stuart Sloan of Seattle. The winery makes approximately 300 cases of a proprietary red all from 100 percent estate grapes. The wines are sold for between $200 and $300 and all through a mailing list that is harder to get on than that for a royal wedding. Robert Parker gave the 2002 vintage a rare 100 points. Sloan Estate, an ultra-private winery and vineyard in Rutherford, has been sold by owner Stuart Sloan to Goldin Financial Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, for $40 million. According to the Sloan Estate purchase agreement and as reported in Wine Industry Insight, Goldin Financial Holdings is an investment company engaged in Japanese restaurant operations, consumer electronics, financial investments and the wine business. “There has been an explosion of red wine consumption in Asia and Hong Kong, particularly in the high-end wines,” said Jim Carroll, general counsel for Goldin subsidiary Goldin Factoring of Fremont. “Sloan is one of the best wines coming out of Napa Valley, and it was determined that would be a good place to start in providing more wine to the Asian culture,” he said.
The cave's ambiance is really neat... it's fun to explore the vineyard above the cave before or after your tasting and see where some of the grapes are grown and if you're an adventurous type, it's fun to take pictures by the giant Grape crusher statue on top of the vineyard. This is truly Napa's hidden gem! It's located at the Meritage Resort at the south end of Napa, and the tasting room is in a cave UNDER THE GRAPES. It's such a unique place to visit in Napa. The wines are excellent. The Mysterium is one of my favorite reds, and I love the Sauvingnon Blanc. The chardonnay is also very nice. The service in the wine cave is impeccable, and the employees are really knowledgable about the wine. They will also stay and have a friendly conversation with you if it's not too busy.
In 1994, Cheryl Emmolo founded Emmolo Wine Company for two key goals: to fulfill a lifelong ambition to make her own wine and to extend her family’s legacy to her three children, Charlie, Joey and Jenny Wagner. It is no surprise that Cheryl was able to secure from her father the crème de la crème of his Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot grapes for her small production. On the first day of harvest for Emmolo's first vintage, in 1994, Cheryl and her three children celebrated their new family enterprise by picking grapes and trucking them to the crush pad together. Starting with just 400 cases of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and 90 cases of Merlot, Cheryl has carefully expanded Emmolo’s production with the help of her sons and winemakers, Charlie and Joey Wagner. With the 2000 harvest, she seized the opportunity to acquire Sauvignon Blanc from Caymus Vineyards’ program, allowing her to extend her distribution in selected national markets.
Detert Family Vineyards is a small family-owned winery with a long history of grape growing in Oakville. Since 1953, Detert Family has grown Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon on the Western foothills of Oakville. The first produced our own wine from our vineyard in 2000.
The wines are very nice. Pinots, Syrah, Chard, Cab. All amazing! And the staff is friendly and very knowledgeable.
