The Stanton family has been growing grapes in the Napa Valley since 1947. They began making their own wine in 1999. For this first vintage and the next three they used grapes exclusively from our Oakville vineyard. In addition to the Oakville property, the Stanton family owns two vineyards in St. Helena.

In 2002, acclaimed winemaker Dave Phinney, joined the Stanton team, lending his talented hands to the ’02 vintage, creating a wine that quickly captured the attention of critics and wine afficianados. A fan of Petite Sirahs, Doug decided to dedicate some of their Petite Sirah production to introduce their first vintage in 2004. 

Stanton Vineyards remains, and will remain, a boutique winery, producing about 800 cases total (625 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 180 cases Petite Sirah) under their Stanton Vineyard label. This small production, which accounts for less than 7% of the grapes grown on their properties, allows them to focus on producing both grapes and wine of great character. Because, as Doug, his father John, and grandfather Jesse all agree, the grapes and the soil come first.

The Hess Collection was founded by Swiss entrepreneur Donald Hess, who first purchased vineyards on Mount Veeder in 1978. The winery is best known for its flagship Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines, and single vineyard designates from our estate vineyards in Napa Valley. A leader in sustainable and organic practices, The Hess Collection adheres to founder Donald Hess’ philosophy: “Nurture the land; return what you take.”

Silver Stag Winery sits on a prime piece of Tulocay acreage in the heart of Napa Valley, just east of the town of Napa and about three miles from the Bay. Planted in plums back at the end of the nineteenth century, the soil is rich enough—and distinct enough—to have earned it consideration as an official viticultural appellation. The vineyard is defined by a gentle swale that sits at the foot of Mount George. Its microclimate, comparable to "cool Bordeaux", is a bit warmer than Carneros, but it still feels the marine intrusions flowing up the path of the Napa River. The effect is to extend the time on the vine, yielding smaller berries with less tannin and far more concentration than the Napa average. Silver Stag has planted the majority of its land in Cabernet Sauvignon, with some Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. Visits by appointment.

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.