Napa

Napa

Boeschen Vineyards

grape cluster - Pixabay

Boeschen Vineyards

What a hidden gem! They only make four types of wine: sauvignon blanc, rosé, cabernet sauvignon, and a blend. Normally after you wine taste, you would just buy your favorite wines and leave the winery, right? Well, Doug, the vintner and now tour guide, then took us for a tour outside the wine cave and showed us the estate's 200+ year old rose, the extensive car collection residing in a renovated barn, and the fully restored functioning green house.

The wines of Boeschen Vineyards celebrate the land and traditions of Napa Valley. On an estate founded in 1880, our family farms the 11-acre vineyard and crafts the wine from barrel to bottle. Experience a taste of how Napa used to be – and still is at Boeschen Vineyards. 

Summitt Lake Vineyard & Winery

wine splashing in the glass - Pixabay

The views, 1800 era house, warm extended family conducting the tastings, the farm animals welcoming visitors, the fabulous zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon.... sitting in a hammock, with a glass of excellent wine, peacefully taking in the view, serenity, and ambiance of Howell Mountain... what more could you ask for?

Groth Vineyards & Winery

wine barrels all stacked so neatly - Pixabay

Groth Vineyards & Winery is a family-owned and operated winery producing Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon for the past 30 years. Groth Vineyards and Winery was founded by Dennis and Judy Groth in 1982. They became famous for their Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon after Robert Parker awarded their 1985 Reserve a perfect 100 points. It was the first time Parker awarded a perfect score to any California wine. Even today Wine Enthusiast magazine designated the 2009 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as one of the "Best of the Year 2012," referring to it as "incredibly lush and delicious."

Sjoeblom Winery

pouring a glass of red wine - Pixabay

Crafting and producing state-of-the art wines is the undisputed mission of Sjoeblom Winery. Founded in August 2000, the winery is located in Napa, California, one of the most prestigious and progressive wine-producing regions in the world. Sjoeblom Winery's philosophy of producing first class, quality wine, is based on old-world craftsmanship, time-honoured traditions and modern, scientific practices. Sjoeblom strives for a synthesis of classic European practices, experimentation, and up-to-the-minute winemaking science.

Robert Mondavi Winery

glasses of wine grapes -:Pixabay

As one of the oldest wineries in Napa Valley, Robert Mondavi Winery innovated many winery technologies that were later adopted by other wineries in the area. Our tour guide went in depth about the history of the winery and showed us different ways of twirling our classes and trying various wines. For me, I felt as if I attended a informative wine class and tasted several great wines.

Vineyard 29

glasses of wine by the fireplace - Pixabay

Our 17,000 square foot facility was designed by Jon Lail, principal of Lail Design Group, LLC, to reflect the marriage of Chuck’s tech background, and Philippe’s Old World winemaking philosophy. Completed in 2002, the winery is built of stone materials and terraced with landscape plantings to fit beautifully within the natural landscape of the vineyards that surround it. The winery design is gravity flow in nature, increasing the quality of the wine produced and substantially reducing undesirable aeration by pumps and winemaking machinery. Designed to make the least environmental impact, the facility generates its own electricity using microturbines. As a byproduct, this system “co-generates” all the winery’s hot and chilled water and cools the winery’s 13,000 square feet of caves.

Brandlin Vineyards

grape clusters - Pixabay

Brandlin has "Two locations" and "Two Experiences" for tasting. The historic tasting room is located at 4550 Silverado Trail just south of Calistoga and is open to the public daily. The Carneros Tasting Room is at 1221 Duhig Road just off Highway 121 and is by appointment only.

Elkhorn Peak Cellars

red wine pouring into a wine glass - Pixabay

Elkhorn Peak Cellars is a hidden gem nestled in the southeast hills of Napa Valley. As a family-owned and operated micro-winery, it takes pride in producing exceptional wines in limited quantities while maintaining a laid-back, non-pretentious approach to winemaking.

With an 8-acre vineyard established on a historic homestead, Elkhorn Peak Cellars is the labor of love led by the dynamic father-daughter duo, Ken Nerlove and Elise Nerlove. Since 1983, they have quietly crafted world-class Pinot Noir and other varieties, staying true to their roots and delivering wines that capture the essence of their south Napa Valley site.

With an annual production of less than 1,000 cases, their wines are truly exclusive. They are not found in local restaurants or wine shops; instead, Elkhorn Peak Cellars shares its creations directly with loyal Wine Club members and through their website. The winery values maintaining a personal connection with those who appreciate their handcrafted wines.

Elkhorn Peak Cellars is indeed a great find in Napa, located off the beaten path on Jamison Canyon Road. Visitors are first greeted by the winery’s friendly dogs, Maggie and Monty. Ken Nerlove, who is the owner, grapegrower, farmer, winemaker, and tasting host, manages all aspects of the winery with expertise. The tasting room offers stunning views of the lower Napa Valley and San Pablo Bay.

The winery produces four delicious wines: Rosé of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and a wonderful dessert wine. Although considered a small wine business, it is well worth a visit. Ken provides informative and helpful tips about wine tasting, and visitors are encouraged to try the Dessert Wine, which is particularly noteworthy.

Elkhorn Peak Cellars is proud to be a Verified Napa Valley Micro-Producer.

Green & Red Vineyard

wine and cheese - Pixabay

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.

Hoopes Family Vineyard & Winery

glasses of wine by the fireplace - Pixabay

The Hoopes Family Winery and Vineyard has been a labor of love. They were fortunate when selecting land for their new estate in Oakville by purchasing 14 acres that happen to be some of the greatest grape growing territory in Napa Valley. They first planted the land back in 1991 with the expectation of selling the crop to local wineries. The first mature harvest in 1994 was quite good and the people they sold the grapes to said these were the best grapes they had purchased. Hoopes continued to sell the grapes with the same input each year until 1999 when they decided to produce their own wine, with their own label. The results were better than they could have hoped.

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