The tasting room is beautiful, especially the natural stone bar in the room furthest from the entrance. The gardens are also worth the visit, with human-high flowers and an eclectic collection of sculptures. Oh yeah, and one of the guys in the tasting room yodels - definitely a forgotten art.
The people are always so friendly here. Wines are always great. The wine staff is very open to teach you about wine. They're not pretentious as a lot of the wineries are up in Napa. Quit refreshing. Located in picturesque St. Helena, Merryvale’s historic building was the first winery built in the Napa Valley after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, and has become a favorite destination for visitors to the valley. Merryvale Vineyards inviting cellar is ideally located in the heart of Napa Valley within easy walking distance of shopping in downtown St. Helena, across from the casual eatery Gott's Roadside, and next door to world-famous Tra Vigne restaurant.
Completely unique wine tasting experience. You can hang out on leather couches or sit at your own dining table. Super chill, great music, and across the board I found the wines really good. Jean was our super smart and gracious host. The nicest in Napa. Great place to stop in for a chill tasting and pick up something special for lunch or dinner.
The MACAULEY VINEYARD label was established in St. Helena in the early 1980s by Ann Macauley Watson, who, with the assistance of renowned winemaker Ric Forman, produced a highly regarded late harvest Sauvignon Blanc for several years.
In late summer of 2000, Ann's son Mac began working at Rudd Estate in Oakville. His experience and education there inspired him to revive the family label. Collaborating with winemaker and childhood friend Kirk Venge, Mac crushed his first grapes in October 2001.
Mac and Kirk share a singular goal: to source the highest quality fruit from Napa Valley and create wines of exceptional depth and personality. The grapes they select highlight the terroir of the vineyards, resulting in a remarkable wine-drinking experience.
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Lamborn Family Vineyards Cabernet and Zinfandel are only available for purchase here on our website by our Exclusive Winery Club Members via a password protected online shopping cart. Lamborn wines have extremely limited distribution beyond their Membership and can be very hard to find retail. Vintner's Collective is the first of it's kind in Napa Valley, a multi-winery tasting room that is home to twenty of the most experienced and talented winemakers in the Valley. The man behind Vintner's Collective is Garret Murphy, who dreamed of creating a place where wine lovers could taste the wines of some of the best winemakers in Napa Valley, and where smaller wineries without their own tasting room could showcase their wines and introduce them to consumers. With a little Irish luck and good intuition, the location for Vintner's Collective in the landmark Pfeiffer building made the idea a reality, and current changes and growth in downtown Napa made for good timing. Vintner's Collective is open daily, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Vintners Collective 1245 Main St. Napa, CA 94559
In 2002, two generations of our family - both winemakers by trade - came together to create BAXTER, highlighting the very best in North Coast viticulture. Father & son partners, Phil L Baxter and Phil T G Baxter, produce handcrafted single vineyard wines focusing on the Anderson Valley and surrounding Mendocino appellations. Known primarily for their Pinot Noir.
Arns Winery is definite Must Try and Buy wine and winery stop while in the Saint Helena area of Napa Valley, CA. I arrived at the winery and was met by John, Sandi, and Kathi as well as their lovable yellow lab. I tried their 2008 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, and their 2008 Syrah (Melanson Vineyard). The Cab is full-bodied, with luscious chocolate and black cherry, a tiny bit of pepper, and has one of the most lingering, long-lasting finishes I can remember.
corks and wne glass - Pixabay
he winery sits ontop of a hill, right at the napa/sonoma carneros region border. The building, architecture, and scenery are simply breathetaking. If you arive early enough in the morning, you can take a tour, where they walk you around the production facility downstairs. The wines are pretty pricey, but they are pretty darn good. A lot of the wines are estate grown pinots and chards, but they do source some amazing Cabs from upper valley. They are a very busy winery, but they are very attentive to each customer.
Artwork by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – Agata Art Gallery
This little hidden gem is very easy to miss while whizzing past on Silverado Trail. But don't overlook this one. You won't be disappointed. Some of the best zinfandel and very good cabernet sauvignon. It is a great value wine that will hold its own against some higher priced wines. This is a very small winery with limited production and only offers a few wines. You won't find this in too many stores so you will need to make a trip out there of go on-line.
The story of Relic is fundamentally the story of Mike Hirby and Schatzi Throckmorton. Their paths crossed in Napa Valley in 2000: Mike had recently relocated to Calistoga after managing the wine program at the innovative restaurant Primitivo in Colorado Springs for two years. His interest in wine had begun during his senior year at Colorado College, and his time at Primitivo intensified his passion for winemaking. Schatzi had arrived in the area the year before, inspired by her great uncle to take a gap year between her studies in African History at Northwestern University and a graduate program at Cambridge. Both were employed at Behrens & Hitchcock Winery—Mike working in the cellar and Schatzi in the office. Through numerous shared meals and wine tastings at Behrens, they discovered a mutual appreciation for similar wine styles. The influence of the Behrens/Drinkward/Hitchcock team was crucial; their vibrant, passionate environment provided the backdrop for the emergence of Relic. Discussions about cherished wines, disliked wines, and fascinating techniques fueled their inspiration, leading them to adopt methods like native yeast fermentation, whole-cluster fermentation, and extended lees aging. These techniques laid the foundation for Relic.
With the support of friends, Mike was introduced to two growers with exceptional vineyards, securing a few tons of Pinot Noir for the 2001 harvest. While still working as the sole employees at Behrens & Hitchcock, they were given the opportunity to produce their first wines with a strict adherence to their ideals: native yeast, native malo, no additions of water or acid, and direct barrel aging. Thus, Relic was born. The couple married in 2005, and Relic continues to be managed with a blend of their individual and shared responsibilities, with Schatzi overseeing the business side and Mike focusing on winemaking, though their roles often overlap.
Growing an Idea
Mike left Behrens in 2002 to become the winemaker at Realm Cellars, while Schatzi remained as the Business Manager at Behrens Family Winery. They were fortunate to produce their wines at Behrens for eight years, during which Relic grew steadily and intentionally, with the aim of remaining an independent winery free from financial partners. This independence allowed them the creative freedom to make bold, uncompromising decisions in winemaking, such as declassifying wines at a financial loss or creating new cuvées based on passion rather than profit. They expanded their production to include Syrah in 2003, which garnered acclaim from a major wine publication, establishing their reputation. Since 2007, their Rhone varietal program has expanded to include heritage varietals from Napa Valley, reflecting their commitment to preserving traditional winemaking practices.
The Fire
In the midst of the 2005 harvest, Mike was at the winery handling evening cap management when he received a distressing call about a devastating fire at the case goods warehouse on Mare Island, south of Napa. The shock was immediate, but there was little they could do but focus on the wines until morning. The following day revealed the extent of the damage: Relic had lost its library and half of its 2004 vintage, which had been shipped a month earlier. This disaster served as a stark reminder of the limitations of their insurance and the severity of their loss. Faced with the choice to either continue their small-scale project or fully commit to making Relic their primary endeavor, they chose the latter. Fifteen years later, they continue to thrive, driven by their dedication and resilience.
