The first vintage of Tom Eddy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was 1991, but Tom’s experience in the wine industry goes back farther than that. He earned the U.C. Davis degree in 1974, did his requisite stint in a few big wineries, then settled into the North Coast as general manager and winemaker at Souverain Winery in Geyserville. The accolades for his wines started to follow, for everything from North Coast French Colombard to Sonoma County Zinfandel.
The staff was extremely nice and explained the process of making their hard liquor as well as their wine. The wines were tasty and the liquor was fantastic. There was an easy, go with the flow feeling of the tasting and a great welcoming feeling of being among friends.
Crafted from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon grown in a unique microclimate in Napa’s Rutherford Bench, this fine red wine possesses great depth of flavor and a richness that could be matched only by a great amarone. Smoke scents and flavors of dark plum, bitter chocolate, and dried herbs dominate the latest release of this ultrarich wine.
PROMISE has, and always will, represent promising yourself to pursue your passions and setting the intention to live a life well-lived; Facing your fears and challenges while finding gratitude, joy and love everyday – especially during the tough times. It’s about remembering the simplest things in life are the only ones that matter: sharing moments with the ones you love and who love you – with a great bottle of wine of course!
It has been a wonderful ride thus far. On behalf of everyone in the PROMISE Family, we are deeply grateful to all those who have helped us on the journey. We feel like we are just getting started.
Bob and Sylvia Pestoni
In the mid-1990s, Bob and his wife Sylvia were presented with a rare opportunity. A small winery adjacent to their family´s Rutherford property had become available for purchase. Over the years, Bob and Sylvia had always grown grapes on their land, but they had always sold their fruit to other wine producers. They hadn´t been interested in becoming vintners before, but the acquisition of this new property renewed Bob´s admiration for his family´s business – and for his heritage. In 1994, they opened the doors to Rutherford Grove Winery and resumed making the single vineyard, hand-crafted artisanal wines Bob´s father and grandfather had created there for more than a century before him. In 2017, in celebration of their 125th anniversary of Napa Valley winemaking, the winery was renamed Pestoni Family Estate Winery.
Cornerstone/Stepping Stone didn't disappoint and ended up with a fantastic wine tasting experience from start to finish. Its small, but tasteful wine room makes you feel as if you are being welcomed to the vinter's home. Its cozy tables and bar tables offer some fantastic pours with a plethora of wines whether it is syrah, sauvignon blanc, or syrah. However, it is their cabernet that truly shines. Yet everyone's taste is different and while your experience might be different, I certainly think it is worth the experience. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful. They aren't pushy, however they explain the nuances between each wine they have crafted and what sets it apart from other wineries in the area. Prices are rather reasonable with a its higher price Cornerstone wines and its "price friendly" Stepping Stone series. Certainly a great wine room when you are on a tour of Napa!
It's too bad they aren't open to the public or have a tasting room. This is about as good as Napa Cabernet gets. Big and Bold as the way Norcal Wine Country should be. It's definitely on the pricey side, but as a person that doesn't usually drink Cabernet by default and usually only if I have food, this was still tremendous standalone. Kudos to our sommelier who was not only highly entertaining, he definitely hit it out of the park as a recommendation. The "Blank Vineyard" cabernet is truly a great wine. I hear that they also make olive oil. Grace Family Vineyards can be reached by fax at: 707-963-5271. Or via email to Marna Farver: beoptimystic2 [at] aol.com Grace Family Vineyards regrets that the winery is not open to the public, nor do they have a tasting room.
Rudy Zuidema recently partnered with long time wine producer and genuinely nice guy Chris Klein for Chris’ new brand Phamus Wines. Phamus, a combination of his Vietnamese wife’s last name (Pham) and “us.” Chris says it can be pronounced with a long “a” as in “famous,” or a shortened vowel such as in “father”. Regardless of how one says it, though, the universal language of wine quality will be the same – and it is high. We will be working with Chris on providing opportunities to make some of his limited production wines available to CaCorks members. Quantities will be limited, but very enjoyable! California Corks is pleased to have Phamus Wines as part of our California Winery Directory and find Chris' wines to be one of those hard to find gems such as: The Pioneer (100% Cabernet Sauvignon), (blend-Cab Sauv,Petite Sirah and Syrah), and The Traveler (100 % Napa Chardonnay) our readers just might want to look into. Phamus offers 10% on all online orders to California Corks Winery Expweience members. (code provide to our members)*
It was back in 1987 that Ray and Nancy Coursen crushed 4.5 tons of Zinfandel from the Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford to craft 286 cases of their first wine. While the portfolio has grown over the last 25 years, the focus remains on creating vineyard driven wines that pair well with food. Total production is currently 10,000 cases and the wines are nationally and internationally distributed.
After following the challenging road up the mountainside we came to this beautiful home overlooking the valley and their fields. While the view from their home porch was breathtaking, and the active hummingbird feeders captivating, the time spent talking to this husband-wife wine making team was fascinating. A visit to this winery not only includes a tasting of their wonderful Syrahs, but also great conversation about wine making, genetics and theories of growing grapes in Napa Valley. A great stop and we will remember this visit each time we open a bottle at home.
All of the wines are delicious. They off certain wines to try with chocolates and crackers for your pleasure. They educate you on what you tasting and give you time to make up your mind if your satisfied or not. They recommended other wineries we should try, as well as great nearby foods places. The "Napa Valley AmerItal Red Wine" (750ml) Goosecross Wines is truly one of my favorites. 1. First of all, Make a reservation! Make a RESERVATION! or else! The place is hidden, small, and worth visiting but dropping by isn't going to work. 2. The place is family run, which makes it personal and incredible.
