The original riding area now houses prized wines, instead of prize-winning horses. However, Black Stallion Estate Winery carries its heritage forward. The estate’s legacy honors the world-class terroir of Napa Valley, the pioneering spirit of the Silverado Trail, and the Indelicato family’s warm hospitality and generations of wine expertise.

From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, The Silverado Trail was home to cattle and horse ranching. In the 1950s, Richard Tam and Ben Hardister built the Silverado Horseman’s Center covering 32 acres along the southern end of Silverado Trail. The original facility featured an equestrian center with an indoor riding track, 36 horse stalls, and a grandstand for indoor riding events. The property also included an outdoor arena with a grandstand that sat 3,000 people, a half-mile race track, recreation buildings, a private paddock, riding trails, and a stallion breeding center. The center thrived until the 1990s.

Richard Partridge Wines is a small, family-owned winery located in the Napa Valley, producing approximately 500 cases of Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay each year. This limited production and intimate operation preclude mass marketing approaches, but it ensures a compelling story—and fortunately, they have one to tell!

Richard Partridge's journey began far from the vineyards of Napa Valley. Raised on soybean and wheat farms in Indiana, he initially pursued a career as an electrical engineer in Illinois. There, he met his wife, Cris. The couple eventually relocated to Southern California to establish their own company, R.F. Partridge & Associates, Inc., specializing in large electrical generators and backup power solutions for data centers, hospitals, military bases, and other significant facilities. Richard’s expertise in delivering reliable power set the stage for his next venture.

Despite their home in Orange County, Cris and Richard had a deep passion for Napa Valley. They decided to invest in property there, leading to the creation of their winery. A fortuitous introduction to winemaker Bob Egelhoff sparked a fruitful partnership focused on crafting exceptional wine from the Valley's finest grapes. Under Bob’s skilled winemaking, their inaugural 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon earned the second-highest rating for a ’98 Napa Valley Cab from James Laube of Wine Spectator, affirming that Richard had once again delivered exceptional results.

Since 2005, winemaker Jeff Fontanella has overseen the creation of their wines with expert precision. The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon vintage marked their first estate wine, and their goal remains to consistently produce a limited quantity of the finest wine from their St. Helena vineyard.

As a boutique winery, Richard Partridge Wines aims to maintain its focus on quality over quantity. By keeping production small, they ensure meticulous attention to every aspect of the winemaking process, from grape cultivation to the final bottle on the shelf.

Like a good number of California wineries Crystal Basin Cellars has its roots in amateur cooperative winemaking. Beginning under the house in 1981, Cyrstal Basin Cellars created a long string of vintages that captured fun times with friends. Steadily growing from 3 barrels to 25, Cyrstal Basin Cellars outgrew its space and was formed as a commercial winemaking operation in 2000. Since then, Crystal Basin Cellars has produced more than 10,000 cases of wine that have been eagerly devoured by their fans and the winemakers. Each vintage has won at least one Gold Medal in major competitions. with that being said may we suggest that you be sure to try the El Dorado Barbera and Cabernet Franc if you are serious about your Reds. 

Hours:

Open every day 11AM - 5PM