This is a Famly business run by four Brothers, all native residents of Napa, and all grew up making wine in their garage as kids.... Needless to say they produce some outstanding wine! The brothers take turns conducting private tours at a cave winery in the southeastern hills of the Napa Valley. It's a great tour and a REAL Napa Winemaking experience.
Great winery conveniently located next to a chocolate shop. Moondance offers wine and port tasting for $5 apiece. In addition to wine, they also have mustard, olive oil, and balsamic samples for you to try. They are in a mutually beneficial relationship with their chocolate selling neighbors. They offer chocolate samples as a pairing with their wines.
Robert (Bob) Craig, the founder of Robert Craig Winery, began his long and storied career in wine at The Hess Collection on Mount Veeder in the 1980s. Before establishing his eponymous winery, Bob's passion for Napa Valley Mountain Cabernet led him to spearhead the official recognition of both the Mount Veeder and Spring Mountain District AVAs.
In 1990, with the help of three friends he met at business school in Chicago 25 years earlier, Bob founded Robert Craig Winery. He arranged to purchase fruit and custom crush his first commercial release of the 1992 vintage. The 1993 vintage release introduced three Cabernets that remain the core of the winery's business today: Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Affinity. Now, four decades later, Bob Craig is recognized as one of the most important figures in Mountain Cabernet development and production in Napa Valley history. Drawn to the mountain terroir of Napa Valley, Bob found his calling on Howell Mountain. In 1995, he and his partners purchased 22 acres at the summit of Howell Mountain, the vineyard property that would become the winery's estate. The first Howell Mountain vintage was released the following year to critical acclaim.
Bob and his wife Lynn worked tirelessly to promote the Mountain Cabernet message across the country over the next decade. The Wine Spectator named Robert Craig Winery one of its "Top 50 Producers," while reviewers such as Robert Parker Jr., Stephen Tanzer, and others heaped praise on the Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Affinity Cabernets. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the number of wineries in Napa Valley nearly tripled, and the number of Napa Valley brands grew more than tenfold. This led to a much more competitive environment for small wineries. To navigate this crowded landscape, Robert and his partners hired wine business veteran and Mountain Cabernet aficionado Elton Slone in 2004 to direct all operations at the winery. Elton retooled and refocused farming practices, winery equipment, and personnel in the first years of his leadership, bringing the wines to their highest level of concentration, complexity, age-worthiness, and site expression. With a renewed emphasis on quality farming and winemaking, as well as carefully selected vineyard parcels, the winery received outstanding reviews from The Wine Spectator, Robert Parker Jr., and Antonio Galloni, among others.
Elton Slone and the Robert Craig Winery team continue to honor Bob’s founding principles of producing small-lot, site-expressive wines from high-elevation vineyards with shallow soils. Elton became a full partner in 2007 and, following Bob’s retirement and departure from the wine business in 2012, has continued to lead the winery forward with the other three founding partners: Michael Adams, Derek Ruston, and Michael Nugent.
There are two distinct and compelling passions in our lives-Wine and Paint Horses. Both have a long and distinguished history in California. Paints are descendents of horses that arrived with the Spanish Conquistadors in the mid 1700’s. They mingled and flourished with wild native horses that roamed the western plains and deserts. Once domesticated, they were prized for their remarkable strength and beauty. Native American Tribes believed that Paint Horses possessed magical powers. The first vinefera vines in California were also planted by the Spanish. Our Sonoma Valley ranch is home to both Paints and Vines. Over 300 ancient olive trees accentuate the equestrian facilities and vineyards. The wines produced from our Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines, grown in the Valley of the Moon, have strong character and good breeding. Both Paints and Vines are groomed and nurtured with care.
David and Katharine DeSante are truly a wonderful winemaking team. Nothing was ever left to chance with David. He carefully planned and executed every detail of the winemaking process. It was immediately evident when talking with David that he not only had the knowledge and experience to make great wine, but also listened and respected the needs and realities of the vineyard. Katharine works with David in the winery, but also manages the business end of wine.
We were treated to a sit down personalized tasting with about 7 different wines. Andy our host was super nice and informative and gave a great tour. Their Viognier, Rock Pile Zin and Cuvee were nice. Their Cab Franc and Cabernet were really delicious as well.
Deerfield is a winery where you're encouraged to sit and enjoy your wine. You're not crowded around a tasting bar, fighting for space and attention in order to sip your wine. Instead, the tasting takes place in a cave, with tables and chairs everywhere - encouraging everyone to have a seat, enjoy their wine and the sommeliers will be around to pour the wine.
Beringer Vineyards is a large winery in St. Helena, California. Founded in 1875, Beringer Vineyards is "the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley", and is a California Historical Landmark. There reserve Cab is one of my favorites. The tour is informative and interesting so if its your first time I recommend it. But for regular visitors to Napa then the tastings and select wines are what you'd come here for.
A family-owned winery located in Redwood Valley, CA—the heart of Mendocino County. Silversmith is named after the family's ancestor, Patrick Cunningham, who worked as a silversmith upon arrival in America in the 1840's.
Igneous Winery is the teamwork of the Huckfeldt family who own Huckfeldt Ranch Vineyard and legendary vineyard consultant David Abreu, arguably one of the most important figures in the Napa cult wine movement. Working with famous properties such as Harlan Estate, Colgin, Bryant Family, Sloan Estate and Spottswoode, David has helped to create some of the most sought after wines in world. Don and Ann Huckfeldt, longtime Napa Valley residents, created Igneous Wines in 2002.
