Situated in the rolling hills of eastern Napa Valley, Hestan Vineyards is a 56-acre tapestry of small, individually farmed blocks, planted to the five principle red Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. The vineyard is named for owners Stanley and Helen Cheng, who purchased the property in 1996. Cheng is CEO of Meyer Corporation, the world’s second largest cookware company with brands including Anolon, Circulon, KitchenAid and Faberware. In 2005, the Chengs released their first wines from the property, the 2002 Hestan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon and 2002 Meyer Cabernet Sauvignon; both made by consulting winemaker Mark Herold. The wines were a critical success and were followed in 2008 by the launch of Stephanie, a line of red Bordeaux blends made by consulting winemaker Jeff Gaffner.

Although Failla (pronounced FAY-LA) has a relatively brief history, it is marked by complexity. The first vintage release, under the name Failla-Jordan, was in 1998. That year, Failla debuted its Alban Vineyard Viognier from Edna Valley and Que Syrah Syrah from Sonoma Coast, while simultaneously planting the initial blocks at their Estate Vineyard in Cazadero. The first Estate releases would not emerge for several more years.

Ehren Jordan, the founder, has a passion for experimenting with his favorite varietals, exploring their diverse expressions across different climates—cool, cooler, and coolest—as well as varying soil types and rootstocks.

In 1998, Failla acquired a parcel adjacent to an earlier purchase and planted it with five acres of rootstock in 2002, later grafting Pinot Noir clones the following year. Ehren's viticultural training in France profoundly influences his farming and winemaking decisions. Today, Failla’s eleven acres of Estate vineyards produce Syrah, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir that embody the essence of California’s coolest regions.

After honing his skills with Pinot Noir from Keefer Ranch Vineyard in the Russian River Valley in 1999, Ehren sought out unique, cool-climate Pinot Noir sources to fuel his ongoing experimentation and passion.

Parallel Wines was founded by a close knit group of friends, all extremely passionate in their love of life. The label represents a facet of that passion: this group of friends love of skiing inspired them to create a label which captures the first tracks of the day cut into fresh powder. These friends and their love of fine wine inspired them to collaborate with Philippe Melka to create Parallel Napa Valley. Parallel Wines is the pride and joy of eight friends from Park City, Utah, who tapped into their combined passion of skiing and fine wine and their 30+ years of friendship to create this unique brand.

Roche is a great spot for a glass of wine or a tasting in Sonoma. I've brought nearly every visitor/friend I've had, here, because of its proximity to the square and its fantastic outdoor tasting bar. Very quaint and dainty! For $5.00 you can taste all the wines. You can sit outside, and for the brisk afternoons they have fire pits at the tables. The estate chardonay was crisp and slightly sweet. The cab was nice. The Syrah was robust and peppery. Late harvest chardonay close to amazing.