La Vie Vineyards is a handcrafted winery dedicated to the production of fine and elegant wines of exceptional character and quality. During the sweet years of college, Ariel Lavie and Angela Hobbs fell in love with wine and each other, and the story unfolds into a passion for Pinot Noir. Ariel and Angela found themselves destined at graduation to find the ideal piece of land for premium wine production on the west coast. In 1998, they attained their 40 acre ranch amidst the heights of the Santa Rita Hills and surrounded themselves with the greatest Pinot Noir Vineyards of the region.

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!

We popped into this beautiful tasting room. The lady behind the counter was very informative and sweet, and understood that we were in a bit of a time crunch so she poured our wines quickly while still giving us explanations of the grapes that were used to produce each wine. I thought the wines here were very different because they were blends of grapes grown in different regions. We had the general tasting ($15/person) and particularly enjoyed the pinot noir and the syrah. Art work from wine artist Agata Zaborowski - Agata Art Gallery 

In 1965 most people were tinkering with cars in their garage. Davis Bynum was tinkering with wine. He created Barefoot Bynum Burgundy in that tiny room. But our spirited ways really began with our founders, Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey. In 1986, they took a sleepy label and gave it Sole. Both agreed it was time for a wine that didn't take itself too seriously. So, Barefoot Cellars was created. Winemaker:J ennifer Lynne Wall is a native Californian born in Sacramento. Originally she intended to attend medical school after receiving a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. However, she moved to Sonoma County following graduation in 1991, where she took her first winery position at Vinwood Cellars-Gauer Estates, a custom wine-processing facility. She started on the ground floor there, working in the lab and checking fermentation tanks daily. During the harvest of 1995, Jennifer started her career as the winemaker for Barefoot Cellars Winery.