Whether your visiting in Santa Ynez Valley wine country or chic Santa Barbara, Kalyra has two tasting room options that are sure to be the most talked about destination of your trip. To make your experience the most pleasant possible, groups of 6 or more require a reservation ahead of time with the tasting room manager.
In 1980, Robert Mark Kamen came to Sonoma to celebrate the sale of his first screen play. While hiking the rugged hillsides of the Southern Mayacamas Mountians, Robert came upon a piece of property with breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay. Remote, rugged, and without roads, water or electricity, the 280 acres had an immediate visceral impact on Robert. A week later the property was his. Inky, robust Cabs, just the way I like them. 2005 or 2006, I was having a hard time determining which one I liked better. Just great - these are wines I could drink regularly. Of course, they cost $100/bottle, and aren't all that common - so my desire to regularly drink the '05 Cab will definitely be squashed by price and availability.
A Labor of Love Across Two Generations
The Kapcsándy story is a unique blend of old-world values and American ingenuity, merging classic European grand cru-style with cutting-edge technology. At its heart, it is the tale of a family deeply passionate about wine.
Lou Kapcsándy emigrated from Hungary to the U.S. in 1956, embarking on a successful career in chemical engineering and manufacturing, first in the San Francisco Bay Area and later in Seattle. Through connections in the wine industry, he began sourcing exceptional European wines for his collection, while also mentoring a group of emerging entrepreneurs who would become early pioneers in Washington State’s wine scene.
In 1998, a visit by Lou and his wife, Bobbie, to the historic Bordeaux estate of Leoville-Las Cases sparked a new ambition: to establish a wine business in partnership with their son, Louis, Jr., and to retire in California’s Napa Valley. The family started exploring available properties and, within three months, found a unique 20-acre parcel in Yountville, which was once part of Beringer Estates’ Private Reserve Cabernet program. In May 2000, they closed escrow on the property and initiated a meticulous plan to replant the vineyard, which included two years of soil nutrient restoration.
By 2002, the Kapcsándys had completely replanted their vineyard with 15 distinct blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Construction of a state-of-the-art winery was completed in September 2005. The family then began to bring their vision to life: to produce wines of “First Growth” quality that could compete with the finest in the world. Since 2004, the family has lived and worked on-site, overseeing every facet of vineyard management and winemaking.
Visitors are invited to experience Kapcsándy Family Winery, a multi-generational labor of love that infuses the finesse and elegance of European grand cru wines into the Napa Valley.
Sorry people, this place is private. As it should be. The Kapcsandy's have effortlessly created some of the greatest wine my lips and palate have ever tasted. After taking a tour of the spotless grounds which used to be Beringer Estates, we adjourned ourselves to the tasting room where I, along with close friends and cohorts divided our time among the vast amount of premier wines the Kapcsandy Family Winery has to offer. The Kapcsandy Family Winery is well on its way to make its permanent mark on the wine world. Using the best resources, well thought out methods, and grade "A" ingredients make these wines a challenger to all who dare to face them. They are truly a winery who reside at the top of their game.
Karl Lawrence Cellars is a winery located in St. Helena, California. The winery is owned by Michael Karl Trujillo, Bryan Lawrence Henry. The wine at Karl Lawrence Cellars is produced by Michael Karl Trujillo, Michael Henry. Karl Lawrence Cellars has the following amenities you can enjoy: Retail Sales and Wine Tasting. If you want to visit Karl Lawrence Cellars, it is open at the following times: By Appointment Only
Karmere is a good gateway winery. It has light, fruity champagnes almond, raspberry, and regular. They offer a wide range of Zinfandels and other reds here too. The wines are named after the female members of the family. Could the the place for a wedding or special occasion, beautifully designed for events. Spent quite a while there, tasting at the counter and barrel-tasting as well.
YES, as good as it gets. This is where culture, style, design, money and dedication to wine come together and make an oasis for enjoying wine. The cave is meticulously clean, deeply detailed in design and artwork. What a great way to relax before the tour & tasting begin. The staff is extremely friendly & knowledgable about wine. Some great reds!
The winery does not accommodate visitors as it functions solely as a production facility without a tasting room. Their primary focus remains on cultivating and crafting world-class wines. For those seeking visitor information, they enthusiastically recommend the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association as a reliable source.
Take the time to make an appointment and visit this hidden gem! We wound our way up the hill through two security gates and pulled into what looked like someone's home. We were greeted with the most beautifully fragrant in-bloom roses under a gorgeous pergola. Magnificent views were everywhere. It was so beautiful I didn't really want to go inside. Inside, however, there were treats in-store. The wine was great. The interior was cool and comfortable with leather club chairs. Again, it felt like someone's home - almost like the family's lab was waiting just around the corner with a ball ready to play. The barrel room was simple with glass-enclosed library room.
A lifelong passion for wine, combined with a keen interest in mountain geology, first brought Bill and Bonnie Kehret to the Fair Play region of the Sierra Foothills in the early 2000s. Amidst building a successful high-tech company in Silicon Valley and traveling globally for business, the couple became regular visitors to El Dorado County, indulging in low-key wine getaways.
In a fortunate twist of fate, the old Mt. Aukum winery came up for sale just as Bill was preparing to retire from the company he had dedicated nearly 30 years to building from the ground up. Intrigued by the potential of the microclimate atop Mt. Aukum, the well-drained granite soil, and the breathtaking views from the winery, Bill and Bonnie purchased the property in 2018. They envisioned transforming the site into a world-class winery that would showcase the unique characteristics of the region.
The following year was dedicated to a complete renovation of the facility and the installation of state-of-the-art winemaking equipment and technology. With a small, dedicated team, they transformed the site into a premier winemaking facility and began the process of renewing and expanding the estate vineyards.
In April 2019, the newly renovated tasting room at Kehret Vineyards reopened its doors. After much anticipation, the first wines from Kehret Vineyards were released in October 2019. The next crucial step in their journey to becoming a world-class winery was to find the right winemaker to lead their vision.
In 2020, Steve Leveque joined the Kehret Vineyards team as the Master Winemaker. He is reshaping winemaking in the Fair Play region, bringing with him a rich history of viticulture and world-class winemaking techniques. Steve’s impressive resume has established him as one of California’s most renowned winemakers.
Born and raised in Napa Valley, Steve has built a reputation for crafting wines that embody the purity and identity of their vineyards. His experience includes prestigious positions at notable wineries such as HALL, Chalk Hill, Opus One, and Mondavi.
In addition to being a master winemaker, Steve is also a skilled viticulturist, spending significant time overseeing vineyard operations to produce exceptional grapes of unparalleled quality. He honed his winemaking skills during a decade-long tenure at Robert Mondavi Winery and absorbed innovative ideas from leading viticulture research and visionary collaborators, including the renowned Bordeaux consultant Michel Rolland. Later, as the executive vice president and winemaker at Chalk Hill Estate Winery in Sonoma, he crafted an award-winning portfolio of small-lot Bordeaux varietals and Chardonnay. Steve then became the head winemaker for HALL Wines in Napa, as well as their partners WALT and BACA. Under his guidance, over 200 of his wines received ratings of 90 points and above during his 11-year tenure.
Steve has earned three 100-point scores from Wine Advocate, two from Jeb Dunnuck, and was recognized with the #2 Wine in the World from Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2011. More than 80 of his wines have been rated between 95 and 99 points by elite wine publications. This success is the result of years of experience marked by risk-taking, experimentation, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Steve’s winemaking philosophy begins in the vineyard. To truly tell the vineyard's story and create balanced wines, he emphasizes the importance of bold flavors. Every aspect of vineyard farming is crucial; timing is everything. Each vintage presents its own unique challenges, and vineyard operations must align with the growing season's influences. Decisions about shoot removal, hedging, and crop thinning all carry significant consequences.
For Steve, achieving a harmonious balance between vine vigor and crop is essential. He believes that cultivating low-vigor vines with low yields allows each cluster to ripen perfectly. This approach ensures that each grape cluster can develop fully, allowing for optimal ripening of sugar, tannins, texture, and flavor. Canopy management is another critical component of this process.
Numerous factors contribute to vineyard expression and balance. Once harvested, a winemaker's role is to honor that expression, employing gentle and precise techniques. Ultimately, to maintain vineyard expression and balance, winemaking must consistently respect and celebrate what the vineyard offers.
So, you're in Napa for a long weekend or maybe even a wallet-draining week. There's plenty of choices to feed your wine fix. This charming little vineyard absolutely, positively needs to make your "must visit" list. No tasting room. No walk ins. No boutique to purchase a variety of goods while visiting. You need to call, make an appointment, and then prepare yourself for a truly personal wine experience given where the family that grows it presents their five or six well-done sophisticated wines.