B Cellars (founded 2003) makes their wine in Napa Valley and uses all Napa fruit, but maintains their main business office in Orange County (south of Los Angeles). We first caught up with the owners at a tasting in Los Angeles (yes one of the many locations outside of Napa that we have been to during our Napa wine Odyssey!) and then conducted a follow up interview at Silenus Vintners in Napa Valley which is where their wine is actually made by the master of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Kirk Venge. The collective, Silenus Vintners is located just south of Yountville and you can taste their wines here. Two partners, Jim Borsack and Duffy Keys, both live in Southern California and met by random chance at a 4th of July BBQ and discovered that each had similar aspirations in regards to someday making wine. The timing was right and two years after their initial meeting, they formed B Cellars. They made many trips to the Napa Valley, interviewing growers, winery owners and vintners. Even today, despite living in Southern California they often are in the Napa Valley and are involved in all aspects of this business. Their focused determination to succeed and consistently offer a top wine at a reasonable value is clearly evident. Jim is the one with the great palate and both he and Duffy are always involved in all blending decisions with Kirk. Because they source from many different vineyards, sometimes not every vineyard is represented in their completed wines - despite having already made the financial commitments. Quality is of the utmost importance in their wines and they are not going to blend in anything that doesn't meet their strict standards. Their labels display the lower case "b" with a degree sign representing Brix, which is the symbol for how the sugar content of grapes are measured. However 'b' in this case might as well stand for "blend" as all their wines are blends - even their 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of several vineyards and often multiple vineyards will be represented in their wines even for the same varietal. As of the time of this review, B Cellars produces a Blend 23 (their one white wine), and Blend 24 through Blend 26 - all red wines. In addition, they produce limited quantities of single varietal wines - the intent with these is to showcase some of the varietals that form the components of their blended wines. All fruit is sourced from some of Napa's highest quality vineyards (as of press time 18 different vineyards are used!) including from what is arguably the most famous vineyard in American winemaking, the historic To Kalon in the heart of Oakville - as well as Georges III and Stagecoach which sits high on the side of Atlas Peak. B Cellars is constantly looking for premier Napa vineyards as they are well aware that the fruit sources are key to the quality of their wines. They often source from different appellations as they recognize that unique terroir and clonal selections all bring individual complexities and nuances to the wine - which you may not always get from a single vineyard source. The 2007 Blend 23 is a very unique white wine - especially by Napa standards. It is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. This wine has very fruit driven aromas - somewhat floral with notes of honeysuckle as well as nuances of pineapple. The mouth feel is well balanced from start to finish; this wine has good weight or phenolic grip on the palate which actually makes it an excellent wine to pair with a variety of foods, not just the traditional "white wine foods". Be sure to let this wine open up in the glass and note how the aromas and flavors really change over time. The 2004 Blend 24 is a Super Tuscan unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Petite Sirah. This is a delicate elegant wine that is very well balanced and is a pleasure to drink even when its young. The bouquet is almost briary with notes of earthiness and cigar smoke. It is so smooth with ripe juicy flavors on the palate and a velvety finish of great length. The Blend 25, 2005 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. With these two varietals blended together expect a mouthful of big fruit forward red wine. This blend delivers! It is a bigger bolder wine than the Blend 24. Lots of black cherry and blackberry on the nose follow through to the palate. The middle palate shows some spice and is almost chewy, fleshy - it is quite robust and finishes with hints of vanilla and well structured yet delicate tannins. Their wines are very food friendly and are found in some of America's premium restaurants from Los Angeles, to Vegas to New York. For the quality of the wine to the price ratio, this is one of the better luxury values coming out of Napa today. Considering they are still fairly young and have not yet been fully rated by some of the top tier wine critics in the business, the time to acquire this wine is sooner rather than later! Larger format bottles as well as gift boxes are also available. Visit: www.bcellars.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: No, No, but you can taste at Silenus Vintners by App. Regular Tours: No Hours: N/A Phone: 949 348-8820 Address: P.O. Box 69, San Juan Capistrano Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Bacio Divino (meaning Divine Kiss in Italian) was founded by Claus Janzen in 1993 who was first turned on to wine as a self appointed "ski bum" while working at an upscale restaurant in Switzerland during the ski seasons. He was 19 years of age when he became a wine enthusiast/collector and started developing what has become an incredible palate (which is now very important as he makes final blending decisions). A non wine related career took hold until he took what he thought would be a simple relaxing tourist trip to the Napa Valley to visit wineries. On that trip, he met the owner of Caymus Winery who invited him to work an upcoming harvest. Well, after this harvest in the ensuing years he ended up spending 12 years working at Caymus developing their International marketing program! Claus is the winemaker for Bacio Divino and also uses well-known father son team Kirk and Nils Venge as his consulting winemakers. Bacio Divino owns three, 8-acre hillside vineyards located in a fairly remote location in Dutch Henry Canyon east of Silverado Trail. As of press time they produce three blends, the original Bacio Divino (Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese & Petite Sirah), Pazzo (a 5-varietal blend), and Vagabond (Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon). In addition they produce 2 vineyard designate wines simply called Janzen - one from their own vineyard and one from the famed Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard. All their wines consistently receive excellent ratings by Robert Parker as well as other well-known wine critics. Their Janzen label has already been called one of "20 new Cabernet Sauvignon labels to watch" by the Wine Spectator. One of their philosophies is you can drink wines young. Case in point is the 2005 Pazzo, which by the way means "crazy" in Italian This is by far their most produced wine and is a unique blend you will not find at any other Napa Wineries - try Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah & a white varietal, Viognier. The result is an easy drinking lively wine that is extremely popular at bistro's and wine bars. It is also very decently priced. The 2005 Bacio Divino is a very well balanced wine as with previous vintages. It has an elegant nose with rich full bodied flavors. The tannins are not harsh, rather are smooth and help round out a rather long finish. The 2005 Janzen To Kalon vineyard designate wine is an impressive full bodied display of luscious mouth filling flavors which is even more notable considering that when we tried this wine, it had not even yet been released! Bacio Divino is well distributed Nationally as well as in select locations in Europe. You can find their wine locally in Napa at many of the wine shops. Visit: www.baciodivino.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Private Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: Phone: 942-8101 Address: P.O. Box 131, Rutherford Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Backroom Wines (founded 1994) is located in downtown Napa almost directly across from the Bounty Hunter wine bar. Don't make the mistake and try to enter the 1000 Main Street building from Main Street - their entrance is actually on First Street. Any shop that has Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison album playing (as it was one morning) when we walked in already has been raised up a notch in our eyes! Backroom Wines is a boutique wine shop with a very good selection of wines from mainly small producers. Everything is laid out very nicely - the shop is clean and well organized. Most of their small producers are Napa wineries although they do have some other California representation. However, there is a nice European selection as well with main focus on French wines - French Whites and French Reds. Often tiny Napa area producers have initially sold their wines here before they were "well known". For example Napa area wineries such as Paloma, Switchback Ridge and T-Vine Cellars initially sold their first releases at Backroom Wines. These wineries are now well established and have won a number of high end awards and ratings. Like dessert wines? They have a number of European wine "sweets". They moved to this larger more central location in mid 2008 which now allows them to be open 7 days a week. The wine bar is larger and much improved and is also open every day of the week with extended hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The "special" tastings are what separates this wine shop from some of the other local wine shops. The tastings always varies - for example they often choose a specific region in France or Italy or elsewhere and solely taste those wines. In addition, they may have specific tastings in which small local area winemakers are on hand to taste their own wines; this is a great chance to actually meet someone in the Napa wine-making industry. Also popular is their "bring your own favorite wine" night where you bring one or more of your favorite wines; this is a great chance to try an eclectic variety of wine. Aromatic and "guess the varietal" tastings also sometimes offered. An interesting collection of cheeses are also sold on site - ask which wine pairs with what cheese. All events are scheduled well ahead of time so check their website for details. Speaking of their website, it is often updated and is a treasure trove of information including their newsletter, featured wine section and the wine diary. Be sure to signup for their mailing list as almost weekly you will find an email with a plethora of wine info and is a great resource for the latest Napa wines to hit the market. Visit: www.backroomwines.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: 7 Days a Week Phone: 226-1378 Address: 1000 Main Street, Shop 120, Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Baldacci Family Vineyards is located in a beautiful section of the Napa Valley just off of the Silverado Trail (west side) right near the Yountville Cross Road. It is very quiet here and the winery is nestled among the hills. The property was purchased by the current owners Tom & Brenda Baldacci in 1997 and was then replanted with their first release coming in 2003. Tom has a background in real estate development and planned on fixing up the property to sell - even putting in a cave. However, you are in the Stag's Leap District, one of Napa's most highly regarded Cabernet Sauvignon producing sub appellations and fortunately Tom had the foresight to build the winery rather than selling the property. In addition his family heritage probably had something to do with this, being the grandson of Italian immigrants, who made their own wine. The tasting is relaxed and is held in a small house or weather permitting, is conducted outside on their patio. A glorious warm spring day with vineyards full of golden mustard is a perfect time to visit this winery! Ask for a tour if they have enough staff in the tasting room - this is one of the highlights of visiting Baldacci. You will take your wine glass with you and the pourer takes a bottle. They have several thousand square feet of tunnel blasted caves - parts of the caves are set in almost solid rock and as a result took significantly longer to install the caves than originally anticipated. A visit here is a very personalized experience especially during the tour - and the staff is quite knowledgeable as evidenced during our first visit when we peppered the wine guide with a plethora of questions above and beyond what most tourists will ask (barrel aging, toasts, coopers, French/American Oak...you name it)! It is always neat to see how the "vintage" shapes a wine and can create such a completely different wine from year to year. Such is the case with their 2006 and 2005 Elizabeth Pinot Noirs from the Carneros region. The 2006 is lighter in color and body. It is a pleasing wine easily consumed! Great floral and lavender aromas on the bouquet with just a hint of earthiness. The fruit is truly the backbone of this wine, strawberries and raspberry with mild tannins and a light finish. The 2005 on the other hand is much darker and the backbone of this wine are the spices both in aroma and on the palate. In addition, this is a very earth wine with notes of black pepper and other spices among the strawberry and raspberry flavors. Being located in the famous Stag's Leap district means you would have to be blind to ignore this great Cabernet Sauvignon appellation. Stag's Leap is all about the Cabernet and Baldacci's estate Cab does not disappoint with a bouquet of blackberry, black cherry and fig leading to a full bodied palate layered in more fruit. We tried the 2005 IV Sons, named after the owners 4 children. This is a wine that will age very well - if you can't wait 5-7 years and you drink it early consider pairing this with food - especially something tomato based which will cut through the tannins and help smooth out the wine. We also tried the 2005 Allwin Syrah, named after Tom's grandmother. The grapes for this wine come from the Coombsville area just east of the town of Napa which is a cooler growing region than on site. This is a very aromatic wine with vanilla, cherry and a hint of mocha on the nose leading to a full body with notes of blackberry and pomegranate. Additional wines are made in extremely small quantities and are typically available only at the winery and through the wine club called "Reunion". Visit: www.baldaccivineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 10-5pm Phone: 944-9261 Address: 6236 Silverado Trail, Yountville Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Ballentine Vineyards is located right across from St. Clement Winery however, you can only see their sign as you drive northbound on St. Helena Highway. There is no signage when you drive southbound - and do not mistake the pale metal warehouse type winery buildings as storage facilities for the nearby St. Clement Winery! They even make bumper stickers that say "Where the Hell is Ballentine Vineyards"! It is run by Betty and Van Ballentine, both of whom have winery family history in the Napa Valley dating back to the early 1900's. As the family story goes, the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco gave Betty's parents a reason for leaving the "ruins" and they relocated to the Napa Valley. Their original vineyard land was purchased with gold coins! 20 acres surround the winery and tasting room and they own additional Napa vineyards. All fruit for their wines comes from vineyards they own. The current winery dates from 1992 as before this they were solely grape growers, providing fruit sources for other well-known wineries including Caymus, Mondavi and Rombauer. They do still sell some of their grapes each year. The tasting is very low key and informal as it is all about the wine - no gift shops or music here! A tiny lab is even located near the actual tasting counter. The tasting room is quite small but can fill up fast if a group or tour van drops by. They have earned a healthy reputation for their Chenin Blanc, which by the way is not a varietal often found at Napa wineries. This is a very dry wine and the 2007 version we tried has great aromatics with some stone fruit flavors including peach and just a touch of vanilla on the finish. However their focus is on red wines and they make excellent Zinfandels (several Zinfandel versions are made from separate blocks in their vineyards), and Syrahs. In fact they have a number of varietals available for tasting including 100% Cabernet Franc and 100% Petite Verdot which in the Napa area, are varietals not often made as stand alone wines. We really enjoyed their Zinfandel Port. Its not overly rich like some of the Zin ports we have tried, has great berry flavors with a long warm finish. You come to this winery when you are ready to try wines other than Cabernets as of the 13 wines available for tasting, only 1 was a Cabernet Sauvignon. In addition their prices per bottle are very reasonable. Visit: www.ballentinevineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 10-5pm Phone: 963-7919 Address: 2820 St. Helena Highway North, St. Helena Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Bardessono Family Vineyards is owned and managed by Tom Bardessono. His family has deep agricultural roots in the Napa Valley dating back to 1926 when his grandfather and his brother in law purchased property in Yountville. Prior to this, they were copper miners working a mine in British Columbia, Canada. For over 50 years the Bardessono Family sold grapes to other high end wineries and during a short time in the 1980's produced Sauvignon Blanc commercially. This property was handed down over the generations and today Tom is vineyard manager for his 3 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and is also the winemaker. This vineyard is located on the valley floor in the Yountville town limits. He currently focuses on two wines, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from his family vineyard (Maxine's Vineyard) and a Napa Valley Petite Sirah. Tom graduated from college with a business degree and then worked for a company selling office equipment. This is not the most usual door into the wine industry, but Tom having grown up in the Napa Valley and having made wine with his father for a number of years already had winemaking experience. A cellar master job opened up at Robert Mondavi; he worked there for 6 years and also picked up additional barrel experience during a stint with a French cooperage. Today Tom is the cellar master and assistant winemaker at Miner Family which conveniently is where he makes his own wine. We tried several barrel samples of the Petite Sirah. Bardessono uses several different barrels for their aging program - having worked at a cooperage before, Tom knows well the characteristics each of the barrels bring to the wine. We tried the 2006 Petite Sirah. This is sourced from a vineyard in the northern part of the valley. All the juice for this wine is fermented in 1/2 ton small bins and then aged in a combination of French and American Oak. We have had some rather "large" Petite Sirahs from Napa but this not one of those. Rather it is more refined and elegant with a lush rounded mouth feel. Some nice earthiness and mineral elements are present in the nose followed by rich ripe fruit. The smooth tannins whisper on your mouth and provide a soft finish. This is a delicious wine. Bardessono will be taking a break for a few years from the primary source for his Cabernet Sauvignon - the Maxine's vineyard (named in honor of his mother) as it was recently replanted. The 2005 vintage has nice color (dark purple) with lively aromas containing blackberry and black currant as well as some herbal qualities - the palate is full of rich fruit, spices and some nuances of oak. We also tried the 2006 well before its release but after it was bottled. This wine already has a lovely elegant nose full of ripe fruit. Nuances of black cherry, graphite and vanilla are found on the aromas. The palate is rich and layered with tobacco and earth notes - this wine has good acidity and is well balanced with a very long finish. With only 177 cases this wine won't go far. Bardessono wines have broad appeal with rounded mouth feels, lush fruit and soft smooth tannins. You know a Bardessono wine bottle immediately by the hand wrapped hemp string that circles the neck of each bottle. This is a neat tribute to Tom's Italian heritage - no you won't see this on any other Napa wine bottles! It also has a practical application as it helps stop drips when the wine is being poured. You can find the wine locally at V Wine Cellars in Yountville and JV Warehouse in the town of Napa. Their typical production is several hundred cases per year. Visit: www.bardessonovineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Private Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: N/A Phone: 815-2502 Address: Yountville Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Barlow Vineyards is located on the western side of the northern part of the Silverado trail - look for their Red sign next to the road and the "Barlow" name built into their gate. This is an appointment only winery serving small groups in a very personalized setting - at the owners home. Napa Wine tasting does not get more personalized than this! Get the gate code ahead of time, punch it in and pass through their gate which actually lift straight up into the air. Barlow is located about 1/4 mile in on top of a small hill surrounded by much of their 50 acres of planted vineyards. It was founded in 1994 by a Southern California couple who love wine and had made many trips to Napa Valley - their original interest in purchasing Napa wine land began in the 1970's. This is a family affair as one of their kids has moved into the valley and is now working in the family wine business. Their total production is very low (about 2000 cases), all wines are unfiltered and they concentrate on producing intense red wines. Their original foray into wine making was meant to be for friends and family but their winemaker was so pleased with the result he encouraged the Barlow family to sell it commercially! Tasting takes as long or as short as you like and if its cold outside is located inside their house near their modern kitchen at the "wine table". If the weather permits it is outside on their deck overlooking the vineyards below. All tastings are with the owners and all grapes used in their wines are grown on site. Our favorite is their Cabernet Sauvignon which is a very full bodied wine yet quite drinkable now. We tried their 2004 vintage which will coat your palate with lots of fruit, while retaining its smooth velvety texture. Typically you will also try the Merlot and their house blend, the Barrouge which is a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend with the minority varietal being Merlot. They also produce a Zinfandel and one year made a dry fruity Rose, called Sailor's Delight. Visit: www.barlowvineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: N/A Phone: 942-8742 Address: 4411 Silverado Trail, Calistoga Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Barnett Vineyards is located off of the narrow windy Spring Mountain Road which connects Napa and Sonoma Counties - about 1.5 miles in. We call this side road located at the Sonoma/Napa County line, the "summit wine road" as it leads to numerous Spring Mountain wineries. It is wineries such as this one where it pays to do your homework if you are trying to get off the "beaten path" in the Napa Valley. Barnett is one of furthest in wineries on this road - the road keeps forking and look for their sign and address at each of the forks. Punch in the office number on the gate keypad once you get close to the actual winery. Groups are limited to no more than 8 as the tastings are meant to be intimate. A tasting will begin in their barrel room and weather permitting will meander up to their observation deck. This winery definitely has one of the best views on Spring Mountain especially from the aforementioned deck on top of the hill at about 2,000 feet. You look straight across at Mt. St. Helena - peer right down into the northern Napa Valley floor and look all the way across the valley to the other ridge tops including Howell Mountain. It took almost 2 years to clear and plant the vineyards despite having planted only 7 acres to vine. You will see why it took so long when you visit - steep rugged hillsides dominate and are covered with thick brush. In addition, it is clearly evident when you walk up to the observation deck, just how rocky the soils are! This is a small estate winery (founded in 1983 by Hal & Fiona Barnett) located on very steep hillsides with slopes up to 35%! Their original intent was never to build a winery but rather to have a weekend private getaway location from San Francisco. For a fairly small production they make a wide variety of wines - as of our latest visit, 11 different wines are made here. They are strong believers in unique terroir sites and will source fruit from a variety of locations (not necessarily within Napa) based on where specific varietals grow best. Their 2006 Chardonnay is sourced from Anderson Valley in northern Mendocino County. This wine is all about the balance - not one aspect dominates. The bouquet is very aromatic and somewhat floral - the mouth feel is smooth and rounded with some minerality and toasted almond nuances. The 2006 Pinot Noir is sourced from the same vineyard as the Chardonnay and has some nice raspberry notes interwoven with various spices. It is a softer style Pinot with less tannic structure than some Pinots you will find. Their Merlot is delicious - alas it was sold out during one of our later visits, fortunately we still have one aging in our cellar! It is noteworthy as it exhibits slightly different flavors and spices then most Merlots grown in the actual Napa Valley floor. It almost has a few characteristics that you often find in a Napa Cabernet. Barnett also produces several Cabernet Sauvignons including their much coveted Rattlesnake Hill and also a Spring Mountain District and a vineyard designate Cabernet Sauvignon called Cyrus Ryan. These wines will age extremely well. Due to its popularity the Rattlesnake Hill can be sold out and you often will try a barrel sample of this wine. The 2005 Cyrus Ryan is a big rich wine with notes of chocolate, and mocha on the nose intermingled in with ripe fruit aromas. The finish goes on and on! When the weather is warm and you have clear skies, it doesn't get much better than this - sipping hand crafted wine and being treated to spectacular views in a casual yet intimate setting. We have been here several times and the wines coupled with the intimate tasting experience especially from their overview deck is hard to beat! Caves have been drilled through the mountain (err rock!) and will be functional for the 2008 harvest. Visit: www.barnettvineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 10-4pm Phone: 963-7075 Address: 4070 Spring Mountain Road Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Beaucanon Estate is a private winery which has been producing Bordeaux style wines in Napa since 1986. They were originally located in the winery building that currently houses Provenance Winery on Highway 29. Beaucanon is run by a brother sister team whose family have a long history of winemaking in France dating back to the mid 1740's - the brother is the winemaker. Everything about this winery is true to their Bordeaux roots, including the vineyard management and winemaking. Rows are small and tightly spaced and terroir specific clones are used based on soil types. All their wines are estate grown with the exception of their Sauvignon Blanc which comes from a vineyard at about 3000 feet in Lake County which is appropriately named the "High Vineyard". They have planted this varietal on site and in the next couple of years their wines will be completely estate produced. They have three good size vineyards in the Napa area of which they carefully choose the fruit they want and sell the rest to other wineries. Soil analysts from France surveyed their vineyards and made recommendations for where to plant certain varietals including specific rootstocks which would perform well. They use a variety of rootstalk for their Cabernet including a French Clone (337) which typically produces very small fruit with intense concentrated flavors. The philosophy of the owners regarding wine pricing comes from Europe - a good wine should be enjoyed on a daily basis with food and be available at a reasonable price. This has carried through to all of their pricing. Even their Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon's are priced where many of the local high end wineries start their pricing. Their reserve wines are made in low quantities and are only produced during certain cool weather years as quality is of the utmost importance. We tried several delicious wines including their 2006 Sauvignon Blanc. This wine has a very floral nose with hints of mint and other herbs. It is a crisp wine with flavors of honeysuckle and melons. Their Merlot is not your typical California Merlot, i.e. it does not have any jammy characteristics. It is a well structured deep red Bordeaux blended wine with great cherry flavors. Their Reserve Cabernet is a gem of a wine. As of press time we tried their current vintage, a 2000 which was already 7 years old by the time it reached our lips. This wine can easily age another 10 years but was already drinking nicely. It has velvety tannins and traces of cherries on the nose and a touch of mocha and vanilla from the 2 years in French Oak. The winery sits on a historical property with ownership that dated back to General Vallejo's time - and more recently was in the hands of golf Pro Johnny Miller. Beaucanon has plans to take appointments for tastings in the next few years as well as construct a cave on site. For the latest details visit: www.beaucanonestate.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Private Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: N/A Phone: 254-1460 Address: N/A Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Beaulieu Vineyard is a large very historic winery located on the corner property of Rutherford Cross Road and Highway 29 in the small town of Rutherford. This is several miles south of St. Helena on the "wine strip" where some of Napa's most visited wineries are located. Their massive winery facilities are located on site. Beaulieu was founded in 1900 by Georges and his wife Fernande de Latour and takes its name from what Fernande remarked when she saw the property for the first time. She said, "Quel Beaulieu" which in French means "beautiful place". If only she had merely said "bien" meaning "good" in English, then maybe they would have taken a different name and we could pronounce the name easier! However just do like the locals and call it BV for short. A winery actually existed on site dating from the 1880's. Georges and his wife purchased the property in 1900 and they soon built its capacity up to 3x what it was. Prohibition was the last nail to be hammered into the metaphorical coffin for most wineries in the United States. Not so with BV, rather they somewhat thrived during this trying time in the wine industry as they had a National contract for producing sacramental alter wine for churches. Look for their large billboard along Highway 29 just south of the winery announcing their presence. This winery has a large distribution and falls under the class of "touristy" wineries. For a quick major contrast in types of winery facilities visit BV and then visit Elizabeth Spencer across the street - one of the smaller walk-in tasting room buildings in Napa Valley. If you visit from late morning onwards your olfactory nerves will be tempted by the delicious aromas wafting out from the massively popular Rutherford Grill, located next to the winery. You can often find BV wines in many locations across the country including major supermarkets. They are very well distributed. Their main tasting room is in a nice small round wooden building. A complimentary taste is always given of a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc when you walk into the main tasting room - before the regular paid tastings. This tradition dates back to George's wife Fernande who believed in always offering their visitors a glass of wine as soon as they walked in the door. BV makes a number of different tiered wines ranging from their Signet (most often found in restaurants nationwide), to their Napa wines, to their coastal estate wines. Their Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons are very popular and often end up in collections to be aged for a number of years. This is a wine they have made every year since 1936, with the exception being 1944 when a fire destroyed much of the winery. It is a wine that has ended up in top collections and at number of well-known functions over the years, including at the White House and for Hollywood events including the Emmy awards. All reserve wines are tasted in their high class Reserve Tasting room, located across the parking lot from their main tasting room. Note the imposing statue of Andre Tchelistcheff which stands near the entrance. Compose your photos looking up so he towers over you. He is a "Wine God" in the Napa Valley and did much for the local wine industry as winemaker and soils expert - as well as working for BV for many years. He was a major force in perfecting their wines including their Pinot Noirs and is still referred to by some employees as "the Maestro". As with several of the older larger Napa wineries their barrel room also contains huge redwood tanks for fermenting large lots of wine. These are in fact still used today. BV owns a large number of Napa Vineyards ranging from southerly Carneros to Calistoga in the north. However, the main vineyards are located behind the winery and still are the heart of their Private Reserve label. When we walked in to their Reserve Room asking to take a few photos in their reserve room, they said ok, as long as we were not spies from nearby Mondavi...nice! A small gift shop is located downstairs in their general tasting room, which is good as it is completely separated from the actual tasting experience. Too many wineries have their gift shops totally integrated into the tasting room which sometimes detracts from the actual tasting experience. The reserve and main tasting rooms are favorite stops for Limo tours. Visit: www.bvwines.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: No Regular Tours: Yes Hours: 10-5pm Phone: 967-5230 Address: 1960 St. Helena Highway - Rutherford Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Bell Wine Cellars is located off of Washington Street, just south of Yountville. You drive down a long driveway (at least 3/4 of a mile). Despite the Yountville town address, this winery sits in the country surrounded by vineyards and a nearby riparian zone. During high water years it can become a little scary when the water overflows its banks and the vineyards completely flood. The tasting room is currently in a small house next to the new winery building. The winemaker and part owner, Anthony Bell was instrumental in clonal variation research on Cabernet Sauvignon. He worked for many years at Beaulieu Winery (see directly above) where he worked his way up to General Manager. In other words he developed many different types of unique Cabernet Sauvignon clones. He is often around the winery especially for tours so you might have a chance to meet him. Their clone 6 cabernet put this winery on the "wine map" so to speak and is a must try when you taste. We enjoyed the 2005 Clone 6 several months before it was even released to the public. In our opinion this wine was ready to go when we tasted it! It is unfiltered and is sourced from the historic well-known Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford. The original plantings on site were from 1928 by Georges de Latour (BV Vineyard). This is a very dark wine with rich concentrated flavors. Cherry, black currant, and blackberry all come together on the palate which is anchored by structured tannins on the finish, slight notes of pepper and just a subtle fling with vanilla from the particular French Oak barrels it was aged in. Also two excellent Syrahs - and a non vintage Reserve Port is released in very limited quantities. Bell Cellars in fact produces quite a few other wines including Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Viognier, Merlot and several Sauvignon Blancs - including one from a vineyard in South Africa! Tastings are by appointment; it is always nice to find a winery that caters to people seeking a more individual intimate tasting experience. Two main tastings are offered, the current release and their Reserve (advance reservations required for the Reserve tasting). I suppose you could take extra time and do both tastings! Beside the winemaker, Art Spanos the owner of the San Diego Chargers, has significant ownership. Visit: www.bellwine.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 10:30-4pm Phone: 944-1673 Address: 6200 Washington Street, Yountville Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Benessere Winery is located at the end of Big Tree Road, just north of Lodi Lane and the town of St. Helena. This winery was purchased out of bankruptcy in 1994, the existing vines had been neglected for too long and were completely replaced with new plantings. Because the current vineyard location used to be a thoroughbred horse ranch, vineyard workers sometimes run across old horseshoes. Their first estate vintage was 1999. The owners are from Chicago and ran a successful school bus company before falling in love with wine during a trip to Italy. Benessere means "well being" or "prosperity" in Italian which can easily apply to those living and working in the wine industry in the gorgeous Napa Valley. There is even a rumor that drinking Benessere Wines will bring you good luck, prosperity and fortune. Before you enter the tasting room you will probably be greeted by what looks like a mid size bear (no doubt the largest dog you've ever seen!) - this is actually a Newfoundland breed named stormy who weighs over 160 pounds! Apparently Stormy doesn't move much too much as there is a sign located right above where she usually sleeps mentioning that Stormy is very gentle and friendly - this is true! Benessere's core is specializing in Italian style wine and grape varieties. As a result tasting here is a bit different from the almost obligatory Cabernet Sauvignon you will find in most area tasting rooms. This is uniquely refreshing as you will be tasting mostly Italian varietals and various unique blends. Their wines are mostly produced in fairly limited quantities and some of the wines typically available for tasting are their Rosato di Sangiovese which is a wonderful Sangiovese Rose, a "Black Glass" Zinfandel and their "Phenomenon" which represents the pinnacle of their winemaking and is a blend of Cab Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah. A "fun" wine that you won't find at any other Napa wineries is the Muscat di Canelli Frizzante - a semi sparkling Muscat wine. Their long time winemaker often makes "fun wines" typically in quantities of 100 case or less and sometimes they are available for tasting in the tasting room - usually during the winter holidays. In addition to their Napa based winemaker, they also work with several Italian consulting winemakers. In Napa but can't make it to their winery for some reason - not to worry, Benessere is extremely well distributed at local Napa area restaurants. Visit: www.benesserevineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 10-5pm Phone: 963-5853 Address: 1010 Big Tree Road, St. Helena Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Bennett Lane Winery is one of the most northerly wineries located in Napa Valley. As a result, when compared to the "wine strip" of Highway 29 south of St. Helena this part of the valley is on the opposite spectrum. Fewer tourists equates to less traffic and crowds in tasting rooms. Very nice! The winery is located about 3 miles north of Calistoga in the cradle of the Napa Valley where the eastern Vaca mountains come together with the western Mayacamas. Continue much past here, and you wind through the hills into Sonoma County. Note, the actual Bennett Lane road sits just north of the winery but the winery entrance is located just off of Highway 128. Their motto incorporates their geographic location, "Crafting Fine Wine at the Pinnacle of Napa Valley." Bennett Lane was founded by Randy and Lisa Lynch who both had no prior experience in the wine business before starting this winery. They fell in love with wine during many trips to Italy and decided to custom crush (make wine within a winery) at the old Vigil Vineyards Winery. Convinced they were on to a good thing, and with a bit of good timing the owner of Vigil sold them his winery which is now home to Bennett Lane. In addition to their estate vineyard surrounding the winery, they also own 14 acres across from nearby Chateau Montelena. Because of its northerly location this is a good place to either start or finish your wine tasting day. There are excellent views of the nearby mountains and vineyards. When you drive in note the different grape varietals next to the parking lot - the rows are all labeled. The intimate tasting room is located in a modern Mediterranean style tile roof building - if one of the doors are open inside, you will be able to look right into their barrel room. The owner is a huge Nascar racing fan, has his own NASCAR team, and owns several cars. His enthusiasm and passion for racing has carried to others who work at the winery. Even winemaker, Rob Hunter is now a fan. During one visit a wide screen television was setup in their barrel room broadcasting live from Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. They are sponsors of the Bennett Lane Winery 200 at Infineon. In a racing world dominated by beer ads and sponsorship it is uniquely refreshing to find a winery involved! Maximus is a name synonymous with Bennett Lane Winery (both a red and white wine). It is named after the 2nd century Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The owners have a collection of ancient European coins and each of their wine has an image of an old Roman coin on the label. Several original coins dating from several thousand years ago are displayed in the tasting room. The 2007 White Maximus is an interesting blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and a touch of Muscat. They call this their "white feasting wine". Definitely serve chilled - its perfect to drink on a hot summer's day. It is crisp and light with touches of stone fruit including white peach and nectarine. The 2005 Reserve Chardonnay comes from Carneros - nice crème Brule aspects, toasted nuts and a smooth creaminess towards the finish. The 2005 Maximus is a red blend which for the quality is available at a very decent price. Lots of fruit in this wine - plum, cherry, blueberry with exotic spice combinations coming together towards the finish. Jumping right into the 2005 Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - this is a juicy, dark richly flavored wine. The nose is all about the mocha/cocoa and red fruit aromas which follow to raspberry, chocolate and cherry flavors on the palate. The finish is rich and super long. Of special note is their non vintage extremely limited production desert wine; you won't find this blend of desert wine anywhere else in the Napa Valley. They blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Carignane (an unusual varietal in the Napa scene - originally hails from Spain) to form a unique flavored wine with notes of fig and cherry on the palate. The dark chocolate and black cherry aromas also continue onto the palate but are more subtle than on the bouquet. Speaking of chocolate, every Saturday their Maximus & Cabernet Sauvignon are paired with various dark chocolates. Two wine clubs are available. They also offer the ultimate wine tasting package. One of the highlights of this package is learning how to blend different wines (you can take home your final blend). It also includes a Limo ride, cheese & wine pairing & more. This is something that is certainly not offered by every winery. Lastly, their website has a very good explanation of the different wine growing regions within the Napa area. Visit: www.bennettlane.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: Yes Hours: 10-5:30 Phone: 942-6684 Address: 3340 Highway 128, Calistoga Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Beringer Winery is a large historic winery very popular with tourists. With a winery such as this one that has been around for so long, its a bit difficult to condense our description! They are setup for "crowds" so it was almost awkward when we found ourselves the only one in their reserve tasting room and one of 3 people on one of their tours! But not to complain as this is the best situation for us when researching wineries. Beringer was established in 1872, making it the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley. Charles Krug was the first established winery in the Napa Valley in 1861 - finishing its construction just before the nearby historic David Fulton winery. Beringer is also the first Napa winery to offer public tours starting in 1939. Note the "tree tunnel" that is found in front of this winery - these trees were actually planted in 1855 by the Beringer brothers Yes these large trees were small once - we've seen photos of the Beringer Brothers standing next to the newly planted trees. A fancy gift shop and reserve tasting room are located in the main stone building. The gift shop sits in what used to be a huge tank room and if you look on the walls you can still see the written tank numbers. Another tasting room is located in the Rhine House (re-opening most likely in early 2009) and is primarily for hard to find wines and their reserve wines. In the "old days" Beringer ran a distillery and several of their long time customers (now in their 80's and 90's sometimes ask for Beringer Sherry when they visit!) They typically produce very large quantities of wine as well as many different types of wine - as of press time over 80 different types of wines. However, some of their high end wines come from sourced fruit from very small vineyards and are made in low production. Be sure to stop at the winery info room located near the parking lot before climbing the stairs up to the actual winery. Here you can get information about their tours, the winery and pick up a free self guided "property guide" map. There is a path the winds its way around near the historical Rhine House you pass as you drive in - this is a good area to take some photos. A variety of tours are given several times a day and you can signup for these at the time of your visit. The Beringer Introduction tour takes you through the old hand dug caves - most of which have been enlarged and sealed over with gunnite but there is one small cave still preserved. A library wine room is seen on this tour which has bottles dating back 50+ years. Incidentally a scene from the Walk in the Clouds movie was filmed in front of this small room within the cave. The reserve room is decorated very nicely and is intimate. Photos of famous mostly older movie stars hang on the walls behind the tasting counter. A tasting here is high end and includes your choice of 4 wines from their tasting menu. This menu is heavily weighted towards vineyard designate and reserve Cabernet Sauvignons although if you enjoy Chardonny, do not ignore their Sbragia Limited Release version. We finished our tasting with their 2004 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This a big, rich, chewy, full bodied Cabernet that will age very well for many years. It has also been very highly rated by the most respected wine writers in the industry. Beringer's wines range from under $10 to over $100 for current releases. As a result their are a variety of wines for all types of tastes ranging from their sweet popular sparkling white Zinfandel all the way to their hand crafted single vineyard Cabernets. Also check out the very old "leaning oak" for which they named one of the labels after. Famed American now retired football star, Joe Montana has his own wine label - as he teamed up with Beringer's winemaker. Note that Beringer's huge winery & production facilities are located across Highway 29 but are not open to the public. The location you visit is the original historical winery. Lastly, left hand turns out of their driveway across Hwy 29 are not recommended due to somewhat limited visibility. www.beringer.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: Yes Hours: 10-5 or 6pm Phone: 967-4412 Address: 2000 Main St Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Bettinelli has been producing wine since 1990. They have a good sized vineyard near BV Winery in Rutherford with ownership of other planted vineyard properties in Napa and nearby Pope Valley. Think Napa Valley is 100% planted to vineyards? Bettinelli's Rutherford vineyard is surrounded by several acres of Olives and when we visited in early fall we found rows and rows of commercially harvested tomatoes growing nearby! Bettinelli was founded by two partners, each with a background in farming. A third partner later came on board and handles their marketing. One of the three partners has a fairly large vineyard management company within the Napa area. He manages vineyards for select high end wineries as well as Bettinellis. He has devised a very interesting and unique trellising system for the vines. The main tall vine separates the two canes (the vine's arms) into a V shape facing East/West which directs the foliage into a North South direction. There is an amazing amount of work that goes into running a healthy vineyard and their vineyards are very carefully managed. The tall vineyards allow harvesters to easily walk down the rows at chest height and pick the grapes. The grapes bunches are all lined up in rows at about the same level which really simplifies the picking. Contrast that to a head pruned vine which has grape clusters randomly hidden underneath the foliage where one has to bend down and search for the clusters. Bettinelli typically picks the same varietal two separate times during harvest. The reason being is the west facing side receives more sun and warmth so the fruit tends to "come together" before the east facing side. If one picked both sides at the same time you might get some vegetal characteristics in the wine due to one side of the row not yet being "ready". They produce about 3000 cases annually with distribution in very select national markets - including some restaurants in the Napa Valley. One thing that is unique with this winery is they are able to hold back their wines 4 to 5 years before releasing them, and yes, you can buy their older vintages still - which are 7 or 8 years old. Check with many Napa area wineries - the majority have already sold out of their older vintages or make these their "library" wines which are not always available to the public. We tried a 2002 Napa sparkling Viognier which was just made one time. From our recollection out of almost 350 Napa wineries visited to date, this is the first wine of this type that we have tried. It is a wine that is extremely labor intensive to make - theirs exhibits a beautiful creamy fruit quality. Their are two general processes to choose from in order to make this wine. The process they used gives it more depth and structure rather than the other process which forms a more lean wine. We also tried their robust 99' Napa Cabernet which amazingly has hardly lost any of its color over time and still has a strong tannic backbone, mostly on the mid palate, and ends with a very smooth finish. Several of their wines are sourced from Lake County fruit for their Barclay & Browning Winery based in Middletown (north of the Napa Valley). Visit: www.bettinelli.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Private Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: N/A Phone: 480-1935 Address: P.O. Box 71, St. Helena Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Bighorn Cellars is located right off the southern part of Silverado Trail (on the west side of the road). This winery is owned by Premier Pacific Vineyards a "vineyard sourcing" company which was founded by William Hill - who also found the nearby William Hill Estate Winery. As of press time Premier Pacific Vineyards control a number of different premium vineyards in California, Oregon and Washington. Bighorn Cellars sources most of the grapes for their wines from Napa. They do have their own small estate vineyard located next to the actual winery. It is easy to mistake this winery as a business office as from the front it does not look like a winery. In addition, their retail room is only open by walk-in on Friday and Saturday. The tasting counter is in the back through the hallway past the offices. A visit here is very low key and relaxed. Wine club members often stop by on the weekends in the summer for tasting - its a welcoming atmosphere. A porch is located right behind the tasting area and this overlooks their vineyard. Their wines are priced very reasonably. All tastings are paired with a variety of cheeses and chocolates. If available, try the delicious Camelback Vineyard Chardonnay (from the Carneros region). This is a popular wine and at the time of one of our visits it was already sold out. Our tasting started with a 2005 Yamhill County Pinot Noir - Big Horn Cellars had this wine made in Oregon and then brought to the actual winery in Napa. This is the best of both worlds - a Napa Winery being able to offer a high end Oregon Pinot Noir (not many Napa wineries do!) while ensuring this wine is produced carefully on site rather than trucking it down to Napa to be produced. This Pinot has a lot of nice fruit both in the bouquet and on the palate. The entry is juicy with nice notes of tangy berry, white pepper and other baking spices. The nose on the 2004 Merlot has some notes of tea leaves, black fig and herbs but its core is in the fruit. Slightly spicy on the palate we picked up notes of plum and red cherry. If there ever was a food wine, the 2005 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon is it. As of press time this is their most produced wine (around 1000 cases). It is an elegant wine both in aroma and flavor. A core of plum and cherry shows on the palate with a finish that is slightly dusty. Age has treated their special reserve Cabernet Sauvignon well (sourced from the best blocks of their Coombsville vineyard). We tried the 2001 - lots of spices and nuances of pepper intermingled in with nice cherry flavors. It is quite smooth. Lastly their 2005 Syrah is a dark inky wine. The aromas are decidedly fruit and floral driven with little spice. However, the spice is picked up on the palate along with blackberry and blueberry notes. Future plans include a major project on site to be called the Silverado Trail Wine Studio. This would be a step beyond the normal "winery collective" which the wineries represented typically have no ownership of the actual winery and whose wines may or may not be present in the collective tasting room. In this case Silverado Trail Wine Studio plans to build a "condominium" style complex in which the ownership comes from small wineries who are investors. This allows each winery to use the shared services including the winemaking & production facilities, tasting room, and make use of the brand marketing. We've seen the preliminary designs for this; it is a state of the art winery with a nice kitchen, lab, and private tasting facilities. It is an ingenious idea and once completed will be the only one of its kind in Napa Valley. Also inquire about their "Case for a Cause" where if you purchase a case of specific wines they will donate a certain amount to a charity of your choice. Visit: www.bighorncellars.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 11-4 Fri-Sat, by app Sun-Thurs Phone: 226-8569 Address: 3105 Silverado Trail, Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Black Cat Vineyard produces their wine at the beautiful Star Hill Winery in the hills just east of the town of Napa. Driving up a narrow windy road with the great views in distance, planted flowers and bougainvillea draping parts of the winery property, you could be in almost any Mediterranean country in the world. This is a private winery and is not setup for visits except for serious wine enthusiasts (typically those who have tried this wine before). The location is stunning - the winery overlooks all of the land where the southern part of Napa Valley actually starts - and then down to the south into the Carneros district and the San Pablo Bay in the far distance. The winery was started by an Orthodontist in the 1980's who more recently devoted much of his time to his practice. The actual winery looks like it could date from the turn of the century - especially the stone cellar room. The owner of the Black Cat Vineyard, Tracey Reichow, makes her wines here - it is a very small, very hands on process and her total production of the two main wines is merely 500 cases. The wines are made in an artisan style - each block from her vineyard is hand selected and all fermentation takes place in open-top fermentors. Tracey decided to become a winemaker after a previous career which afforded her tastings during specific events of high quality wine on her companies' dime. After leaving this company she had a desire to make high quality Rhone Valley style Syrah wines that tasted like the wines she was used to tasting and to make them available at a fraction of the European prices. In addition living in the heart of the Napa Valley doesn't hurt either! Her attention to detail and work in her own vineyards has really paid off in the final product. The Black Cat Syrah is a very rich concentrated wine with lots of fruit aromas on the nose with some spicy pepper flavors typical of Syrah - and the finish is very smooth. The other wine is a blend typically 1/2 Syrah and 1/2 Cabernet Sauvignon. Oh, and wondering about the name of the winery? It does involve a cat - and is the only Napa winery we know named after a feline. When Tracey and her family lived in Pittsburg they took in a feral black cat who stayed with them when they moved west to Napa. You can purchase wine & also join the mailing list online. Visit: www.blackcatvineyard.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Private Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: Call Phone: 321-0866 Address: Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Black Coyote Winery was founded in 2000 by Dr. Ernest Bates (and 3 partners). Dr. Bates is an esteemed neurosurgeon who created one of the first African American owned wineries in the Napa Valley (Bates Creek). He has lived in the Napa area full time since 1999 and was one of the founding members of the Association of African American Vintners. He has been active on the Board of Directors for the Copia wine center in the town of Napa. He is now retired and has more time to dedicate to his wine and charity interests. His wine is made at Judd's Hill Winery by the well known winemaker Marco DiGuilio and Art Finklestein (owner of Judd's Hill). Black Coyote produces two wines in very limited quantities, a Chardonnay sourced from fruit from the Monterrey area, and Cabernet Sauvignon from Dr. Bates' own vineyard in the Coombsville area just east of the town of Napa. Black Coyote takes its name from a frequent coyote that used to visit the property and kill his geese. However, Bates did not want to have this animal removed or killed as he was aware of an old Indian belief that coyotes have mystical powers. The winemakers philosophy is to take the best grapes they can find and then produce a wine which really highlights the fruit characteristics. We tried their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. The bouquet is full of ripe black cherry aromas which tend to become stronger and envelop the glass the longer you let this wine breath. Additionally, exotic spices and subtle oak are found on the nose. The tannins are mild as you would expect from a well-balanced wine ready to drink now. The finish lingers well after swallowing and exhibits a slight smokiness as well as cedar. This is a very food friendly wine. Despite numerous awards for their wines, the owners haven't quickly raised the price as their philosophy is good wine should not price out huge parts of the market. Because of the low production of their wines, they are found in select wine shops and restaurants typically within the Napa and San Francisco region. For wine club signups & their website, visit: www.blackcoyotewines.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Private Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: N/A Phone: 252-2292 Address: Napa Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Black Stallion Winery is a winery that has recently come out of growing pains. Although their first release was in 2002 they didn't actually own a physical winery until more recently. The main tasting facility opened to the public in May 2007. They are located off of the southern part of Silverado Trail in the Oak Knoll Appellation. We visited several times during the construction (tasting was in a trailer at that point - how far they've come since then!) as well as after the "new winery" officially opened. Look for the large statue of the black stallion in the front - don't actually park here - the main parking lot is in the back of the winery. The winery site used to be horse stables and an equestrian center called the Silverado Horseman's Center and had a long rich history before shutting down in the 1990's. There was an indoor riding track with an outdoor arena that seated up to 3000 people. The original equestrian center (behind the tasting room building) has now been remodeled for winery production uses. Historical information about this and the Silverado trail hangs on the wall near the tasting counter. Also of note is one scene the movie, Apocalypse Now was filmed here. Director Francis Ford Coppola has had a long time connection to Napa. Black Stallion is owned by two brothers Terrance and Michael Maglich who have a wine distribution business based in Minnesota. This winery has no affiliation with the Black Stallion movie - so no souvenirs for this movie are sold here - although for marketing purposes this would not be a bad idea! You can however purchase some artsy looking horses as well as rusted iron "good" luck horseshoes! This is the only Napa winery we have seen selling horseshoes inside the tasting room - although it certainly fits when you take into account the properties history. The inside is plush with high ceilings and is tastefully decorated. A large circular tasting bar can accommodate large numbers and on the weekends and even many summer weekdays it can be very crowded inside. Part of the reason for the crowds is Black Stallion has made an incredible marketing effort to bring people here for tastings. One end of the tasting counter looks out the window onto their vineyards. There is a fancy sit down tasting room right next to the tasting counter and sometimes we've seen people sit here rather than at the bar. A special reserve tasting is planned and will include their Bucephalus, a high end red blend - which if you know your ancient Greek and Roman History you will recognize Bucephalus as the black horse that Alexander the Great always rode into battle. Private tastings can also be scheduled ahead of time. Choose 4 wines from their list of 8-10 reds and whites. Nice Pinot Grigo - their Sauvignon Blanc seemed to be an off dry wine (some residual sugar left when the fermentation was stopped). Their sweet wine Muscat Canelli tends to sell out quickly due to limited production. As of press time, they make a dark colored Rose of Merlot, a Merlot, a Syrah which screams out for BBQ, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. There are no estate wines yet and you will see why when you visit the winery - young recently planted grape plants are not yet producing useable fruit. They recently acquired additional adjoining acreage and will plant these to vineyards as well, and in addition hired a full time winemaker (as of 2008). As of press time their total production is about 4000 cases which isn't all that much for physical winery of this size. Unlike many area wineries, all their wines are sold only at the winery or online (they have no distribution). Visit: www.blackstallionwinery.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: 10-5 Phone: 253-1400 Address: 4089 Silverado Trail, Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Blackbird Vineyards is located in the heart of the Oak Knoll district in the southern part of Napa Valley and was purchased in 2003. The vineyards are entirely planted to Merlot and over the years this vineyard has provided fruit to many very high end Napa wineries including Shafer, Viader, and Lail. Merlot lovers take note, this winery is all about producing premium Merlot wines. Invariably with even a little bit of time spent in the Napa Valley, you hear of Napa's "cult cab" wineries, well take note, Blackbird is the new "cult Merlot" winery! With limited production (based on the rather small size of their vineyard) and limited distribution to only select markets it is a good idea to join their mailing list. Incidentally, "Merlot" in patois (a French dialect) means Blackbird. The growing climate and soil types are somewhat similar to Pomerol, France's prominent Merlot growing region. Blackbird was founded by Michael Polenske, an investment banker as well as an entrepreneur. He has been interested in wine for many years, and took a number of wine related classes while in college. Today, Blackbird is his passion - within seconds of walking out of his house or office he is in the vineyards. He follows "the business of leisure" model, or more simply stated, is doing something practical to invest in what you love and turn that into a self sustaining business. He has certainly done that in a relatively short time with Blackbird Vineyards. Their first vintage was in 2003 but this was merely 90 cases as most of the fruit at that time was still being sold to area wineries. We tried the 2004 and 2005 vintages, both are unfined and unfiltered for maximum flavor and both wines are really true to the flavors of this varietal and terroir which is a testament to their acclaimed winemaker Sarah Gott and the vineyard source. The 2004 is 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a dark wine with a bright lively fruit on the nose and a palate full of ripe cherry and blackberries with touches of mocha and chocolate. The finish is long and smooth. The 2005 with almost the same blend displays a deeper rich earthy aromatic profile with again great fruit flavors including plum and blueberry. It is a very well balanced wine with nice character on the finish. Additional plans include releasing a Rose. Also of note is their collective tasting room in Yountville called Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley. It is located across the street and just down from the famed French Laundry restaurant. This old stone building used to be a former distillery and has been completely gutted and elegantly restored. It opened by appointment only in early October 2008. Click on our photos link above for several photos of this new tasting room. Ma(i)sonry provides a very personal tasting experience, either indoors our outside among the sculpture garden. The setting is designed to remind one of a private home featuring incredible antiques and one of a kind art works. Visit: Ma(i)sonry. Blackbird makes their wine at the historic Napa Wine Co and you can currently taste the wines in their Cult Wine tasting room and also of course at Ma(i)sonry. Besides Blackbird's own wines, this collective features the following wines: Brown Estate, Joel Gott Wines, Lail Vineyards, Pedras Wine Company, and Renteria Wines, some of which won't be available for tasting until the end of October 2008. This winery is so young - give them a few more years and additional vintages and they are only going to grow in appeal among serious wine enthusiasts. Visit: www.blackbirdvineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: Ma(i)sonry: Call Phone: Blackbird Vineyards: 252-4444 | Ma(i)sonry: 944-0889 Address: 6711 Washington Street, Yountville (Vineyard is in the nearby Oak Knoll district) Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Boodeaux Vineyards are found in an isolated location in Napa's East county (Capell Valley). Unlike many Napa wineries this winery is not named after the owner's last name, rather it is a combination of his dog's first name Boo, and and "deaux", taken from the Bordeaux region in France. The owner, tongue in cheek even refers to his dog as the winemaker and himself as the assistant winemaker. The owner is a former prison guard turned vintner who actually grew up in the Napa area (graduated from St. Helena High) and was surrounded by the wine industry during his formative years. While paying the bills with his prison guard salary - he certainly wasn't having any part of the vineyard life that he grew up around. He had the foresight in 1997 to purchase 20 acres in the Capell Valley which he then later planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Primitive and Charbono. His vineyards are right against the hillside and are planted in pockets typically separated out by specific varietal. Being located in Napa county you almost have to make a Cabernet Sauvignon and Boodeaux makes a delicious one. It is an elegant wine which an observant palate will pick up hints of dill on the nose and certainly some black licorice in the mouth. The tannins are tightly structured and do not overpower the wine. The finish is long and smooth. Boodeaux also produces several varietals that you will typically not find in Napa. One is their Primativo. After a very in depth tour of Hendry Winery the owner of Boodeaux fell in love with the Primativo varietal which turned into an instant decision to plant this grape on his own property. He immediately returned, installed irrigation and then planted about an acre of this varietal within a week of taking Hendry's tour. We have tried several Primativo's in the valley and this is one of the finest. We tried his 2004 vintage. It has just a slight touch of high end Cabernet Sauvignon blended in and this really gives structure to both the front and finish. It is always amazing how a very low percentage of another varietal really contributes to the wine. The nose is slightly smoky; it is a full bodied wine that will pair great with food especially BBQ'd meats. Boodeaux also produces a Charbono which you will be hard pressed to find in the Napa Valley area unless you are in the Calistoga area. This varietal thrives on hot summer days and cool summer nights with often rather large temperature fluctuations. As of press time total production is about 1000 cases with plans to ramp this up in the near future. For the quality to price ratio, Boodeaux's wines are actually quite reasonably priced. Additional plans are in place to build a crush pad and drill caves on the property. This is definitely one of the more isolated vineyards in Napa County. You can find their wine at Cal Wine and JV Wine in Napa and also at Dean & Deluca wine shop in St. Helena. For their blog, visit: http://boodeaux.blogspot.com or the main website: www.boodeauxwinery.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Private Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: N/A Phone: 258-8687 Address: Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Bouchaine Vineyards is the oldest continually operating winery in the Carneros District. Vines were first planted in the late 1890's on the property and the winery has since changed ownership several times including being owned by Beringer at one point. The winery construction was initially started in 1928 which was a rather gutsy move at the time, considering this was still in the midst of prohibition. The winery wasn't actually finished until 1933 which was the last year of prohibition. Today the tasting room and original winery buildings remain - having been remodeled since the original construction. Note the very distinctive brown siding on the buildings - these were hand cut from huge old redwood fermentation tanks that were originally used in the winery. What a great way to make use of these old tanks! The winery was originally sold by Beringer to the current owners, Gerret & Tatiana Copeland and partners. There are two lines of thought in regards to the name of the winery. The first was well thought out; Bouchaine has a couple of meanings in French, however in this case it is French for the name of the person that puts corks into wines after they are bottled; the second connotation was a bit more rushed! After the sale of the winery in 1981, the owners headed out of town and their lawyer needed to come up with a name quickly and was looking for something French, so he chose his wife's maiden name of Bouchaine. Their total acreage on the estate is about 104 acres planted mostly to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They do source some of their fruit from the Sonoma Coast and the more northerly Anderson Valley. Their estate is among the southern most vineyards in the Carneros, putting them very close to the moderating effects of the Bay. In addition they are among the highest vineyards in the Carneros - in a region that for the most part is fairly close to sea level. Need a break from the up valley big bold Cabernet Sauvignons? Being a Carneros based winery, two of their most produced wines are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and they do an excellent job on both of these varietals. As Bouchaine says, "Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of wines, but Pinot Noir is the wine of kings." Nice! They make two of their estate Chardonnays in different styles, so you can get a real feel for how the actual winemaking style can affect the flavor and aroma - one see's no oak during fermentation with no malolactic fermentation and the other see's oak and undergoes partial ML. A number of their limited production wines are only available at the winery and through their wine club. A couple of these we thoroughly enjoyed were the Mariafeld Pinot Noir (you won't even see this listed on their website), their Estate Pinot and the Pinot Meunier (a cousin of Pinot Noir). We've come across this varietal maybe 3 or 4 times in Napa - its not commonly produced - their 2006 version has bright fruit and lively acidity. It is full of floral and fruit characteristics on the bouquet followed by a palate that drinks like an elegant Pinot Noir (rich in raspberry, chocolate & spice). Also try the Pinot Gris - the 2007 vintage has a nice gold color with a somewhat gravelly very fruit forward nose with some citrus notes on the palate. This pairs very well with shellfish. If you like dessert wine they make a very nice Bource d'Or (translates to Taste of Gold) from Chardonnay grapes. We sampled their 2007 vintage; it is decidedly amber in color, and strikes a nice balance between the flavors of honey and sugar. With a residual sugar of 19%, yes this wine is very sweet, but it is not so high in alcohol - only 11%. It is always refreshing to find a dessert wine with lower alcohol. Stone fruit and minerality nuances are found in the bouquet, with lots of peach, and honey notes on the palate - however the finish doesn't grip you and never lets go like some cloyingly sweet dessert wines, rather it is smooth and quite well balanced. Their current winemaker has over 30 years experience producing high quality Pinot Noir & Chardonnay. He was also the founder of nearby Acacia Winery. Think of the two C's when discussing the best places for bike riding in Napa - Calistoga to the extreme north in the Valley and Carneros to the south. Bouchaine is one of the most bike friendly wineries in Napa; often bikers will stop by on there own or through with one of the many local bike tour companies. Bouchaine is certainly available for bike groups as there is a large lawn and tent setup (when weather permits) behind the tasting room as well as deck seating. Most Napa wineries who have built "long games" into their grounds build Bocce Ball courts - not so with Bouchaine. Look for the fun horseshoe pit in the back! The tasting room staff is very friendly and helpful. In 2008 the tasting room was totally remodeled and now shows wonderfully. In the mood for hiking? Bouchaine has set up a unique 7/10ths of a mile, self guided vineyard walk, highlighted by 14 different stops. Not a bad way to work up a thirst by any means and plus, it is an educational tour as well. Be sure to pick up the "vineyard walk" brochure from their tasting room before you start. Several stops on the tour afford one very good views of the Carneros district, the Napa River and the San Pablo Bay. Biking, or want to have lunch here - ask about their Table for Two picnic basket service. Visit: www.bouchaine.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: No Regular Tours: Yes Hours: 10:30-4pm Phone: 252-9065 Address: 1075 Buchli Station Road, Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |