Saddleback Cellars is located off of the small residential & vineyard surrounded Money Road - about 1/2 way down the Oakville Cross Road. Astute followers of Orange County California trivia will note a similarity between this wineries' name and two prominent mountains in the Santa Ana range that have been named Saddleback. In addition, there is a dip in the eastern mountains behind the winery which resembles a horses saddle. Nils Venge, the winemaker and owner was born and raised in Orange County. In the theme of the name, look for the white horses that may even be etched into your tasting glass. Their first vintage was in 1982. This is how many wineries in lesser known wine regions are; small with a definite agricultural feel rather than the "polished with money" feel you often find at select Napa wineries. When the weather permits the tasting is located mere feet from the grape vines - hey, the front four rows next to the road are actually used in their Pinot Grigio - bet you won't find this close of a tasting to the actual source of the fruit elsewhere in Napa! This is definitely not your "big" bold Napa Valley Winery. Tasting is more intimate and personalized and is by appointment as drop ins are discouraged especially when the tastings are outside, as often each group will have their own pourer and walk ins may disrupt the individual tastings. When the weather is good you rarely find a more personalized tasting in Napa Valley. The pourer sits down with you on the picnic tables and answers any questions you may have. When the weather is bad, tastings occur inside the actual winery building which is surrounded by wine barrels and photos on the table of the owners dogs. Note the friendly writings that people have left in their guestbook on the counter. Where else can you be sitting and maybe see famed winemaker Nils Venge jump onto his tractor and head out into the surrounding vineyards like when we were there. Saddleback owns 17 acres of vineyards at the winery which provide the grapes for a number of their wines. Saddleback makes a large number of wines (some relatively obscure for Napa) for a relatively small winery and each tasting flight typically includes 8 tastings usually starting with the lighter white wines, touching on their Merlot Rose, then finishing with the reds. Only 50 cases was made of the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre style (Sancerre is a famous white wine producing region in the Loire Valley of France). This is a lighter style wine that sits on the lees for 4 months - lots of lemon, lemongrass and other citrus aromas and flavors with a bit of minerality. Marsanne is a varietal not often associated with Napa wineries - we don't know of any Marassane vineyards in the Napa Valley and this wine is sourced from the Sacramento Delta region in California's great Central Valley. There is a nice rounded mouth feel to this wine, pears and less mineralities than in the aforementioned Sauvignon Blanc. The 2006 Chardonnay undergoes battonage (the wine is stirred on the lees when it is in barrel), no Malolactic Fermentation. Nice toasted almond and melon flavors - very viscous. The 2006 Vine Haven Scarlett's Rose, named after a favorite pooch is a Rose of Merlot. This is a delightful summer wine with slight watermelon aromas on the nose. We've climbed and trekked all over the world and the aromas on this wine remind one of the "watermelon algae" you find at elevation in the snow which gives off odors similar to fresh watermelon. Bet you wont see that comparison in any other tasting notes! Think the Merlot Rose is nice? Try the actual Merlot. Great rich fruity nose with a rounded mouth feel and hints of chipped chocolate and cherry followed by a note of black pepper towards the finish. The tannins are well structured. Try any vintage of their Cabernet Sauvignon with a bold full of character, Montecristo No. 2 Cuban. Their old vine Zinfandel is wildly popular - they tend to pour this last and as one of our pourers indicated, this wine wipes your palate clean and all you remember are the luscious flavors. Perhaps that is why this wine is often sold out! While at the nearby Groth Winery, Nils produced the first American Cabernet to have been awarded 100 points by famed wine connoisseur Robert Parker. We have visited Saddleback several times; once one of the pourers had just finished up being filmed in PBS's version of "wine survivor" - lots of exciting stories from this TV production. Want to be part of "The Posse" - join their wine club of this same name and get first access to the "small lots" - which are wines usually made in quantities of merely 50 cases. Visit: www.saddlebackcellars.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 10-5pm, by appointment Phone: 944-1305 Address: 7802 Money Road, Oakville Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Saintsbury Winery was founded by Richard Ward and David Graves in 1981. Incidentally they both met during their graduate studies in Enology at UC Davis while taking a brewing class together. Fate sometimes works its magic - David had a biology degree from UC Santa Cruz and Richard had an engineering degree and both were pursuing careers in the wine industry. Before starting Saintsbury, they both gained hands on experience in the industry by working together at several Napa wineries. The property where the winery is located was grazing land at the time of their purchase. Today besides the estate property, they also own two other vineyards in the Carneros area and in addition source grapes from nearby vintners. Their first vintages were Chardonnay (this paid the bills) and twice as much Pinot Noir which was the wine they both enjoyed and were most focused on making. Today Pinot Noir is really their specialty; they produce a number of different styled Pinots. In addition, they still produce Chardonnay and more recently a cool weather Syrah sourced from neighboring Sonoma County. There are just a select number of Napa wineries that we invariably recommend for Pinot Noir lovers - this is definitely one of these wineries! As of press time, for a winery producing 60,000 cases, the initial reaction of a first time visitor is typically how small the actual winery looks. In reality, only about half the production is conducted here - the other half is in a warehouse near the town of Sonoma. A visit to Saintsbury is refreshingly always about the wine - no fancy gift shop or fancy artwork - just a simple uncluttered room for tasting wine. Instead of naming the winery after themselves as many wineries have done, they chose to name it after a professor in England who was famous for writing his "Notes on a Cellar" book - and some of his quotes appear on the wine bottles. Their Pinots are world class and they have an excellent selection of these mostly from the Carneros region. Your tasting will typically include a majority of their Pinot Noir production. Normally you will start with the Vincent Vin Gris (a play on words with Vincent Van Gogh - note the Van Gogh style painting on the label). Vin Gris Saigne is a French style of wine made in Burgundy where the juice is bled off before the fermentation actually begins. Saintsbury was among the first of the Carneros Pinot Noir producers to make this wine. The first vintage of this was in 1989 when lots of rain during harvest swelled up the fruit and they needed to find a use for the extra "juice". All the juice for this wine is fermented in barrel. The 2007 is a light easy drinking summer type wine with a nice mouth feel and notes of raspberry and strawberry on the palate. We tried two their two Chardonnays, the 2006 Carneros and the 2006 Brown Ranch. The Carneros is unfiltered - during an experiment in the early 1990's they made both a filtered and an unfiltered Chardonnay and decided they liked the flavor better of the unfiltered one. The rather subdued bouquet leads you to believe there may not be much fruit showing on the palate. Not true, there are nice fruit driven flavors including pear and citrus. The Brown Ranch is slightly more complex of a Chardonnay with a creamy textured mouth feel. Only the best lots of fruit are used for this wine. It shows very pleasant fruit flavors including ripe apple, pear and more subtle citrus notes. This is our favorite of the two wines. Because Sainstbury makes a variety of Pinot's we spotlight just a few here. We started with the 2006 Carneros Pinot Noir - this is by far their most produced wine. It is a very well balanced wine with not one aspect dominating. Lively acidity, bright fruit and nuances of sour cherry make this an excellent wine to pair with food. The 2006 Toyan Farm Pinot Noir has a very elegant nose with notes of candied fruit and raspberry. This wine is all about the balance with the delicate tannins on the finish anchoring the nice fruit on the palate - cherry and plum. The 2006 Brown Ranch Pinot Noir is the darkest of the three wines we tried and produced in fairly limited quantities compared to most of their other wines. There is almost a herbal and tea like quality to the nose with dark fruit aromas that carries over to the palate. If you walk around the winery, check out the almost 7000 square feet of large raised solar panels in the back. They have distributors in all 50 states and a number of International distribution as well including Japan and parts of Europe. Should you find yourself in San Francisco, you can taste their wines, along with a select group of other northern California vintners at the "urban tasting room" in The Press Club not far from Market Street underneath the Four Seasons Hotel. Visit: www.saintsbury.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 9-5 M-F Phone: 252-0592 Address: 1500 Los Carneros Avenue Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Salvestrin Estate Vineyard & Winery is located just off of Main Street (Highway 29) a few hundred yards south of the historic white stone St. Helena High School. This winery is somewhat hard to spot as it is not located right next to the main road and the small sign does not stand out like other wineries along the "wine strip" from St. Helena to Oakville. The actual winery is built right among the vineyards and you walk next to rows of grapes to get to the tasting room. This site has been farmed in vineyards since the 1860's even during prohibition when they sold fruit to other wineries for church and medicinal uses. The Salvestrin Family has been farming in Napa Valley since 1932 and selling their grapes to other nearby wineries. John Salvestrin was the founder, his son Ed grew grapes for many years and now Ed's son Richard is the current vineyard manager and co-winemaker. In 1994 they decided to hold back some of the highest quality fruit from their property and they released their first vintage. Today Salvestrin manages all their own vineyards themselves (becoming more of a rarity in the Napa Valley) and almost all the fruit for their wines come from the estate. Total production each year typically runs 3500 to 4000 cases. However, it wasn't until 2001 that this current winery & tasting room opened to the public by appointment. The tasting room atmosphere is pleasant, relaxed, easy going and friendly. Despite their location just off the very busy part of Highway 29 a visit and tasting here is often private and you certainly do not find the crowds that frequent some of the larger wineries in this area. The winery building is modern, functional and well designed. The tasting room is upstairs in the nicely constructed redwood building and if you step outside onto the balcony you have good views overlooking the nearby vineyards. Windows next to the tasting counter allow you to look down upon the actual production facilities of the winery. Tasting typically includes three of their current releases. The 2007 Estate Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp fruit driven wine with notes of pear and citrus on the palate. The 2005 Retaggio is a unique Super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This is a versatile wine that will pair with a number of foods - something with a tomato base would be an excellent choice. This wine has great color with a pleasant underlying spiciness on the bouquet carried through to the smooth silky palate. The 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon satisfies the three "A's" the winemakers are looking for; approachability, ageability and acidity. This wine has all of these and more. Ripe fruit, and more fruit! You may find blackberry and Santa Rosa plum on the palate with just a touch of oak and vanilla towards the finish. Salvestrin often has vintages up to 10 years old available for purchase. Parking is limited and they are not setup for large groups. They also operate a 3-room historical Victorian B&B on site called Sunny Acres. A stay here is very central within the Napa Valley as you are minutes from the town of St. Helena as well as nearby wineries. Ownership of this property dates back to 1859 and the Victorian dates back to 1879. Dr. Crane was the original owner - he was a pioneer in the Napa Valley as he was among the first to plant European wine grape varietals and some of his original plantings are still growing in the surrounding vineyard. The owner is a former pastry chef at Sutter Home Winery and can whip up some delicious breakfasts during your stay here. Inquire about their barrel tasting and tour by appointment. Visit their website for more info & to also sign up for their mailing list. Visit: www.salvestrinwinery.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 10-5 by app Phone: 963-5105 Address: 397 Main Street, St. Helena Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Sand T Cellars specializes in one type of wine and one only - a Syrah. This winery is owned by Tom and Susan Ridley who moved to the Napa Valley over 30 years ago. In their name, the S stands for Susan and the T for Tom. Look for the small turtle on the label - it is an endangered sea turtle native to the Gulf of Mexico. As as happened with so many people who came to the Napa area, they had no plans on making wine when they moved here but as so often happens they were bitten by what we call the Napa Allure. Their neighbor happened to be George Hendry (who by the way gives some of the most detailed personable vineyard tours in the valley). George convinced them to plant their 3-acres to vineyards and they began producing this wine by the early 1990's from their small vineyard appropriately called Brookside Vineyard as it sits right next to Redwood Creek. They make merely several hundred cases so it can be somewhat hard to find outside of the winery. Good ratings from the famed wine connoisseur Robert Parker certainly don't hurt and only contribute to the difficulty of procuring this wine! A tasting here is for the serious Syrah wine enthusiasts as the tasting is at their home and they are not setup for large groups. They are located several miles west of the main town of Napa in the shadow of the Mayacamas mountain range. Weather permitting the tasting is held outside on their vine covered deck overlooking their pool. The tasting is always with either Susan or Tom. Their wine is made at their nearby neighbors' winery, Hendry who has also been spotlighted in this article. Their Syrah is made in the French style which means it is made using practices that are common in the northern Rhone area of France. This 2005 vintage is dark purple with blueberry and dark cherry flavors - there is a bit of pepper, spice and almost an earthiness towards the long finish. Also of note is their Brookside Vineyard B&B on site - this is a spacious Mediterranean style B&B with 3 rooms. Each room is named after a country (USA, France & the UK) and is decorated to reflect each particular country. A stay here always includes some of their wine! Accommodation is priced rather affordably for Napa B&B's and is in a very quiet location - yet is just minutes from the town of Napa. Click on our winery photo link above to see a few photos of the B&B. Visit: www.sandtcellars.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: Call Phone: 252-6690 Address: 3194 Redwood Road, Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Saviez Vineyards (pronounced like "Saviay - the "z" is silent) is located in the northern part of Napa Valley right off the Silverado Trail near the intersection of Larkmead Lane and Silverado. This location and family have a lot of history in Napa Valley. The winery was originally established in 1900 and besides making their own wine, they sell grapes to other wineries and provide vineyard management services. Francois Saviez the original Patriarch of the family initially provided vineyard management for Lily Coit's estate on nearby Larkmead Lane (Lily is of Coit Tower Fame in San Francisco). Saviez continued operation during prohibition by selling Sacramental wine to the Catholic Church, although at one point Francois was arrested for bootlegging - a common practice among some vintners during these trying times in the wine industry. The Saviez's spoke of how when his wine was destroyed the nearby creek ran red down to the Silverado Trail with the wine. For the first time in their history they have a tasting room (opened in 2005) which is on the site of Francois's original home. All visits are by appointment only, you will never see an open sign in front of the winery! Their property sits right up against the hills and is only a few hundred feet drive past the gate (which rises straight up into the air) to the actual winery. They recently finished a complete remodel to the house on site which has been converted to their indoor tasting room. A nice fireplace provides lots of warmth on cold winter days. Or if nice weather you can certainly taste outside on their deck overlooking the vineyards and Silverado Trail in the distance. You might even see some wild Turkeys, Red Tail Hawks or Jackrabbits. The property backs right up against the wild, steep forested slopes of the Palisades and Vaca Mountains - so you never know what visitors might come down to their vineyards. Yes, they even have a mountain lion story! During the remodel, the landscaping was also redone and a creek runs next to the outdoor tasting area. This property can be among the hottest in the Napa Valley and in the summer tastings are often conducted in the shade of a huge oak tree. Tastings are very informal and are always with one of the Saviez Family members. Saviez is not afraid to buck current popular varietal trends - case in point is their Muscat Canelli, a French Colombard, appropriately labeled the "French Kiss" (this is a wine that only a handful of Napa wineries produce) and of course their Flagship wine, the Zinfandel. You want an excellent Zinfandel - come here! We tried the 2003 estate vintage. Nice berry aromas fill the bouquet which follows to the palate which also picks up cherry flavor as well as a characteristic Zinfandel spiciness towards the finish. This a rich concentrated with lots of layered fruit flavors and tannins that positively sing. They do make several delicious Cabernet Sauvignons and without question, one of the nicest Muscat Canellis in the Valley. All of their wines are priced very reasonably. We highly recommend this personal tasting experience. Visit: www.saviezvineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: Call Phone: 942-5889 Address: 4060 Silverado Trail, Calistoga Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Sawyer Cellars is a small family owned Estate winery located right off of Northbound St. Helena Highway in the Rutherford appellation. By small, we mean small - just a handful of employees means they all wear many hats. Sawyer Cellars is owned by Charles and Joanne Sawyer who for many years were passionate consumers - going to many events in the Napa Valley but not actually living here. That all changed when they purchased their own vineyards and their winemaker convinced them to make wine themselves rather than just selling the fruit. This winemaker has been with Sawyer since their first vintage. Sawyer Cellars doesn't sit right on Highway 29 as some of the other nearby wineries do so keep a close look out when you get close (they are the next winery south of Peju Winery). The wood surrounded tasting room is located in an old 1930's totally renovated wooden "barn" - 50 acres of estate vineyards are planted on the property which surround the barn. Sawyer concentrates their wine making efforts on merely several specific wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, a red Meritage blend and Sauvignon Blanc. For the amount of detail and wine craftsmanship that goes into there wines, the prices are really quite affordable. We tried the 2006 Estate Sauvignon Blanc. The nose on this followed by the palate might lead you to believe you are drinking Chardonnay. Not so amigo. This is a somewhat unusual Sauvignon Blanc in the Napa Valley in that it was aged in Oak Sur Lie for 8 months - which means is has a creaminess and weight in the mid palate you don't normally find in Napa produced Sauvignon Blancs. Rather than the cut grass and herbaceous flavors you often find with Sauvignon Blancs, this wine is robust with its nutty aromas, almost caramel like which turn to pineapple after the bouquet opens up. This is followed by a smooth palate of pear and apricot flavors with some very nice mineralities. The 2004 Estate Merlot is 100% varietal well balanced wine. Note the hint of oak and spices especially towards the finish. Our pick is their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 vintage. The nose will tell you that this is a very fruit forward wine with elegant well integrated aromas of blackberry, and cherry with a palate that is very fruit driven with hints of vanilla. The finish is smooth and long. They also make what they call the "fun wine" in very small quantities. Its a Rose of Merlot with nice wild strawberry and raspberry flavors on a light to medium bodied palate but with a rather intense finish. This is a good pool and patio sipping wine on hot days. Note that Sawyer tends to age their wines longer than many area wineries - especially in bottle - so by the time it reaches the consumer it already has an extra year of bottle age. Not a bad thing at all! Very friendly, knowledgeable & sincere wine pourers. This is a tasting room that "cares" and that is big in our books. Be sure to also pop your head in the one of a kind bathroom - they've gone creative with corks. Judging by the names on the corks, they tend to drink a lot of wine - and most of it is from Napa! Tastings are by appointment only but if you are there during a slow time you may be able to schedule something that day (the regular tasting). Sawyer also offers a unique "winemaker for the day" event - in which you create your own blends and at the end of the seminar, you take home a case of your "own wine". Lunch is included after the blending. As of press time they offer three tastings, the regular tasting, tasting combined with tour, and tasting, tour and barrel sampling. The barrel room is underground located just behind the main tasting room. Should you happen to be here during harvest you might even be put to work for a few minutes on on their sorting table, sorting jacks (grape stems) and other debris that don't belong in wine! Total production is relatively small at just over 4000 cases. Check their website for pricing, tasting specials and or discounts. Visit: www.sawyercellars.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 10-5 by app Phone: 963-1980 Address: 8350 St. Helena Highway - Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

School House Vineyard is a very small producer of wine nestled in the hills of the Spring Mountain District a few hundred yards in on Langtry Road at about 1500 feet. A visit here is for the serious wine enthusiast as a tasting is conducted at the owner's home. This winery is located in the Spring Mountain District; it is quiet and relaxed here, Napa's unassuming mountain Appellation. The owners of School House concentrate their efforts entirely on the vineyard management. They subscribe to the saying that 90% of the wine making is done in the vineyard. As a result they do not make the wine themselves but rather work with a local long-time Napa winemaker to produce approximately 500 cases a year of three types of wines. All wine is made at a nearby winery. This winery is named after a small one-room school house which used to be on site until it burned down in the 1980's. You can still see the original site where this was located. The original vines on the property were planted in the 1890's. A man by the name of John Gantner purchased the property in the 50's and produced his first vintage in 1957 (there has been a vintage every year since). However, vineyards on site were originally planted in the 1890's and even today some of these original vines are intermingled in with the much new plantings. Today the second generation John & Nancy run the winery. Their original wine was Pinot Noir and they still produce this. All grapes grown on site are dry farmed - they are probably one of the only wineries in California dry farming Pinot Noir! Their Mescolanza is a delicious blend predominately of Zinfandel and Petite Syrah with a touch of Carignane, a Spanish red varietal rarely grown in the Napa Valley. As the owners say, “Excessive consumption of this wine may cause Zinfomania”! Their third wine is an unfiltered Chardonnay. Tasting is an intimate experience sitting around the table with the owners at their house. They are setup to only take very small groups. Visit: www.schoolhousevineyard.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: Daily by Appointment Phone: 963-4240 Address: School House Vineyard Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Schramsberg Vineyards is a must visit and is located just south of Calistoga off of Highway 128 on the West side of the road at Peterson Drive and Schramsberg Road. The long steep wooded driveway is narrow and windy so drive carefully. The winery was established in 1862 and is considered the second or third oldest winery in the Napa Valley (right behind Krug-1861, & possibly David Fulton-1861/1862 - Fulton's final date of completion is missing from historical records). Lets just say that any winery who started in the 1860's in the Napa Valley and who still is in business today is one of only 3 wineries! The winery lay in a state of decay for many years until the Davies family restored the winery and property in 1965. You must reserve tasting and tours ahead of time as tours are given only four times per day, appointment only. Their champagne has been served to Presidents, Heads of States and other important dignitaries world wide. The first time the White House got whiff of the quality of their wine was in 1972. Jack Davies, the owner was called to drop off cases at Travis AFB where he was met by a government official. Jack forgot to get payment and delivered the wine for free! Several weeks later a friend called up and told them to watch Barbara Walters on National TV who was holding their wine which was served at a Presidential function in China. Talk about excellent publicity! This is world-class champagne and is one of the few champagne wineries operating in Napa Valley. As of press time they make 9 different Champagnes including their much coveted Reserve J. Schram. This winery even has a Riddler who turns the bottles by hand in order to move the dead yeast out of the wine - most champagne wineries have automated this process! Their riddler has been with them for over 30 years - imagine your job description "I turn bottles" and he does a very quick job of it often turning over 8000 bottles in one hour! Automated riddling machines at other sparkling wineries are able to move the yeast to the stem of the bottle in about a week while it typically takes Schramsberg up to 6 weeks. This winery is all about quality versus quantity. The very educational tour winds through the dark and damp wine cellars and ends up in the fancy tasting room where you are given select tastes of various champagnes. Seating is tight in the sit down tasting room with many glasses sitting on the tables, so be sure you don't accidentally bump over a fancy glass of champagne! We have been here several times - on our first visit we had the privilege of meeting Schramsberg's matriarch, Jamie Davies - who unfortunately has since passed on. Food and champagne pairing sessions are available and you can also take a self guided tour of their gardens - best in Spring and Summer. Also of historical note is Robert Louis Stevenson visited Schramsberg and admitted to tasting 18 different wines! Schramsberg is mentioned several times in his book called The Silverado Squatters. Visit: www.schramsberg.com and also visit their sister winery located on site which produces a single Bordeaux blend red wine: J Davies Winery

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: Yes Hours: 10-2:30pm, tours by appointment only Phone: 942-4558 Address: 1400 Schramsberg Road - right at Peterson Drive, Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Schweiger Vineyards produced their first harvest in 1984 although most of their Spring Mountain property has been in the family since 1960. During these initial years they sold their grapes to other high end wineries and winemakers, however today much of the fruit from their 35 acre estate is kept for their own wines. Spring Mountain is often above the fog and in the summer can be noticeably warmer than the valley floor. Unique microclimates and terroir make this an ideal growing region, especially for Cabernet Sauvignon, as a result, the majority of the vineyards are planted to this varietal. This winery is owned by Fred & Sally Schweiger, both of which grew up in San Francisco. This is truly a family affair as their son Andrew is the winemaker and Fred handles the vineyard management and overview. Their daughter is also involved in national sales and distribution. Andy has a long history of working at high end Napa wineries and also makes wine on site for several boutique wineries. We've tried several of the wines from the boutique producers that he makes wine for - your not going to find a bad Andy Schweiger crafted wine! Fred originally owned a construction company but when interest rates hit all time highs in the late 1970's he pulled his construction crew out of construction and put them to work clearing the the land for vineyards! Schweiger produces a variety of wines from their hillside vineyards (the actual winery is situated at 2000 feet). Unlike a number of the Spring Mountain wineries that share driveways, Schweiger has their own driveway just down from the Napa/Sonoma County line. Call for the main office from the keypad at the gate. A visit will include a taste outside, a brief overview and tour of the actual winery facility (designed by Fred) and end with a tasting in their well humidified barrel room downstairs. They make two whites; a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc - they are one of the few wineries in the Spring Mountain district to grow Chardonnay grapes on site. We tried the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc which consistently has been sourced from a specific vineyard in Kenwood (Sonoma County). This is a crisp clean wine with lively acidity - no malolactic fermentation with notes of pear, apricot and some tropical nuances. The 2004 Merlot is a good example of Spring Mountain grown fruit. Don't like Merlot's, try this one, maybe you will change your mind! It is a fruit forward, juicy wine with nice blackberry, black cherry components. The finish is very long. Their Cabernet Sauvignons will age extremely well - good acidity and well structured tannins will ensure this. Nice bouquets and later vintages may have a small amount of Merlot blended in to help soften and smooth out the wine. Be sure to try their Port V## which is typically made in very small quantities from their estate Cabernet Sauvignon grapes- less than 10 barrels. It is a non vintage port and the "number" will change every time they release a new bottling. This Cabernet Port is one of the finest of its kind we have tasted in the Napa Valley and is made with Alambic double distilled brandy (no cheap brandy here). Their "Dedication" is also very popular and is a red varietal blend of typically Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, & Malbec. It is soft and elegant. This wine is made in extremely small quantities and is Andy's dedication to his son and also his father. Several other wines are produced in small amounts and are only available through their wine club. Many of their wines are 100% varietal with a few exceptions. You can find their wines locally at JV Wine & Spirits in Napa and Dean & Deluca as well as in a variety of Napa Valley restaurants. Visit: www.schweigervineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 8-5pm (M-Sat) Phone: 963-4882 Address: 4015 Spring Mountain Road Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Seavey Vineyard is located along Conn Valley Road in the eastern hills of Napa Valley - about 15 minutes from the Valley floor. A drive out here is a refreshing change of pace from the vineyard covered flatlands of the Valley floor. Although located merely 15 minutes or so from the valley floor a visit here seems world's apart from the hustle and bustle of Highway 29. Rolling hills, narrow roads, and lots of oaks grace the hillsides. This historical property was originally a cattle ranch however records indicate grapes were planted on some of the hillsides as early as the 1870's. The stone dairy barn (still in existence) was built in 1881. The current owners, William & Mary Seavey purchased the property in 1979 and planted the slopes with grapes and initially sold their fruit to Raymond Vineyards. Today the property encompasses about 200 acres - besides grapes the owners also raise cattle. Solar power was installed in 2003 which actually was one of the first Napa winery solar systems. Their first commercial vintage was released in 1990 a year after they renovated the stone dairy barn into a working winery. Today this stone building is the centerpiece of the property and is where your tasting will be given. A normal tour includes a walk through of the property, sometimes with the owner and a visit to the winery building and their cave. The cave is interesting as its not really bored into the hill, rather it was dug out and then filled over with massive concrete structures each piece weighing 95,000 pounds - these pieces made it over the historical Conn Creek bridge on the property (the original foundations are still in place from 1881) and you will note the 90,000 pound weight limit sign which is now posted! Because the vineyards surround the winery they are able to bring freshly picked grapes in for production usually within a short time after they are harvested. All their red grapes are hand sorted and then de-stemmed and are always fermented in small tanks. As of press time, Seavey focuses on all Estate grown fruit - two Cabernet Sauvignons, a Merlot and a very limited production Chardonnay. Our tasting started with their 2006 Chardonnay - this is a very nice wine that doesn't undergo Malolactic Fermentation and is produced in limited quantities due to low amounts of planted fruit on the property. In addition this year saw even lower production amounts because of rain around harvest so large amount of fruit was left hanging or hand sorted out due to quality issues. This is a weighty Chardonnay with good "grip" as well as flavors of pineapple and other tropical notes. Their 2005 Merlot is very soft and drinkable now (it includes Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Petite Verdot). Their older Cabernet Sauvignons are still big wines which really come into their own after 7 to 10 years. Seavey has the luxury of holding back certain vintages and from time to time they release these vintages for purchase. The well-known winemaker Philippe Melka is their consulting winemaker and has been with them since the mid 90's. Visit: www.seaveyvineyard.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: M-F, at 11 & 2pm & Sat at 11am Phone: 963-8339 Address: 1310 Conn Valley Road, St. Helena Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Sequoia Grove , founded in 1979, is a small quaint looking winery with a tasting room located in what is a renovated old barn just off of Highway 29. However, the inside of this "barn" has been excellently refurbished creating a warm elegant, intimate tasting environment. You will quickly see how the winery took its name as there are two large Sequoia trees growing right outside the main entrance to the tasting room as well as a small stand of additional trees near the picnic area. The winery is located in the Rutherford Appellation and is 24 acres in size. As you drive in, the vineyard to your right is planted with a variety of Bordeaux blending grapes. Sequoia Grove also sources fruit from select vineyards around Napa Valley. They are mostly known for their Bordeaux style well balanced wines. As you walk in the tasting room, next to the door you will see what look like large wooden storage containers. These are called puncheons which are wooden Casks and are made to hold specific quantities of wine. They were imported from France and reassembled on location. If you enjoy balanced wines with rich layered flavors Sequoia Grove's Cabernet Sauvignons are for you! This varietal is their specialty and at least one of their Cabernet's is not blended so you are getting 100% varietal fruit. These wines have also done well in various wine judging contests. They do offer tours - be sure to ask about the life preserver hanging on the wall of their unique underground wine cellar! At the time of one of our visits, one of their employees had personally visited and tasted at over 100 local wineries (we are going above and beyond this with our current 500+ wineries visited!!) - in any case, this person was an excellent source of local winery info. A tour requires advance notice and includes a tasting in their historic Cask room (which by the way was the first underground cellar of its kind in Napa Valley). Also of note, is in 2003 one of the huge Sequoia trees was hit by lightening and crashed through part of the Tasting room. Fortunately everything was able to be restored. They offer several different tasting flights and unlike most wineries, you can actually order specific wines by the glass. Very cool! During a recent tasting we tried their 2005 Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah (Atlas Peak). We've visited this vineyard before - its steep, and extremely rocky which was quite obvious due to the large piles of rocks strewn around which were removed from the actual vineyards! Grapevines thrive in these types of growing conditions. There are a number of wines they make in very low production and as a result are only available at the winery. This one of those wines - it is inky dark and rich in fruit especially on the mid palate. There are some nice spices towards the finish and a small amount of Merlot is in the blend adding a softness and smoother mouth feel. The 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% varietal and is aged in all American Oak. The fruit for this wine comes from several high end vineyards in Oakville and Rutherford, Morisoli, Beckstoffer etc. Compared to their Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon this is a much bigger wine with larger tannins. The 2004 aforementioned Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon is a smooth elegant Bordeaux blend from fruit sourced entirely from their estate property. There is definitely an earthy quality to the aromas with rich fruit layers and a finish that lingers for quite some time. Instead of the almost obligatory Riedel glasses you find at wineries these days they were using the German made Schott Zwiesel glasses. Ask your pourer to demonstrate the durability of these glasses by tapping them on the counter and hope they don't actually break during this demonstration! These glasses have a nice curvature about half way up the glass which really catches the wine well when you swirl. They offer a number of special events throughout the year including several brunches, release parties, winemaker events and more. Visit: www.sequoiagrove.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: No Regular Tours: Yes Hours: 10:30-5pm Phone: 944-2945 Address: 8338 St. Helena Highway Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Shafer Vineyards is family owned and dates from 1979. John Shafer founded this winery after a long corporate career in the book publishing industry. This winery is at the high end of the select number of Ultra Premium wineries in the Napa Valley. They define the world quality in everything they do. As we have mentioned in descriptions of other high end wineries, having an excellent winemaker on staff for a long time and retaining key employees is a source of continuity and can really build quality into the wines. This winery is no different in that regard - John's son Doug is the President (used to be winemaker) and the head winemaker is Elias Fernandez; both have been with the winery since 1983 and 1984 respectively. We briefly met Elias - on this fine first day of summer he was supervising the arrival of many new French Oak barrels - his attention to detail is commanding in the industry - with visual & smell tests of every single barrel that arrives - among other inspections. Some of their wines have interesting stories behind the names. One is called Relentless, this tasty Syrah is named after Elias, their One Point Five is a take on some wineries in which the 2nd generation takes over completely after the first generation founders retire; in this case, Doug is the .5 and John is the 1 - John's never had to hand over this winery to Doug as he joined early on. We tried five wines - listing three here. The Merlot is big but soft, velvety and perfectly well balanced on the mouth. The One Point Five really showcases their Stag's Leap district fruit - excellent fruit with a very long finish. The highest quality fruit comes from the hillsides above the winery - and the clusters of grapes are not your typical tightly bunched "pretty fruit". Rather, they are scraggly, with small grapes and are all spread out. However their highest quality wine comes from this fruit forming the Hillside Select label. One of the characteristics of Stag's Leap Cabernet fruit is its softness - and their Hillside Select wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Early on, some in the wine industry were persistent about questioning how much Merlot went into this wine - none! This is a delicious wine for serious wine enthusiasts and collectors. Recently Shafer completed a huge remodel and the place looks fantastic. Many solar panels grace the roof of the main building. Note the rusty looking metal till that sits in front of the main stairwell up to the office- this was the first till on the tractor John used to ride around in the vineyards. John is now in his 80's and he recently took up sculpture (and tango, but that is another story!), and one of his first works is of their wine dog Tucker. This bronze sculpture is located right next to the main entrance. Due to the demand for tasting, it is recommended you reserve up to 6 weeks in advance. Tasting is held in a beautiful room in which one side of the room opens accordion style to the outside overlooking a large lawn and vineyards. One episode of Falcon's Crest was filmed here making this one of three Napa wineries that we know of to appear in that show. The founder John spends a fair amount of time on charity work - he started the Napa Valley Vintners Community Health Center which is home to several health related non profits. Lastly check out John's wine book, Shafer's Line on Wine, a collection of interesting wine trivia. www.shafervineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: Yes Hours: M-F 9-4pm, Tastings/tours are at 10am & 2pm only Phone: 944-2877 Address: 6154 Silverado Trail, Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Shelter Wine Company is the brainchild of David Stephens and a New York City wine broker. David is also one of two business partners who own ACME Fine Wines (specializing in high end, limited production boutique wineries) located in St. Helena. David was born in North Dakota and became tired of the long dark cold winters in this state and ended up in sunny St. Helena working at one of St. Helena's most esteemed restaurants, Tra Vigne. He worked the bar in this restaurant exposing his palate to some of the best wines coming out of Napa Valley and beyond. The next logical step for the restaurant was to put him to work tracking down and securing these wines. For 6 years David enjoyed tasting, buying, recommending and then selling his personal favorites. During the course of this, he also established many strong relationships with area vintners. He has taken a number of Independent wine courses and programs, and continues to further his palate with International wine exposure. As we have seen time and time again on this project, regardless of your background, when the wine industry gets in your blood it becomes a life long passion. David has been running ACME Fine Wines for a number of years and its almost a logical progression that he also became a vintner. A 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon was their first commercial vintage. Today all of Shelter's wines are sourced from high end Napa area vineyards. David has many contacts within the area wine industry and is sometimes approached by vintner's who want to sell their "juice". As a result, the wine has already been hand crafted by area vintners by the time Shelter does their final blendings - the locations and vineyards are secret which helps add to the the mystique of their wines! This "juice" is not just second label stuff - several wineries have very strict protocols about how much wine they produce, or find themselves not wanting to take on the additional workload that extra production brings, and this is where Shelter comes in. Let their wine speak for itself, Shelter will not bottle anything that they feel is not up to their exacting standards. The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc (850 cases) comes from two vineyards towards southern Napa Valley. Each wine was going to be bottled separately but when blended they fell in love with the final result. This wine is crisp, and clean with lively acidity. The nose is very aromatic - floral in nature with notes of citrus lime and lychee fruit. This wine was all fermented in stainless tanks with no malolactic fermentation. The palate brings some characteristics of stone fruit especially white peach and nectarine with also some pear flavors. There are noticeable mineralities present towards the finish. We also sampled the 2005 Shelter Cabernet Sauvignon titled "the butcher" in tribute to a friend in New York City who owns a butcher shop. This is good stuff and only serious wine enthusiasts who have sampled many of Napa's Cabernet Sauvignons should be so bold as to venture a guess where this wine was produced! The initial bouquet brings notes of graphite/pencil lead with a little vanilla along with ripe black cherry aromas. The palate is deep, rich with nice black fruit and a finish that is decidedly smoky with a little bit of dustiness. Oh and this finish is very long. Besides the labels we tried Shelter also produces 27-29 and Headwaters, both Cabernet Sauvignon. The label has an interesting story - coming from a restaurateur background it was designed with the waiter and diner in mind. It simply says "Shelter" and is oriented in a vertical direction so that a waiter can hold the bottle and someone sitting down in a restaurant can easily read it. In addition, during a conversation about a possible name, they started talking about a tax shelter in regards to a home David had purchased and also the idea of a shelter relating to giving animals a safe home. This name stuck, and based on how the wine is acquired, Shelter is a very appropriate name. Click Here for our review about David's wine shop in St. Helena. Visit: www.shelterwinecompany.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: Call Phone: 637-3782 Address: 1104 Adams Steet, Suite 104, St. Helena Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Sherwin Family Vineyards is a very small beautiful winery located in the Spring Mountain district - take the narrow road almost at the top of Spring Mountain Road which leads north - it is the driveway that is home to several Spring Mountain wineries. This road keeps forking - just look for the Sherwin Family signs - the actual winery is located towards the end of the road. Steve Sherwin is the founder - (the first vintage was from 1996) and his background is in construction. He has built a real gem of a winery in a very scenic location. They were fortunate to acquire previously planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines when they first purchased the property although they have since planted hundreds of vines on the 15 acre estate. Steve put in a large pond which is seen from the wineries' main porch. The winery building itself is reminiscent of a mountain style chalet and is located among pine trees. The cellar and barrel room is directly below the main house. Look for the "metal character" in the main room - he graces one of their wine labels. Letters and photos from dignitaries who have enjoyed Sherwin wines are on display. The inside of the main house is really a well-furnished modern looking museum devoted to their wines. Outdoor tasting on a stone patio overlooking the vineyards and pond below is a stellar quieting experience. Their specialty is hillside Cabernet Sauvignon which is one of only two wines made here. We enjoyed the 2004 vintage - it is full of Spring Mountain Cabernet characteristics with its earthy, mossy and spicy characteristics. These of course don't overshadow the great fruit flavors which run all the way across the palate. The other wine produced is simply called "Cellar Scraps" which is the "best of the rest" and is a blend of high quality wines grown on site. Joining their free mailing list is probably the best way to secure some of their wine! Visit their website: www.sherwinfamilyvineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: Call Phone: 963-1154 Address: 4060 Spring Mountain Road Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Shypoke Vineyards is located just south of Calistoga. The name Shypoke comes from an old family folk name that refers to Blue Herons; these birds still nest in the riparian zone next to their vineyards. The owner of Shypoke has family ties dating back to 1896 in the Napa Valley which makes them among the oldest of the winemaking families in the Napa area. In fact, their old stone ghost winery still exists just west of their main vineyard. Before wine became as popular as it is today, Napa Valley had two Co-Ops, one just south of St. Helena and one located in Calistoga. Vintners would sell their grapes to this Co-Op and take turns being the winemaker. The grandfather of the owner of Shypoke was the head winemaker at the Co-op during the 1950's and 60's. Today Shypoke farms 10 acres of grapes and focuses on producing 4 wines, Sangiovese, Charbono, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. (about 1000 cases total). All wines we tried were 2005. We started with their Sangiovese - 100% varietal. This is a nice light summer wine full of raspberry and strawberry flavors with just a touch of vanilla on the finish. Shypoke is most known for the rather obscure varietal, Charbono. There are approximately 50-60 acres of this French varietal planted in the world and 30 of these acres are planted in the northern Napa Valley near Calistoga. Based on these numbers, Shypoke has approximately 13% of the world's planted Charbono. It is a somewhat difficult varietal to grow as bud break comes very early in the season, typically before the frost season is over. This grape really likes the Calistoga area as during the summer you can easily have 50 degree swings in temperature between day and night. We've had a number of Charbonos in the area and theirs is one of the nicest. This varietal produces wines that are very low in acid as well as in alcohol. However, contrary to belief these factors do not diminish the fruit flavors whatsoever. Their version is a very full bodied wine with a nice mouth feel and some spiciness that will pair very well with food. Their Petite Sirah is not the big bold P. Sirah's we have been having lately in the Napa area. Rather it is a more elegant wine with plums and cherries in the nose, blueberries in the palate with a nice not overly tannic finish. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is the only Cab of its kind that we have tried in Napa. Being true to their main varietal, Charbono, naturally they blend Charbono in their Cabernet. In the case of 2005 it is about a 10% blend. Their Cabernet is clone 337 which as the winemaker says, "if you were starving in the desert and you had a choice between the 337 clone and nothing to eat, its a toss up whether you would select the 337"! This particular clone produces extremely small berries which as a result provide very rich concentrated flavors due to the high skin to juice ratio. This is a delightful wine - the Charbono rounds out this wine especially in the mid palate and provides structure to the finish. The finish is slightly smoky & very long. Shypoke designs their wines to be consumed at a young age, i.e. now. Compared to typical Napa wine pricing their pricing is very reasonable. www.shypoke.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Private Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: N/A Phone: 942-0420 Address: N/A Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Signorello Vineyards was founded in the mid 70's by Ray Signorello Sr. - his original intent was to have a summer home away from the San Francisco Bay area where he lived. Neighbors were growing high end vineyards and eventually Ray put in his own vineyards and sold the fruit to other wineries. This is often how vintners start in the wine industry who don't have a background in wine. However when you have top notch fruit there is no sense in selling all of it! The Signorello's discovered this in 1985 when a larger than normal crop allowed them to keep some of their own fruit for themselves. Discovering just how nice the wine was they built a winery soon after. Ray went from a dream of a summer home, (which was never built), to building a winery. This is Napa - or rather the "Napa Allure" which brings so many people to this incredible part of California from different backgrounds who become vintners. Today Ray Jr. is the owner and co winemaker along with their full time winemaker. 55 acres on site are planted to vine and they also source fruit from a variety of vineyards in Napa. The winery building sits just off of the Silverado Trail against the eastern Napa Valley Hills. You drive up a long driveway to the actual winery which is perched on the side of the hill. Look for the trademark front of their winery building which has perfectly groomed ivy so that it covers exactly 1/2 the front of the building. This is picturesque winery - a gorgeous pool overlooks the vineyards and the tasting room is well organized and neat. The metallic tasting counter is located right across from a large kitchen which is often used for events and other pairings. As of press time you can choose from two tastings - their regular flight as well as a reds only. The 2006 Vieilles Vignes Chardonnay is from the original vineyard block planted on site in 1980. Only a partial malolactic fermentation gives it a rounded feel with with not much buttery flavor. Nuances of toasted oak, a slight toasted nut characteristic and honeysuckle intermingle with nice fruit flavors including pear and apple. Signorello makes a variety of Pinot Noirs all sourced from different vineyards in the cooler Carneros region to the south including the very nice 2006 Las Amigas Vineyard. Looking for a big juicy ripe Syrah but not overly tannic? The 2005 Estate Syrah is a good choice. It is also intriguing to see how a vintage can really affect a wine. A good example of this is a side by side comparison of the 2003 and 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignons. 2003 was a cooler growing year and this wine has an underlying spiciness and earthiness. In contrast the 2004 was a hotter year and is much more fruit forward. You can tell this as soon as you smell the bouquet. Unlike a number of area wineries who use Cabernet Franc for blending purposes, Signorello makes a 100% Estate. Their high end Padrone is very popular and is a dedication to the original founder, Ray senior. This is a red wine blend sourced from to blocks in their vineyard each of which grows in extremely rocky soil and produces very low yields resulting in an intensely flavored wine. As they say, "Italian name, French winemaker, California fruit" - the best of all worlds! Signorello lost a huge amount of wine in the now infamous wine warehouse fire in Vallejo a few years back. They have photos at the tasting room and you can see what a total disaster that was. Fortunately they were able to recover like most wineries affected by this fire. Today, they produce small quantity lots from about 50 to 3000 cases depending on the type of wine. They offer more tasting and tour options than most Napa Wineries. They have 5 specific wine tours and tastings ranging in price from $35 to $75. All require advance reservations but these allow you to get a much more in depth look at this winery and their wine. Choose from barrel tastings, wine and cheese, wine and chocolate, Vineyard tours & tastings, or a total winery immersion tour. Visit: www.signorellovineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 10:30-5pm Phone: 255-5990 Address: 4500 Silverado Trail - Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Silenus Vintners is located on Solano Ave parallel to Highway 29 on the west side of the highway just south of Yountville in the Oak Knoll appellation. The name originates from Greek mythology, Silenus was the companion of Dionysus, God of Wine. He even left a lasting quote "The man who does not enjoy drinking wine is mad.” They are a fairly recent addition to the valley, as they opened their tasting room in mid 2007. However Silenus is located on site of the old Newland Winery - the valley's 35th bonded winery. If you visited that winery and visit Silenus today, you won't even recognize this place. The new owners have done a great job of remodeling, adding state of the art wine making equipment, adding a new tasting room and redoing the landscaping. This winery is a "collection of artisan winemakers" - in other words, this is a custom crush facility for approximately 15 small wineries. What separates Silenus from other area collectives is not only do these wineries taste their wine here but they also make it on site as well. These wineries do not have their own physical winery facility. In addition, it is refreshing to find varietals poured here not often found at Napa wineries. The reason for this is several of the clients source fruit from outside of Napa for varietals that you just won't find grown in the Napa area. Silenus does produce their own label called Ideology which is available for tasting here (try their two nice Chardonnays - both created in totally different styles). Much of the surrounding property is planted and some of their fruit is sourced from on site. The one nice thing about a tasting here is you are sampling high end wines from very small Napa producers (wineries who typically produce merely several hundred cases). The tastings always change so you never know exactly which type of wine will be pouring. Typically they offer two tastings, a whites and a reds only. Two small parking lots are available - the first lot on your right has shade - the other one is in the sun. Look for a winery dog or two sprawled out, possibly in the tasting room. The inside of the tasting room is elegant, modern and chic with a spacious curved tasting bar. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. As of press time, the following labels are represented besides the Silenus label: Ahnfeldt, B Cellars, Bialla, Brookdale, Charter Oak, Due Vigne, Gridley Family Cellars, Ilsley, Juslyn, MacLean, Modus Operandi, Ramian, Renard, Ideology Cellars and Scott Harvey Wines. We have met with most of the Napa vintners for each of the wineries represented here. Click on the winery links for our individual reviews. Some of the wines we enjoyed during our visit here were the Ahnfeldt Merlot, anything by Ramian, and a nice Grenach by Renard. A bocce ball court and tables are located next to the tasting room. Visit: www.silenusvintners.com

Quick Info Open to Public: No Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 10-4:30pm Phone: 299-3930 Address: 5225 Solano Avenue, Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Silver Oak Cellars is a premium winery located in the heart of Oakville off of the Oakville Cross Road - pull down their very long divided driveway to the parking lot near the massive estate winery. Unlike most wineries who open at 10am, Silver Oak opens at 9am which can make this winery an ideal first stop especially if you are serious about getting an early start to your wine tasting day in the 9 o'clock AM hour! Note the sometimes unusual number of license plate frames in the parking lot that say, "Life is a Cabernet". The frames are available for sale online and this saying is their motto as Cabernet Sauvignon is the only varietal they produce wine from. Silver Oak Cellars was founded 1972 and they remain true to this motto as they only produce Cabernets. The winery was founded by the late Justin Meyer (a former wine maker at the historic Christian Brothers Winery) and Ray Twomey Duncan (you might recognize Ray's middle name as the name of another winery in Napa - Twomey Cellars). Twomey is their sister winery. From early on, both Justin and Ray decided to concentrate on one varietal rather than a number of different wines - and in doing so decided to focus all their efforts into producing a superior wine of the highest quality. Today Ray and his family own and operate the winery. A horrendous fire in 2006 in a nearby dumpster destroyed most of what was their main building at the time. The current winery was built from the ground up - it is massive yet elegant. The limestone that is the integral part of the building was taken from an old flour mill in little Coffeyville, Kansas and transported out to Napa. Not sure how this connection was originally made, but it is a fine addition to the winery building. For a quintessential view of Napa vineyards stand just inside the main tasting room and look out through the arches. On a clear day this is a spectacular view. Fortunately their signature wooden water tower was not damaged and it was moved to an appropriate spot near the main winery. A highlight of the tasting room is their nearby library room. It actually contains at least one vintage from every year dating back to their founding year of 1972. Elegant and classy are two words that easily describe this glass enclosed room. Also of note is the hand carved wood paneling directly behind the tasting room. It was commissioned by a Russian born American artist. The tasting counter is lined with welded iron - the counter is small and can fill up at times. Silver Oak has an extensive aging process in place for their wines before they even reach the consumer. Not only do they age the wines up to 30 months in the barrels, but then they age them further up to 18 months in the bottle! Not all wineries have the luxury of this aging process - but to the consumer this is a great thing as their Cabernets are really smooth as the tannins have been refined by the time they are sold to the public...and you know their wines have been stored properly during the aging. They also have vineyards in Alexander Valley in Sonoma County where they get much of the fruit for their Alexander Valley Cabernet. It was this vineyard that in fact produced the first grapes for their initial vintage in 1972. They would truck the fruit over to their winery in Oakville. Click on the photo thumbnail above for pictures of both wineries. We have tried a number of their wines from different years; the latest being a 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (about 30,000 cases produced) and their 2004 Alexander Valley (about 60,000 cases produced). The Alexander Valley is very approachable at a younger age, while the Napa Valley Cabernet is more full bodied and complex. The bouquets are totally different between the two wines; the Napa Cabernet is more spicy with nuances of cedar, while the Alexander Valley Cabernet is dominated by plum, floral notes and some nuances of blackberry. Tired of high alcohol wines? Both the latest vintages we tasted came in under 14% with the 2004 Alexander Valley coming in at merely 13% - it is somewhat difficult to find any area Cabernet at that alcohol these days. All their Cabernets have great ageability and it is no different with these vintages. Each wine displays their own characteristics but they both are very well balanced, with long finishes - lots of fruit up front and the mouth feel is quite soft. One glass is included with each tasting and unlike some wineries, a previously wrapped clean glass is given to you after your taste, rather than the spotty, wine stained glass used during your actual tasting. Silver Oak always has older releases available for purchase in large format bottles. During our latest visit we saw wine dating back to the early 1980's - course you have to have at least an extra grand floating around in your pocket to pick up one of these older vintages! Tours are offered on an appointment only basis. Lastly, Silver Oak has one of the most spirited online photo galleries of any Napa Winery - there release parties are always well attended. Visit: www.silveroak.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: No Regular Tours: Yes Hours: 9-4 M-Sat Phone: 944-8808 Address: 915 Oakville Crossroad, Oakville Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Silver Stag 's vineyard is located in the Tulocay district just North and East of the town of Napa. The name of this winery comes from a large Stag that would frequently be seen near the owners home - and when the light was right this animal looked slightly silver in color. This is an area that is above the valley floor and sits several miles from the moderating presence of the San Pablo Bay. As a result of the cooler climate they harvest later then up valley and this results in a much longer hang time. Silver Stag is a small winery as far as Napa wineries are concerned with just under 5 acres planted. Three varietals are represented including the majority Cabernet Sauvignon, some Merlot and a few rows of Petite Verdot. With a vineyard this small they can really micro-manage they way it is run and they often pick several times during harvest rather than picking the entire vineyard at one time. The owner of this winery has over 40 years in the wine industry as a wine buyer and past president of Buena Vista Winery. Silver Stag's focus is on high quality low production Cabernet Sauvignon (typically 500 to 700 cases maximum per year). They also make a dry Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon (about 100 cases annually). Their Cabernet Sauvignon is allowed to age a bit longer than most wineries and their current vintage will often be 4 to 5 years old. Three characteristics influence their winemaking, 1. the wine should have unique qualities based on its location (soil, weather etc), 2. it is approachable and drinkable early and 3. it is ageable. We tried their 2002. This is a delicious Tulocay grown Cabernet resembling a wine that shows the high quality that comes together with well managed vineyard and wine-making programs. The nose has hints of herbs and spicy pepper with stronger overtones of blueberry aromas. There is just the barest trace of cedar on the long finish and the tannins are very well managed. The owner is also one of the main tasters for MyWinesDirect.com and a very neat feature of their website is the short popup video clips which focus on tasting notes for each wine. www.silverstagwinery.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Private Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: N/A Phone: 224-3111 Address: Napa Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Silverado Vineyards (founded in 1981) as you would guess is appropriately located off of Silverado Trail (on the west side) just south of the Yountville Cross Road. They are located in the renowned Stags Leap wine growing district. Grapes come from their acreage on site as well as 6 additional area vineyards (350 acres total) including a very historical ghost winery property (one of the last remaining un-restored ghost wineries in Napa County). Their Stag's Leap location used to be part of a much larger block owned by the Sees Family, of See's Candy Fame. This winery is perched right on top of a hill and affords one some of the best views you will find of the Southern Napa Valley. Parking is to the side of a long driveway on top of the hill surrounded by olive trees and trellises. This is a Mediterranean style estate. As you walk up the stone steps to the main winery glance to your left - here you will have excellent views of Napa Valley. The tasting room offers two main tasting; their Estate and Premier Tasting. The Premier tasting includes some of their higher end wines including some only sold directly at the winery. The staff is very knowledgeable and they are quite willing to answer your wine related questions. Their 2005 Zinfandel has a very bright classical Zin nose with great fruit flavors. Their reserve wines are produced in very limited quantities including their 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon which as of press time has only been made 12 times in the last 26 years, as the fruit quality has to be extremely high to make "the cut". This wine has some weight and will age very well. One winemaker has been with them for many years - often rare in today's winemaking world where winemakers often move around between wineries. Olive oil trees dating from the early 1880's grow on one of their nearby properties and they produce a gold medal winning light bodied olive oil available for purchase in their tasting room. This is a classy winery set in a beautiful location. It is family owned , run by Ron and Diane Miller. Diane is the only daughter of Walt Disney and Ron used to be CEO of Disney Productions as well as a former football player for the former Los Angeles Rams. There is at least one other Napa Valley winery owner with a strong Disney connection. Check out our section on the Frank Family Winery. Several specific tours and tastings are offered including their Saddleblock Vineyard Tasting which includes an educational walk through part of their Stag's Leap vineyard. Visit their website for more info: www.silveradovineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: No Regular Tours: Yes Hours: 10-4:30pm Phone: 259-6617 Address: 6121 Silverado Trail - Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Sjoeblom Winery is unique in the Napa Valley as they only produce sparkling wine. As of press time there are only five wineries in the Napa area who focus on the "bubbly". This winery however, is certainly the smallest local sparkling wine house producing approximately 2500 cases a year. The key to being a small boutique winery is sometimes flexibility and innovation; Sjoeblom is certainly able to implement these factors in its wine making. As of press time this winery produces what they call, Chauvignon - which is a Blanc de Noir meaning it is a white wine pressed from "black" grapes. In this case, they use 100% Cabernet Sauvignon which for sparkling wine is unheard of in the valley! In Napa, the Cabernet grapes are known as the King of the wine grape varietals and are used to make still wine. Since their original vintage they have sourced the fruit from a single vineyard near St. Helena. Only free run juice is used (the highest quality juice) and the skin and seeds are removed almost immediately so that the tannins in these components do not affect the wine during the fermentation and aging. Sjoeblom's wine is made in the traditional French style (méthode traditionnelle). The bottles of Sparkling wine need to be turned during their final processing; the bottles are placed at an angle and the sediment from the yeast is slowly moved down to the opening of the bottle so it can be removed. Many "bubbly" wineries have automated this process with machines rather than " hand riddlers". Not Sjoeblom, they turn each bottle by hand once a day during this final processing stage. The owner Mike Sjoeblom is originally from Sweden, has no formal educational background in winemaking but while he was living in Belgium fell in love with sparkling wine. During several trips to the states he visited Napa wineries and increased his knowledge about wine making. After making some home wine which turned out very well he decided to sell commercially. As it turns out, making sparkling wine from wine from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape was an ingenious idea! We tried the 2001 Chauvignon. This crisp sparkling wine has a Rose type pink hue in the glass with very subtle aromas on the nose. It has about 1% residual sugar so it is not a complete Brut, or dry sparkling wine. The flavors are delicious on the palate with notes of strawberries, kiwi and even a little bit of raspberry. This wine is unique enough that even non sparkling wine drinkers may enjoy it. Sjoeblom has minimal distribution and the best way to secure their wine is via the website. Visit: www.sjoeblom.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Private Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: N/A Phone: 968-9395 Address: P.O. Box 3496, Napa Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Sky Vineyards is located at about 2100 feet high in the Mayacamas mountain range near the Sonoma County line. It is one of the highest vineyards in all of Napa county. The owner has lived here since 1972 and his first commercial vintage was in 1979 making this winery the second oldest winery in this area behind nearby Mayacamas Winery. In fact, the owner of Sky Vineyards used to be an assistant winemaker at Mayacamas. This is the most remote winery that we have visited in Napa County although via airline miles its really not that far from the towns of Napa and Sonoma. It takes about 45 minutes to reach the winery from the Napa Valley floor -all along very narrow and windy roads. The last paved road is quite narrow and usually only accommodates one car in any one direction. The last mile plus is on a semi 4-wheel drive road with the last push into the winery on a complete 4whd road. Sky very seldom sees visitors and are only open part of the year by appointment only. As a result, a visit here is only for the most hard core of wine drinkers who are seeking excellent hand crafted Zinfandels and Syrahs, which are the two wines that production is focused on. The location is like taking a step back in time - there are no nearby visible neighbors, the winery is surrounded by native vegetation and it is oh so quiet on the property. It is these factors that made this one of our most refreshing Napa county winery visits. The owner manages 12 planted acres nearly by himself. This is quite a task as most wineries have vineyard management companies with crews of people. During harvest he does have help from family and friends. All wines made here are from grapes grown exclusively on the property. We visited in mid November during a remarkable warm spell. Fortunately the rattlesnakes were still in hibernation as there are rattlesnake dens nearby the winery and sometimes they even come slithering through the house. Fermentation was still occurring in a couple of bins, and the owner, Lore Olds was doing punch downs with a functional home-made wooden device modified from part of a wine barrel. Everything is done by hand here and you have a unique situation where the owner is the winemaker as well as the vineyard manager. We tried their 2002 Zinfandel. This is a delicious wine, with nice Zin aromas with notes of raspberries on the palate. Sky's Zinfandels have a very good track record of aging remarkably well and they have the history to prove this. Lore is an artist and one very unique feature of this winery, is he designs a new label b