Kuleto Estate - one word sums up this unique and incredible winery - Wow! This winery is definitely on our top 10 Destination Napa Valley winery list. To date this winery has, in our opinion one of the top three most spectacular views from any winery in Napa. There are great overlooks of the the nearby hills and Napa Valley in the distance...also it doesn't hurt to have the picturesque Lake Hennessey at its base. The actual wine estate encompasses 761 hillside acres. Once you enter the main gate and punch in the pre arranged code (appointment only), you drive up an extremely narrow and windy road about 1.5 miles to the top on the edge of a high ridge. The actual winery sits at about 1600 feet and the nearby steep slopes are planted mostly with vineyards. All wines made here are Estate wines. This is a working ranch and you will find rabbits, sheep, chickens and other farm animals on the property. They have a fantastic garden and all the produce for their cooking classes comes from on site. Pat Kuleto, a famous designer of almost 200 restaurants owns this property and built up the winery in the early 90's. His beautiful house (Villa Cucina) is on site and you will see the outside of the house during your tour.
Arguably the highlight of the tour is the scenic overlook next to Pat's weight room and the pool. Here you sit under stately oaks and drink wine looking out over Napa Valley far below you. If you visit during a warm spell, well groomed men and women may be lounging around the pool enjoying life. The pool literally seems to end at a cliff and where the water ends, the sky begins - when the fog rolls in here, it is truly a walk in the clouds. When its clear as it often is - it seems as if you are perched on the edge of the world watching nature unfold below you. When we were sitting here dreamily sipping excellent wine the wine dog shows up and someone says "oh the dog has brought us some wood" - the concierge then says, nope its just another dried frog!" Not even that could wreck the "it" or ambience of the moment we were enjoying.
Kuleto has excellent Sangiovese. Also try their Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Their "lightest" wine is the Rosato which is a blend of several types of grapes. They also make a Muscatto and Port in extremely low quantities which pretty much guarantees these wines will be sold out. Several cheeses, fruits and nuts are provided at the end of your tasting. A gourmet chef's kitchen is located upstairs as well as beautifully furnished rooms. The parties here are supposed to be out of this world and are available for wine club members. One party had 500 people; we don't know where they all park! www.kuletoestate.com
Note: Major update coming by mid 2010.
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Open to Public: No
Appointments: Yes
Regular Tours: No
Hours: Daily, 10:30am & 2:30pm
Phone: 963-9750
Address: 2470 Sage Canyon Road, St. Helena
 Winery Photos Winery Website
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