CHANDON California is one of Napa Valley's iconic and well- visited wineries; they are only one of four Napa Valley based wineries that focus on sparkling wine production, i.e. Champagne style wines (the others being Mumm Napa Valley, Domain Carneros and Schramsberg). CHANDON California owned by Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH); LVMH also owns or has part … [Read more...]

Mayacamas Vineyards is a historic winery located high in the Mayacamas mountains west of Napa Valley near Mt. Veeder. The winery sits on the edge of a crater of an extinct volcano. One can clearly see parts of the surrounding crater with its still standing prominent stone rock formations. Approximately 49 acres of vineyards are planted on the 475-acre … [Read more...]

Silver Oak was founded in 1972; their remarkable success story begins with two men, co-founders Justin Meyer and Raymond (Ray) Twomey Duncan (both deceased). Ray was born in South Bend Indiana to parents Walter Sr (a World War I veteran) and Velma Twomey Duncan; he was raised in La Salle, Illinois (population today around 9,500 residents) and graduated in … [Read more...]

Reverie Winery Estate is a boutique producer, originally located in the Diamond Mountain Appellation south of the town of Calistoga. It was founded by Norm Kiken and his late wife Evelyn Kiken. Their first vintage was in 1996. Norm's introduction to wine began in a dentist's chair in 1973 on the east coast while waiting for a root canal. While browsing … [Read more...]

Aonair Winery and Caves is owned and operated by long time Napa Valley winemaker Grant Long Jr. He has lived in Napa Valley most of his life having moved here from the San Francisco Bay Area as a child. His father collected wines for many years and when an opportunity arose to move to wine country, the family settled in Napa Valley. While in high school he … [Read more...]

Non Nocere Wine. Non nocere literally translates to, "first, do no harm" and is derived from a version of the Hippocratic Oath. Founder and winemaker Peter Hopkins tries to apply this principle to all avenues of his business including eliminating packaging excesses (no foils and minimizing bottle weights). His wines are both vintage and data driven. And as a … [Read more...]

PROMISE Wine is a boutique producer, founded in 2004 by proprietor Stephen McPherson. Stephen was introduced to wine early on in his life. His family was living in Paris where his father was the headmaster for the American School in Paris. Stephen's father was passionate about wine - even taking classes from Steven Spurrier the British wine expert and wine … [Read more...]

Grace Family Vineyards (not to be confused with Grace Vineyards in China or Grace Wines in Japan) was our 500th visit with a Napa Valley based winery or brand and as a result was a significant personal milestone. We had researched this winery for a long time; besides the top reviews of their wine, we knew about their remarkable international humanitarian … [Read more...]

Carter Cellars, not to be confused with Carter Estate Winery and Resort in Temecula, CA, was founded in 1998 by Mark Carter, a longtime resident of Eureka, California. Today Mark divides his time between Eureka, Napa Valley and Kentucky. During harvest especially he helps oversee winemaking operations at Envy Cellars which is where Carter Cellars is … [Read more...]