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Your
guide to the best of Napa Valley
 Castello
di Amorosa - Rising above the hills in the Napa Valley
is Castello di Amorosa, which translates to the “castle
of love” in Italian. Castello di Amorosa, an authentic-styled,
12th century Tuscan castle-winery complete with high walls and
five defensive towers and over 30 acres of estate vineyards. It
was built over a 15-year period by Dario Sattui, a fourth generation
winemaker and owner of V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena, California.
The Wall Street Journal cited Castello di Amorosa as a “must-see
destination,” and more recently, the Contra Costa Times
included Castello di Amorosa as one of the top destination wineries
in the country. After decades of research, planning and studying
medieval castles in Italy and Europe, Sattui commenced building
in 1994. The Castello evolved to include 121,000 square feet,
107 rooms, (of which 95 are used for winemaking or wine storage)
8,000 tons of hand-squared stone, 8 levels (4 above ground, 4
below) 900 linear feet of caves, a great hall with two-story Italian
frescoes, a drawbridge and a moat.
BY APPOINTMENT TASTINGS
ORDER ONLINE CLUB TOURS 707-967-6272 DIRECTIONS
 
 Markham
Vineyards - Bruce Markham arrived in the Napa Valley
almost 100 years after Laurent, also looking to start a winery.
Markham bought the Yountville vineyard in 1975, the Calistoga
vineyard in 1976, the old Laurent Winery in 1977 and the Oak Knoll
vineyard in 1978. With almost 225 planted acres and a winery,
Bruce Markham founded Markham Vineyards in 1978 and the old Laurent
Winery was reborn. Markham focused on Cabernet Sauvignon in its
early days and introduced the Markham Merlot with the 1980 vintage.
Between 1978 to 1988 the winery's production increased from 3,500
cases to 20,000 The wine quality and praise from wine critics
and consumers increased as well.
PUBLIC TASTINGS
ORDER ONLINE TOURS (707)
963-5292 DIRECTIONS
 Rubicon
Estate - founded as Inglenook in 1880, the historic
Rubicon Estate has the honor of being one of the few remaining
family-owned wine estates of this magnitude in existence. Francis
and Eleanor Coppola purchased the property in 1975, and then spent
twenty years restoring it to its original dimensions by acquiring
the famed Inglenook Chateau and its adjacent vineyards. Today,
Rubicon Estate offers a truly unique VIP guest experience and
a level of elegance and personal attention rarely available at
other wineries. Rubicon, the flagship wine of Rubicon Estate,
reflects the unique terroir of this world-renowned property. Using
only 100% organically-farmed grapes sourced directly from Estate
vineyards, Rubicon has become a role model for Rutherford Cabernet
Sauvignon. Rubicon is blended primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon,
which was first planted on the Estate between 1882 and 1885 by
Inglenook founder Captain Gustave Niebaum. Recently, laboratory
analysis verified that the vineyard clone is indeed the same genetic
material as the vines Niebaum brought back from France in the
1880s. Because the Niebaum clone - Clone #29 technically speaking
- has been continuously planted here, it is one of California's
most historic and important clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, and
totally unique to Rubicon Estate.
PUBLIC TASTINGS
ORDER ONLINE TOURS 1-800
782-4266 DIRECTIONS
 Storybook
Mountain Vineyards - Climate - in the broad context
of temperature, precipitation, prevailing wind and storm patterns
as well as exposure to the sun - is of crucial importance for
optimum fruit development and thus the quality of a vineyard.
Storybook Mountain is located at the top of the Napa Valley, on
an eastern slope of the Mayacamas Range whose ridges separate
Napa from Sonoma. This gives us the desired eastern exposure,
an orientation we share with many of the greatest vineyards in
Bordeaux and Burgundy. Adequately warm weather for ripening is
rarely a problem in the Napa Valley - and certainly not for us.
Open to the morning sun and providing an oblique angle to the
hot afternoon sun for a growing day of even temperature, an easterly
exposure helps avoid both the heat spikes and heat accumulation
that can occur on a late summer afternoon.
TASTINGS ORDER
ONLINE CAVES (707)
942-5310 DIRECTIONS
 Frank
Family Vineyards - Approximately 20 acres of vines
were planted on Winston Hill starting in1991. Cabernet Sauvignon
is the primary variety, along with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet
Franc, and Sangiovese. Through site specific vineyard management,
several clonal selections are matched with the appropriate rootstocks.
Extensive hand labor balances the vine canopy and maintains the
yields to produce rich and concentrated wines. The soil consists
of well-drained, volcanic deposits and sandstone. Due to its southwest
exposure, Winston Hill has a high radiant value. Typical warm
summer days give way to cool nights with soft mountain breezes.
The vineyard has an average rainfall of 24-36 inches per year.
TASTINGS ORDER
ONLINE (707) 942-0859 DIRECTIONS
 Silver
Rose Cellars -The winery is the fruition of a life
long dream of J-Paul Dumont and family. Since buying the property
in 1985, J-Paul, his wife Sally and son Derrick, have gradually
been developing the Silver Rose to be a first class destination
resort. With luxurious accommodations, full service spa, conference
center, winery and soon a planned four star restaurant, Silver
Rose offers visitors a truly unique stay in the world famous “Napa
Valley”. The Winery opened in June of 2000. The first 4
vintages have accumulated over 200 awards. Included is a 93 rating
from the Wine Spectator for our 2002 D’argent Chardonnay
and our 2002 Jupilles Merlot received a score of 98 at the California
State Fair. We were recently recognized in the American Gold Medal
wine guide… To be included in this guide you must be in
the top 10% Gold Medal winners for 2005, based on major wine competitions
throughout the U.S.A.
TASTINGS ORDER
ONLINE (707) 942-1440 DIRECTIONS
 Madrigal
Vineyards - The Madrigal family originally came to
California via Numarin Mexico in 1932. My grandparents boarded
a train bound, or so they thought, for California. On a cold and
snowy day the conductor told them it was time to get off and that
they were in California. They were actually in Kansas and it was
the middle of a cold and windy winter. My grandfather ended up
having to work for the railroad for a few years until they saved
enough money to continue on to California. When they arrived in
California, they originally stopped in Azusa, a suburb of Los
Angeles. My grandfather, not satisfied with his prospects in Azusa
in '37, traveled north to join a cousin in a town called Calistoga.
Convinced that a better life could be had here, he sent for his
family and settled in a cabin that's a stone's throw from what
is now Madrigal Estate.
TASTINGS (707)
942-6577 DIRECTIONS
 Schramsberg
- Hugh Davies, President and Winemaker of Schramsberg, is devoted
to carrying on his parent's vision: to create America's premier
sparkling wines. His passion for constant refinement of vineyard
sources and winemaking techniques is captured in each bottle.
Our small winery spares no effort to create the complex bouquet,
refreshing acidity and depth of flavors found in the finest of
sparkling wines. Schramsberg grapes are sourced from 80 cool-climate
vineyards located in four counties. In a century-old tradition
rarely practiced today, the winemakers use barrel fermentation
and barrel aging in the creation of our sparkling wines. After
bottling, the wines are hand-stacked and hand-riddled in our historic
Diamond Mountain caves. Our releases have been heralded as some
of the best sparkling wines available in the world.
TASTINGS ORDER
ONLINE CAVES (707)
942-4558 DIRECTIONS
 von
Strasser Winery is located in the Diamond Mountain
region of the Napa Valley nestled between the towns of St. Helena
and Calistoga. Diamond Mountain is situated in the Valley's western
Mayacamas mountain range. Althought outwardly an inhospitable
place for agriculture to take root, Diamond Mountain has long
been known for producing some of the Napa Valley's most concentrated
red wine. In fact, viticulture and wine making in the region dates
back to at least the 1860's. As a champion of this rich heritage,
in 1999 Rudy von Strasser spearheaded a committee of fellow property
owners to petition the BATF to acknowledge Diamond Mountain as
an official American Viticultural Area. In May 2001, Rudy's efforts
came to fruition: "Diamond Mountain District" was declared
as a unique AVA.
TASTINGS ORDER
ONLINE CAVESS (707)
942-0930 DIRECTIONS
 Paoletti
Vineyards Paoletti Vineyards
is located in the Calistoga district of the Napa Valley. The winery
is situated between Sterling Vineyards to the west and Cuvaison
Winery on the east with Clos Pagase Winery to the north. The Silverado
Trail Vineyard where the winery is located was purchased by Gianni
Paoletti in January 1989. After harvesting the Zinfandel and Petite
Sirah. The Vineyard was replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
and Sangiovese. As Paolettis' goal was to produce the finest Napa
Valley Cabernet Sauvignon his desire grew to improve the quality
and complexity of his wine, he purchased a second vineyard in
the Calistoga area which has been replanted to Merlot, a third
vineyard has just recently been purchased and will be planted
to the Bordeaux varieties - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc,
Petite Verdot, Merlot and Malbec. Paoletti Vineyards is committed
to producing premium Napa Valley wines that demonstrate the character
and elegance of one of the premier wine growing regions of California.
TASTINGS (707)
942-0689 DIRECTIONS
 Charles
Krug Winery - The Charles Krug Winery, first in the
Napa Valley and established in 1861, is owned and operated by
the Peter Mondavi Family. Since 1943, three generations of the
Peter Mondavi Family have been pioneers and innovators in the
Napa Valley wine industry. Today the family continues their stewardship
of 850 acres of estate land with organic and sustainable farming
practices and state-of-the art winemaking techniques. Located
one-and-a-half miles north of St. Helena, the Charles Krug Winery
focuses production on lush red Bordeaux style blends, New Zealand
style Sauvignon Blanc and classically crafted Chardonnay and Pinot
Noir and Zinfandel.
PUBLIC TASTINGS
ORDER ONLINE TOURS (707)
967-2200 DIRECTIONS
 Chase
Cellars - At S. E. Chase Family Cellars, we have
a deep appreciation for old vines. Planted in 1903, the vines
are head pruned, dry-farmed and are planted on St. George rootstock.
The gravely soil combined with a slight slope consistently produces
the most exuberant and expressive Zinfandel grapes in the Napa
Valley . These unique grapes create one of the most robust Zinfandels
from the Napa Valley region. Our vineyard side tasting area allows
you to enjoy our outstanding views while enjoying our latest releases.
Sit under 135 year-old olive trees and enjoy the breeze. Bring
along a picnic if you wish. We are open by appointment only so
be sure to call or email first to arrange your vineyard tour and
tasting.
BY
APPOINTMENT TASTINGS
ORDER ONLINE (707)
963-8716 DIRECTIONS
 Girard
Winery -The narrow, winding road up Sage Canyon leads
a traveler to one of Napa Valley's best kept secrets: Pritchard
Hill, where mountain wineries such as Bryant Family, Colgin and
Chappellet have carved a niche into the steep slopes. It's here
that you will also find Girard Winery, founded 32 years ago at
the dawn of New Age winemaking in California. Today, Girard farms
40 acres of vines, 18 of which are located on Pritchard Hill.
The picturesque vineyards surround a newley renovated winery,
where visitors can experience refined flavors inside the rustic
elegance of Girard's mountaintop cellars and tasting room. On
hillsides high above Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon is king.
And Girard winemaker Marco DiGiulio lets terroir - or the vineyard
- determine his choice of varietals. It's no wonder Girard's Cabernet
ripens well on this rugged terrain, with views that stretch clear
across the valley.
BY APPOINTMENT TASTINGS
ORDER ONLINE CAVES TOURS (707)
968-9297 DIRECTIONS
 Howell
Mountain Vineyards - Howell Mountain is located northeast
of St. Helena, above the Silverado Trail, with the Napa Valley
to the west and Pope Valley to the east. With its high elevations,
the mountain avoids the influence of fog that blankets the valley
floor beneath, creating a climate that is cooler than most of
Napa Valley during the day, but warmer at night. Because of this,
Howell Mountain grapes have a character distinct from those grown
on the Napa Valley floor, and have led to the region being recognized
in 1983 as Napa Valley's first sub-appellation. The appellation
encompasses around 14,000 acres, yet only 600 acres are planted
due, in part, to the rugged nature of the region. The soils of
this area are mostly well-drained tuff and volcanic rock. Water
retention is poor, producing vines with low vigor and deep roots.
These conditions are ideal for growing grapes that are small,
tightly clustered and powerfully concentrated, for intense fruit
flavors in the wines.
BY
APPOINTMENT TASTINGS
ORDER ONLINE (707)
967-9676 DIRECTIONS
 Joseph
Phelps Vineyards - Founded in 1972, Joseph Phelps
Vineyards is an independent, estate-based winery located outside
of St. Helena. Perched on a knoll in bucolic Spring Valley, the
graceful redwood winery overlooks vineyard-studded hills, the
town of St. Helena and the Mayacamas Mountains to the west. After
years of studying the complex relationship between wine quality
and place, and understanding the importance of "terroir,"
Phelps has developed estate-owned vineyards in the premiere growing
regions of Stag's Leap, Rutherford, Oakville, Oak Knoll and the
eastern foothills of Napa. In Sonoma County, an ambitious project
was undertaken in 1999 to purchase land and develop vineyards
along the western frontier of the Sonoma Coast, and today Phelps
has 80 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 acres of Chardonnay planted
in Freestone. A small winery in the midst of the Freestone vineyards
is currently under construction.
BY
APPOINTMENT TASTINGS
ORDER ONLINE (707)
963-2745 DIRECTIONS
 Juslyn
Vineyards - Developing our vineyards in the rocky
soils of Spring Mountain proved that wine was truly our labor
of love. Using a field blend of 90% cabernet sauvignon with small
amounts of merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot (for color),
we finally achieved our first Estate Cabernet release in 2000.
Due to our small yields, we produced only a limited amount that,
much to our delight, sold immediately. In 2001, we were able to
increase the production to 170 cases of wine that displays elegance
in the style of premier cru Bordeaux. Without the hard work of
our team of wine and grape specialists we never could have made
our dreams reality. Heading up work in the vineyards is famed
Vineyard Manager Oscar Renteria, who has produced outstanding
grapes for many prestigious Napa Valley vineyards. With his help,
we have been able to select the most appropriate varieties for
our vineyards and consistently farm the highest quality fruit.
PRIVATE ORDER
ONLINE (888)
875-9096 DIRECTIONS
 Livingston-Moffett
Wines - Lured by its small town character and lovely
setting, we came to St. Helena in 1976 to raise a family of six
children. Unlike many others who have arrived in the past 25 years,
there was no forethought of our ever joining in the wine business.
Little did we suspect that the decision to move to the Napa Valley
was the first step in doing just that. And looking back we must
have been clueless not to recognize the seeds of this life change
all around us. First, our new address was in fact Cabernet Lane.
Also, unbeknownst to us, the land we had purchased happened to
be located on the Rutherford Bench – Napa’s prized
Cabernet growing district. The property included five acres planted
with old, dry-farmed Cabernet vines on St. George rootstock that
had escaped the ravages of phylloxera.
BY
APPOINTMENT TASTINGS
ORDER ONLINE CAVES TOURS (707)
963-2120 DIRECTIONS
Markham
Vineyards - Bruce Markham arrived in the Napa Valley
almost 100 years after Laurent, also looking to start a winery.
Markham bought the Yountville vineyard in 1975, the Calistoga
vineyard in 1976, the old Laurent Winery in 1977 and the Oak Knoll
vineyard in 1978. With almost 225 planted acres and a winery,
Bruce Markham founded Markham Vineyards in 1978 and the old Laurent
Winery was reborn. Markham focused on Cabernet Sauvignon in its
early days and introduced the Markham Merlot with the 1980 vintage.
Between 1978 to 1988 the winery's production increased from 3,500
cases to 20,000 The wine quality and praise from wine critics
and consumers increased as well.
PUBLIC TASTINGS
ORDER ONLINE TOURS (707)
963-5292 DIRECTIONS
 Bennett
Lane Winery - Crafting Fine Wine at the Pinnacle
of Napa Valley. Follow Napa Valley's Route 29 north to Calistoga,
and then keep going just 2 1/2 more miles. You'll arrive at the
pinnacle of the Napa Valley - the northernmost wedge where the
Vaca mountain range meets the Mayacamas range. Here you will also
find Bennett Lane Winery, sitting snugly at the edge of its own
well-maintained Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard. Owners Randy and
Lisa Lynch purchased the property only three years ago. But Bennett
Lane is already making a splash in wine country with its lush
textured Cabernet Sauvignon and a no-nonsense red wine varietal
blend called Maximus, composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and
Syrah.
PUBLIC TASTINGS
ORDER ONLINE TOURS 1-877
629-6272 DIRECTIONS
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