Wine

There are indispensable attributes that go into each Ackerman bottling: an unhurried hand and a focused mind on quality and sustainability. Taste their wines and you’ll soon discover they share other consistencies: balance, structure and symmetry. Ackerman has shaped their Cabernets to have softer edges and lower alcohol levels that complement the menu at the dinner (or picnic) table.

Alpha Omega, a family-owned winery in Rutherford, the heart of Napa Valley, began its journey in 2006 to be recognized as one of the great wine estates in the world. Founded by Robin and Michelle Baggett, Alpha Omega handcrafts Bordeaux-style wines from highly regarded vineyards throughout Napa Valley. Alpha Omega’s winemakers combine Old World philosophy of balance and structure with New World state-of-the-art techniques and natural fruit opulence to masterfully create wines that uniquely express the essence of the terroir of this legendary wine region. Surrounded by fountains, vineyards and mountains, the beauty of this modern farm-style winery is as captivating as its wine.  

Antica crafts wines that are the ultimate expression of Napa Valley, as envisioned and crafted by one of the world’s oldest and most highly respected wine producers: the Antinori family. Like the winery name, the winery production is also an Old World/New World blend, with Antinori Chief Enologist Renzo Cotarella and the Antica winemaking team working together to craft the finest expression from each vintage and vineyard block, from vine to bottle.

The B Cellars name and logo stand for a commitment to seasonless excellence. The letter ‘b’ and the degree symbol º refer to BRIX, a wine term which defines the optimal sugar/alcohol content in grape juice that indicates the potential for greatness. B Cellars is committed to the artisan approach, creating perfectly balanced and complex wines.

Blackbird Vineyards is an artisanal producer of Bordeaux-inspired wines from Napa Valley. Crafted by esteemed winemaker Aaron Pott, each wine in the portfolio is a true example of Blackbird’s ongoing commitment to quality and diversity of terroir. Blackbird partners with a selection of Napa Valley’s most prestigious vineyards, including sites in the high altitudes of Spring Mountain and Atlas Peak, the alluvial terrain of St. Helena and the Oak Knoll district in Napa, and the cool climates of Carneros.

Great wines are grown, not made. This is the driving idea behind Bouchaine’s winemaking. They view every harvest, every barrel and every bottle as a unique opportunity to create wines of extraordinary character and quality. Owned by Tatiana and Gerret Copeland, Bouchaine began making wine long before the Carneros region earned its reputation for producing great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Bouchaine continues today to apply common-sense sustainable practices to making interesting, layered wines with sensual delight.

At CADE Estate, it is believed winemaking should honor the land, both aesthetically and ecologically. The philosophy of making luxury wine in harmony with the environment begins in the soil of the estate vineyard where they maintain a painstaking program of natural cultivation - a rewarding program that made CADE the first organically farmed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified estate winery in the Napa Valley.

Castello di Amorosa produces classically structured Italian-style wines that reflect California's unique climate, soil, and growing conditions. They make elegant, intensely flavored, and well balanced wines that showcase the "terroir" of each unique vineyard site. The winery is committed to using traditional approaches to the craft of winegrowing and winemaking, but also incorporates modern techniques and equipment when it improves quality.

Built upon the foundation of their rich Italian roots, brother and sister team Maria and Marco Castellucci have an eye toward tradition, gleaned from their winemaking Calabrese grandfather and grape growing father, who invested in more than 50 acres of Napa vineyards 20 years ago. Today Castellucci wines are produced from the highest quality grapes in the Spring Mountain, Rutherford, and St. Helena appellations.

Napa Valley’s oldest wine estate, Charles Krug was established in 1861 by  Charles Krug, the visionary father of Napa Valley winemaking. The Mondavi Family purchased the already iconic estate in 1943, and for over 75 years and four generations they have been passionately perfecting an enduring legacy for those generations still to come. From vibrant Sauvignon Blanc to opulent single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Charles Krug wines are artfully crafted expressions of classic Napa Valley terroir. The winery is currently offering outdoor tastings on their picnic grounds and in their newly-built private cabanas.

Cliff Lede Vineyards was founded in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley in 2002. With a focus on producing wines from estate vineyards, owner Cliff Lede tapped viticulturist David Abreu to replant and farm the vineyards. The plantings were so specific and precise to each soil type and exposure that, to keep track without having to refer to a clipboard, Lede decided to name each block after some of his favorite rock songs and albums—from “My Generation” to “Dark Side of the Moon,” creating what is known today as the Cliff Lede Vineyards’ “Rock Blocks.”

Noted for its Bordeaux style estate wines, Darioush implements old world labor-intensive, micro-vineyard management and new world state of the art technology to craft fine wines. The estate is comprised of 120 acres in total, spanning the saddle lands of Southern Napa from high atop Mount Veeder to Oak Knoll and south of Stag’s Leap. Influenced by tradition and energized by modern technique, Darioush’s winemaking philosophy focuses on blending vineyard sites and varietals to achieve balance, concentration, and refinement.

Founded in 2001, The Donum Estate brings to life a delicate balance between wine, land and art. Donum’s winemaking practices create environments in which the vines can thrive and produce the highest-quality fruit with as little intervention as possible. It creates single vineyard, single appellation Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from small lots that distinctly express the characteristics of each terroir. Each bottling represents a unique voice, and sustainability is at the forefront of  The Donum Estate vision.

Established in 1885, Far Niente prospered until the onset of Prohibition in 1919, when the winery ceased operations and the estate was abandoned. Sixty years later, the old stone shell of a winery underwent a three-year renovation, which restored the building to its original, 19th century grandeur. Now on the National Register of Historic Places and 100 percent solar powered, Far Niente produces estate bottled Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines renowned for their consistent house style and ability to evolve with extended age.

With 380 acres of the finest land in Napa Valley, Frank Family Vineyards has become a household name for lovers of premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Frank Family is the only winery to have been awarded “Winery of the Year” twice by the Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine – first in 2012 and more recently in 2017. The Carneros Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon consistently rank in the top 10 of the Wine & Spirits Annual Restaurant Poll.

Kathryn Walt Hall and her husband Craig share a vision of artisan wines alongside expressive art and masterful architecture. HALL Wines blend traditional techniques, modern technology, and a commitment to environmental responsibility to produce exceptional California-style Bordeaux varietals that are an expression of the terroir from which they come. Indeed, sustainability is HALL’s guiding principle, expressed not merely in its LEED® Gold certified facilities or its organic vineyards, but also in its enduring commitment to supporting the arts in Napa Valley and beyond.

Donald Hess became interested in mountain winegrowing during a business trip to the Napa Valley in the mid‐1970’s. With further research, he found that vineyards on Mount Veeder had the ideal combination of soils and microclimates to produce grapes of distinctive character and flavor. This venture became The Hess Collection where the appreciation for unique mountain and valley fruit is expressed through artfully crafted wines.

One of the first wineries on Spring Mountain, Newton Vineyard was established by Dr. Su Hua and Peter Newton.  Newton’s approach to winemaking is meticulous, using old-world techniques such as natural fermentation and bottling without filtration. Grapes are handpicked in small lots and transferred to the cellar for gentle pressing. The winery is designed to allow lots from 112 distinct parcels on the property to ferment separately, affording the winemaker an abundance of options when constructing final blends. Barrel aging takes place in a cave built into the mountain directly.