Hidden, Limited Production Wineries to Explore in Napa
This issue was published on October 18, 2023.
Happy Wine Wednesday!
Today’s issue is going to be a little different…
I’m still dreaming about my Napa trip over the weekend, so now you have to relive the weekend with me. Instead of a specific topic and woman in wine, I’ll be sharing some of the wineries we visited – many of which are run by women we’ve talked to in previous issues.
Before we get into it, I want to clarify that I’m not getting paid to share the wineries below. I just really f*cking loved them and think you would, too.
So pour yourself a glass and let’s get our Napa on!
Wine dogs Kobe and Olive at Summit Lake Vineyards in Napa Valley's Howell Mountain AVA
Summit Lake Vineyards
First up was our tasting with Heather Griffin at her family’s winery, Summit Lake Vineyards, around the Howell Mountain AVA. The wine dogs greeted us as we drove up for our private tasting, and we ended up not only tasting the wines but also the pears and figs on the property! There’s something about holding a glass of cabernet sauvignon while walking around, picking figs off of a tree, dusting it off with your shirt and popping it into your mouth while the wine dogs follow along, waiting for you to throw their frisbee.
Wine dogs, Kobe (front), holding his frisbee, and Olive
I know I’ve said I’d never want to own a winery (I’m not much for bugs and farming), but that was such a surreal experience that it almost (almost) made me change my mind…
They were also in the middle of harvest season, so we got a peek of Heather’s father Bob, who bought and founded the winery, out on his tractor!
Of course, the wines were fantastic – the rosé is made from cab and zinfandel (a first for me), and was absolutely crisp and refreshing with a wonderful blush color. The zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, and red blend are also all delicious and named after the children in the family. As a small winery, there are limited cases for all of these wines but luckily for you, they do ship around the country…
You can check out their wines here!
Almacerro
Also on Howell Mountain is Almacerro, a relatively new winery (although the vineyard has been there for centuries). Head winemaker Matilda Scott and consulting winemaker Françoise Peschon are in charge of creating these absolutely amazing bottles of cabernet sauvignon and red blend. As a small team, GM Lindsay Dale, who showed us around the property, is also really involved with all aspects of the winery. We love to see a team of badass ladies!
I won’t lie. These wines are on the expensive side, are very limited, and tastings typically aren’t open to the public… But if you do stumble across the opportunity to try some, don’t miss out on these elegant and rich reds! I promise you won't regret it.
Keep an eye out for upcoming interviews with Lindsay and Matilda, and learn more about their wine club here.
Tres Sabores
Winemaker Julie Johnson founded Tres Sabores back in 1999, after having been the first employee at Frog’s Leap Winery (and a nurse before that!). Located in St. Helena, Tres Sabores is certified organic and not only grows cabernet, zinfandel, petite sirah, and petit verdot, but also pomegranates, lemons, and olives. The tasting tables are located between some very large and very old olive trees next to the vineyards, surrounded by flowers, pomegranate trees, and more wine dogs. It truly feels like a slice of heaven.
Golden retriever, Cava, at Tres Sabores in St. Helena
The "Thinking Cap" white wine is one of the most unique wines I’ve ever tasted, and is a blend of Clairette Blanche, Petite Mensang, Viogner, Columbard, and Roussane. It’s this wonderful gold color with just the slightest hint of sweetness at the end. It’s just sweet enough that you could drink it as dessert after a meal but wouldn’t turn off those who typically dislike off-dry wines.
The Ingrid & Julia rosé, named after the roses grown on the property, is a blend of zinfandel and petite sirah and is equally unique and delicious. I don’t want to turn this into a full on wine review, but I do also want to call out the zinfandel which, as someone who doesn’t typically like zins, I loved. It's not too jammy, doesn't feel super high alcohol, and feels like the really refined cousin of the sometimes boisterous zinfandel.
I highly recommend scheduling a (child and dog friendly) tasting if you’re ever in the Napa Valley, or you can check out the wines (and amazing olive oil and pomegranate-balsamic vinegar made on site…) on their website here.
Innumero Wines
And now, onto the pinot portion of our weekend! I first met Sheree and Brian Thorsberry at a pinot noir event and was excited to try more of their wines. They host private tastings at their winemaking facility in Windsor, Sonoma County, where you can try their pinot noirs with a phenomenal cheese and fruit spread and get a tour of their production facility.
As a relatively new winery, it was fascinating to hear Brian talk about how they went from that initial idea of starting a winery to sourcing grapes and finding a facility to working with their winemaker, Ashley Herzberg, to create the final product. Each pinot was different and unique, and I’m really excited to see how they’ll continue to grow in the future!
Wren Hop Vineyards
Our final stop was Sonoma’s Wren Hop Vineyards where Marisa Meckstroth leads private tastings of their chardonnay and pinot noirs in their rustic tasting room.There is a clear aesthetic choice throughout the experience, from the tasting room to the wine labels, that really sets Wren Hop apart from a lot of the other, shall we say more traditional, Napa tasting rooms.
The wines themselves are also beautifully unique, and it’s wonderful to taste Sonoma and Russian River pinots back to back while listening to Marisa’s stories about her years working early harvest mornings with the rest of the Wren Hop crew.
With a beautiful wax seal and fun labels differentiating each wine, these delicious wines not only look great on your bar but would make for a fantastic gift as well! Plus, they sell candles in their wine bottles (because you know you can never have enough candles…)
Get a wine-related movie or book pairing for your weekend.
Today’s pairing is the memoir Wine Girl: The Trials and Triumphs of America's Youngest Sommelier by Victoria James
At age 21, Victoria James became the country’s youngest sommelier at a Michelin-starred restaurant. She would go on to become Food & Wine’s Sommelier of the Year in 2018, and appear on both Forbes and Zagat's "30 Under 30" lists.
This memoir follows her journey from the toxic and intoxicating world of restaurant life with groping patrons and abusive bosses, to a trip to the hospital emergency room and hitting rock bottom at a new restaurant. She manages to heal with trips to vineyards before re-merging, victorious as a proud leader at another Michelin-starred restaurant.
Read the reviews and check out this memoir and love letter to good wine.
That’s all for this week!
If you are heading to Napa soon and stay in Sonoma around Windsor, also check out Lo & Behond Bar and Kitchen! We ended up their for some cocktails and a few bites before dinner and it was amazing. The yucca fries, beef brisket tacos, and pickles were chef's kiss.
See you next Wednesday,
Megumi