Many high-end producers along Napa Valley’s storied wine routes took on wine as a second (or third) career after securing their fortunes in other lucrative fields. None of them have quite the same story as Darioush Khaledi.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 current releases from Napa’s Darioush

Today, Khaledi is famous for being the proprietor of Darioush, an eye-popping merger of a winery and hospitality centre he and his wife Shahpar designed.

Darioush: Tasting notes and scores for 10 current releases

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Wine tasting experiences can offer a range of opportunities, from the basics of wine education to exploring the vineyards and cellars of favourite producers. Below, you’ll find an array of tasting options that might make the perfect gift.

Educational tastings

An introduction to wine tasting: Unlocking the Secrets of Wine with Joseph Phelps

Wine tasting can be confounding and intimidating to the uninitiated, with its technical jargon and opaque traditions. But the new Unlocking the Secrets of Wine experience at Joseph Phelps aims to demystify wine’s most perplexing questions through a unique tasting experience – think of it as a way to fast-track your wine education. Attendees will learn what common wine terms mean, the proper way to store and serve wine, the elements of food pairing and more while tasting through Joseph Phelps’ Napa and Sonoma offerings. Guests should plan for 90 minutes for the experience ($150 per person) and are advised to book well in advance as the experience only runs on certain days of the week.

Off-road in the Finger Lakes: UTV tasting at Heart and Hands

The Finger Lakes is an often-overlooked region for exceptional wines, but the world is catching on to the many gems it offers. One unique way to explore the region is the Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) Tour & Tasting with Heart and Hands Wine Company. Co-founder Susan Higgins will take up to four guests on a bumpy UTV tour of her limestone-laden vineyard and explain the winery’s viticultural practices. Following the in-depth tour, guests will go through a tasting of six wines paired perfectly with six matching small bites. The tour costs $65 per person and lasts 90 minutes.

Hiking among the vines at Knudsen Vineyards. Credit: John Valls

Hike among the vines

A weekend-only tasting event at pioneering Willamette Valley producer Knudsen Vineyards offers guests a unique outdoor experience. Picture exploring the vineyards and then tasting the wines from those historic blocks over a picnic-style lunch. The Knudsens were among the first families in the Willamette to plant Pinot Noir in Oregon’s Dundee Hills. Guests will walk among the old vine blocks, taking in 50 years of wine-growing history, and then taste wines from the vineyard parcels they visited before a hearty lunch at the estate. The hikes go ahead rain or shine, so appropriate footwear is recommended for this two-and-a-half to three hour experience, which costs $95 per guest.

Creating a unique wine

Iconic Washington State winery DeLille Cellars offers guests an opportunity to make their own unique blends based on some of the winery’s most prized lots. DeLille makes some of Washington’s most sought-after wines from vineyards on Red Mountain and in the Yakima Valley, including historic old-vine sites. Guests will be treated to a blending seminar from one of DeLille’s team before creating their own blends. The cost is $145 per guest.

Wine and food experiences

In pursuit of the finer things: Three Sticks caviar experience

The stellar wines of Three Sticks need no accompaniment, but everything is better with caviar. The Caviar Experience at Three Sticks is offered seasonally, from October to January. The tasting is held in partnership with San Francisco’s The Caviar Company, whose different varieties of caviar are paired with single-vineyard wines to showcase how one enhances the other. For $150 per club member and $175 per non-club member, this luxurious culinary experience is a well-priced gift for anyone on your nice list.

Creative pairings

For adventurous foodies, Sequoia Grove in Napa Valley’s Rutherford appellation offers a tasty way to explore the versatility of Cabernet Sauvignon. Sequoia Grove was a pioneering Cabernet house, established in 1979, and has since established unique programming, including a famed ampelography class for those who want to level up their wine knowledge and the A Taste for Cabernet Experience.

The gastronomic experience eschews predictable, classic pairings like steak with Cabernet for more offbeat options. Sequoia Grove’s single-vineyard and reserve wines accompany chef Britny Maureze’s multi-course menu, with culinary creativity that will open guests’ eyes to new approaches. The 90-minute experience costs $150 for non-wine-club members and $100 for members.

The culinary gardens at Wheeler Farms. Credit: Sara Anne Risk

A three-course culinary lesson

Wheeler Farms, owned by Napa Valley’s famed Araujo family, offers a perfect gift for your favourite foodie. An acclaimed wine brand in its own right, Wheeler Farms is also home to chickens, an apiary, a large garden and fruit trees, all of which are included in their culinary programme, a homage to the agricultural history of the valley.

The Estate Tasting and Cooking Demonstration begins with a tour of the expansive gardens and the winery itself, followed by an up-close cooking demonstration with chef Tom Harder doing what he does best at the kitchen table. The four-course lunch and cooking demonstration is paired with Wheeler Farms wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, rosé and a number of unique Cabernet expressions. The experience lasts three hours and costs $350 per person for two-person parties, including a gift from the kitchen.

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We live in a truly effervescent world and my pick of 25 sparkling wines from around the globe proves it – and not one of them is from Champagne. They show that compelling bubbles can be made outside the world’s foremost fizz region.

My aim in selecting these wines was simple: to provide inspiration for joyful bubbles that are just a little off the beaten track.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and score for 25 sparkling wines from around the globe

I also wanted a global span and to include a few wines that stray from the usual grape varieties of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, even though these stalwarts show their mettle in numerous spots here and score highly – above all, Chardonnay.

Champagne alternatives: 25 top sparkling wines from around the globe

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The deal includes six estate vineyards spanning a total of 454ha in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations.

Deirdre Mahlan, chair and CEO of The Duckhorn Portfolio, said: ‘Sonoma-Cutrer is an iconic, highly acclaimed winery brand with a long history of crafting exceptional wines in a timeless style and is a perfect addition to our thoughtfully curated portfolio of luxury wines.’

Dan and Margaret Duckhorn founded The Duckhorn Portfolio in St Helena, California, in 1976. It has spent the past 46 years establishing itself as one of the leading producers of Napa Valley wines. The group owns 10 wineries, seven tasting rooms and more than 440ha of vineyards spanning 32 estate properties in California and Washington State.

However, it lacks a meaningful presence in Chardonnay, which is the most popular white varietal in the US market, so this deal should plug a major gap in the portfolio.

Deirdre Mahlan, chair and CEO of The Duckhorn Portfolio. Credit: The Duckhorn Portfolio

‘Sonoma-Cutrer is among the fastest-growing major brands in the luxury Chardonnay category,’ said Mahlan, who is also the group’s interim president. ‘We see opportunity to further accelerate that growth and enhance operating margins of the combined business. This transaction expands our presence and visibility, diversifies our portfolio of luxury American winery brands and dramatically increases our position in the luxury Chardonnay category.’

The Duckhorn Portfolio went public on the New York Stock Exchange in March 2021, with NAPA as its ticket, after raising $300m in an IPO [Initial Public Offering]. Its wines are available throughout the United States and they are exported to more than 50 countries around the world.

In the 12 months to 31 July 2023, unaudited financial reports estimate that Sonoma-Cutrer had approximately $84m in net sales. The Duckhorn Portfolio believes that it can operate at similar margins to the other wineries within its group.

Credit: The Duckhorn Portfolio

Management also expects to achieve $5m in annual cost savings by merging its operations with those of Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards. These savings will be realised in full during the 2025 fiscal year. Brown-Forman, which produces Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve and many more famous spirits brands, will receive cash and stock as part of the $400m deal.

A Brown-Forman executive will also sit on The Duckhorn Portfolio’s board. ‘The Duckhorn Portfolio has some of the world’s most-respected luxury wine brands and Brown-Forman looks forward to participating in its future growth through a minority equity stake and board membership,’ said Lawson Whiting, president and CEO of Brown-Forman.

In May 2022, The Duckhorn Portfolio bolstered its presence on California’s Central Coast by purchasing 107 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the Paso Robles AVA in the shape of Bottom Line Ranch in the San Miguel District.

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For a time, Zinfandel was thought of as indigenous to the United States. Still, that commonly held belief was proven premature as the connections to Italian Primitivo proved the two nearly an exact genetic match.

Though that association with California has not always been a positive one, Zinfandel has long been an important part of Californian fine wine, and the variety is seeing a resurgence.

Despite its Adriatic origins, Zinfandel may have come to the United States through Long Island but via Vienna, Austria.

Conventional wisdom holds that Zinfandel made its way to California with those seeking their fortunes as part of the Gold Rush in the 1850s. Perhaps the first Zinfandel of note was made by Joseph W. Osborne from a vineyard in Oak Knoll District, now one of the sub-appellations of Napa Valley. The praise his wine garnered resulted in the broad planting of the grape, which grew to the most planted in California in the early 1900s.

America’s great mistake of Prohibition would destroy many, though not all, of these old Zinfandel vineyards and set the grape and American wine back decades. The historical setback would derail the development of California’s fine wine culture.

Many vineyards that remained after Prohibition were located in California’s Central Valley, a region known for quantity production rather than the production of fine wine. Napa Valley, with wines showing promise in the mid-1800s, wouldn’t come to international prominence for more than another 100 years.

Winemaker Todd Graff of Frank Family Vineyards. Credit: Frank Family Vineyards

As California’s reputation for wine progressed, Zinfandel found itself squeezed out in many places by Cabernet Sauvignon. This trend, coupled with the soaring commercial success of the sickly sweet, blush wine known as ‘White Zin’, has saddled the once noble and benchmark variety in California with a poor reputation.

‘It’s no secret that California Zinfandel has been subject to misunderstanding,’ says Frank Family Vineyards winemaker Todd Graff. ‘In the 20th century, a majority of California Zinfandel planted was either overly jammy and high in alcohol or semi-sweet and pink. There are many of us trying to shift that narrative today.’

Yet it is California’s Zinfandel legacy which may save it and return it to its rightful place atop America’s pantheon of fine wines.

‘Old vineyards produce some of the world’s richest, most characterful and delicious wines’, says Don Hartford, co-owner of Hartford Family Winery. ‘In California, we have 100-year-old Zinfandel vineyards that display intense aromatic, flavour and textural complexities.’

‘California Zinfandel is remarkable for the age of its vineyards, the people who farm them and the vibrancy of the Zinfandel varietal. For these reasons, I think California Zinfandel will be important for years to come,’ Hartford concludes.

Tasting notes and scores for 10 American Zinfandels

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California’s Napa Valley has long been the ultimate destination for hedonistic oenotourists, with some accommodation options reaching $6,000 a night. While there are still mind-blowing, luxurious stays that cost more than a month’s salary, there are also many more places to choose from, each offering something a little different – and not all of them will blow the budget.

Busy times tend to be around harvest, from August to November, so be sure to book in advance if you want to travel then (and be prepared for the inevitable eye-watering price hikes). Quieter times are between March and May. You may not see grapes on the vines, but crowds are smaller, it’s sunny, and the vine flowers will be out in all their glory.

Food is a huge focus in the region, with gorgeously fresh and simple farm-to-fork restaurants on almost every corner, as well as a plethora of Michelin-star dining rooms, many in the hotels themselves.

For those seeking to pamper, the spa scene has exploded in a similar way to the food scene, with even budget-priced guest houses and hotels offering vinotherapy as well as upmarket spa experiences.

The issue of wine tasting and getting around has been well addressed in recent years, with many locations offering complimentary drivers and shuttles to nearby activities. The most convenient way to see Napa is still with your own car, but if no one on your team wants to be the designated driver (it’s a wine destination after all!), there are several chauffeur companies that will transport you from tasting room to tasting room. Many hotels have solved this problem for some of their customers by hosting their own regular tastings at sundown, often with winemakers present.

Family-friendly wine tourism has improved, too, with children more welcome in some guest houses and hotels than perhaps they used to be. And dogs are well received in a great many places. Welcome to Napa!

Best for vineyard views

Alila Napa Valley. Credit: Alila Napa Valley

Alila Napa Valley

1915 Main St, St Helena, CA 94574

Alila Napa Valley, located in St Helena, is a perfect locale for those seeking vineyard views. Situated in an old Georgian house, it feels more like a private estate than a hotel – an estate with a rather famous neighbour. The historic Beringer Vineyards sit adjacent to Alila, and a good number of the 68 rooms and suites look out onto those very special vines. You can dine sitting on your own private terrace overlooking the vines, and the hotel’s outdoor pool and fire pit are just a few steps away. If it’s a splurge-worthy occasion, ask for a corner suite with one of the huge wraparound terraces looking straight onto the vineyards.

While you’re there, make sure you take the time to try the modern Californian cuisine at the hotel’s Acacia House restaurant. If it’s warm enough, book a table outside on the veranda, where wine lovers will want time to peruse the extensive wine list. And the cocktails are not to be missed.

St Helena is also a great location to explore many famous vineyards and wineries, such as Freemark Abbey and the wonderfully bonkers Raymond Vineyards just down the road. The hotel’s concierge can help organise winery visits, including transport, which may or may not include a hot air balloon ride over the vines.

Also try…

Harvest Inn

1 Main St, St Helena, CA 94574

With panoramic views of vineyards, as well as botanical gardens and tall redwood trees from many of the 81 rooms and suites, the Harvest Inn is surrounded by nature. Seek out one of its enormous Vineyard View Collection Suites, with private terraces looking onto the vines, or splurge on a Vineyard View Collection Spa room, with unobstructed vineyard views from your private outdoor hot tub.

Four Seasons Resort & Residences Napa Valley

400 Silverado Trail, Calistoga, CA 94515

Four Seasons Napa Valley. Credit: Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images

Four Seasons landed in Calistoga with much anticipation and fanfare. This high-design mecca of apartment-style ‘rooms’ upped the ante for luxury accommodation in Napa Valley’s northernmost town. Sleek hues of greys and whites and natural wood abound throughout the resort, ensuring a relaxed holiday atmosphere. The resort boasts its own fully functional winery, Elusa, which has a cosy yet luxe tasting room where guests and non-guests alike can taste the fruits of Thomas Rivers Brown’s – Elusa’s star winemaker – labour. And they can enjoy it while overlooking the resort’s private, 1.9ha organically-farmed vineyard.

Speaking of spectacular views, Four Seasons’ one Michelin-star restaurant, Auro, is a calming respite all of its own. The intimate outdoor terrace that looks onto the rest of the property is a perfect way to start what will surely be a fascinating culinary journey before setting foot in the low-lit, airy, wood and glass dining space.

Best for romance

Poetry Inn

6380 Silverado Trail, Stags Leap District, Napa, CA 94558

Located on the famous hills of Stags Leap District, just a five-minute walk into the gourmet capital of Yountville, this light and airy, adult-only guest house has just five rooms. Each is named after a famous poet and furnished to the highest standards, with spa-style bathrooms, sumptuous wardrobes and impressive personal service. It’s hard to imagine feeling more spoiled here, where every suite boasts expansive views of the valley, showers both indoor and outdoor, private terraces, wood burners and a well-stocked – free – minibar. You might be tempted to indulge until the executive chef prepares your epic complimentary breakfast in the morning, using local ingredients of the highest quality.

Rooms start at about 88m² and go up to a whopping 135m² of living space. You can hire out the large Farmhouse as a vacation home by the month if you’re so inclined, but you could take over the whole venue for a wedding or other big celebration. The Robert Louis Stevenson Suite is the iconic room to go for, but the Robert Frost room, with its two outdoor spaces and incredible light, is a very close second.

Also try…

Milliken Creek

1815 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558

This romantic, bijou, five-star spa hotel lies off the beaten track, surrounded by leafy gardens. It offers tranquillity at its finest, with spa bathtubs and one-touch gas fires. The hotel can arrange transport around the valley for you and offers complimentary wine tastings in the early evenings.

Best for families

Carneros Resort & Spa

4048 Sonoma Hwy, Napa, CA 94559

With its two-cottage suites, residences and multi-bedroom private homes, Carneros Resort & Spa is an ideal place to stay with a family of all ages. You’ll love the 11ha of bucolic, sprawling farmland, with its kiddie-dedicated pool, bicycle hire and vegetable garden with chicken coop. Rooms are self-catering for family ease, but there’s also a choice of three excellent restaurants, ranging from the lively Boon Fly Café to the grander Farm restaurant and Hilltop Dining Room, with plenty of child-friendly dishes on offer. You can request packed lunches for your afternoon activities or put your own together from the swanky, on-site general store.

For those wanting a fantastic wine-and-dine experience without having to leave the children at night, you can order a wine tasting and dinner in the comfort of your own residence while the little ones are in bed. The winemaker from the resort’s partner winery, Cuvaison Estate Wines, will even join you for a private tasting if you wish.

For those itching to get out, however, the resort can help organise a babysitter for you – especially good to know once you check out all the events at its Pavilion venue.

Also try…

Napa Valley Lodge

2230 Madison St, Yountville, CA 94599

Ideally situated in Yountville, with a plethora of eateries on the doorstep, the rooms here are spacious, with a cosy farmhouse vibe. Try the make-your-own waffles at breakfast and freshly baked cookies available in the lobby every day before enjoying the pool, bocce ball court, lawn games and free bike hire. There’s also a playground and green space just across the street.

Best for foodies

Meadowood

900 Meadowood Lane, St Helena, CA 94574

A perennial favourite for foodies and luxury travellers, Meadowood, despite the Glass Incident Fire that took its beloved restaurant and some of its rooms, still leads the way for gourmands with its seamless blend of life’s pleasures, especially food and wine. Service is exemplary throughout its activity offerings – from the sporty side (tennis and hiking) to the more leisurely spa treatments and hedonistic wine and food experiences.

Chef Christopher Kostow earned Meadowood’s erstwhile restaurant three Michelin stars, but it managed to keep a warm, jovial ambience that was cosy and clever rather than stuffy and standoffish. The new restaurant in its place, Forum, continues in that vein.

Forum is situated at Meadowood’s famed tennis courts under a white and yellow-striped awning, reminiscent of the Big Top of a Cirque du Soleil performance. Wine country ‘starchitect’ Howard Backen designed the space to fit into the natural surroundings of the resort. The premise of the concept was to be a homey, gathering place for guests and locals alike, with seasonally-inspired menus by chef Scot Livingston and creative cocktails.

Also try…

Hotel Yountville

6462 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599

Yountville itself is arguably the foodiest part of Napa Valley, with Michelin star restaurants and an array of other delicious eateries on the doorstep. Hotel Yountville is the perfect base for exploring the area. Still, you’ll also want to make the most of its luxury spa facilities and numerous fine dining options with its cosy, wooden-beam-with-copper-accents vibe.

Best for budgets

Calistoga Motor Lodge

1880 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga, CA 94515

Both family-friendly and dog-friendly, what the Calistoga Motor Lodge lacks in Napa hedonism, it makes up for in charm and quirkiness. This renovated roadside motel channels a modern, mid-century America, camper-van-chic vibe with fun touches such as skipping ropes and hula hoops for little kids and big kids alike.

Budget it may be (for Napa, anyway), but that does not mean there are no treats. The MoonAcre spa and baths on-site are more of a social, fun affair than in other places. Make sure you take time to soak in the mineral pools fed by natural springs and have a go at applying your own masque at the mud bar. Even the treatments have quirky twists, such as massages and soaks using CBD (an active ingredient in cannabis), as well as the MoonAcre mud bake, bath and massage, a full 120-minute treatment. The relaxed and inviting nature of the spa makes it even more accessible and a particularly good location for groups of friends.

Also try…

El Bonita Motel

195 Main Street, St Helena, CA 94574

With its neon ‘Vacancy/No Vacancy’ sign out front, along with the walk-up, one-storey El Bonita does look like the typical motel, but this is Napa Valley – nothing here is typical. El Bonita is an art deco motel in the heart of St Helena. The clean, cosy rooms come with high-end bathroom fixtures, headboards with Napa Valley landscapes, and microwaves and refrigerators for convenience. With two separate buildings –  one of which has three floors and a lounge and fire pit area for relaxation, a pool, sauna and jacuzzi – El Bonita punches way above its weight class for budget accommodation.

Napa Valley Railway Inn

6523 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599

The turn-of-the-century-style rooms at the Railway Inn in Yountville are each located inside century-old railcars. While basic, the long, narrow rooms are well-kept and charming. Save your money here for a blow-out meal at one of the many top restaurants nearby. Tip: ask for one of the quieter bedrooms away from the road.

Original post by Helena Nicklin updated October 2023 by J’nai Gaither

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To date, much of Priyanka French’s wine career appears to have come full circle – she currently works side by side with Celia Welch at Napa Valley’s Signorello Estate – one of the female winemakers she included in a presentation she compiled for her reluctant, academic parents about her shift to wine.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for four current releases from Signorello and winemaker Priyanka French

Signorello Estate: tasting notes and scores for four current releases

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Described as ‘one-of-a-kind’, the hilltop Napa Valley mansion on Mt. Veeder Road has become one of the latest luxury vineyard properties in this famous California wine region to be offered for sale. 

The main villa. Credit: Andrew Bramasco for Sotheby’s International Realty.

Set on a sprawling estate covering around 52.6 hectares (130 acres), the property comes with a separate guest tower and rows of Cabernet Sauvignon vines, according to the listing agent, Sotheby’s International Realty’s St Helena Brokerage. 

High-profile guests at the hilltop property are understood to have included the Dalai Lama, it said.

With an asking price of $22m, though, the estate is also very much at the higher end of the market for anyone dreaming of trying their hand at viticulture.

Looking across the pool to the guest tower. Credit: Andrew Bramasco for Sotheby’s International Realty.

Bold architecture is a signature of the main residence and guest house, described in the listing as combining ‘modernism, Art Deco and a touch of deconstructivism’. 

Sotheby’s International Realty said, ‘It is the ideal property for an art lover, a collector, or anyone who appreciates stunning architecture, commanding views, and fine wines.’

Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards on the estate. Credit: Andrew Bramasco for Sotheby’s International Realty.

There are around 3.2 hectares (eight acres) of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards, which are the source of award-winning wines, said the listing agent.

A spokesperson told Decanter the vines were currently being overseen by John Deer Vineyard Management, with wines being produced by winemaker Chad Alexander.

Inside the main villa itself are four bedrooms, plus a gym and also a home office.

A terrace that sits atop the property’s guest tower offers 360-degree views across Napa Valley, whilst an outdoor swimming pool lies between the tw0-bedroom guest house and the main villa.

The roof terrace on the guest tower offers panoramic views. Credit: Andrew Bramasco for Sotheby’s International Realty.

The villa, pool, and guest tower were designed by UK-based architect David Connor, for the heir to a Swedish bread fortune, according to the listing agent, which said the avant-garde property was built in 1988. 

Napa Valley is no stranger to luxury properties, and several estates with vineyards have come up for sale in recent years.

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Though only a decade has passed since Bart and Daphne Araujo’s prized Eisele Vineyard was sold to Artemis Domaines and the Pinault family (owners of Bordeaux’s Château Latour), they’ve come so far that it seems half a century ago.

A legacy in transition

In 2013, after selling Eisele, they reinvented themselves with the introduction of Accendo Cellars – a label helmed by many of the same friends and family who helped establish Araujo Estate, including second-generation partners Jaime and Greg Araujo, as well as Françoise Peschon, who was the on-site winemaker at Araujo Estate beginning in 1993, and Nigel Kinsman, who joined Araujo Estate in 2007.

Decanter revealed today (4th October) that Bart and Daphne are stepping back from the Accendo day-to-day operations and passing the torch to second-generation partners Jaime and Greg Araujo. For half a year, Bart Araujo will serve in an advisory role as Executive Chairman to ensure a smooth transition.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 wines from Wheeler Farms and Accendo Cellars

10 wines from Wheeler Farms and Accendo Cellars

The wines are listed by colour and score by winery

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Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) wine division, now part of First Citizens Bank, recently highlighted winery tasting room trends in its direct-to-consumer report.

A ‘standard’ winery tasting in Napa County averaged $81, compared to $38 in Sonoma County and $32 in Oregon, it found, based on 332 winery responses. 

It also said the average retail price at Napa County wineries rose above $100-a-bottle in 2022, to $107.79. Plus, more US wineries were offering by-appointment tastings, and winery club memberships have continued rising.

What next for tasting room fees?

Whilst tasting prices vary widely, and some Napa wineries offer options well below the average cited above, the report said the US industry ‘has been on a long period of driving tasting fees higher, while adding extravagant experiences’. 

Tasting room purchases in several key regions, including Napa, Sonoma and Oregon, have risen strongly in US dollar terms in the past decade, which is ‘a clear mark of success’, the report said.

It questioned whether fees would continue rising, however, adding, ‘A few wineries have stopped charging fees altogether, which may signal the end of the tasting fee arms race.’

Rob McMillan, founder of SVB’s wine division, told Decanter, ‘Back in the 1960s, wineries did not charge for tastings. Wineries were production facilities with walk-in sampling bars, not a point of sale.’ 

He said things changed when direct cellar door sales became more important to wineries. Higher bottle prices, reflecting investment in vineyards and winemaking, also contributed to higher tasting fees from the 1990s onwards, he said. 

‘Over the past 15 years, the purpose of the tasting room evolved from “selling what is in the bottle” to selling an experience,’ he added. ‘Today you are buying both the wine and enjoying yourself while sampling.’ 

Looking ahead, slowing wine industry growth in the US may herald new strategies, he believes.

‘We are about to see the purpose of tasting fees evolve once again. In the next five years some wineries might reduce or even not charge a fee. Others could improve their experience and hold or increase fees.’ 

He suggested wineries could use a ‘surge pricing model’, where reservations cost more at peak times ‘and less in slower periods’.  

Rise in by-appointment tastings

One key trend of the report was the apparent increase in by-appointment tastings at wineries.

Only 27% of US wineries surveyed offered purely walk-in tastings in 2022, compared to 56% in a similar survey in 2019, it said.

Around 29% of respondents offered only pre-booked tastings last year, and 43% did a combination of the two.

Visits to wine country in California and Oregon dropped in 2022, said the SVB survey, but it said this was likely a short-term ‘echo’ from the Covid era. ‘In 2024, we’re betting tasting room traffic returns.’

Around 25% of respondents were based in Napa County, with nearly 16% in Oregon and just over 15% in Sonoma County.

Almost half of the total respondents produced fewer than 5,000 cases per year, said SVB’s wine division report, which is now part of First Citizens Bank following the collapse of SVB earlier this year.

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The post US winery tasting room trends revealed in new survey appeared first on Decanter.

North of Rutherford, the St. Helena AVA encompasses nearly 5,000ha, with over half planted to vine. Because the Macayamas and Vaca Mountains nearly converge just north of the town of St. Helena, the valley forms a narrow point much like an ‘hourglass’ that locks in heat during the day. From alluvial fans to hillside sites, the warmth and well-draining soils tend to produce wines of a more robust nature, with dark-fruited profiles and supple, silkier tannins.

Scroll down for the top-scoring St Helena 2020 Cabernets

St Helena 2020: the top-scoring Cabernets

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Auction houses have been upbeat on recent buyer demand for top California wines, but the global market picture for this US region looks mixed in 2023.

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Scroll down for the top-scoring Stags Leap District 2020 Cabernets

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As Coombsville, east of the town of Napa, is among the coolest of the Valley’s 16 sub-AVAs, the region benefited from the intense heat of 2020 that plagued sites up-valley.

Andy Erickson of Favia Erickson Winegrowers reminds us that in 2017, the fires ‘surrounded us and were later, and the last of the grapes that hadn’t come in we didn’t harvest. But in 2020, we decided to learn something and made all our wines.’ He said that while not all were bottled, ‘it’s probably the most scrutinised vintage I’ve ever been part of’. Month after month, Erickson examined the wines barrel by barrel and got rid of anything that seemed off.

Scroll down for the top-scoring Coombsville 2020 Cabernet wines

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As with the previous vintage, the few Cabernets from Oakville I sampled are among my top scorers for the 2020 vintage. They are perfumed, elegant, light on their feet with good fruit concentration, and show poise and balance.

Scroll down for the top-scoring Oakville 2020 Cabernets

Early in my tastings, I visited Screaming Eagle and spoke with winemaker Nick Gislason, who said that ripening was slowed a bit by what he described as ‘dappled sunlight’, resulting from high-elevation smoke particles from the August LNU fires, which did not impact their vines.

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Napa’s 2020 vintage is very much about farming choices and location. The growing season began with a dry winter; early rains reduced crop yields. Two fires impacted the region in the middle of the growing season.

Still, the vast majority of producers who bottled any Cabernet Sauvignon harvested their grapes before the second fire, which erupted on 27 September.

Despite all the challenges, wine lovers will find plenty to admire among the wines I have recommended here. Now three years on, having had good time to settle in the bottle, these are wines to drink now and often.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top 34 Napa Cabernet 2020 wines

Individual AVA posts:

Rutherford | Oakville | Coombsville | St Helena | Stags Leap District

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After years of managing the deleterious effects of climate change – drought, wildfires and beyond – winemakers across northern California have experienced much-needed relief in the form of excessive rainfall last winter and into spring 2023.

Potential delays to the 2023 harvest

In Napa, Stu Smith, founder at Smith-Madrone, credited a cold and wet winter, followed by a persistent ‘June gloom’ to this year’s harvest delay, which he predicts to be around three weeks behind average.

Winemaker Paul Hobbs added: ‘Heat units expressed in growing degree days (GDD) year-to-date were down 200-300 degrees by late June, making this one of the coolest growing seasons since Paul Hobbs Winery began keeping records.’

Paul Hobbs among the vines at the Katherine Lindsay Estate. Credit: Paul Hobbs Winery

Napa’s Maya Dalla Valle of Dalla Valle Vineyards agrees. ‘We are about three weeks behind compared to last year, and growing degree day wise, we are sitting at 1977 compared to 2294 at this time in 2021, and 2204 in 2018. So this is the coolest year we have seen in quite a few vintages,’ she said.

She noted that by this time in 2022, veraison had already finished, whereas today, it hasn’t even begun for her Cabernet Franc. Elsewhere in Napa, Ehlers Estate winemaker Laura Díaz Muñoz also cited a potential three-week harvest delay.

At Massican, winemaker Dan Petroski described this year’s conditions as similar to pre-2013 days, ‘when we still considered August summer vacation’. Drought and warm conditions of the past 10 years have continued to push harvest earlier and earlier. This year reminds Petroski of what harvest was like seven to 10 years ago.

‘No one can say the last few years were normal. It might be the “new normal”, but this year is feeling like the good old days,’ he said. Petroski added that he is about two weeks behind last year in most instances.

Over in Sonoma, Aperture Cellars’ winemaker Jesse Katz has seen similar conditions. ‘The rain and cold weather pushed back our bud break by about three weeks, and the vines woke up to cool, wet soils and very cool temperatures,’ he said.

Katz described this past spring as one of the coolest on record. ‘The vines were slow to start, but as they developed, our canopies looked very happy, and cluster count looked good,’ he affirmed.

The effects of so much rain

Most northern California winemakers agree that the excessive rains of 2023 have provided much-needed relief to the vines. ‘After several years of severe drought, this winter’s 70 inches of rain was a gift from heaven,’ said Smith, describing a complete groundwater replenishment and the vigorous response to the water.

Hobbs added: ‘The rain refilled most reservoirs and lakes to full capacity and also helped resupply aquifers.’

Dalla Valle shared that due to the replenishing effects of rain, her team had to do very little to no irrigation this year. ‘This, combined with cool weather, has slowed growth and increased canopy vigour,’ she said.

Winemaker Maya Dalla Valle. Credit: Jimmy Hayes

Although most effects of the excessive rain have been positive in northern California, a few small concerns remain. Katz cited having to do a bit more canopy work than in previous years due to the vigour. He also noted a bit of ‘shatter’ due to cool weather during flowering, though he still described the crop load as ‘above average’.

In addition to canopy management, Díaz Muñoz shared that larger canopies and rapid growth have caused some nutrition deficiency in certain vines. However, it’s nothing to be too worried about.

‘This is not exactly a big concern, but it adds an extra layer of vineyard management and yield adjustments this year,’ she said. Díaz Muñoz highlighted that delayed harvest increases the risk of fires, as producers must wait for the right time to pick.

Mid-August report

According to all winemakers interviewed, things are looking good across the board. Hobbs noted that temperatures rebounded in July, and canopies look healthy despite overcast conditions during bloom. ‘Nevertheless, veraison is still weeks away as the fruit is still sizing,’ he said.

‘We are now finally seeing some heat, and the vines look incredible,’ said Katz, stating that even with the heat and favourable weather, he still predicts that harvest will begin three weeks later than last year – and go well into October, or even potentially November, should Mother Nature allow it.

Aperture is just starting to see veraison in some of its earlier-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon sites, three weeks behind last year.

Sonoma’s Stonestreet Estate Vineyards. Credit: Clive Pursehouse

Harvest 2023 predictions

Petroski predicts that his picking will begin at the end of August and finish during the first week of October (Massican works with 15 different vineyard sites planted to 12 varieties across Napa, Sonoma and Lodi, hence the varied maturity times).

Although Dalla Valle typically begins during the first two weeks of September, she foresees beginning around 25 September this year (similar to 2018 and 2019).

With regards to quality, the vintage looks bright. ‘I think we are set for a brilliant harvest with a vintage that has more overall acidity and lower sugars than normal,’ said Katz, noting that there is still much more of the season to unfold.

Smith said that despite the set not being uniform, the overall crop load looks good, although potentially lower in some sites due to years of severe drought. Dalla Valle added that although a lot can happen between now and harvest, this year’s conditions thus far remind her most of 2010, a great vintage marked by concentration and balanced acidity.

Hobbs forecasts a fine harvest of typical yields, though seeing as vintage will go well into October, there’s much unpredictability between now and then. ‘Still, as we have seen in other late years, the added hang time and protracted late season ripening often plays to our favour, provided mother nature doesn’t strike with a nasty curveball,’ he said.

Díaz Muñoz concluded, ‘I feel positive about both quantity and quality of the fruit. I can only pray for minimum and short heat events now.’

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New York-based hedge fund MGG Investment Group announced in July that it, plus affiliated entities, had acquired the 342-hectare Spring Mountain Vineyard estate in Napa Valley.

This week, MGG said it will now provide a major injection of capital to ‘revitalise’ the historic estate. The investment will include allowing the team to replant all 81 hectares (ha) currently under vine on the sprawling estate.

Spring Mountain Vineyard also plans to plant an additional 28ha of new vines, pending approval from Napa County.

The 2,043m² of wine caves will be completely renovated, and plans are also afoot to build a new hospitality centre and a water reservoir.

MGG has also recruited industry veteran Peter Ekman to take over as the new CEO of Spring Mountain Vineyard with immediate effect.

Ekman spent the past decade at online wine marketplace Vivino, firstly as the chief business development officer and then, strategic consultant.

He is the former chief executive and president of Wine.com, and he previously held senior roles for Moët Hennessy, Procter & Gamble, Cosentino Wineries, Bulgheroni Estate, and Bounty Hunter Wine & Spirits, among other companies.

‘Spring Mountain has a rich, 150-year legacy rooted in its breath-taking property and exceptional vineyards and wines, and I am proud to serve as the steward of the vineyard for the next generation,’ he said.

‘With supportive and enthusiastic new owners, greater resources, and an experienced and engaged team, we believe Spring Mountain is well positioned to build on its strong foundation and capitalise on the anticipated growth opportunities ahead.’

Spring Mountain Vineyard was established in 1873. It shot to worldwide fame when its Chardonnay placed fourth in the ground-breaking Judgment of Paris back in 1973, but it is primarily renowned for the quality of its Cabernet Sauvignon.

It comprises four ranches, which Swiss financier Jacob Safra began acquiring in 1992.

More recently, Spring Mountain Vineyard suffered damage in the Glass wildfire that hit parts of Napa Valley in 2020.

In September 2022, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In a Decanter profile article on the winery published in February this year, a senior member of the estate’s team said it planned to continue operating business as usual, however.

New owner MGG has maintained the services of Atelier Melka, one of Napa’s most accomplished winemaking consultants, to work with Ekman and the team on revitalising the property.

Atelier Melka will be tasked with helping the team ‘harvest the finest grapes and craft world-class wines showcasing the unique terroir of Spring Mountain’.

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For many, the appeal of modern-day Napa Cabernet is found in its unabashed excess. The Napa Valley, after all, is epitomised today by bold, fruity wines with an over-the-top ripeness, alcohol and muscularity.

However, a recent retrospective tasting spanning 50 years of production from Bella Oaks Vineyard was a thrilling reminder that historically, a very different style of Napa Cab existed. And while climates have changed and winemaking styles may shift, beneath the excess, Napa is still a place where wines of grace, transparency and longevity are in production too.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 15 vintages from Bella Oaks Vineyard

The evolution of Bella Oaks in 15 vintages

Wines are listed in vintage order youngest to oldest

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Collectors of California’s top fine wines will tell you that Ovid is a name that signals the upper echelon of wine produced from well-tended vines rooted in Napa Valley’s famed Pritchard Hill area high above Oakville.

English literature students will know Ovid as the Roman poet whose seminal work, Metamorphoses – Greek writings on transformation, composed in hexameter verse – is a must-read. Healthcare professionals use a search tool called Ovid that combs online articles and data in science and medicine.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 Ovid wines to try

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