Looking for our 2019 wrap-up? It is posted here. During a very bizarre year, primarily brought on by a plethora of irrational fears, the number of fortuitous events in 2020 was remarkable. It all started in the desert in March when I immediately headed out on what would be numerous domestic road trips across the country and also several non Napa related ... [Read More]

Every so often on my relentless pursuit of visiting, tasting with and promoting all Napa Valley based wineries and producers - I discover brands that combine intriguing history, cool owners and excellent wines. Earlier this year I met up with owner Katie Migliavacca and her winemaker and business partner Vincent Traverso in the Migliavacca Mansion in ... [Read More]

When one smells and tastes wine partly for a living, one's sense becomes acutely aware of smells. I remember as a child I could smell minute particles of smoke in the air, well before anyone else picked up on the aromas - often from fires a long ways away. I still can. However, translating this genetic talent into picking out aromas in wines - is not as easy ... [Read More]

Over the past 15 years I have been tasting up and down the cozy confines of the Napa Valley - from valley floor to hillside. With well over 1,000 Napa Valley wineries and producers visited with to date, my journeys have taken me into some of the most luxurious, secret and coveted spaces. Coming up with top lists is always challenging especially with our ... [Read More]

Of all the bad winery and vineyard news that has been reported from the Glass Fire, from a historical point of view - the loss of La Perla hurts *the most*. I mean this was a significant loss, not only for Spring Mountain Vineyard but for all of the Napa Valley. The winery was storing number of old wooden carriages up there dating from the late 1800s, ... [Read More]

The following are active Napa Valley based wineries or producers with oldest continuously operating vintage listed - and their first vintage listed if different (IE if there was a period of inactivity). Quite a few Napa wineries originally founded decades ago are again producing wines after long absences, often these are restored ghost wineries but are ... [Read More]

This is a guest post from Igor Sill, Napa vintner and winemaker Merlot is a variety that has a great deal of its own signature nuance, its own way of expressing itself and I believe it resonates well while listening to George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue—a profoundly remarkable pairing of sensations. Our très Merlot and Rhapsody in Blue come together in ... [Read More]

In 2019 we revisited and updated reviews for 250+ Napa Valley based wineries, brands and tasting rooms - continuously updating our existing reviews. Due to all of our revisits and travels seeking Napa Valley around the state of California, the country and internationally, we visited and reviewed only 32 'new' Napa Valley based producers this year (well below ... [Read More]

Editors note: this is a guest piece from Igor Sill, proprietor of Sill Family Vineyard on Atlas Peak. Vineyard Microbiology – native, indigenous wild yeast, which surrounds the vineyards, pervades the world of wine. The role of naturally occurring yeast is the most singularly important ingredient that gives birth to fine wine. As much as I would like to ... [Read More]

Well respected vintner, author, artist, professor and lawyer, Richard Mendelson has written the heavyweight on the history of Napa Valley's appellations. He and his wife Marilyn first visited the Napa Valley in 1979 - a few years before the Napa Valley would be granted viticultural status in 1981 which was followed by 16 more viticultural area ... [Read More]