Many Decades of Experience Have Matured These Wineries

Great wine takes time and these wineries have plenty of experience you can taste.
BY TOURING & TASTING

Napa Cellars

What to Buy:
'13 Chardonnay - $22
Spice, apple crisp, pear, lemon, hint of pineapple

'13 Sauvignon Blanc - $18
Gooseberry, pineapple, pear, guava, passion fruit, lime

'12 Cabernet Sauvignon - $26
Plum, black fruits, red fruits, cinnamon, tobacco

Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily 10-6

It seems only fitting that a winery by the name of Napa Cellars should embody the sense of place for which the famed Napa Valley is known. Every day in the winery’s tasting room, guests discover great wines in a friendly setting that celebrates the Napa Valley legacy. Founded in 1968, Napa Cellars crafts wines that express the characteristics that have become widely recognized as the classic Napa Valley style: ripe, rich, and balanced. Quite fittingly, 1968 was also the year that the Napa Valley was granted the status of agricultural preserve, protecting it from becoming a residential community. Through the years, the winery changed hands several times before it was purchased in 2006 by the Trinchero family, who was drawn to Napa Cellars’ luscious, authentic wines and coveted Oakville location. In 2007, they invited their own Winemaker Joe Shirley to become head winemaker for Napa Cellars. Since 2007, Joe has gently guided the fruit for Napa Cellars wines, which all comes from Napa Valley vineyards, to its fullest potential. Joe’s gentle touch has led to a stunning lineup of wines that are routinely lauded and recommended by the press.
www.napacellars.com

Mettler Family Vineyards

What to Buy:
'13 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon - $24.99
Black cherry, chocolate, black currants, toasty vanilla

'13 Old Vine Zinfandel - $19.99
Jammy red berries, candied apple, mocha, warm spices, oak

'13 Lodi GSM - $35
Rich, juicy red berries, plum, spice

Tasting Room: Open Thu-Mon 11-5

Throughout eight generations in the grape growing industry, Mettler Family Vineyards has cultivated an unrivaled kinship with the earth. Beginning in Germany in the 1770s and continuing with their arrival in California’s Central Valley region of Lodi in the late 1800s, the Mettler family has a tradition of producing premium winegrapes, both for their own label, as well as for other winemakers and respected wines. As stewards of the soil, the Mettlers have chosen to run their farm as both sustainable and certified organic. The wines are made from selective blocks in the vineyards with a crop level controlled by minimal water use and hand thinning. The integrity with which the Mettler family approaches both farming and winemaking has not been lost on the industry critics. Consistently recognized through awards, their wines stand up in both domestic and international competitions.
www.mettlerwine.com

Peju

What to Buy:
'13 Cabernet Sauvignon - $50
Summer berries, cocoa powder, mocha, nutmeg

'13 Merlot - $35
Black currant, anise, cola, vanilla

'13 Fifty/Fifty - $90
Juicy dark plum, cigar box, baking spices, black cherry tart

'15 Sauvignon Blanc - $24
Pineapple, passion fruit, grapefruit, lychee

Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily 10-6

When Tony and Herta (H.B.) purchased their 30-acre Rutherford property in 1982, the vineyard grounds were wild and overgrown. Through passion and hard work, the Peju family has transformed their Rutherford Estate into Peju—a wine, architecture, and art lover’s paradise. Today, 34 years later, Peju remains a family-owned and family-run estate winery with the next generation of the family, daughters Lisa and Ariana, taking over the day-to-day operations and leading the winery into the future. Peju is a certified Bay Area Green Business; its Rutherford Estate also holds the distinction of being one of only 21 certified organic wineries in the Napa Valley. Situated in the famed Rutherford appellation, known for its legendary Cabernet Sauvignon, Peju produces stellar varietals, including its flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and proprietary blends, including a red and a white Cuvée Provence.
www.peju.com

Pine Ridge Vineyards

What to Buy:
'13 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - $58
Red cherry, blackberries, baking spice, berry cola

'12 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon - $125
Red cherry, red raspberries, plum, cinnamon, hint of vanilla

'13 Dijon Clones Chardonnay - $36
Grapefruit, lemon thyme, honeysuckle, buttery biscuit, cinnamon

Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily 10:30-4:30

In 1978, Pine Ridge Vineyards was founded on a steeply terraced hillside flanked by a dramatic ridgeline of stately pine trees in the storied Stags Leap district. The founder was convinced that the Napa Valley was an ideal growing region for Cabernet Sauvignon and other noble Bordeaux grape varieties. More than 35 years have passed and this conviction has certainly proven to be true. As Napa Valley’s reputation has grown, so have the reputation and vineyard holdings of Pine Ridge Vineyards. Today, the esteemed winery is a showcase for exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon with prime vineyard sites planted in five of Napa Valley’s most renowned AVAs: four in the Stags Leap district, two in Rutherford, three in Carneros, one in Howell Mountain, and one in Oakville. This range of vineyards yields a variety of fruit, creating a remarkable palette from which Winemaker Michael Beaulac can blend. Since Michael’s arrival at Pine Ridge Vineyards in 2009, the wines have received increasingly positive critical acclaim, including several 90-plus point ratings. Pine Ridge Vineyards was named one of the 75 Best Wineries to Visit in California by Food & Wine and offers an array of wine tasting experiences for every palate.
www.pineridgevineyards.com

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

What to Buy:
'13 October Night Chardonnay - $25
Ripe peach, citrus, tropical fruit, honey, toasty vanilla

'12 Highlands Bench Pinot Noir - $35
Wild strawberries, loganberries, notes of beewax, hazelnut

'12 Gesture GSM - $30
High-toned Grenache fruit, baking spice

'12 Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon - $35
Violets, ripe black plum, hazelnut, dark chocolate, espresso coffee

Tasting Room: Open Daily 10-5

Last year, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines celebrated 40 years of family winemaking, and a four-decade legacy of pioneering winegrowing on California’s Central Coast. Since its founding in 1974 by wine industry visionary Jerry Lohr, J. Lohr has established itself as one of North America’s most successful family wineries. With a certified sustainable estate program spanning more than 3,700 acres in Paso Robles, Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands regions, and Napa Valley, J. Lohr is also one of California’s leading estate-focused wineries. From this diverse vineyard program, J. Lohr makes an acclaimed portfolio of wines recognized for their vibrant fruit character. At J. Lohr, the focus is on flavor from vineyard to bottle. Reflecting the diversity of its estate vineyards, J. Lohr offers four tiers of award-winning wines: J. Lohr Cuvée Series—wines inspired by the classic Bordeaux blends, but crafted to embody the power and complexity of great Paso Robles winegrowing; J. Lohr Vineyard Series—limited-production wines highlighting the terroir of the most esteemed vineyard parcels; J. Lohr Estates—acclaimed wines that have become benchmarks for their regions; and J. Lohr Gesture—Rhône-inspired wines and select varietals available exclusively in the Wine Centers and online.
www.jlohr.com