Wineries

Of the over twenty labels in our Tasting Room, each and every one has a personality of their own. Wines equally reflect their vineyards and the Winemakers who chose those vineyards. These Owners and Winemakers have unique and joyful qualities, just like the wines they make. The following are profiles of those personalities our winemakers and owners who make us smile everyday here at the Tasting Room at Napa Wine Company.

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Adastra Wines

Adastra is a very small boutique winery, Thorpe/Richards family-owned, producing wines from 20 acres of CCOF certified organic estate vines in the Napa Carneros. The name, Adastra, comes from an ancient Latin phrase, per aspera ad astra, “through striving to the stars”. Owner Catherine Thorpe’s grandfather was inspired in his Chicago business by the phrase, which became a family legacy. Her co-owner husband, Edwin Richards, recognizes a similar saying, per ardua ad astra, as the motto of his native Britain’s RAF (Royal Air Force).

Edwin and father-in-law, Chris Thorpe, manage Adastra’s vineyards at the Napa Valley Thorpe ranch on Las Amigas Road, to produce low yields of Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir. Rich in clonal diversity and terroir character, small lots of these varietals are vinified at Napa Wine Company under the watchful eye of winemaker, Pam Starr (a celestial match for Adastra’s team). Her talents and familiarity with the property have helped guide striving for enological excellence since 1997.

Many of the Bay Area’s best restaurants, from Acquerello to Zuni Café, lay claim locally to a majority of Adastra’s annual 1200 – 1400 total case production.  However, the wines can also be tasted and purchased at Cult Wine Central (Napa Wine Company). We invite you to enjoy these complex, intense expressions of passionate grapegrowing/winemaking and come to understand per aspera ad astra.   

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Blackbird Vineyard

Perched to seize the day as Oak Knoll's foremost Merlot is Blackbird Vineyards, located in the heart of the Oak Knoll District. Since 1999, this vineyard has quietly provided fruit to many of Napa's finest winemakers, for whom it has yielded astonishing reviews and stellar scorings. Purchased by entrepreneur Michael Polenske in 2003, who recognized its potential, Blackbird Vineyards is now an ultra premium label in its own right. (Fittingly, 'merlot' is French patois for 'little blackbird.')

As artisans, the Blackbird team's goal is to create beautifully handcrafted wines that embody the best of what the Oak Knoll terroir has to offer. As Michael Polenske puts it, "Our promise is to offer a wine that represents our personal integrity and to maximize the natural advantage we have with a vineyard of truly unique character."

In launching Blackbird as an ultra premium label, Polenske has assembled a dynamic team to execute his vision. Among them is Winemaker Aaron Pott, whose experience has included Quintessa,, Château Troplong Mondot, Premier Grand Cru Classé St. Emilion, Château La Tour Figeac Grand Cru Classé St. Emilion among other acclaimed producers. Consulting winemaker Sarah Gott, whose extensive experience producing noteworthy wines includes Insignia and Backus for Joseph Phelps, Quintessa, and Joel Gott Wines, which she makes with her husband.

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Bridesmaid Wine

Wines often reflect their winemakers. Bridesmaid is a charming red wine that may be more beautiful than the "bride." Confident and brimming with sass this stylish wine gives you that come hither look that invites you to take another sip. The Aroma’s are complex and remarkable like chocolate covered cherries and cinnamon spiciness layered with ripe blackberries and violets. This wine is so full bodied that it is almost slippery on the palate. This is a "Big" wine.

Pam joined forces with Drew Neiman (of Kongsgaard and Neiman Cellars) to make this stunning fanciful wine that has that "WOW" factor.

Like that Bridesmaid who outshines the bride, Pam has made a wine that steals the show. This blended red is available for $45.00 a bottle and will embarrass wines that sell for twice its price. We brought this wine into our tasting room for the first time last week and it has been an instant hit.

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Crocker & Starr

Crocker & Starr Wines is a partnership between a historic vineyard site and a winemaker focused on producing distinctive wines of this unique place. Pam Starr created this partnership to capture the essence of terroir in her wines. The Crocker Vineyard, where grapes have been grown since the 1870's, is located on the south side of St. Helena, bordered by Mills and Dowdell lanes. The most celebrated Bordeaux varieties - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in varying soils, which gradually change as the terrain gently slopes towards the Napa River. Pam is crafting these wines to reflect the soil in which they are grown and the climate that enhances their full development.

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Downing Family

Established in 1998, Downing Family Vineyards produces small case lots of ultra-premium Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. This venture fulfills a lifelong dream for proprietors John & Tracy Downing. Winemaker, Randy Mason, brings years of taste and artistry to Downing Family Vineyards.

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Elizabeth Rose

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Eponymous

I have named my new wine Eponymous in a playful vein. Eponymous means “one for whom or which something is or is believed to be named.” My fanciful definition is “a play on words by one who is unable to use his family name on his own bottle of wine.”

I built my reputation making Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese for my family's Napa Valley winery and for other wineries in Napa Valley and around the world. For my new, personal label I chose an outstanding fruit source for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Two years later I had the opportunity to work with another exceptional vineyard just over the Sonoma County border from Mount Veeder. I'm using fruit from this remarkable vineyard to make a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Together, I think these wines strongly assert that hillside Cabernet-driven wines from Napa and Sonoma can be the rival of any in the world. -- Robert L. Pepi

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Flying Horse

Situated in the heart of Napa Valley, Flying Horse embodies the spirit and degree of excellence that our friends have come to respect and treasure. Our current selection of wines are from a historic vineyard located alongside the Aetna Springs Resort. The unique vineyard terroir of rocky, well drained soils with hot days and temperate evenings produces superior wines in limited quantities.

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Ghost Block

Nestled on a gently sloping knoll, Ghost Block vineyard is named in honor of Napa's pioneer winemakers who rest in a tiny 150 year old cemetery on the north edge of Yountville - the epicenter of Napa Valley. Graced with perfect drainage and sunny exposure, Ghost Block Vineyard is a jewel, an heirloom, passed down through a single family for over 100 years. Coveted by celebrity winemakers, the fruit from this and nearby vineyards has been the cornerstone of many of Napa's "Cult Wines".

The secret is out. Ghost Block is a winery that specializes in Cabernets from Yountville and Oakville, all of our vineyards are family owned and organically certified. Production is very limited, always based on our very best fruit.

We grow incredible cabernet. We do not purchase grapes - rather we take great pride in the fact that ALL Ghost Block wines are family owned and grown. Ghost Block is the culmination of our family's 100 year history in the Napa Valley. We have been growing cabernet for generations; Ghost Block is our personal expression of our vineyards best, made with quiet pride. Pour a glass; the story begins...

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Hoopes Vineyard

The Hoopes Family Winery and Vineyard has been a labor of love. They were fortunate when selecting land for their new estate in Oakville by purchasing 14 acres that happen to be some of the greatest grape growing territory in Napa Valley.

They first planted the land back in 1991 with the expectation of selling the crop to local wineries. The first mature harvest in 1994 was quite good and the people they sold the grapes to said these were the best grapes they had purchased. Hoopes continued to sell the grapes with the same input each year until 1999 when they decided to produce their own wine, with their own label. The results were better than they could have hoped.

The Hoopes Vineyard isn't about expanding and winning market share, it's about passion. What matters is making the absolute best wine possible from their grapes.

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Johndrow Vineyards

Entering the business world at the age of 21, David Johndrow, founder of Johndrow Vineyards, became fascinated with wine as he realized that the person who knew the most about wine at a business dinner controlled the table conversation and was seen as an expert. David began to study wine throughout the next 15 years while making journeys to Napa Valley and surrounding areas in search of the perfect drinker. "I loved finding the best wine at the best price point." For David, the only turn off to wine was the wine snobs that thought they knew everything about wine or more than anyone else because they ordered the most expensive bottle on the reserve list. "The great thing about wine is the optimism that everyone has when they first open the bottle. They want to love it!" It's that optimism and vision that is at the heart of Johndrow Vineyards.

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William Knuttel

Ottimino's winemaker, William Knuttel, is uncompromising, ever curious, a winemaker's winemaker. For him, wine is terroir and style and technique, and it is more than that too. Wine is geography and it is a study in psychology - geography because the land nurturing the grapes stamps a character into the wine, and psychology because the experiences of past winemaking ultimately find their way into the current endeavor.

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Lamborn

The Lamborn Family is pleased to offer recent releases from consulting winemaker Heidi Barrett. Our Howell Mountain wines develop later than their counterparts from lower elevations. A little bottle age will deliver wines in the 'classic category, reflective of the year's growing conditions.

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Liparta

Since the first vines were planted in the late 1800's, Liparita has been dedicated to bottling the pure expression of the terroirs of California’s Napa Valley. Today, Liparita's small production gives us the ability to carefully craft each wine and accentuate the unique characteristics of the distinct appellations in which the fruit originates. As a result of our commitment to creating extraordinary wine, Liparita's wines today are worthy of the gold medals they received over a century ago.

"Our dedication to crafting Cabernet Sauvignons in the same spirit of the Liparita that existed over a century ago has resulted in two truly astonishing wines...unprecedented successes that we are extremely proud to offer." Spencer Hoopes, Proprietor of Liparita.

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Mason Cellars

Mason Cellars was founded in Oakville, California in 1993 by Randy and Megan Mason. Randy Mason is well grounded in the Napa Valley with over 28 years of winemaking experience and is the master behind the wine.

As a resident of Yountville, California for 20 years, Randy Mason has earned the title of winemaker and has the credentials to show. A native of San Rafael, California, Mason graduated from U.C. Davis with a degree in Fermentation Science. As Vineyard Manager and Wine Consultant for Chappellet Vineyards in Napa for six years, Mason learned hands on how to cultivate, manage and harvest vineyards. Few winemakers spend as much time and attention to such details as growing seasons, rainfalls, soil amendments, pruning and picking as Mason. He possesses logs of such daily calculations. He is truly the winemakers' winemaker.

From Chappellet, Mason joined the San Francisco Battat family to start their winery, Lakespring. For 16 years Mason made the wines and was the General Manager. After 16 years of business, Lakespring closed their doors and sold the winery, thus prompting the start up of Mason Cellars in 1993 by Randy and his wife Megan.

Coinciding with the initiation of Mason Cellars, Mason was instrumental in helping Napa Wine Company transition from a jug wine facility into the leading custom crush winery. With a fully rounded background in winemaking, day to day operations and management, Mason headed Napa Wine co. general manager, and later, as CEO. Mason Cellars wines continue to be made at Napa Wine Co.

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Nova Wines

In 1981, Bob Holder and a small group of friends started a home winemaking operation at Holder's house near St. Helena, CA. They adopted the name 'Maneater' and their first production was a Cabernet called 'Cannibal Sauvignon' with a label designed by Denys Cazet (a friend who writes and illustrates children's books). In 1983 the group switched its production to Merlot and one evening over dinner and a bottle of that homemade Merlot the concept of 'Marilyn Merlot' was born. The homemade 'Maneater' Marilyn Merlot enjoyed a great deal of popularity around St. Helena as Holder donated the wine to charity auctions and gave it to friends as Christmas gifts.

A few years later the commercial potential was becoming obvious. The 'Maneater' group put together a few thousand dollars to bottle a 1985 vintage Napa Valley Merlot and became Nova Wines Partners. Although they took a lighthearted approach to the wine business they decided to produce a serious wine which would appeal to wine drinkers with a sense of humor and Marilyn Monroe fans.

An exclusive license agreement was negotiated with the Estate of Marilyn Monroe. The royalties paid by Nova Wines are directed according to Marilyn's will to Anna Strasberg who helps support the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute and to the Anna Freud Foundation in London, which has set up a special child treatment center called the Monroe Young Family Center.

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Mirror Napa Valley

During the first four years that my wife, Stephanie, and I had the opportunity to spend in the San Francisco Bay area, we developed a passion for wine. The explosive richness of a well made Napa Cabernet unleashed something within me. I became enthralled with wine-- simple as that. Football had guided us here, to "wine country" as my boys would say, and in those years we met new friends and explored Napa. The pure physical beauty of "the valley" drew us in.

I couldn't let go of the idea of one day operating a winery--the thought kept lurking in the back of my mind. While playing for Oakland, I had the opportunity to meet Jeff Smith of Hourglass (it's tiny by production, but one of the great cabernets of Napa Valley). Jeff is a crazy Raider fan (not the painted face type, but a fanatic nonetheless) who sent me some of his cabernet. Unbeknownst to him, I was already an Hourglass fan and was thrilled to find the package on my doorstep. We struck up an immediate friendship and would go on to have great dinners and taste a lot of Napa wine together over the next few years. When I decided I wanted to pursue my passion in the wine industry, Jeff introduced me to a childhood friend of his, Rob Lawson, an amazing winemaker. In the early days of "cult" winemaking in Napa Valley.

From those early conversations, I found we shared a common philosophy: a humble approach to making the best wines possible and a desire to over-deliver at every stage. Forget the hype, the glitzy style and the exaggerated price, let's do something spectacular yet subtle. I had found the perfect project!

The project took an ironic and fateful twist when Jeff suggested we use a name he had conceived for a project he had abandoned -- Mirror. Because my last name shares the same spelling as the phonetic spelling for mirror (mirer), I have often been referred to as Rick "Mirror." The parallel was too good to pass up and the name stuck. The Mirror Wine Company was born.

Rick Mirer

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Napa Wine Company

The Napa Wine Company is privately owned, and works with as many as 80 wineries in all phases of winemaking. The family also owns over 635 acres of some of Napa’s prime vineyard lands located in the AVA’s of Yountville and Oakville. All vineyards are certified organically grown. Having the experience of over 100 consecutive harvests this family knows how to grow, produce and present some of Napa’s finest small producers to the world. Operating as bonded winery #9 the Napa Wine Company shares its history with you, every time you try a bottle of any wine made here.

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Pahlmeyer

Finding himself reading more wine journals than law journals, trial attorney Jayson Pahlmeyer decided to pursue his dream of producing a California 'Bordeaux Blend'.

After several trips to France, Jayson, with the aid of professors of viticulture and oenology at the University of Bordeaux, isolated the best clones of each of the 'classic' Bordeaux red varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Jayson had the clones imported into California and used them to plant a Napa Valley vineyard in 1980.

Under the winemaking direction of Randy Dunn, Jayson released his first vintage, the 1986 Pahlmeyer Red Table Wine. Dunn, who presided over winemaking until 1992, emphasized high extraction of fruit and flavor with no fining or filtering. Using the clonal varieties from France, Dunn created legendary California Bordeaux blends for Jayson and placed Pahlmeyer among the serious producers of Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Oakville Winery

Oakville Winery was first established in November 1877 as Brun & Chaix, Oakville Winery. It was the 9th bonded winery in California. In 1993 when we purchased the winery and surrounding vineyards, it was sold to us as The Oakville Winery. Our Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards are planted adjacent to the winery, the essence of an estate definition in the very center of the Oakville appellation.

Our family has owned vineyards in Napa Valley since 1903. We strive to produce wines that represent our land and its heritage. The Bonded Winery #9 Portfolio always represents Napa Valley’s best quality at reasonable prices. The "new" Oakville Winery will produce wines from the same vineyards and the same location as the founding winery, thus continuing a 132 year old tradition. In a real sense, the name Oakville Winery was chosen for us from the beginning. The Oakville appellation is precious to all of us who share this region's bounty.

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Ottimino

Ottimino – A Story of Simplicity, Strength and Spirit

Ottimino, the person, was a spirited Italian-American, the eighth child in a family that came to personify The American Dream – the dream to seek and find fulfillment in the quest of a personal goal. In Ottimino’s case, he wanted to live peacefully on the land he tended in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. He did this for the bulk of his 101 years, doing honest work, forging his own vineyard tools, and nurturing the vines he planted.

Ottimino, the wine, celebrates the spirit of the original caregiver to these Zinfandel vines and other spirited individuals that share his and our passion.

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Pavi Wines

Husband-and-wife team, Pavi Micheli Lawson and Rob Lawson, founded PAVI WINES in 1998. Rob Lawson is the winemaker for PAVI WINES and is also the Winemaker for Napa Wine Company.

With a long family involvement in the wine business, it is not surprising that Rob has already launched his own brand. Rob has always been intrigued by Italian varietals because of their unique flavor profiles and the characteristics that Napa Valley would impart on these wines.

Rob became even more fascinated with the idea of producing his own brand of Italian varietals after visiting wineries in Italy on his honeymoon. His' wife's passion for her heritage provided the motivation to pursue his dream. Rob's winemaking philosophy is to the let the fruit speak for itself, to enhance the true characteristics of the varietal.

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Michael Pozzan

Michael Pozzan Winery is owned and operated by Michael and Mary Ann Pozzan, both natives of California. Michael was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, but spent his summer months with his grandparents on their 35 acre vineyard estate in Sonoma County. Michael's grandfather purchased the land in Healdsburg after WWII and planted Zinfandel grapes, which he sold to local wineries. He always made sure that he retained a portion of the harvest to make his own wine. It was here that Michael learned from his grandfather the art of making and caring for wine. With roots extending to Piemonte, Italy, Michael's family has been in the wine business since the mid 1800s. Michael has benefited greatly from his family's experience and expertise, and has continued the tradition by creating fine wines here in California.

Michael Pozzan Winery was founded in 1991 and is based in Oakville, California, in the heart of the Napa Valley. The winery currently produces 40,000 cases a year and distributes its wine throughout the United States in selected markets. The wine is sold under two labels, Michael Pozzan and Dante. In the fall of 2000 the winery introduced its newest creation, Marianna, made in the Bordeaux style.

The winery is committed to producing fine wines that represent quality and value. Michael Pozzan wines can be enjoyed with good food, family, friends and all who share the love of wine.

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Switzer Family Vineyards

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Red Mare

Wines with personality. Produce wines with energy, concentration and life. Do this in a sustainable way in order to honor the land that provides us with this precious resource. Have fun and make these wines affordable so that as many people as possible may have fun with these wines too.

The Red Mare In My Life I’ve always loved horses. I had been very involved in Pony Club as a girl, focusing mainly on three day eventing, which is the combination of dressage, show jumping and cross country jumping. I fell in love with that challenging sport. Once married, I began a journey to find a horse of my own.

I was working as the assistant winemaker at Paradigm winery under Heidi Barrett at that time. I wanted a horse that I could take to shows, specifically three day eventing. So the search was on for an athletic, intelligent horse that I could train up. At the time, Ren Harris, the owner for Paradigm Winery, was trying to find a creative way to give me a bonus. He asked me if I would be willing to name the horse I found “Paradigm” in exchange for her purchase price.

I found a young, beautiful chestnut mare at the end of her short racing career. She proved to be the most challenging and dynamic horse I have ever worked with – she has taught me more about horses than I had ever hoped to know. She has taken me down a path of training that has broadened my ideas about horses and my relationship with them as well.

Before I owned a red mare I was unaware of the reputation that they have. Now, it seems that everyone knew about their vivacious and saucy nature except me! I love her personality and energy and life. She is constantly teaching me that I don’t have all the answers and that we have to work together as a team to be successful. This is a life lesson that I will carry with me always. Naming my wine brand Red Mare is a bit of homage to Ren Harris and Paradigm Winery. - Anne Vawter, Winemaker/Owner

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Uvada

Our goal is to express in our wines outstanding varietal character and the essences of select Napa Valley vineyards.

Grapes are harvested at optimal, but not excessive ripeness, and the wine is made with minimum processing to retain rich, complex flavors and aromas. The result is a wine of unique quality and distinction.

Uvada, a Spanish word for a bountiful vintage, is also the name given to harvest celebrations in certain wine-producing regions of Spain. A small group of long-time friends and wine business associates chose the name Uvada after tasting this exceptional merlot. We intend for the name, along with the elegant portrait on the label, to honor California’s earliest winemakers and to celebrate the bounty of this wine-growing region.

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Vinum Cellars

Our basic winemaking philosophy is to work with great grape growers to develop the best fruit in the vineyard. We pick the grapes at optimal ripeness and gently process the fruit. We are very experimental with yeast strains and use different cultures for each variety. Our whites are barrel fermented slowly and aged Sur Lies in small French Oak barrels. With our reds, skin contact is optimized by the use of small open top fermentors, hand punch downs and extended maceration before pressing.

Our belief in the use of older French Oak barrels allows the varietal fruit of our wines to be expressed. We are committed to experimenting and learning new winemaking methods while preserving an old world approach.

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Volker Eisele Family Estate

Three generations of the Eisele family have participated in the development   of the 400 acre estate on which the vineyard is located. Volker and Liesel, the principals in the family business, have been joined by their son, Alexander, who now manages the vineyard and assists with marketing. Their daughter, Christiane an MD who received a B.S. from U.C. Davis in viticulture and enology, participates as a consultant.

Due to rigorous thinning, the long, cool growing season, and the harvesting of only mature ripe clusters, tannins, fruit and acidity are robust and interactive with a resulting complexity. Thus, all of the Estate wines are full flavored and can be enjoyed alone of with food for an enhanced dining experience. Winemaker, John McKay, has 30 years of experience in the Napa Valley, and has worked with Eisele grapes for over 10 years.

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Voss Vineyards

Intense. Intriguing. A world apart. Voss Vineyards chooses a different path from the vineyard to the cellar. Our vines grow in areas famous for their soils, areas like the Rutherford Bench and Carneros. But we don’t use the classic Napa Valley varietals. Instead we nurture grapes like Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. And we use new winemaking ideas. All to create a new world of wines.