A Memorable Visit to a Historic Napa Valley Winery
The beautiful Napa Valley has over 400 wineries with tasting rooms. With so many options, it would take months or even years to visit all of them. On a recent trip to visit friends in Napa, we had limited time for wine tasting. We decided to make the most of the couple hours we had by choosing two wineries that have long been on our list. The first day we visited the stunning Black Stallion Winery (more about that in our blog found here) and on the second day, we chose Trefethen Family Vineyards. We opted to do a semi-private tour and tasting to learn more about this historic Napa Valley winery. Needless to say, we were not disappointed.
Trefethen has a rich history in the Napa Valley and is one of the few remaining family wine estates. Trefethen produces 100% estate-bottled wine and has never purchased a single outside grape. With over 500,000 vines, their 600-acre wine estate produces 65,000 cases per year. Their varietals include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Riesling, and Viognier.
We arrived at Trefethen prior to our 10:00 a.m. tour time. The drive through the vineyards to the winery was picturesque and everything you think of when it comes to the Napa Valley. The grounds and exterior of the winery were lovely. We were warmly greeted and joined 3 other couples for our tour with Michael Baldini, a 32-year member of the Trefethen team.
Our tour began in the vineyard where Michael talked about the history of the winery, the vineyards and the “gardening” part of the wine process. From there we saw some of their state-of-the-art production and fermentation facilities where he further explained the process. We continued inside to see their impressive 13,000 square foot barrel rooms.
The building, constructed in 1886, was originally a gravity feed system to move grapes from the top floor, down a level to crush them and then carry the juice down to be fermented and ultimately stored for aging. The building, now their tasting room and wine library, suffered significant damage in the 2014 Napa Valley earthquake. It was rebuilt over a 33-month period but maintains the character and beauty of the 130+-year-old structure.
At the conclusion of the tour, we were lead upstairs to their tasting room. With stunning views of the vineyards, we were seated at a large table to taste their beautiful wines. Each couple shared wines off of the 2 tasting menus, for a total of 10 wines (listed below). Our expectations for the wines was high, especially based on the reviews and feedback we received prior to our visit. The wines were amazing and truly exceeded our expectations. These award-winning wines reflect the terroir as well as the classic style in which they are made. The family passion for the history of the property, production process and the wine’s that they make comes through in every sip.
We recommend you add Trefethen Family Vineyards to your next visit to Napa Valley and take advantage of their wine tour and tasting experience. We promise you will not be disappointed!
