Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

The Hess Collection

The Hess Collection courtyard

4411 Redwood Road, Napa, CA 94558

My thoughts during this past week have been with all of the people in Napa and Sonoma who were impacted by the earthquake. I hope that all of the wineries will be able to get back on their feet quickly. The Hess Collection is one of the places that is recovering from earthquake damages. However, they are still doing tastings by appointment as they make repairs according to their website. I look forward to visiting again on my next trip to Napa.

Any art aficionados or wine enthusiasts looking for a unique experience should take some time to visit The Hess Collection. This place is a combination art museum and tasting room located off the beaten path on Mount Veeder. The drive is about 20 minutes from the southern end of highway 29 or downtown Napa and the roads up the mountain are a bit curvy. It is worth the extra time to make the trek to the winery and a good break from the crowds at all the other wineries along highway 29. The views from atop the mountain are picturesque. Mount Veeder, Mayacamas, and Chateau Potelle wineries are also in the area (note that these 3 require prior reservations).

When my husband and I pulled up to The Hess Collection it was so quiet that I questioned whether we were supposed to make a reservation in advance. I took in the natural setting around us and breathed in the fresh mountain air. The winery and art museum are actually open daily for public tours and tastings. The tours are complimentary between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and provide an overview of the winery and vineyard.

As we walked toward the entrance we came upon a large courtyard with various pieces of artwork and greenery. The courtyard is separated from the walkway by a small stone wall. We took a few minutes to stroll through the courtyard and look at the pieces of art. The building that houses The Hess Collection art museum and tasting room is pretty modest from the outside. It is painted a tan color with large wooden barn style doors. The part of the building to the right of the courtyard and walkway is made of stone and covered in ivy which adds liveliness to the overall space when everything is in bloom. By contrast, the interior is open, clean and more contemporary as one might expect an art museum to be. Straight ahead of the entryway is a glass elevator that leads to the three floors of art exhibits. To the right of the entrance is a welcome desk where we were greeted by one of the friendly staff members who explained to us the way the tours, art museum, and tasting room work. As mentioned previously, the winery offers complimentary tours as well as a free self-guided iPod tour of the art museum. There are some other unique tours offered by the winery for a cost that require reservations. Also to the right of the entrance is a sleek barrel room that is open for public viewing but the stairways are roped off so visitors are unable to go near the barrels. To the left of the entrance is a large tasting room and gift shop.

My husband and I decided to view the artwork first while we were still clear-headed. I will warn anyone like myself who has a fear of heights or dislike of elevators that going up into the museum area could pose a challenge. First, we got into a glass elevator that looks out on the lobby. There are stairs available for those who prefer to avoid elevators all together. Then we stepped out onto the wide open landing that has stairs on one side and looks down upon the lobby on the other with nothing but a small railing in between. Once I was able to take my mind off of what was down below and walked into the enclosed art area I felt more at ease. I will admit that I am not an art expert but I was really impressed by the artwork that they had on display. All of the pieces of art are just a portion of a collection that Donald Hess has been collecting since 1966 and are shown in museums worldwide. Donald Hess is passionate about art and is very specific about who he invests in as a collector. He collects works of lesser known artists who usually move on to become well-known. He has invested in 20 living artists that he supports for the long term in various stages of their careers. My favorite pieces of art were Johanna II by Frank Gertsch and Rock Pools by Andy Goldsworthy.

When we finished viewing all of the art, we headed back downstairs to the tasting room. We were the only people in the room when we first arrived and received very personalized attention. Another couple joined us toward the end of the tasting. The room is large with stone walls and a polished tasting bar lit by under-the-counter lighting. The room lighting was a bit dim but seemed fitting for the atmosphere. Off to the side is a separate gift shop with shelves of wine barrels lining the walls and displays of wine boxes on the floor. I would describe the style of the tasting room and gift shop as a combination of rustic and modern. Our server was great! He was very friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable. He learned what wines we were interested in through our conversation and tailored our tasting to what we liked. I really enjoyed the wines and took a few bottles home with me.

The Hess Collection gift shop

I was impressed by this winery. My biggest regret is that I didn’t give myself enough time to thoroughly take in everything. My husband and I had another reservation immediately following our visit and we had to rush out as soon as we sampled the wines. We ended up speeding through the art museum and didn’t get to participate in the self-guided audio tour or complementary winery tour. I definitely intend to return to this winery to take part in the tours and tasting. I would recommend to anyone else visiting setting aside at least a couple of hours to take full advantage of the winery, or maybe even more for art lovers.

Bella Vineyards

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Bella Winery in Dry Creek Valley

9711 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Website: http://www.bellawinery.com/

The name of this vineyard and winery is very suitable. Bella in Italian means “pretty” or “beautiful” and the landscape surrounding the winery is just that. The story behind how the winery got its name is also touching. Scott and Lynn Adams, who operate the winery primarily on their own, fell in love with the land when they were married in wine country in 1994 and spent many weekends exploring the area. Finally, they decided to follow through on their passion for outdoor living and fine wine and purchased the vineyard in partnership with Scott’s father and three brothers. Over the next 4 ½ years they dedicated themselves to learning how to grow grapes, and their two daughters were born while they were in the process of setting up the winery. The winery was really named after the daughters, and both girls are actively involved in the winery today.

Bella Winery

This winery is located off a somewhat narrow, windy back road in Dry Creek Valley in the northern part of Sonoma. The view of acre upon acre of vineyards is well worth the drive there. Preston Family and Zichichi Family wineries are located along the same stretch of road. The entrance to the winery has a small wooden, worn down sign with Bella Vineyards painted on it. It could easily be missed if someone is driving too fast and not keeping an eye out for it. When I stepped out of the car, the first thing that caught my attention was the amazing view of the valley stretching out from the bottom of the driveway. The main building sits at the top of the driveway along with a picnic area and wine cave. There is a crush pad to the side of the main building with stainless steel fermentation tanks. In front of the building is a peaceful picnic area with large, beautiful olive trees encompassed by a small rock wall. Off to the left is the wine cave that is built into the side of a hill. Rows of vines cover the hill above it. It is a spectacular view!

Bella’s wine cave and tasting area

The owners and staff at this winery are very warm and welcoming. Wine tastings are conducted inside the cave every day. Lights hang from the ceiling and a few small tables with chairs provide a nice ambiance. The tasting bar is located at the opposite end of the entrance to the cave. As we walked into the cave, we saw areas off to the side where they had candlelit tables set up for private events and wine club members. The first time I visited several years back I did the basic wine tasting experience. I was offered a sample of 5 wines for a small fee, but the servers were willing to pour any wine I wanted to try from the menu. This winery focuses on Zinfandel and I highly recommend it to any Zin fans. They produce a late harvest Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah as well.

Inside the wine cave at Bella Vineyards

I recently returned to Bella and did the Mix It Up: Barrel Blending Tour. Our tour guide, Benji, started off the tour underneath the olive trees explaining some of the history of the winery. Then we snapped some photos near the vines before heading over to the crush pad for a lesson on how the grapes are pressed and fermented. After our time outdoors we walked through the caves where we were led to a private room. The best part of the tour was sampling wines from the barrel and then getting to create our own blend. There were 4 people in my group and we each created our own wine blend. Benji then sampled each one and selected a winner. I’m proud to say I won the prize in my group for the best wine blend! This was one of the most thorough and fun tours that I have been on. Thank you to Benji and the rest of the staff at Bella for the great experience and terrific wines!

View from Bella Winery in Dry Creek Valley

Sterling Vineyards

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The bell tower at Sterling Vineyards

1111 Dunaweal Ln, Calistoga, CA 94515

Website: http://www.sterlingvineyards.com/age_gateway?destination=home

Sterling Vineyards is located in Calistoga. The white stucco Mediterranean style building is easily spotted from miles away sitting upon a knoll 300 feet above the town of Calistoga. The winery was inspired by the structures on the Greek island of Mykonos where founder Peter Newton once lived. The truly unique feature of this winery is that visitors must take an aerial tram from the parking lot to the Visitors Center. This winery is one of the first places that I would recommend to someone who is visiting Napa Valley for the first time because of its unique tour, great views from the Visitors Center, and nice wines. I also think the aerial tram adds a touch of romance. Perhaps I feel that way because this was one of the tours my husband and I enjoyed the most on our honeymoon. I would caution visitors though, this winery draws a lot of tourists and there can be a little bit of a wait to get on the aerial tram. It is a good idea to arrive early in the day to beat the crowds.

Drive to Sterling Vineyards

As we turned into Sterling Vineyards from Dunaweal Lane, the first thing we encountered was a long drive with trees and vineyards on each side. It is a beautiful sight to see and made me want to open my window and soak in the fresh air and landscape around me. Once we arrived at the parking area and got out of the car, we saw big, brightly colored rose bushes lining the walkway. Then we walked to the ticket booth to purchase our aerial tram tickets. This reminded me of the ticket booths at an amusement park I used to go to in my high school days.

Sterling offers several tour and tasting experiences. The General Admission tour, which is the one my husband and I went on, includes a ride in the aerial tram, a complimentary tasting of five wines, and a souvenir wine glass. There is also a Sterling Silver VIP Experience or a Food and Wine Pairing Experience. These experiences include all of the General Admission features plus an additional benefits for an extra fee. If individuals choose the General Admission and then decide they would like to try the Reserve wines at the Visitors Center, like we did, it is still possible to sit down in the Reserve tasting room and sample wines for an additional fee.

Tram at Sterling Vineyards

With tickets in hand, we headed to the aerial tram. The short trip up the hill to the winery provides a great panoramic view of Napa Valley. I recommend having a camera handy to snap pictures of the landscape down below as the tram moves its way up the hillside. The self-guided tour starts as soon as guests step off the tram. There was a wine station set up at the beginning of the tour where a hostess handed us our first glass of wine. It was a Sauvignon Blanc. We carried the glass with us, sipping the wine as we wound our way around the outside of the stucco building. There are screens and placards that guide the way and provide information about the winery and winemaking process. As we walked along the side of the building we were able to see a couple of the towers that house the eight bells that come from a London church founded in the 10^th century. The white stucco facility and bell towers reminded me of a monastery. The bells toll each quarter hour and can be heard throughout the valley.

After passing by the crush pad and indoor barrel room, we arrived at an outdoor patio. This is where we were given our second glass of wine. There are tables and chairs on the patio where visitors can sit and relax. It is also a popular spot for people to stop and take a group photo with the breath-taking backdrop of the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges. Mount Saint Helena can also be seen in the distance. When we were done snapping pictures and soaking in some sun, we headed back inside through the barrel room to the third wine station. The tour then led us to the Visitors Center.

We finished up our tasting at the Visitors Center. I have been to the winery twice and had a little bit different experience each time. The first time I visited, we went to an outside seating area and a server poured our last couple of wines for us. Afterwards we decided that we wanted to try some Reserve wines in the Reserve Tasting Room. The second time I visited, we stayed indoors at the general tasting area, and there was a station set up that we had to walk up to and make a selection from the tasting menu. When the tasting was complete, we were led back through the gift shop where we could purchase wines before getting back on the aerial tram to go back down to the parking lot.

Visitors can easily spend a couple hours here walking around the winery and sipping wine. Everyone is entitled to move at his or her own pace. One final recommendation I have is to wear comfortable shoes for this tour. There is a lot of walking and some stairs. There are elevators available to get from the tram to the Visitors Center.

View from Sterling Vineyards

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My journeys in wine country.

Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

The Hess Collection

Bella Vineyards

Sterling Vineyards