Category Archives: Napa Valley

Acacia Vineyard

Leave a reply
Acacia Winery

Acacia Winery

2750 Las Amigas Rd, Napa, CA 94559

Website: http://www.acaciavineyard.com/

When I think back to my visit to Acacia, the first thing that comes to mind is their lovely Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The second thing is the very pretty views from right outside the tasting room. Acacia is located in Carneros surrounded by rolling acres of vineyards. The gorgeous views alone on the drive there make it worth the trip.

Acacia Winery was started in 1979 and had a “cult” status for its Pinot Noir. Today the winery still specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It is now owned by the beverage giant Diageo who also owns Beaulieu, Sterling Vineyards, and a few other wineries. One of the perks of becoming a club member at one of the Diageo’s properties is that it includes benefits and free tastings to the other wineries in their portfolio.

A view of Carneros from Acacia

A view of Carneros from Acacia

If you ignore the surrounding views and focus on the winery itself, it looks mostly like a big warehouse. There is a little green awning and some glass doors that mark the entrance to the tasting room.

Acacia's outdoor seating area

Acacia’s outdoor seating area

Across the parking lot from the tasting room is a small area that looks like an outdoor covered deck with some seats. There was also a big green canopy with some long picnic tables underneath. Although there wasn’t anything fancy about either area, they provide great views of vineyards as far as the eye can see. Inside the tasting room was also pretty modest. The walls were painted white and gray and the tasting bar looked like it was made from weathered staves of wine barrels. There were some bottles of wine lined up along the wall behind the bar. There wasn’t a whole lot of space to move around. Off to the right of the tasting bar was a glass door that leads to the fermentation room.

Acacia's tasting room

Acacia’s tasting room

I appreciated the quiet, unassuming atmosphere because it put more focus on the wines.    I really loved the Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay. It was fruity and had a nice creaminess that I didn’t find overpowering for an oaked Chardonnay. They have some great quality Pinot Noirs as well. After all, that is what they have been known for from the beginning.

If you are traveling through the Napa side of Carneros, I think this winery is worth the stop to snap some nice pictures and sample the type of wine this area is known for.

Long Meadow Ranch

Leave a reply
Long Meadow Ranch

Long Meadow Ranch

738 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574

Website: http://www.longmeadowranch.com/

The tasting room for Long Meadow Ranch is near the center of downtown St. Helena next to Louis M. Martini. Although it is located off of probably the busiest area of Highway 29, the tasting room was quiet when I visited. We parked outside the white picket fence and walked along the path past a gazebo to the tasting room located inside the historic Logan-Ives House. The Logan-Ives House is a restored gothic revival farm house built in 1874. The outdoor area is shaded by trees, which makes you forget about all of the St. Helena hussle and bustle just on the other side of the property. There was a nice little picnic area outside of the tasting room. It felt more like we were visiting someone’s home than a winery.

Long Meadow Ranch has been owned by the Hall family (Ted, Laddie, and Chris) since 1989. Ted was raised in a small farming community in western PA, went to high school in Texas where he met Laddie, and started making wine along with two Stanford University classmates in 1971. That passion for making wine drove him in the 1980s to look for a place for his family to start their own winery. The Hall family bought the property in 1991 and had their first vintage in 1994. In the 20 years since the Hall family purchased the property they have created Long Meadow Ranch & Affiliates, a group of family-owned companies producing ultra-premium wine, extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed beef, and organic fruits and vegetables. The family runs a Farmers Market on the property.

Long Meadow Ranch Tasting Room

Long Meadow Ranch Tasting Room

The tasting room and bar inside the Logan-Ives House is spacious. There is an area with food and gift items produced from Long Meadow’s farm. Visitors can come by to sample both wine and olive oil, no reservations are needed. There is also a family owned farm-to-table restaurant on the property. The wine and food is sourced from three estates – Mayacamas Estate, Rutherford Estate, and Long Meadow Ranch Winery estate. The family owns 650 acres in the Mayacamas.

Long Meadow Ranch Gift Shop

Long Meadow Ranch Gift Shop

I did the wine and olive tasting when I visited. The tasting included 4 wines plus samples of their olive oil. I enjoyed all of the wines I tried, in particular the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon. I found it was rich in blackberries, black cherries, and plum. It was extremely smooth. I also enjoyed the E.J. Church Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve which is 100% cabernet sauvignon produced from the highest vineyard on the property. There were only 130-140 cases produced.

This winery also offers a Mayacamas Estate or Chef’s Table experience by reservation. The Mayacamas Estate Experience includes a tour of the vineyards and caves and an introduction to some limited production estate wines. The Chef’s Table experience provides a chance to meet the estate’s chef and enjoy a multi-course meal and wine pairing.

Whitehall Lane

Leave a reply
Whitehall Lane Winery

Whitehall Lane Winery

1563 St Helena Hwy, St Helena, CA 94574

Website: http://www.whitehalllane.com/

Whitehall Lane is a small, family owned winery in Rutherford. The winery was started by two brothers in 1979 and named after the road that runs along the south border of the property. At the time, winemaking was dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The winery was purchased by the current owners, the Leonardi family, in 1993. The family is from San Francisco and consists of proprietor Tom Leonardi Sr., his wife and five kids. The Leonardi’s upgraded the winery with a barrel aging program and state-of-the art equipment and expanded from one vineyard to six. Today the winery sells their wines internationally and has received a number of accolades from well-known wine magazines like Wine Spectator and Wine and Spirits Magazine based on the quality of their wines.

Whitehall Lane Tasting Room

Whitehall Lane Tasting Room

Today, Whitehall Lane focuses its wine production on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Reserve wines. Their Current Release tasting menu includes each varietal and a couple of Reserve wines. Whitehall Lane also offers a tasting of their Reserve only wines. When I visited I split a tasting with my husband and sister and sampled all of the wines offered on the Current Release menu. I found them all to be pleasing. One of my personal favorites was the Belmuscato Estate Dessert Wine.

The exterior of the winery has a modern look with some vines surrounding the parking area. There is a pergola covered in vines and purple flowers leading from the parking lot to the entrance that adds a little Tuscan charm. The greenery and flowers are very pretty when they are in bloom and provide a nice contrast to the yellow stucco façade of the winery.

Whitehall Lane Tasting Bar

Whitehall Lane Tasting Bar

The interior of the tasting room is a little rustic and refined at the same time. The walls are stark white with minimal decorations and the tasting room feels wide open. The tasting bar is to the left of the entrance. The bar itself it made of black wood panels that resemble the siding of a barn. The bar is L-shaped with a good amount of room to fit several small groups of people at one time. In front of the bar is a large glass window that looks into the fermentation room. On the wall behind the bar is a beautiful panoramic photo of the vineyards. Our server mentioned that she was new.  Regardless, she was very friendly and helpful. A couple of the other servers around her were willing to help out when we had questions she was unsure of. We visited toward the end of the day and the atmosphere was inviting and relaxing.

This winery is open to the public until 6 p.m., although the last tasting begins at 5:30 p.m. The winery offers tours twice a day for a very reasonable fee that includes a walk through the vineyard patio, fermentation cellars, crush pad, barrel room and wine library. The winery also offers seated tastings that can be paired with food in the Club Room by appointment. Whitehall will allow guests to picnic in the small, Tuscan inspired garden in their estate vineyard by appointment. The garden, Barrel Room, Reserve Room, and Club Room can be booked for private events as well. See their website for details.