Provenance Vineyards

1695 Saint Helena Hwy S., Saint Helena, CA 94574

Website: http://www.provenancevineyards.com/

Thinking back on my visit to Provenance, I asked myself “How does this winery compare to all of the other Napa wineries?”  Then I started thinking about how I would classify the wineries I have been to and came up with a few general categories.  First, there are the historic wineries that have roots dating back to the 1800s or early 1900s.  On the other end of the spectrum are the modern, flashy wineries with the contemporary, artistic structures.  A third category would be the “high-end” wineries that look like palaces or have cult status and sell their wines at a premium.  The final category would be all of the lesser known wineries that are either family owned or run by people who have a passion for making wine and let their wines speak for themselves.  I would put Provenance into this last category.

The name Provenance is indicative of the character of the winery.   The word “provenance” in French means “origin” or “source”.  It can also be a record of ownership of a piece of art that guarantees a work’s authenticity.  The goal at Provenance Vineyards is to produce wines that are “authentic works of art”.  Another spin on the word provenance in geological terms means the source of the materials that make up an area’s sediment.  Likewise, the origin of the vineyard’s soil is critical to the wines produced at Provenance.  As of June 2014, their Estate Vineyards are 100% Certified Sustainable.

Provenance started in 2002 when the Chalone Wine Group purchased the former Chateau Beaucannon winery.  The huge, red barn structure is hard to miss driving down Highway 29.  The exterior is very unpretentious with a couple of white umbrellas and chairs on the lawn out front of the entrance.  The tasting room was opened in October 2003. 

Provenance Vineyards Tasting Room

The distinguishing feature of the tasting room is the floor made entirely of staves from the winery’s oak barrels.  The tasting room is spacious with a large u-shaped tasting bar in the center.  There are also various wine accessories and gifts available for purchase.  This winery specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon but also produces Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and a couple other reds.  My favorite part of the visit here was that they were offering a special tasting for Valentine’s Day that paired hand-made chocolate truffles with 4 red wines.  Of course I couldn’t turn it down.  The tasting included 3 different Cabernet Sauvignons and 1 Merlot.  I really enjoyed the pairing of chocolate with the wines.  This is a good place to visit for Cabernet Sauvignon fans that are looking for something a little low key.