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Merryvale

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Merryvale Winery

Merryvale Winery

1000 Main St, St Helena, CA 94574

Website: https://www.merryvale.com/

Merryvale Winery is located in the heart of downtown St. Helena.  It is across from the popular Gott’s Roadside (formerly known as Taylor’s Automatic Refresher).  No matter when I have visited Napa Valley, there has always been a lot of traffic along this section of Highway 29.  The entrance to the winery is enticing with its charming landscaping and flowing fountain, despite the fact that it is in the center of a bustling area. 

This winery has a lot of history.  Merryvale was the first winery built in Napa Valley after the repeal of Prohibition.  It was formerly called Sunny St. Helena Winery and produced bulk wines.  In 1937, the winery was co-owned by Jack Riorda and Caesare Mondavi, father of Robert and Peter Mondavi.  Robert Mondavi apprenticed at the winery before convincing his father to purchase Charles Krug in 1943.  In 1946, the Mondavi family became the sole owners of Sunny St. Helena.  The winery later went through several different owners and was refurbished and renamed to Merryvale.   

Knowing some of the history of the winery before I visited, I was expecting a better experience than I received.  I will admit that we were nearing closing time when my husband and I walked in.  I don’t like to be one of “those tourists” who is trying to squeeze in a final tasting 10 minutes before the tasting room is closing, but that’s the way we were treated.  When we walked in, it was about 30 minutes before the closing time posted on the door.  The first guy we saw behind the tasting bar announced to us that we would not be able to do a full tasting because they were getting ready to close.  He said we would only be able to try the wines that they still had open.  Then we were asked to step around to the other side of the very large tasting bar.  Luckily, the guy who ended up serving us was much friendlier and took the time to pour a couple of extra wines that weren’t on the tasting menu so that we could do a side-by-side comparison.  Unfortunately the first guy had set the tone for the entire tasting by making me feel uncomfortable about being there and I wasn’t able to focus on what I was drinking very well. 

I wish I had more time to explore the winery.  The tasting room was very spacious, and there are wine accessories and souvenirs available for purchase.  One of the most advertised features of the winery that I didn’t get to see is the Cask Room where they hold special events.  On each side of the candle lit room, two stories of 2,000 gallon casks line the stone walls and there is a long table down the center for guests to sit at during events.  Private tours, tastings, and seminars are available for groups by appointment.  I intend to return on one of my trips to see if I get a better experience because their wines are often highly rated in wine magazines.

Pride Mountain

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Pride Mountain Vineyards

Pride Mountain Vineyards

4026 Spring Mountain Rd, Saint Helena, CA 94574

Website: https://www.pridewines.com/

This winery has been on my mind since I visited on my last trip to California. My husband and I enjoyed our experience so much that we’ve been telling all of our friends it is our new favorite place in Napa Valley.  We ended up at Pride Mountain because we were looking for a new area of the valley that we hadn’t been to yet.  So, we decided to head up Spring Mountain.  High atop the mountain is Pride Mountain Vineyards.  This winery is unique because it crosses the boundary between Napa and Sonoma.  It is totally worth the drive up the narrow, windy road.  There are gorgeous panoramic views at the top.  This winery has become one of my favorites for the entire experience – the views, the wine, and the family story.

This winery requires reservations due to Napa Valley regulations and they can book up well in advance during the summer and fall.  I highly recommend that you take an extra few minutes to go online and schedule a reservation to be able to sample these great wines.  The regular wine tasting experience includes an educational tour of the property at a very reasonable price.  If you’d like a private experience where you can sample some of the limited release offerings, you can sign up for the Summit Experience and enjoy your tasting in the private salon inside the caves.  There is also a picnic area on the property if you just want to relax outside.

Tasting room at Pride Mountain

Tasting room at Pride Mountain

When my husband and I walked into the tasting room, we were greeted immediately by our host Paul.  He asked what brought us to the winery.  Truthfully, the first thing that drew me to the winery was reading about many of their highly rated in Wine Enthusiast magazine.  We started our experience with a glass of Viognier as we stood in front of a colorful map that showed all of the different soil types and growing areas on the property.  I sipped the lovely crisp, fruity Viognier while Paul shared the history of the Pride family.  It is an intriguing story of family commitment to the land.  Founders Jim and Carolyn grew up in farming families in California.  However, Jim Pride followed a different career path becoming a dentist and later founded the Pride Institute.  Yet he was always happiest when he was farming.  As he approached retirement he wanted to be closer to the land again and bought Summit Ranch in 1989.  He started off as a grape grower selling to local wineries until he realized he could produce premium wine of his own.  Sadly, Jim passed away of cancer in 2004 but his wife Carolyn and two children, Suzanne Pride Bryan and Steven Pride, have continued the family legacy.

After learning about the family we headed outside to the crush pad.  We stood right next to a line running through the crush pad into the vineyard.  This line marks the actual boundary between Napa and Sonoma counties.  As we tasted our second wine, a Chardonnay, we learned a very interesting story about some of the challenges the Prides faced owning land that crosses two counties due to zoning laws.  For instance, wineries are only able to put Napa or Sonoma on the label if the grapes were pressed in that particular county.  Therefore, at the winery they have to physically move the equipment back and forth across the boundary line in the crush pad in order to label the wines with the proper county designation.  Our next stop took us into the cave where we tried an impressive Merlot and did a little blending experiment.  We got a sneak peek of the private tasting room and were lucky enough to get to sample some of the reserve wines that were left behind.  Then we went back outside to take in the views and pose for some pictures.

Scenery at Pride Mountain

Scenery at Pride Mountain

I loved all of the wines that we tried!  After visiting more than 150 wineries it’s rare that I find a place where I enjoy all of the wines so much.  These wines have been repeatedly served at the White House.  I was so excited with the overall experience that I signed up for the allocation program.  That is the only way to purchase the wines directly outside of the winery.  I left with a great appreciation for Pride Mountain winery and have been telling all of my friends about it.

Burgess Cellars

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Burgess Cellars

1108 Deer Park Rd, Deer Park, CA 94576

Website: http://burgesscellars.com/

Burgess Cellars is located on Howell Mountain, down the road from Viader.  My husband and I spent a day exploring a few wineries on Howell Mountain and quickly became fans of any wines made from these mountain vineyards.  Our visit to Burgess Cellars was a unique, quiet experience.  This winery requires advance reservations.  We were the only guests at the time we visited.  As we drove up the drive to the front door, a gentleman greeted us.  Before heading inside for a tasting, we walked over to the side overlooking the vineyards and Lake Berryessa.  Our guide gave us a brief history lesson on the vineyards and mentioned that they were once owned by Lee Stewart of Chateau Souverain.  My ears perked up and the wine geek in me kicked in.  I’ve read about Lee Stewart in Napa Valley history books.  He is one of the founding fathers of the California wine industry. 

There is so much history in this winery!  This winery and vineyards has existed since the 1870s era. The real legacy began with Lee Stewart who purchased the winery in 1943.  He was a pioneer in Napa Valley.  Famous winemakers Mike Grgich and Warren Winiarski got their start working for Lee, both whose wines won 1st place in the 1976 Judgment of Paris.  That must say something for Lee’s mentorship.  In 1972 Lee put his fully functioning winery and award-winning vineyards up for sale, and emerging wine enthusiast Tom Burgess jumped on the opportunity.

Burgess Cellars Wines

Burgess Cellars Wines

Tom began a new legacy as a winemaker.  He grew up in northern Ohio where he had his first introduction to wine.  As a Geology and Aeronautics major in college and then an Air Force pilot, Tom had some incredible assignments that included flying Project Gemini astronauts around and becoming lifelong friends with Neil Armstrong. During his time off he was a wine enthusiast, trying wines from around the world.  However, a life changing experience at Beaulieu Winery led him to pursue a career as a vintner in Napa Valley.  When he started at the winery there were only about two dozen wineries in Napa and Sonoma Valley.  The number of wineries essentially doubled in 1972 alone.  With Tom at the helm, Burgess Cellars has thrived.  After making wine for 32 years, he called in his children to come work for him.  Since 2012, his sons Steven and James have taken on the responsibility of President and Vineyard Manager upholding what their father started.

Burgess Cellars Tasting Room

Burgess Cellars Tasting Room

Soaking in all of this history gives a new perspective to the wine tasting experience.  I wasn’t just there trying any wines.  I was sampling a piece of the past and present.  The tasting room is rather modest.  It is inside of a barrel room with a tasting bar on the right.  The experience includes wines from the two Howell Mountain estates.  Their flagship wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Library wines going all the way back to 1979 are available for purchase and cellared in the tasting room.  We had an individualized 1:1 tasting experience at our own pace.  It’s always a special treat when someone pulls out a library wine during the tasting.  We were able to try wines from several different vintages, one going back ten years.  These are wines that are definitely meant for a nice dinner, special occasion, or aging in a cellar.

If you are interested in a piece of Napa Valley history and some great Howell Mountain wine, give this winery a call to set up a tasting.

Burgess Cellars Tasting Room

Burgess Cellars Tasting Room