Napa Valley’s Top Ten "Best Kept Secret" Wineries

BEST OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH NAPA TASTING ROOMS

After having visited numerous renowned wineries, many of us are looking for the hidden gems within the Napa Valley. Good wines are certainly valued, but the entire experience a winery provides leaves guests wanting to return and telling their friends and family to visit. Each winery listed in this article has some special draw, whether it’s art, architecture, ambiance, gardens or compelling history.

I conducted an informal poll seeking wine enthusiasts’ favorite wineries and coupled the results with my own picks to produce a short list of can’t-miss experiences that you could almost miss while driving in wine country. Criteria for inclusion are that the winery:

• is relatively unknown
• is not readily found or can be easily missed
• is small or medium-sized (meaning any of the following: low-to-medium case sales, small-to-medium “feel”, smallish or medium-sized facility)
• offers a special draw
• does not require an appointment, for a seamless trip

Signature wines and the tasting room experience are discussed for each. Regardless of the perks, beauty or caliber of wines, most enthusiastic comments came from respondents when the people were the attraction. Establishments immediately exude an upbeat ambiance when their staff obviously loves meeting people, are experts at what they do and are knowledgeable about their wines.

1. The Winery: ARTESA VINEYARDS & WINERY

The Draw: BOLD ARCHITECTURE AND STUNNING VIEWS

Signature Wine/Varietal: PINOT NOIR

Winery Tasting and Other Fees: $10-$15

THE EXPERIENCE
By far, the most extraordinary approach to any out-of-the-way tasting room is that of Artesa Vineyards & Winery. Innocently exiting Highway 121 to Old Sonoma Road in Napa, you will drive back-country roads lined with fields of wildflowers and eventually follow signs into the entrance of the winery. But it keeps going. And going. At some point, you believe you are visiting a castle on top of a hill. What you do confront is an architectural wonder: a building and grounds that are, themselves, modern art. The reflecting pool renders its water as glass. The winery structure is built into the side of the hill and has been compared to an art museum.

Interiors are reminiscent of the 1960s, with bold colors, angular, clean-lined furniture and graphic paintings hung throughout. The gift store offers items mirroring the interior design – lovely and sleek – for the person who has everything.

Crowds ebb and flow, but tasting room staff keeps up. Dan May, for example, expertly dances among patrons, attentive to each, while ardently describing the wines and winery. He is fond of saying his 22-year experience as a counselor at Stanford Children’s Hospital gave him the skills to deal with adults on vacation who sometimes act like children. His five-year history with Artesa has made him a cheese guru, qualifying him as host for the winery’s weekly “Vino con Queso” (wine and cheese pairings). Administration staff claims that, without a doubt, Dan receives more fan mail than any other hospitality worker.

Artesa’s excellent collection comprises pinot blanc, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, albarino, pinot noir, merlot, syrah, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, tempranillo and sparkling wines. But their elements red is especially lovely, with a blend of cabernet franc, syrah, tempranillo, cabernet sauvignon and grenache. Their Estate Pinot Noir, which garnered 93 points from Wine Enthusiast, is classic for the grape, while their upper tier Limited Release Carneros Pinot Noir is bigger and inkier.

Artesa’s 2004 Reserve Napa Cabernet Sauvignon was recommended by Playboy magazine as Best Wine Under $50.

Enhance your visit by upgrading from the $10 basic tasting to a Reserve and Limited Release Wine Flight for $15 or a glass of Grand Reserve Sparkling Wine for $10. Make an appointment for a vineyard tour, held daily at 10:30 a.m., and taste grapes off the vine while sipping some bubbly. Or book a Vino con Queso pairing on a Saturday or Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and enjoy artisan cheeses paired with reserve wines.

2. The Winery: BURGESS CELLARS

The Draw: THE PEOPLE

Signature Wine/Varietal: MERLOT

Winery Tasting and Other Fees: COMPLIMENTARY

THE EXPERIENCE
Talk about winding roads! With Burgess Cellars as your destination, you will think you’re on your way to camp in the mountains, not taste wine. After completing the drive up lovely Deer Park Road in St. Helena, the entry to the winery is more like a private road to a cluster of hidden, upscale homes. However, having arrived at the cul de sac, the old wooden door recessed in a stone wall definitely connotes “winery”. Park just around the corner, and enter the tasting room to the left.

Inside, the winery is very small and a bit dark, giving you the cozy feeling of being in a much older winery. Barrels surround you. The atmosphere is quiet and low-key. On weekends, you will be greeted by Michael Miller.

Including this winery in the article is cheating, since visits are by appointment only, but you can try dropping in on a weekend. Unless he is already entertaining a large group, you will be welcome. Do make an appointment on weekdays.

Burgess Cellars’ owner Tom Burgess wants visitors to benefit from the one-on-one experience they receive when the host pays close attention to each person, and Michael Miller agrees. Like teachers with over-populated classes, winery personnel can’t give guests proper care in overloaded tasting rooms.

Michael Miller started his wine industry career at Robert Mondavi in 1978 and has performed just about every winemaking task. He’s worked in the cellar, the vineyards, participated in the harvest and the press, has done berry sampling and manned midnight pump-overs. After he left Mondavi, he worked at various wineries before coming to Burgess, where he has remained for the past three years.

To his credit, Mr. Miller refrains from discussing the particular qualities of each wine, and waits for guests’ responses while joking around and having fun. In keeping with Tom Burgess’s vision of a laid-back, non-intimidating environment, this wine veteran does not force tasting notes on clientele. Every palate is different and will pick up unique aroma and flavor notes.

With cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah and a red blend in the lineup, Burgess Cellars is known for its merlot, and it delivers. Rated 90 in Wine News, the 2004 vintage grapes come from its Oak Knoll estate vineyard, imparting the black cherry quality classic for merlot. The wine is rich and deep, good for sipping or supping. What an excellent value at $22 per bottle!