Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery is located on the original homestead of German immigrant George Schonewald who settled there in 1882 and built the Victorian home that Mary Novak, current owner of the estate winery, calls home today. When she and her physician husband Jack Novak arrived in 1972 to start a new life in the Napa Valley with their five young children, daughter and current President Beth Novak Milliken recalls that her dad just wanted to drive a tractor and mom wanted to be a gardener. They acquired the …

In 1981, Robert Mondavi spearheaded the first Auction Napa Valley for community charities, raising $140,000. In 2009, the auction sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners Association (Napa Vintners) raised $5.6 million, bringing the total raised to date to approximately $90 million.
The proceeds of the auction serve the community in the areas of healthcare, child and youth development and affordable housing.  One of the largest beneficiaries of the auction is Clinic Ole, the only source of primary and preventative care for the low-income and under/un-insured in the Napa Valley.  Nearly half of the approximate …

Since the Napa Valley is about food and wine, a great complement to wine-tasting is food-tasting, and there is no better, authoritative place to receive food education than at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.  As the CIA is situated in the heart of the Napa Valley, visiting this National Register Historic Landmark is a great way to pace your wine tasting experiences.
With the lastest Flavor Bar, the CIA fills a spectrum of educational experiences for food enthusiasts at all price points that range from the 15-20 minute Flavor Bar to one-hour cooking demos to two-hour, six-hour and multi-day …

In name and in place, the Chappellets own the real Pritchard Hill. Charles Pritchard was a real man who in the 1870’s first cultivated this difficult terrain about four miles up the eastern mountains from the Oakville floor. In 1873, he reported about 2,000 vines planted and by 1881 there were 15,000 vines on 15 acres (History of Napa and Lake Counties), about the right density of planting for dry-farmed vines on well-draining and shallow slopes. Pritchard’s farmstead was known in those times as “Pritchard Hill.”    
Pritchard Hill is not in …

 Arriving at Ceja Vineyards on a cool spring morning, one is struck by the impeccable landscaping – just one of many signs that the Cejas take pride in their work. Ceja was founded by Amelia and Pedro Ceja, Pedro’s brother and winemaker Armando Ceja, and his wife Martha. Ceja produces about 10,000 cases of wine a year from 115 acres of prized vineyards in Carneros and Sonoma Coast that reflect both the cooler terroir of these appellations and their own personal styles.  
The wines are elegant, medium-bodied and show fine restraint …

Oenotri, Downtown Napa’s latest restaurant, combines the essence of Southern Italian simplicity with the purity of local ingredients.  On a recent Wednesday night, the restaurant was packed by 6:00 p.m. and buzzing with energy.  The casual venue is modern and spacious, with re-habilitated wood tables and an open kitchen.   In Oenotri, owners and chefs Curtis Di Fede and Tyler Rodde have created a restaurant that will appeal to locals and visitors alike.
The menu is very focused, featuring authentic Southern Italian flavors achieved the traditional way,  with wood-fired oven, house-made salumi, pastas, oils and vinegars and the freshest local …

With its long history, distinctive terroir, leadership, and international recognition for quality, Stags Leap District is one of Napa Valley’s premier appellations. The Stags Leap area was being farmed as early as the 1870′s by Terrill L. Grigsby who owned 257 acres of land at the desirable foothills of the valley, 80 acres of which were dedicated to grapevines.  Grigsby was one of the valley’s largest vintners and earliest settlers “identified with the growth and prosperity of the valley since the first” (History of Napa County). In 1878, Grigsby was in the process of …

Over fifty years ago, patriarch Donald Long began to acquire land on Pritchard Hill in the eastern mountains above Rutherford and Oakville. Today it is one of the most coveted vineyard areas in the Napa Valley with the most recent owners ranging from cult Ovid to the venerable Continuum owned by Margrit, Tim and Marsha Mondavi.  Current generation owner David Long has been making wine at namesake David Arthur Vineyards for over 25 years now and in 2008 hired Nile Zacherle as winemaker to ensure the crafting of the highest quality cabernet sauvignon …

Uber-consultant Philippe Melka and his wife Cherie, a microbiologist, have been making their own signature Metisse label and CJ wines since the 1996 vintage.  Going into their second decade with the 2007 vintage however, the couple decided to focus on the strength of Philippe’s reputation as one of the top consulting winemakers with greater emphasis on the Melka name on the label as well as by expanding their portfolio to include wines that have personal meaning for them.  
Metisse means a blend of cultures, reflecting Melka’s background in French and American winemaking.  Philippe has been making wine in the US since the early 1990′s including a position at Ridge, …

Jeff Smith rocks – as guitarist with Wristrocket band.  Jeff believes rock ‘n’ roll is a creative outlet just like making great cabernet sauvignon at Hourglass Vineyards in Saint Helena.  And Jeff cooks – not only on the guitar, but in the kitchen too.  When I casually asked him what he likes to pair with his wines, I didn’t expect this creative recipe that wowed me for its high-toned flavors.  No wonder Food & Wine Magazine has featured Jeff’s recipes on its pages.
To start, Jeff pounds the duck breast, scores the skins and rubs them with the zest …