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NAPA VALLEY | WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEK
Tasting Room of the Week:
Baldacci Family Vineyards
by Josh Stein
Want a range of wines in a fun, friendly
atmosphere? Looking for a unique, individual
sitdown tasting of small-lot and reserve
bottlings? Baldacci Vineyards provides both
tasting experiences – and that’s why it’s our
Tasting Room of the Week.
Stags Leap District is Cabernet Country,
and Baldacci Vineyards produces some of the
best to be had in the Valley. The winery was
founded in 1997 when Tom and Brenda
Baldacci settled on their seventeen-acre
Silverado Trail property with an eye toward
the Cabernet Sauvignon vines which would
grow on its hills and vales; in 2001, the
7,000-square-foot production cave system
was added in the hillside behind the tasting
room. The estate vineyard has since been
added to with the acquisition of a twenty-acre
Carneros vineyard in 2003, planted with the
intent of matching grape varieties to the right
location.
That desire for the viticultural best is
reflected enologically in every bottling of
Baldacci wines. Known for affordably excellent
Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignons
– there are three, the single-block Brenda’s
Vineyard, the Black Label blend of various
estate Cabernet blocks and the IV Sons,
32
which has estate Cabernet Franc blended in
to create a more rounded Cabernet expression
– Baldacci Vineyards also produces the
Ruppert Cabernet from Coombsville and a
range of Carneros wines, including the Sorelle
Chardonnay, the Elizabeth Pinot Noir and the
Frederich Gewürztraminer (all named in
honor of family members).
What makes Baldacci Family Vineyards
our Tasting Room of the Week isn’t just the
wines but the unique hospitality feature of
providing a tasting experience that accommodates
a range of wine experiences. As Hospitality
Manager Mike Knox notes, “If you are
looking to just drop by for a same-day
appointment, have a friendly time and enjoy
some great wines, then the classic tasting
at the tasting bar is for you.” You get to try
a range of Baldacci releases, including
“frequently changing” limited-production
wines likes Gewürztraminer and Syrah. As
the hospitality team likes to say, there’s always
a friendly face, an open bottle of wine and
great stories to share.
Conversely, if you are looking for something
special, a sit-down tasting tailored
specifically to your tastes, then the Cellar
Reserve Tasting is for you. The new, limited
access Cellar Reserve Tasting in the 1923
Farm House presents a rare opportunity to
enjoy reserve- and limited-production wines
in a setting that evokes a time many decades
ago before the valley was Napa Valley and
wine was simply about the best the land
could give.
This intimate discussion of and hands-on
appreciation for what goes into producing
some of the world’s finest small-production
wines is tailored to the visitors’ areas of
interest, providing a customized tasting and
tour with the Baldacci team, which gives
behind-the-scenes access to knowledge of
vineyards and winemaking, all while
sampling the best of those efforts in an environment
of timelessness. The Cellar Reserve
Tasting in the 1923 Farm House requires
advance reservations for this very rare smallgroup
experience, so make sure not to miss
your opportunity. Come see for yourself what
one family’s vision has produced along the
eastern side of the Stags Leap District!
Baldacci Family Vineyards
open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by prior appointment
6236 Silverado Trail, Napa • (707) 944-9261
www.baldaccivineyards.com
info@baldaccivineyards.com
Look for Baldacci Family Vineyards on Facebook,
Twitter: @BaldacciWinery and Yelp!
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