To understand today’s Napa, you have to step back in time before it was internationally well known and you need to look to those who were there before the change. The Grgich family’s legacy is a reflection of the evolution of the Napa Valley itself over the last half century, as well as portending where its future lies. It was, of course, at the historic 1976 Paris Tasting where Mike Grgich’s public recognition took place – his Chardonnay received the highest combined score of any wine, red or white – and, after again winning first place at a second event, The Great Chicago Showdown, he received his famous nickname, “The King of Chardonnay.” It was July 4th, 1977, when Grgich Hills opened its doors to the public. Since then, Mike has made many wines and become world-known for his winemaking prowess.

Today, the torch has been passed to Mike’s nephew, Ivo Jeramaz, whom Mike brought into Grgich Hills to learn the business from the ground up and to help transform the property. Ivo is now responsible for all of the daily operations, including the transitioning of the estate to biodynamic practices: “Biodynamics is like going back to what our grandfather did, farming without chemicals or pesticides. Mike taught me early in my career that you need great grapes to make great wine. Since we’ve converted to using biodynamics, it’s been very rewarding to see the soil come alive. It allows the wines to be more authentic, more distinctive.” And, as the awards, medals and scores have shown, the transition of the estate, and the transition of one generation of stewardship to another, have proven to be quite successful and ready for whatever the next fifty years bring for the Napa Valley.

The wines waiting for you are each as distinct as the tasting room itself, which is cement-floored and lined with barrels. As Ivo says, “We treat each of our different wines as a special child, carefully nurturing their development and character.” All the fruit is estate owned, and all are certified organic and biodynamic, hence the addition of Estate to the winery’s name in 2007. There are two different Cabernet Sauvignons to try (Napa Valley and Yountville Selection) , as well as two Chardonnays, two very different expressions of Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Zinfandel and the Violetta Late Harvest White. In additon, there are tasting-room-only and rare library releases, which are constantly changing.

With all of that said, none of it is why Grgich Hills is our tasting room of the week. No, what makes this an experience way above par are the loads of tasting and touring options. Most Friday afternoons provide the opportunity for barrel tasting, but that’s just the beginning. You have choices of the Grgich-at-a-Glance Tour, which goes from vineyard to production areas, concluding with tasting current releases, or the Estate Tour and Tasting, which guides you from vineyard through winemaking, concluding with winery-only Special Selection bottlings.

For those looking for something more intimate, the Private Seated Tasting provides a private tour which concludes in the Salon with cheeses paired to current releases. Equally, the Library Wine and Cheese Tasting on Saturdays and Sundays provides opportunities to enjoy cheeses with specially selected bottlings. There is also the Private Library Tasting, an exclusive, private tour which concludes in the Wine Library, allowing access to past vintages. Last but not least is the brand new Wine and Tcho Chocolate Experience: a tour, a seated seminar on chocolate tasting and pairing chocolate and wine, and loads of take-homes, including chocolate. While several of these optons do not require reservations, most do, and the winery is busy enough – and enjoyable enough – that you won’t want to leave it to chance: call ahead, even if on the same day, to save your spot! Trust me: there aren’t many places anywhere which can pull it off the way the team at Grgich Hills Estate can. Go and enjoy!