"It's a contemporary rendering of an American wine bar," says Nat Komes, General Manager of Flora Springs. Nat is talking about The Room, the Flora Springs tasting room which just celebrated a one-year anniversary of its stunning metamorphosis. "The Room is not just a place," he adds, "but a unique wine, food and lifestyle experience fueled by a thirty-year legacy of family winemaking and our tireless quest as innovators.

We've created an environment where loyal friends and newcomers alike can learn about Flora Springs in a group or in private, at the bar, in the tasting caves or even on top of The Room overlooking the hills and vineyards. Cool - yes?"

Yes - cool. And the key to the friendly, contagious energy of The Room is a handful of people who each bring their individual approach to the Flora Springs experience with them to work every day.

One of the most familiar faces at The Room is that of Natalie Petek, who came on part-time at the former Flora Springs tasting room while studying at UC Davis. "I love working here," she says emphatically. "The Room has a great vibe, the wine is awesome and the wine club members are such fun and generous people," she adds. "I've scored great recipes from them and even had a few offers of places to live closer to the city for grad school." Now a Davis graduate, Natalie has entered a PhD program in molecular biology at UCSF , and plans to remain at Flora Springs during her studies. "Being around the energy of the Flora Springs family is a good antidote to being the reclusive lab rat in my other life," says the future Dr. Petek. "Besides, I enjoy sharing a glass of my favorite wines - Soliloquy and Out of Sight - with our guests."

Brittany Payton is the newest addition to the key ring at The Room. Brittany, a rabid doer and world traveler with a degree in Art History from University of Nevada at Reno, unabashedly confesses to it taking all her strength not to, "…bust through the velvet ropes and run free to explore the hidden libraries at the Vatican." As The Room's Marketing & Events Manager, Brittany loves the uniqueness of the space and its energy.

The other key on the ring is Tom Shoar, who settled in Napa to retire from over 30 years as a dentist in Southern California. He and wife, Bente (an unofficial Flora Springs ambassador), have always been avid California wine explorers. "So," Tom admits, "when I tired of the "honey-do" list and was missing daily interaction with new people, it made sense for me to come to work at Flora Springs." Tom enjoys the close-knit team at The Room. And, as for the wines, he says, "They just sell themselves, really - the quality in the bottle speaks for itself."

A scientist, an art historian and a dentist - your keys to The Room and a new and exciting Napa Valley wine experience from Flora Springs.

Visit The Room at 677 South St. Helena Highway in St. Helena. For more information, call (707) 967-8032, 1-866-967-8032 or send an email to theroom@florasprings.com. Visit the website at www.florasprings.com. Flora Springs is also on Facebook, Twitter and Yelp! And, you can catch Flora Fever at florasprings.com/blog.

Mark your calendar!

Upcoming events at Flora Springs

• September 18 & October 16  Johnny's Lobster Throw Atop The Room

• September 25 & October 30  Summer Lunch Series at the Flora Springs Estate

• September 27  Great Tastes Pick-up Party at The Room

• October 10  Harvest Lu'a'u & Ukulele Festival at the Flora Springs Estate