Featured Winery:  Chimney Rock

The facade of the charming Chimney Rock Winery’s tasting room resembles a white gingerbread house...

The Chimney Rock Winery as seen from the Silverado Trail...

    In addition to the aforesaid wines, Chimney Rock also produces a rose’, a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a Fume’ Blanc , and a Elevage Blanc, which has a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris.   Most of the estate’s wines prove quite popular, as evidenced by the fact that the current release of the 2004 Reserve has been sold out for some time.


    The tasting room opens its doors to the public daily from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  Charges for wine tasting run from $20.00 to $30.00, depending upon the wines selected by the customer. Tours of the facility are also available.  Chimney Rock requires no reservations for tasting, but does require advance arrangements for the tours.  For more information, go to the Chimney Rock website at www.chimneyrock.com.

Left:  The facade of the wine making facility...

  The original owners first acquired the winery property in 1980, and thereafter transformed a golf course into the vineyards that now grow some of the grapes that go into the Chimney Rock wines.  Terlato Wine Group now owns the property.  The winemaker, Doug Fletcher/Elizabeth Vianna, micro-manages every aspect of the wine making process with the goal of creating a product that will challenge the best of the French Bordeaux-style wines

 

    Situated near the town of Napa on the eastern side of the Silverado Trail, Chimney Rock produces quality wine and provides a most interesting place to visit when touring the Napa Valley.  While Chimney Rock sits well back from the highway, it remains easy to spot across the sea of vineyards due to its unique architecture.  Painted entirely white, its buildings seem almost fantasy-like in their appearance, with curved roof lines, walls and planters that seem to emanate more from a fairy tale than from the French countryside that, in theory, inspired their construction. 


    The charm of the place takes firmer hold as you approach the winery by driving through the vineyards down the long driveway.  Step inside the cozy and elegant tasting room, and a friendly staff welcomes visitors to sample wine and tour the premises.  Behind the tasting room, a neat yard and an artificial stream lead to the wine-making facility, which features a lovely façade with carved figures.

    Accordingly, Chimney Rock focuses on big red wines, utilizing a variety of Bordeaux varietals to blend into each vintage’s final cuvees.  The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and the “Evlevage” represent their flagship wines.   Both wines are typically big and supple, and have an alcoholic content of around 14%.  The wines have garnered some respectable reviews from wine critics.  In the currently released vintages, at the winery the Reserve sells for $110.00 and the Elevage for $76.00. All the grapes used to produce these two premium wines come from vineyards in the famed Stag’s Leap appellation, which surrounds the winery. 



The elegant tasting room and gift shop...