Featured Winery:  Pina...

The Pina winery sits alongside the Silverado Trail...

    Perched on a rise above the Silverado Trail in the heart of the Napa Valley, the Pina Winery continues a venerable tradition of family winemaking.  Larry Pina, the current managing partner of the winery, traces his “wine roots” in Napa Valley winemaking back to his great, great, great grandfather, who began cultivating grapes there in the latter half of the 19th Century. 


    Today, the winery specializes in the limited production of boutique Cabernet Sauvignon emanating from five distinctive family owned vineyards; Buckeye Vineyard on Howell Mountain, D’Adamo Vineyard at the foot of Atlas Peak, Firehouse Vineyard in the hills east of Rutherford, Ames Vineyard in the hills east of Oakville, and Wolff Vineyard in Yountville.  Pina produces these wines in small quantities, so it’s best to order these wines directly from Pina at a early date.  All five wines contain one hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon. 


   



    Of course, a visit to the winery affords the most entertaining way to purchase Pina wines.  You will need an appointment for such a visit.   Just call the winery at (707)738-9328, and the family will welcome you with old world hospitality.  One word of caution when looking for the winery; it’s a bit non-descript, so look carefully for the Pina sign on the right hand side of the road as you proceed north on the Silverado Trail, about one mile past the Oakville Cross. You will notice some antiquated farm machines out front.  To make sure you don’t miss it, consult the website for precise directions.


  

    Pina wines have received some fine accolades from notable wine critics.  Wine  Spectator recently gave the 2004 Buckeye Vineyard a score of 94 and included the wine in its list of top 100 wines of the year released in 2007.  Should one have the good fortune to find one of the wines for sale, the release price at the winery ranges between $72.00-$80.00 per bottle.  Not excessive when compared to many other small production boutique wines produced in the Valley.  Pina makes the wines available to the public by way of online sales.  Check out their website at www.pinanapavalley.com.

    On my recent visit, Larry Pina took the time to show me around the small building, which appears, from the outside at least, to resemble more of a house than a winemaking facility.  We then took a hike up the steep hills in back of the winery to view some of the vineyards.  His higher vineyards stretch right up the slopes to the edge of the natural forest that covers the steep hillside with a grove of ancient, gnarled oaks.

Larry Pina in his wine cellar...

      Larry had some interesting tales to tell.  Not just about winemaking, but about the flora and fauna (other than grapevines) indigenous to the area.  Did you know that there are still mountain lions prowling the hills of Napa?   


    I tasted both the Buckeye and D’Adamo 2005 vintages, and while I thought both delicious, I preferred and purchased a bottle of the D’Adamo.  I held this preference despite the critics high scores for the Buckeye.  I think the Buckeye will eventually prove the better wine, but I do not plan on keeping this wine long.  It’s so good, I want to sip it with the next big steak I consume…


    One last note:  Just before release of this edition of vegaswinenews.com, I learned that Wine Enthusiast Magazine had awarded the 2005 Buckeye Cabernet a 95 point rating, and the 2005 D’Adamo Cabernet a 90...Congratulations Larry...Keep up the good work...!!!














                   

                                The Pina winemaking facility lies approximately one mile

                                        north of the Oakville Cross Road on the Silverado Trail...

                              

Larry inspects his hillside vineyards on a crisp winter morning...