Around a Tuscan-style piazza, the Andretti Winery
is the brainchild of race car legend, Mario Andretti, who is sometimes
on hand to greet visitors and talk about his days on the Daytona
and Indianapolis raceways. Available only at the winery are Andretti
wines under the Montona label, named for his birthplace in Northern
Italy.
On one of the winding lanes crossing the valley, Oak Knoll Avenue, Trefethen Vineyards is the only surviving example of what was once the most common winery architecture in Napa, a three-story, wooden gravity-flow winery. An historic landmark, the winery was designed and built by Hamden McIntyre. A sea captain and a self-taught architect, he also designed the massive Greystone, Inglenook and Far Niente wineries in the mid-1880s.
On the Silverado Trail, you may think you have taken a wrong turn when you see a forest of eighteen-foot-tall, freestanding, golden columns topped with capital bulls. This is entrance to Darioush, one of the most unusual wineries in the state, if not the country. Inspired by the architecture of Persepolis, the ancient capital of Persia, the Darioush family erected a temple to Persian culture and premium Napa Valley wine. Pale, gold travertine blocks from the Middle East clad the visitor’s center, where waving palms, formal Mediterranean gardens and indoor and outdoor water features create a setting fit for royalty. In the sleek tasting room, guests wander the polished floors among carved columns, sipping Bordeaux varietals such as Viognier, Shiraza and a luscious late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc.
Continue
the Napa Winery Tour with Stops at
Del Dotto Caves and Jarvis Winery
The article on this page is adapted from the book, Backroads of the California Wine Country by Karen Misuraca (www.karenmisuraca.com), published by Voyageur Press.
Photo Credit: The pictures on this page are by Lisa Moore. www.studioponderosa.com