Exceptional wine requires exceptional grapes.
To find the best grapes, we took into account:
- Location. The St. Helena Appellation has perfect soil for growing red wine grapes, so that is where we concentrated our search.
- Vineyard Block. Different vineyard blocks can have much different characteristics. We had to examine the specific areas within the vineyard that the grapes would be coming from.
- Farming Practices. We prefer growers who have proven expertise and who share our commitment to quality. In addition, it is important that the grower be committed to sustainable agriculture.
Our primary vineyard is the Stanton St. Helena Ranch (see map). The Stantons have been farming in the Napa valley since 1947, and purchased the St. Helena vineyard block where Charnu Winery gets its grapes in 1979.
Blending in a small amount of wine made from grapes from a different location can often result in a wine with greater complexity.
For this purpose, we also get grapes from the Lewelling Vineyards, a historic St. Helena vineyard.