Recently, we had the pleasure to visit a new addition to the Napa
Valley wine scene Bella Union Winery. This highly anticipated opening is
located in the famous Rutherford AVA on 120 acres. The new winery was
founded by Dirk Hampton along with partners Larry McGuire, Beth Nickel wife of
Far Niente’s late founder Gil, and Erik Nickel, Gil’s Nephew.
Winemaker Brooke Price’s goal is to highlight Rutherford’s rich fruit in every vintage.
It is a sleek and ultra-modern design with a Jewel Box tasting room that feels like it is suspended in midair. It is designed to attract younger wine drinkers that the industry is trying to reach.
Our host today was Win who was very passionate and had a wealth of wine knowledge.
We began our tasting with a 2022 Bianco White Blend that was a very refreshing start to a great tasting day.
After touring this beautiful winery, we sampled the 2022 Liaison Red Blend Napa Valley, 2022 Cultivist Red Blend Napa Valley, 2022 La Gemma Red Blend Napa Valley, and 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Napa Valley.
All were ‘great’ but their
flagship 2021 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon was exceptional. We took a
bottle back to Danville to share with our friends.
In conclusion, this winery
is a ‘must do’ to add to your Napa bucket list.
For more information and to
make a tasting appointment go to:
www,bellaunionwinery.farniente.com
