Want to go wine tasting in St. Helena? Want to go somewhere with great wines and a view to match?
Look no further than Smith Madrone Winery. There are several reasons it’s a favorite of ours.
First of all we love the wines. Since there are slopes that seemingly face every direction, this means different grapes get the sun exposure they need. Eastern exposure for dry Rieslings, southern and western exposure for Cabs, and cooler north-facing for their Chards.
Their wines are all made from the winery’s dry-farmed estate vineyards. For those of you into soil…these are mostly deep-red Aiken Stoney Clay. Volcanic rocks, sandstones, limestones, shale…just to name a few. In conclusion this certainly helps in the tastes of these wines.
Now let’s talk about the views. Close your eyes and imagine you’re at an elevation of 2,000 feet on Spring Mountain. You can smell the clean, crisp air that brings life to all the grapes. You can see rolling hills, valleys and vineyards in every direction.
When you visit this beautiful winery, take some time to walk around the estate. See if you can find the 120 year old Pitcholine Olive Trees. Next, wander into the barn for some amazing wine tasting. This will be like no other wine tasting in the Valley.
The people are just as great as their wines and the views. Stuart Smith and Charles Smith III are down-to-earth guys who know their business. It doesn’t hurt that Stu was named one of the wine industry’s post inspirational people in 2018.
Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
You will understand why we love the wines, the people, and the experience.
If You Go: Smith Madrone Winery is located at 4022 Spring Mountain Road, St. Helena, California 94574.
Phone 707/963-2283; Fax 707/963-2291 www.smithmadrone.com, info@smithmadrone.com
They are open by appointment only at 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. Tasting fee is $25 per person; this fee is waived with a wine purchase.