Art, Architecture and a Catalan Cava Pedigree
Artesa’s avant garde slice of architecture looms unexpectedly out of the hillside – like a mashup of I.M. Pei’s Louvre pyramid and Little House on the Prairie. An impressive stone stairway leads you up to the crest of a hill where you’ll walk past a long reflecting pool before you head into one of Napa’s most modern and original winery buildings.
Inside the Tasting Salon, it’s big, bright and super mid-century modern, with a trendy tiled circular bar, lots of colorful modern art, high top tables with futuristic stools and warm wooden Eames-style chairs and tables. The tasting room looks into an atrium garden with a pool on one side and onto the outdoor decks that feature sweeping views of vineyards, hillsides and mountains. On a clear day you can even see San Francisco.
The Tastings
Tastings include a combination of still wines and sparkling wines – but ask if your tasting can include as much bubbly as possible. Winery hosts are chatty and will fill you in on each wine and the history of the estate. We loved that they first brought us water in a euro style bottle with a cool “A” logo on it.
Open 7 days a week, reservations suggested
707-200-2038
1345 Henry Road, Napa, CA
The winery is owned by Spain’s famed Codorníu family, who has been making wine since 1551 near Barcelona. In 1872, the family produced Spain’s first sparkling wine using the champagne method and called it cava after the caves in which it was aged. Their cava pedigree means they make excellent sparkling wine, and they’ve taken advantage of their location in the Carneros region to grow the kinds of grapes beloved by French champagne makers – pinot noir and chardonnay – along with other grapes for still wine. Their sparkling wines are 100% estate grown and the wine is made, aged and bottled on site.
