Even if You Can’t Visit…Itinerary

This is not your typical itinerary – wetting your palate for wine producers that are difficult, perhaps impossible, to visit. However, if you are a wine connoisseur seeking exceptional wines from sustainability and climate leaders you should absolutely put in the effort to secure wines from Dominus, Lail, and ADAMVS.

Unless you take a wrong turn in Yountville, you’re unlikely to ever see the unique and stunning winery at Dominus Estate. The exterior of the winery is constructed from wire cages filled with local basalt rocks, which blends into the vineyard expanse and Mayacamas backdrop. Dominus is owned by Christian Moueix and pulling from its French roots the vineyards were designed from the start to be dry farmed, which is not common in the Napa Valley given the high heat of summer (getting hotter year-over-year). Dominus is farmed organically, and as a part of their Napa Green Vineyard certification they are transitioning to no-till, leaving soils undisturbed to maximize microbial and fungal networks, and keeping carbon stored underground. In addition, they have invested in riparian restoration along the creek that runs through the property and eventually merges into the Napa River. Inside the winery, the team keeps a close eye on resource efficiency, including the use of BlueMorph UV sanitation, that all but eliminates the need for water to sanitize tanks. 

In 2021, Dominus Estate wine was named as Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year. Crafted by winemaker Tod Mostero, it is hard to find a vintner more passionate about both sustainability and climate leadership, and making wines that are a pure expression of place, or terroir. You can see his 2023 call to industry action at our RISE Climate & Wine Symposium: Dominus focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends. The most approachable of their wines is the Napanook, while Dominus is one of the highest echelon Napa Cabernets. They also have a brother label, Ulysses. Dominus is not open to the public, but their wines can be procured from select retailers.

Robin Lail is a grande dame of the Napa Valley wine industry. She pulls no punches, including about climate action, as she’s seen the increasing frequency and intensity of drought, high heat, wildfire, and intense, rapid rain events over the past decades. She is a U.S. ambassador for the Porto Protocol, a platform to empower the wine industry to take action to mitigate climate change. Lail is Napa Green Vineyard certified and practices include no-till and adding compost to the vineyard to help sequester carbon. And to  increase diversity and organic matter in the soil. And speaking of Dominus, Lail co-founded the Estate with Moueix in 1982.

If you are a member, you may be able to arrange a special tasting of Lail wines, but few get to visit the Howell Mountain estate with expansive views over the vineyards and valley. Lail Vineyards makes two Sauvignon Blancs and four Cabernet Sauvignons. Lail’s wines have received multiple 100-point score, and also been named Wine of the Year by Wine Enthusiast.

The ADAMVS estate is tucked away up in Angwin. Their vineyards are both Biodynamic and Napa Green Vineyard certified, and their small winery is also Napa Green Winery certified. Practices include leaving the majority of the property wild and planting insectaries to encourage biodiversity, which is showcased by the vibrant bluebirds and buzzing bees. They have sheep, donkeys and chickens and vines that extend up the hillside amidst the forest. 

ADAMVS offers private estate tours and tastings by advance appointment to mailing list members. If you are lucky enough to visit, you’ll see that their guest space exemplifies how sustainability can elevate luxury. They may offer a food and wine pairing with locally-sourced small bites that draw out the complexity in each wine pairing. Their terroir-driven wines are a reminder of why the Napa Valley first became so celebrated – elegant Cabernet Sauvignons that are true expressions of hillside vines grown in rich, healthy soils, free of heavy-handed alcohol or tannins.

About the author

Anna Brittain | Executive Director of Napa Green

Anna is a Napa Valley native. She has worked locally, nationally and internationally on environmental management and policy with organizations ranging from the environmental economics think tank Resources for the Future in Washington, DC to the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Hanoi, Vietnam. She has spent over 13 years facilitating and growing sustainability and climate action in the wine industry, with an expertise in communications and certification standards. Anna has served as a lead consultant with Ontario Craft Wineries, Sustainable Winegrowing British Columbia, Crimson Wine Group, the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, and individual wineries including Benziger Family Winery.

Anna has helped lead the growth of the Napa Green program since 2015, and stepped into the position of Executive Director of the independent non-profit in fall 2019. In 2022 and 2023, she led the launch of the action-oriented RISE Climate & Wine Symposium (formerly THRIVES), with 70+ expert speakers, 40+ sustainability sponsors, and 750+ guests. 

In 2023, Anna was named by the Wine Enthusiast as a Future 40 Tastemaker, and Wine Business Monthly as a Wine Industry Leader. In 2024, she was included in The Imbibe 75: “People and places that will shape the way we drink in 2024 and beyond.”

Anna has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science & Management from the Bren School at UC Santa Barbara, with specializations in Water Resource Management and Economics & Policy. She has a Bachelor’s degree with Honors in Political Science and Environmental Studies from Williams College.

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