Terroir of Place & People Itinerary

As a culmination of a career spent in the wine business as a Sommelier and now a Vintner, it is an honor to say that part of my daily life now is consulting with Napa Green in the realm of sustainability and climate action in wine. On this journey I get to visit many wineries and experience intimate behind the scenes tours & tastings with the decision-makers that run these legendary places. During this time, I’ve learned that sustainability is a beautiful way of life and business. These whole systems, regenerative practices are as essential and unique as the terroir we pride ourselves on here in Napa Valley. With that in mind, it’s truly inspiring to travel to different wineries and taste the fruits of their labor, to see all the hard work and distinct passion in what these wineries & vineyards do. What you may find is that it is unique from place to place and yet it is all connected in its endeavor to protect and preserve this beloved valley. 

Here I’ve created an itinerary that showcases a rich variety of regional efforts in the Stag’s Leap District, Oakville and northern St. Helena. What each place focuses on varies in accordance with their distinct microclimate. These three wineries also have a diversity of style, size, production and profiles. This itinerary is designed as a south to north tour around the valley checking in with some great winemakers along the way from names known globally to one star up and comer. Away we go!

Our first stop on this grand sustainability tour is Chimney Rock Winery in Stag’s Leap. This property features truly unique architecture, gorgeous hillside views and wines of character, strength and most importantly, finesse. These wines are made by the forward-thinking winemaker Elizabeth Vianna. She is as talented handling these famous grapes as she is sustainability and social equity minded. What an amazing mix! 

Elizabeth leads an all Latino winemaking team, many of whom have been there 15+ years, and this translates to great care and attention in the wines, paired with a deep knowledge of the land. While caring for their land and ensuring resource efficiency in the winery, they recently scored 100 points on their 2021 Tomahawk Cabernet. It is incredible to visit, to taste how sustainability and luxury go hand in hand.

Next up we take you north to the middle of the valley in Oakville where you will arrive at the beautiful B Cellars! B Cellars is more than just a winery, they offer a world class culinary experience with their in-house Chef, they feature a gorgeous garden and film-worthy caves. 

The wines here are incredible, with rich and luxurious profiles. B Cellars works with some of the best vineyards in Napa Valley and tasting these heritage site selections side by side is a joy for any wine lover. 

From a sustainability perspective you can really see a whole systems approach here in everything they do. One true standout is that they package all of the wines in sustainably sourced materials, like Green Cell Foam. They also handle their own distribution, which greatly cuts down on their carbon footprint. A large portion of any winery’s carbon footprint comes from shipping & distribution, and B Cellars has tackled this head on. B Cellars truly is the height of sustainable winery operations while also being the very top quality and experience!

Our next and final stop is a hidden gem that transports you to a secret garden tucked away in the rolling hills just off of Silverado Trail, Boeschen Vineyards! Owned by the Boeschen family and run by their son Doug, this charming winery offers a stunning tour through a magical rose garden, a stop to see their very rare collection of noteworthy race cars, and a tasting and tour of their wine cave. 

Their wine lineup includes a delicious Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Carrera Red Blend and their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon that display their love of the land. Their sustainability efforts shine through in production led by winemaker Shaina Harding.

Boeschen was lucky to survive the horrific Glass Fire that ripped through Napa Valley in 2020. One of the nationally circulated news photos of this fire was of a palm tree aflame at the front of their estate. The palm tree is still standing tall, with solar panels in the background.

This experience led Boeschen to become the first winery in Napa Valley to offer hazard pay and disaster insurance for their vineyard team during dangerous fire and climatic events. A brilliant and thoughtful response to almost losing everything, and a bold move forward in social equity for their team. 

 

It really doesn’t get much better than great people taking care of their land, their teams, their resources, and making great wines. Enjoy your trip, and don’t forget to ask the wineries all about their sustainability practices!

About the author

Meghan Vergara | Owner, Veritas Consultants | Vintner, M Vino | Sommelier

Meghan began her wine journey falling in love with wine at a young age and becoming a Certified Sommelier while living in NYC. Realizing this was only the beginning, she moved to Napa Valley to immerse herself in hands-on experiences, and to learn more about wine production, where her path in wine thrived. After moving away to Southern California to start her family, she quickly saw the opportunity to begin her business, Veritas Consultants, offering Wine Events, Education & Consulting for wine brands in the digital space. As this grew more successful, she realized it was time to stop waiting and build the dream of becoming a Vintner herself, which had always been something that seemed unattainable. With the help of some wonderful friends in the wine business, and huge amounts of determination, she was able to achieve her lifelong dream of moving back to wine country and to start making wine, M Rosé and now M Sparkling.

more climate smart itineraries