Napa Valley has shape-shifted over the years. From its early days of immigrant-planted grape vines to more purposeful grape-variety planting to the world-class winegrowing region it has become since the famous Judgment of Paris in 1976, Napa Valley has grown up. And with that, so have its wineries. At Baldacci Family Vineyards, the family has struck a careful balance of maintaining their family-owned and operated winery with authenticity while also offering the kind of luxury and quality that wine enthusiasts expect from Napa Valley.
Baldacci Family Vineyards was founded in 1998 and is now run by second-generation vintner Michael Baldacci. “I’ve been working at the family estate in the Stags Leap District for a decade now and there’s no place else I’d rather be,” Michael said. “I worked my first harvest in 2012 and I was instantly in love with farming the vines and learning how to make wine.” In 2018, Michael singularly crafted his first vintage of Baldacci Family Vineyards wines, and many of the bottles have received high accolades from world-renowned critics. “When I took over winemaking in 2018, I set my sights on elevating our wines,” he said. “I want the Baldacci brand to be age-worthy—the kinds of bottles that wine enthusiasts collect for their cellars and pull out on special occasions, in addition to enjoying a bottle in good company over a great meal.”
The Baldacci Family Vineyards portfolio of wines includes six single varietals and two blends, the latter an estate-grown sparkling wine and a Bordeaux red blend. From the single varietals, Michael crafts classic cabernet sauvignon from two of their estate vineyards in Stags Leap District and Calistoga; he also works with growers with whom they have long-standing relationships to craft cabernet sauvignon from Oakville, Coombsville and Mt. Veeder. Six premium cabernets hail from five distinct Napa Valley appellations, making the estate an ideal location to get to know the styles of cabernet across the Valley. In addition to their line of cabernet sauvignon, the family also focuses on cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay and syrah from their Los Carneros estate vineyard; and their award-winning Late Harvest Gewürztraminer also is crafted from their estate vineyard in Los Carneros.
“We work very hard to produce a high-quality collection of wines with depth and range. We don’t strictly focus on cabernet, because we feel it is important for an estate to have diversity. But we do love showcasing the nuances and styles of cab from across the different appellations,” Michael said. “We have a nice selection for those who seek wine outside of cab, and plenty for those who come to Napa strictly for cabernet.” In the tasting experiences lineup, Baldacci Family Vineyards offers an accessible Portfolio Tasting ($65) with several varietals and an All Cabernet Tasting ($125) for those looking to dive deep into Napa cab. With other tasting experiences that include wine education, cave tours and food pairings, the estate has much to offer — and their warm hospitality is unparalleled.
“We want to welcome guests into the family when they visit Baldacci. We want wine enthusiasts of all levels and backgrounds to enjoy their experience with us. There’s no pretension here,” said Michael. “We are a community centered around a beverage that for time immemorial has brought people together, and we honor that greatly at our estate. Guests will always find a comfortable and welcoming environment at Baldacci Family Vineyards.”
Baldacci Family Vineyards
6236 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558
Open daily 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
(707) 944-9261
[email protected]