La Rochelle Winery was founded in 2005 by Steve Mirassou of the Mirassou family which is the oldest winemaking family in North America. It is located in the heart of the Sonoma Valley in Kenwood surrounded by rolling hills, big trees, and beautiful vineyards. A small family owned winery, they are known for their single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varietals. Become educated on their small lot Pinot Noirs from ground up, including vineyard practices, site and clonal selection, fermentation, barrel aging strategies, blending, and the benefits of bottle aging.
Originally founded in 1895, the historic Larkmead estate is one of the oldest winery establishments in Napa Valley. Known for a great diversity of soil types, the estate allows the winemaker to create small-lot wines of complexity and nuance based on each soil type.
John Lasseter from Pixar and his wife Nancy founded Lasseter Family Winery in 2000. The estate property is located in Glen Ellen just outside the town of Sonoma. Nestled among beautiful trees and set into the hillside, the Lasseter’s have tried to incorporate all the elements of nature into their setting for unique wines. There are colonies of honeybees on the property, an eco-friendly winery building, beautiful revitalized pond, and organic farming practices alive and well in their vineyards. They are known for producing wines with a French accent encompassing a rich array of Bordeaux and Rhone-style grapes. They will provide you with a behind the scenes tour into the tank rooms, the crush pad, and even the winemaker’s laboratory if you want, or simply enjoy the views from their comfortable patio as you sample what they have to offer.
Known for extraordinary Zinfandels, Cabernets and Chardonnays, Laura Michael Swanton is zealous about vineyard sourcing and production techniques and it is reflected in the wines.
In 1992 Randy and Debbie Lewis established a small family winery in Napa Valley and were later joined by their son Dennis in 1999. They are literally hands-on in every aspect of vineyard management, winemaking, sales and distribution, and thrive on this challenge and the relationships cultivated in the process.
