Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa Valley: tasting room with a view

There is a treasure of a destination hidden up six miles of winding Soda Canyon Road in the Napa Valley. Scrub oaks, burnished manzanita, and fiery red Indian paintbrush crowd the edges of the mineral-streaked canyon walls as the narrow road snakes its way, climbing up 1,300 feet above the Napa Valley floor. A regal pair of golden eagles perch on the tree tops overlooking Krupp Brothers' Stagecoach Vineyard, a 1,200 acre spread that spills out over the volcanic terrior with a stellar view across the vine-ribbed valley below and across the bay to the spires of the high-rise skyline of San Francisco. We are only an hour from San Francisco yet black bears still roam Atlas Peak that crowns the back end of the vineyards.

After meeting up at the indoor tasting room, Stagecoach's Aussie winemaker Nigel Kinsman and concierge Amber Lanier lead us on a rugged tour in an off-road vehicle even higher up the mountain's edge to a rustic stone terrace in the center of the expansive vineyard.

A gentle breeze softens the midday sun's intensity as we sit under red umbrellas. Shimmering heat waves and the drone of bees punctuate this early August wine tasting. Stagecoach Pavilion has an eagle's nest vista of the marching vineyard rows. In fact, the eagles are giving us the royal eyeball, or is it the grilled wild boar sausages that have captured their attention? We are partaking in a special tasting pared with lunch.

Nigel, in a delicious Aussie accent says, "This is my fourth harvest with Krupp Brothers and it is a blessing to work with Dr. Jan Krupp who knows so much about the soil. Jan knows every inch of this property better than anyone. He has a sustainable approach that focuses on a minimum of pesticides, fertilizers, and water. In addition, there is a permanent cover crop to minimize erosion."

Nigel is pouring a scrumptious 2006 Black Bart's Bride, a blend of Marsanne and Viognier (an ancient grape that may have originated in Dalmatia) with a splash of Chardonnay. He says, "This wine's palette has richness, a slipperiness that pulls back on the tongue. It is a beautiful wine to make. Krupp Brothers are about texture."

The Black Bart Syrah is perfect with the grilled sausage. Nigel continues, "Syrah is bacon fat and graphite, softness and succulence. The art of blending is magic. As I eluded to before, it is the balance between tannin and texture. Grapes aren't an agriculture product. Each year the grapes are different." 

Jan is sitting next to me and adds, "This year the vines got blessed with a spring rain."

I ask him why he named this vintage after Black Bart, one of the most unusual stagecoach robbers in American history.

"Bart robbed a stagecoach near here and my brother's name is Bart," Jan explains.

I look around me appreciating the poetic beauty of this expansive place. Noticing the relentlessly passionate kiss of the sun on the grape bunches, the cherry amber tinted wine exhaling in our crystal balloon glasses, the feminine silhouette of Mt Tamalpais in Marin County and the glimmering San Francisco Bay, far away. It is a gloriously hot summer day enhanced by fine wine and good company.

Details, details . . .

Wine tasting in the Stagecoach Pavilion is offered by appointment. There is a tasting fee of $25 per person that is applied toward purchases of six bottles or more. Wines prices start at $39. For a list of wines available for purchase and the history of the winery, go to Krupp Brothers.  By special arrangement, they serve lunches for private parties.

Stagecoach Vineyard is located 6 miles off the Silverado Trial north at 3265 Soda Canyon Rd, Napa, CA 94558. Phone: (707) 259-1198.

Story by Lisa Alpine

Photo by Ashley Teplin & Lisa Alpine