Tasting Room

                                                                                                                             2012 Petite Sirah 

                                                                                             Jon Jones-Associate Winemaker

Lava Vine brand was born in 2004 when Joe Cabral teamed up with a winemaker friend.  They grafted the vineyard in Franz Valley that they had purchased with Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  In 2007 Joe and his wife Jill had the opportunity to purchase a winery property on Silverado Trail, and after more than a year of planning, permits, etc. they opened their tasting room in October of 2008.  Lava Vine’s steep slopes and loose soils, along with close spacing, have forced farming to be done by hand.  The farming has been exclusively organic in an effort to support our ecology. 

Their Knights Valley Estate accounts for 50% of their grapes including Petit Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Portuguese varietals used in their Dessert wine.  Other grapes such as Viognier, Chardonnay, and Grenache are grown in nearby areas better suited to their variety needs.  All of their wines are small production wines, usually coming in a 100-150 cases per vintage.

Lava Vine has an exclusive VIP membership wine club that features a case of their small production, handcrafted wines which are shipped twice a year.  They currently have a waiting list but will offer a opportunity to purchase wines during the year when they run specials by being on their email list.

We visited their tasting room in November last year on a recommendation from Titus Vineyards after we had a private tasting there.   The winery is easy to miss, but was really worth finding.  We walked into their small but friendly tasting room which has a small tasting bar.  The tasting room was empty but I heard noises from the room next door where we found the winemaker moving a very large vat of their 2012 Petite Sirah which was going through fermentation.  Once the vat was secure in it’s new location we met Jon Jones who is the Associate Winemaker.  He gave us a brief history of the winery and the types of wine they like to make.  Jon was very friendly and knowledgeable,  you could tell he enjoyed his profession. 

We tasted first their Viognier, which was fantastic, loads of citrus flavors with a crème brulee finish.  Their Petite Sirah was big and bold and their Cabernet Sauvignon was smooth and very approachable for a young wine.  They have a small sitting area outside of the tasting room to enjoy grape watching and wine sipping.  If you are in Napa Valley wine tasting make sure you head over from Highway 29 to the Silverado Trail and find this inviting boutique Winery.  Lava Vine Winery and Tasting Room is located at 965 Silverado Trail, Calistoga, CA  94515.  707-942-9500.  www.lavavine.com