Elyse Winery

Elyse Winery is a hidden gem tucked off the Silverado Trail in Rutherford, a small producer specializing in robust old-vine Zinfandel alongside an unusual roster of varieties that includes the rare Nero d'Avola, a Sicilian grape that almost no other California winery produces. Founded in 1987 by Ray and Nancy Coursen (the name "Elyse" comes from their daughter), the winery has built a cult following among visitors who discover it through word of mouth and return year after year for wines they cannot find anywhere else.

The winery owns no estate vineyard, instead maintaining long-term sourcing relationships with growers who farm old-vine Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the aforementioned Nero d'Avola across Napa Valley and other Northern California appellations. The old-vine Zinfandel sources, some with vines dating to the early 20th century, produce the concentrated, complex fruit that is the estate's calling card. The Nero d'Avola, sourced from one of the very few plantings of the variety in California, is a genuine curiosity that attracts adventurous wine lovers.

Winemaker Russell Bevan (who also produces his own highly acclaimed Bevan Cellars wines) crafts the Elyse portfolio with a combination of power and precision. The Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel, from a legendary Rutherford site, is one of the finest single-vineyard Zinfandels in the valley. The Petite Sirah is dark and bold, and the Cabernet Sauvignon shows Napa Valley richness with the structural backbone of old-vine fruit. The Nero d'Avola is the conversation piece, a wine of earthy complexity that challenges visitors to expand their varietal horizons.

The tasting room is small and deliberately off the beaten path, located on a side road off the Silverado Trail that most visitors drive past without noticing. The intimate setting and limited production create an experience that feels like being let in on a secret. The staff are passionate about the old-vine sources and the rare varieties, and the conversation often focuses on the heritage vineyards that supply the fruit. At $40, the tasting is one of the best values on the Silverado Trail.

Elyse matters because it champions the forgotten and the unusual in a valley that can sometimes feel monolithic in its devotion to Cabernet Sauvignon. The old-vine Zinfandels preserve a piece of California's viticultural heritage, and the Nero d'Avola introduces visitors to a world of grape varieties they may never have encountered. For visitors seeking surprise and discovery rather than predictability and prestige, Elyse delivers both in abundance.