Robert Craig Winery

Robert Craig Winery is a mountain Cabernet specialist that has been producing wines from three distinct elevations since 1992, creating a portfolio that functions as a comparative study of how altitude shapes Napa Valley Cabernet. Founded by Robert Craig, a former business executive who recognized that mountain-grown Cabernet had a character fundamentally different from valley-floor wines, the winery sources from Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and the Spring Mountain/Diamond Mountain area, producing vineyard-designate wines from each that allow direct appellation comparison.

The winery owns no vineyards, instead maintaining long-term sourcing relationships with growers on each of the three mountains. The Howell Mountain fruit produces the most powerful and tannic wine, the Mount Veeder lot is the wildest and most mineral, and the Spring Mountain fruit is the most balanced and elegant. By sourcing from all three mountains and vinifying each lot separately, Craig created one of the earliest and most instructive mountain-wine comparison programs in the valley.

Winemaker Gus Kalaris produces vineyard-designate Cabernets from each mountain source alongside a broader Napa Valley bottling that blends mountain and valley-floor fruit for a more approachable style. The Howell Mountain Cabernet is dark and structured, demanding years of cellaring. The Mount Veeder bottling is lean, mineral, and wild-tasting. The Affinity Cabernet, a blend of all sources, provides an accessible entry point. A Chardonnay adds white wine diversity to the portfolio.

Tastings are available by appointment at the winery's Howell Mountain location or at the downtown Napa tasting room, which provides easier access for visitors who prefer not to make the mountain drive. The side-by-side tasting of three mountain Cabernets is the signature experience, providing one of the most educational comparative tastings available in the valley. The $65 fee is moderate for mountain wines.

Robert Craig pioneered the concept of comparing mountain terroirs within a single winery portfolio, creating a template that subsequent producers have followed. The three-mountain lineup remains one of the most instructive tastings in Napa Valley, and the wines demonstrate that the differences between mountain appellations are as significant as the differences between valley-floor AVAs.