Snowden Vineyards

Snowden Vineyards is a family estate in the eastern hills of St. Helena with one of the most fascinating cross-continental connections in the wine world: winemaker Diana Snowden Seysses, who crafts the Snowden wines, is also co-owner of Domaine Dujac in Burgundy's Morey-Saint-Denis, one of the most prestigious estates in France. The vineyard has been farmed by the Snowden family since 1955, when brothers Scott and Randy Snowden's parents purchased the hillside property. For decades, the family sold grapes to other producers before launching their own label in 1993, and Diana's dual residence in both Napa and Burgundy gives her a uniquely bicultural perspective on winemaking.

The 22-acre vineyard sits on the eastern slopes above St. Helena, at elevations between 500 and 1,000 feet. The hillside position provides better drainage and sun exposure than the valley floor, while the thin volcanic soils limit vine vigor and concentrate flavors. The vineyard is planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon with a block of Sauvignon Blanc on the estate's cooler northern exposure. The farming is meticulous, reflecting six decades of family knowledge about how the site behaves in different conditions.

Diana Snowden Seysses brings her Burgundian sensibility to the Napa Valley Cabernet, producing wines that emphasize elegance and terroir expression over power and extraction. The estate Cabernet, called The Ranch, is a wine of moderate intensity that allows the hillside character to dominate. The Brothers Vineyard Cabernet, from the estate's finest block, is more concentrated but maintains the same commitment to balance. The Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most distinctive white wines in the valley, showing a mineral tension that reflects both the hillside terroir and Diana's European palate.

Tastings at Snowden are by appointment and take place on the family property, where the hillside vineyard and the views of St. Helena below create an intimate, personal setting. Diana or other family members frequently host, sharing the estate's 70-year farming history alongside the wines. The dual-continent perspective that Diana brings to the conversation adds a dimension of sophistication that few Napa tasting experiences can match. The $75 tasting fee is moderate for the quality and the uniqueness of the experience.

Snowden matters because Diana Snowden Seysses is one of the few winemakers in the world who straddles the Old World and the New with genuine authority. Her Burgundy experience informs her Napa winemaking without diminishing it, producing wines that are recognizably Californian but shaped by a palate trained on Morey-Saint-Denis Grand Cru. The Snowden family's 70-year commitment to their hillside vineyard adds a depth of terroir knowledge that complements Diana's technical skill.