Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery

Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Winery is one of Napa Valley's most respected family estates, a property that has set the standard for organic farming and elegant winemaking in St. Helena for over four decades. The estate was established in 1882 and purchased by the Novak family in 1972. After Jack Novak's untimely death in 1977, his widow Mary Novak made the bold decision to continue the winemaking operation, eventually partnering with winemaker Tony Soter to produce wines that would place Spottswoode among the valley's finest estates. Mary ran the winery until her death in 2016, and her daughters Beth and Lindy continue the family legacy.

The vineyard covers 40 acres surrounding a historic Victorian home on the western benchland of St. Helena. The estate was certified organic in 1985, making it one of the earliest organic vineyards in Napa Valley and a model for sustainable farming in the region. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc that grow here benefit from the benchland's well-drained gravelly soils and the cooling influence of the Mayacamas Range, which moderates the afternoon heat and preserves natural acidity. The organic farming practices have enriched the soil biology over decades, creating a vineyard ecosystem that many observers consider among the healthiest in the valley.

Winemaker Aron Weinkauf produces two wines under the Spottswoode label: an estate Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc. The Cabernet is widely regarded as one of the five or six finest in Napa Valley, a wine of extraordinary elegance, complexity, and aging potential that manages to be both powerful and graceful. The Sauvignon Blanc, from the estate's cooler blocks, is one of the best white wines made in the valley, with a precision and vibrancy that reflect the organic viticulture. The decision to produce only two wines allows the winemaking team to devote total attention to each.

Tastings at Spottswoode are by appointment only, reflecting the family's preference for quality over quantity in every aspect of the operation. Visitors are hosted on the estate grounds, with the historic Victorian house and mature gardens providing a setting of understated beauty. The experience is intimate, personal, and focused on the wines and their connection to the land. The $110 tasting fee reflects the stature of the wines, which are among the most collected and critically acclaimed in California.

Spottswoode's significance to Napa Valley lies in the example it sets. The estate proved that organic farming could produce wines of the highest quality, that a family could thrive without corporate backing, and that a woman could lead one of the valley's most prestigious operations at a time when the wine industry was overwhelmingly male-dominated. Mary Novak's legacy lives in every bottle of Spottswoode and in every Napa Valley vineyard that has adopted organic practices in the decades since she led the way.