Twomey Cellars

Twomey Cellars is Silver Oak's sibling, a winery that explores the varieties and styles that Silver Oak's strict Cabernet-only focus does not allow. Founded in 1999 by the Duncan family (who also own Silver Oak), Twomey was created to showcase single-varietal wines from cool-climate vineyards, providing a counterpoint to Silver Oak's warm-climate, American-oak-aged Cabernets. The name honors the family matriarch, and the winery has since developed its own identity as a producer of elegant, restrained wines.

The estate includes 75 acres of vineyards in Calistoga, where the tasting room is located, alongside sourcing contracts with premier cool-climate growers in the Anderson Valley, Russian River Valley, and Sonoma Coast. This geographic breadth gives the winemaking team access to Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc of the highest quality from regions better suited to these varieties than the warm Napa Valley floor. The Calistoga estate vineyard provides Merlot fruit that thrives in the warm northern appellation.

Winemaker Daniel Baron produces three wines that each showcase a single variety from its ideal growing region. The Sauvignon Blanc, sourced from cool-climate Napa and Sonoma sites, is one of the most refreshing white wines made in the region. The Pinot Noir, from Anderson Valley and Russian River, is delicate and perfumed, a world away from the powerful reds produced by the sister winery. The Merlot, from the estate's Calistoga vineyard, shows the depth and structure that the variety achieves in warm terrain. Each wine is designed to let the grape and the vineyard speak without winemaker interference.

The tasting room on Dunaweal Lane in Calistoga offers a peaceful setting surrounded by the estate Merlot vineyard. The atmosphere is notably more relaxed than many Napa tasting rooms, with a covered patio, bocce courts, and a grassy lawn that invite lingering. Tastings are informal and welcoming, with the staff encouraging visitors to explore the portfolio at their own pace. The connection to Silver Oak draws some visitors, but many discover Twomey on its own merits and return specifically for the lighter, more elegant style.

Twomey serves an important function in the Napa Valley landscape by offering wines of refinement and restraint in a region dominated by powerful Cabernets. The portfolio provides a palate-cleansing alternative for visitors who have spent a day tasting big reds, and the Calistoga setting offers a calm refuge from the busier tasting rooms to the south. For Silver Oak fans curious about the Duncan family's range, Twomey reveals a softer, more contemplative side.