Grgich Hills Estate

Grgich Hills Estate

Wine connoisseurs are all familiar with the famous “Paris Tasting” in 1976, where French judges shocked the world by electing the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay from Napa as a winner. What you may not be familiar with is the name behind the barrier-breaking Chardonnay. It is our own Miljenko “Mike” Grgich. A Croatian who moved to Napa Valley, he started his Grgich Hills Estate in 1977 in the famous Rutherford soil. All these decades later, he is still at it. He, his nephew Ivo Jeramaz and his daughter Violet concentrate not on expansion, but on making winningly complex Chardonnays, fragrant Merlots, and stunning Zinfandels. In fact, in 2007, Grgich was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his contributions.

If you want to taste this history-making wine, there are a number of ways to partake. The winery has a posh tasting room where you are welcome to walk in every day, and they have 3 flights of wine for you to choose from. There is an Exclusive tasting that lets you personalize your flight with your host. If you like a more educational experience, you can get a walking tour with a quick rundown of the winery’s history and all-natural vineyard practices, called Grgich At A Glance. A more in-depth tour of the practices of the winery that ends with a wine and cheese pairings, called The Unforgettable, is also available.

If you are traveling in Napa during the harvest season, you should make an effort to stop by Grgich. They offer a fun “grape stomp”. You get to make wine the old fashioned way by jumping up and down on a bucket of grapes. When you are done “pressing” the grapes, you get to step onto a tee shirt with your grape-stained feet and create a keepsake. This is usually available from late August until late October. This is a fun way to teach kids about the history of wine making.

You can find Grgich wines on their website. They also post some nice food and wine pairing suggestions there.

So if you are ever in Rutherford and want to taste history, make sure you drop by Grgich Hills Estate.

Address: 1829 St. Helena HWY, Rutherford

Phone: (707) 963-2784

Tasting Hours: Walk in: every day 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.  Walking Tour: Saturdays by appointment Sunday through Friday 2 pm by appointment.

Tasting Fees: Seated tasting $50, Large Group Tastings $35 (by appointment), Napa Valley Flight $25, Miljenko’s Flight $40, Legacy Flight $50, Grgich At A Glance tour $35, The Unforgettable tour $65, The Exclusive tasting $90.