Amici Cellars

A down-to-earth winery a little bit North of Jericho Canyon, Amici Cellars is a place whose sole focus is on the making of the best wine that Napa County can offer. Their vineyard is on a small, rural road in Calistoga and settles on the gentle slopes away from any noise or bustle that Calistoga could possibly offer. The friends who run the winery, Joel Aiken and John Harris, do most of their work out of humble housing. They even store the experimental barrels of wine in trailers. They started making their wine in 1992, just between friends and their work has been suffused with friendship since.

Calling ahead and making an appointment to see their rustic winery will get you a chance to relax in the little tasting room over the barrel room. You’ll sit on comfortable leather chairs at a rustic wooden table. The view of the unassuming vineyard is exquisite: the tasting room is made with long windows on all sides so you can see the oak trees and rolling hills the area is known for. They have a little lawn with a similar view and a charming path while you are there, too.
This all hides their accomplishments, such as their award-winning 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, a bright and vibrant wine with honeysuckle notes. Their Olema Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are wonderful, too.

From the winery, “Amici Cellars is, at its heart, a story of friendship. The winery’s owners are all great friends with an equally great enthusiasm for making and enjoying great wine. “It all got started because we wanted to make a wine that we could sit around and share with our friends and be proud of,” says John. They chose to name the wine, appropriately, Amici (“friends” in Italian): a wine created by friends, for friends.

With noted Consulting Winemaker Tony Biagi bringing his years of Napa Valley expertise to the wines, Amici Cellars focuses firmly on quality, not quantity. Amici offers small lots of exceptional wines that are harmoniously balanced and complex from beginning to finish, with an authentic sense of place.”

Address: 3130 Old Lawley Toll Road, Calistoga, CA 94515
Phone: (707) 967-9560 fax (800) 852-2172
Tasting Room Hours: By appointment, call or book online at amicicellars.com/contact_and_visit