Arietta Winery

Wine is frequently part of a lifestyle that includes music, and the owners of Arietta Winery are big music fans. Particularly, they like to pair the arietta, a short aria, with their wines. Fritz and Caren Hatton teamed up with Andy Erickson because of their love of music, and now they focus on making their ultra-premium red wines like an aria: vibrant and complex, full of delicious notes. They pick the Cabernet Franc grapes from some of the best-situated vineyards in Napa Valley and make a Merlot, a Syrah, a Bordeaux blend, a Cabernet Sauvignon and one Sauvignon Blanc. Their signature Cabernet is made from grapes grown in one of the best places for them, a block in Coombsville. These grapes are grown in the volcanic soil hard by Mt. Saint George. Here, the grapes develop until mid-October and ripen in the cooler southwestern section of the mountain, developing a depth of flavor that Arietta improves through aging in French oak barrels.

Arietta is another winery that doesn’t have a set tasting room and can be visited only by appointment. However, it is worth making the appointment as the tastings are held in their wine cave, a spur at Chateau Boswell. They can give you a seated tasting, and they have picnic tables outside for pourings in nice weather. The granite tables are the perfect accompaniment to the oak-tree-shaded view and stone winery.  Whether you sit in the cave or at the picnic table, you are sure to find the attentiveness of the owners and the quality of the wine an experience to remember. If you plan on visiting St. Helena soon and are a wine enthusiast, make sure to call on these musically-inspired wine-makers.

Here is a review from Vinous of the white keys blend. As you can see, this place makes great wine.

The 2013 On The White Keys, Arietta’s Sauvignon/Semillon blend, is fabulous. Peach, mint, slate, honey and jasmine meld together in the glass. The 2013 is rich, ample and voluptuous, with bright minerality that comes alive on the finish. Ideally the 2013 needs to be opened a few hours in advance to allow the bouquet to become fully expressive.

Address: 3468 Silverado Trail N, St Helena

Phone: (707) 963-5918