Somerston Estate in Napa Valley and its Priest Ranch Wine brand will be opening the doors to their re-concepted tasting room in Yountville this May.
Highlights of the tasting room include new food & wine pairings in collaboration with retail partner Patagonia Provisions, heated outdoor seating from Galanter & Jones, weekly events and a loyalty points program.
Somerston Estate was established in St. Helena in 2007 and to date has 230-acres of sustainably-farmed vineyards with 144 unique vineyard blocks planted primarily for Cabernet Sauvignon (total estate acreage is 1,615). Priest Ranch Wines are a blend of grapes from multiple blocks on the estate, to reveal the complexity of the property in every bottle. A few points of note:
- Priest Ranch has seen 15% YoY growth in case production over the past 5 years. In 2019 18,000 cases were produced, with 22,000 cases projected for 2020.
- In late 2019 Somerston Estate acquired 67 acres, of which 13 will be planted by 2021.
- Of the Napa land remaining to be developed, 8,000-acres are hillside, of which Craig Becker is a specialist. Craig has spent the last 23 years managing and making wine from hillside vineyards.
- In 2020, Somerston Estate officially became a Napa Green Certified Winery.
About Somerston Estate and Priest Ranch Wines:
Somerston Estate was established in 2007 and is led by Winegrower and Co-Founder Craig Becker. The estate has 230-acres of sustainably-farmed vineyards with 144 unique vineyard blocks planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon. Located in the eastern Vaca Mountains of Napa Valley, the 1,615-acre property is a combination of the historic Priest Ranch and Elder Valley. The vineyards and property are managed with the singular vision of becoming one of Napa Valley’s greatest estates.
In 2012, Somerston began a ten-year redevelopment of all the vineyards, which is now nearly complete. Our two highly-rated brands, Somerston and Priest Ranch, are produced using grapes solely from our vineyards and bottled at the estate winery.
Somerston wines are selected from the best sites to produce distinctive block-designate wines. The goal is to make a limited quantity of wine from multiple vineyard locations across our property that show the diversity of the property’s elevations, exposures, soils, and microclimates.
Priest Ranch wines are a blend of grapes from multiple blocks on the estate, designed to reveal the complexity of the property in every bottle. Priest Ranch was named after Joshua James Priest, who originally settled the land. The name honors an era of pioneering, exploration, and hope for a better life in California in the 1860s. Priest Ranch produces both single varietals and red blends that are balanced, complex, and approachable in their youth.