Less than a year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we were visiting the Napa Valley. We drove up Spring Mountain to meet with Stuart Smith of Smith-Madrone Vineyards. Stu is a favourite interview for us, as he always brings a very informed and very authentic perspective to what is happening on the ground. A ground he’s been familiar with for 5 decades. We thought he would be the perfect person to re-visit with for our latest video AdVINEture.
Stuart Smith
Harvest 2020 brought fire not just to their doorstep but on their property which you’ll see from the extraordinary footage included. We picked his brain on the challenges facing winemaking in Napa and what keeps him going 50 years later. You won’t want to miss the wine he names as what got him into winemaking (spoiler alert: it’s definitely not what you think!). Click on the link above to learn more about the wine world according to Stu.
There is definitely a difference between the fruit that is grown on the Napa Valley floor versus the fruit that is grown high up in the mountains. We got to taste that difference first-hand when we visited Barnett Vineyards, atop of Spring Mountain, at the northern end of the Mayacamas Range that separates Napa from Sonoma.
One of the many great things about being a frequent traveler to wine country is the stunning natural beauty that often accompanies the setting. Spring Mountain, with its undisturbed natural forests, steep vineyards and stunning views of the Napa Valley laying more than a thousand feet below is one of the more beautiful and picturesque settings we have been to. Smith-Madrone occupies a gorgeous spot high up these hills on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains where they make wines every bit as beautiful as their site.
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