2015 The Vineyard House Oakville Farmhouse Chardonnay

The Vineyard House in Oakville debuted its first commercial wine with its 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, but its history stretches back more than 30 years. Jeremy Justin Nickel, the proprietor of The Vineyard House, started the winery as a tribute to his late father, Gil Nickel, who founded or helped found three wineries in Napa during the 1980s and 1990s. Gil Nickel was a founder of Far Niente, Dolce and Nickel & Nickel. When he died in 2003 he left a small estate with a rich history and a 19th century farmhouse to his son Jeremy. The Vineyard House estate includes 25 acres of vineyards. The estate makes just a few hundred cases of wine per year.

St. Helena AVA is at the northern end of Napa Valley just north of Rutherford and south of Calistoga. It is a relatively warm climate thanks to the Mayacamas Mountains on its western edge, which protect it from Pacific Ocean fog. Out of the 9,000 acres in the appellation, some 1,500 are under vine. The principal grapes grown in St. Helena are the Bordeaux grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. St. Helena is considered prime wine producing territory, and it was one of the first important wine producing regions in northern California. The legendary Charles Krug founded his winery just north of the town of St. Helena in 1873, and today the appellation is home to many prestigious producers, including Abreu, Grace Family and Spottswoode.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.