Artesa Vineyards & Winery, Napa

Artesa Vineyards & Winery, perched atop a hill in the Carneros AVA of Napa Valley, offers visitors a unique blend of avant-garde architecture, breathtaking panoramic views, and premium winemaking. Located on Henry Road, the winery greets guests with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine, setting the tone for an extraordinary tasting experience.

Artesa is renowned for its innovative design-an architectural marvel where the top of the highest point on the property was removed to embed the winery within the hillside, with grass replanted on top to resemble a half-submerged submarine. This integration of modern design with the natural landscape reflects Artesa’s commitment to both aesthetics and sustainability.

Founded in 1991 as Codorniu Napa, Artesa shifted from sparkling to still wines, releasing its first vintages in 1999. It now produces 60,000–80,000 cases annually. The 150-acre Carneros vineyard focuses on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with Pinot Noir covering 80 acres across 28 blocks and Chardonnay nearly 50 acres on northeast slopes. Grapes from Atlas Peak AVA add to its diversity.

Under the guidance of acclaimed winemaker Paula Borgo, Artesa crafts wines using a combination of traditional and modern techniques, ensuring minimal manipulation from harvest to bottling. The winery specializes in Pinot Noir but also produces small, ultra-premium lots of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Albarino, Tempranillo, and a limited 1,000 cases of sparkling wine. Many of these wines, including the estate-exclusive Reserve Pinot Noir, are only available at the winery.

Visitors to Artesa are treated to an immersive experience, from the stylish tasting room offering sweeping views of rolling vineyards and San Pablo Bay to the cool, subterranean cellars where the wines age to perfection. The outdoor tasting terrace provides a vantage point from which one can gaze upon the distant peaks of Mount Tamalpais and Mount Diablo, making Artesa not just a winery but a destination where design, nature, and winemaking converge harmoniously.