After just one visit to this little artistic tasting room in the cute town of Yountville, I can honestly say, without a doubt in my mind, that winemaker Charles Hendricks of Hope and Grace wines is one of the BEST producers in Napa Valley!

These wines are so good that I spent at least 2 minutes just enjoying the rich aromas each and every wine before having a taste.  My personal favorite was the Chardonnay.  The rich smell of honey suckle had me hooked before I could even raise the glass up to my nose.  The rich taste of butterscotch and a touch of crisp melon had me begging for more.  I was shocked to discover that this Chardonnay is not made with malolactic fermentation.

Malolactic fermentation is a winemaking process that converts malic acid into lactic acid.  Most Chardonnay’s that have any hint of butter are a product of malolactic fermentation, but not this one.  This wine is special!

Charles has done an excellent job of producing wines for every palate.  Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec, Pinot Noir (Russian River… OMG!), Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands) and 3 outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons.

Hope and Grace

6540 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599 (707) 944-2500

If you haven’t tried these wines yet, I strongly urge to visit their tasting room as soon as possible.  After several recommendations from friends I finally made the trip to Hope and Grace and it was seriously one of best wine tasting experiences of my life!

Photo by Anna Silva.