California
California is home to some of the best wines in the world, and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ California wineries have enjoyed their share of accolades. Since 1986, the company has dedicated itself to producing high-quality wines from the state’s North and Central coast vineyards.
SMWE’s Conn Creek winery is located in Napa Valley, the heart of the California wine country, and the winery’s 200-plus acres of Napa Valley vineyards are found in Yountville, roughly midway up the valley corridor. The vineyards are planted to classic red Bordeaux varieties.
Villa Mt. Eden winery, meanwhile, produces lush, elegant wines from some of the best vineyard sites across the state. Its acclaimed collection ranges from Zinfandel and Chardonnay to Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Also in the Napa Valley are the latest members of the SMWE family, historic Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and its companion brand, Hawk Crest. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is regarded as the winery that first brought global attention to California in the 1970s with its world-class Cabernet Sauvignon produced from estate vineyards. That global attention has, in turn, led SMWE’s Italian partners, the renowned Antinori family, to establish its own winery in the area, known as Antica, that recently released its inaugural vintages.
