Something Wicked This Way Comes… Halloween 2023 is Flora Springs’ Spookiest Halloween Yet

October 26, 2023

Introducing our Halloween Wines for 2023 | Flora Springs Napa Valley

Halloween is always a cause for celebration at Flora Springs, and all year long we look forward to releasing our Halloween Wines. Over the last decade, these seasonal bottlings have become some of our most anticipated and highly sought after annual releases.

 

Read more from @drinkinnature. “As wine lovers many of us have changed our Halloween traditions, trading in the candy bags for something a bit more sophisticated. Instead of trick-or-treating, we embrace the season with a more refined, grown-up twist, enjoying an exceptional bottle of wine.  Napa Valley’s Flora Springs has long been known for their tradition of crafting extraordinary Halloween-themed labels, and 2023 continues this delightful tradition with not one, but two exceptional red wines designed to evoke the spirit of the Halloween season.  In their 2021 lineup, they have the hauntingly exquisite All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc and the enigmatic Ghost Winery Malbec. Both are guaranteed to elevate your Halloween celebrations, whether you’re planning to gather around a campfire and share ghost stories, partake in a spooky 👻 movie marathon or host a Halloween potluck dinner where guests bring dishes that reflect the season.
.
The All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc graces its label with the remarkable artistry of comic book illustrator and graphic novelist, Steve Ellis. This limited-production Cabernet Franc is a powerhouse, delivering a full-bodied experience that entices the senses with the delightful flavors of a dark fruit compote composed of ripe blackberries, luscious currants and black cherries. The combined fruit flavors along with notes of molasses, savory herb and fennel will cause a delightful shiver to run down your spine. There is also a graceful infusion of vanilla (which I absolutely love) and impeccably balanced tannins in this wine that leaves an indelible impression, haunting the palate with its enchanting conclusion.
This wine should definitely be on your Autumn Wine List. 🍁
.
I’m reserving the Ghost Winery Malbec for the pinnacle of Halloween itself, where I’ll savor it amidst the ghouls and goblins, to add an extra layer of enchantment to this fun and festive night. 🎃”

 

 

Halloween Hosting by @hayleyscellar

“I spent the past weekend creating Halloween decorations for a friend’s big party later this month and to get in the mood we popped this incredible bottle of 2021 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc from Flora Springs! Honestly, this is one of the best wines I’ve had in awhile. Delicious notes of black currant, blackberries, earl grey tea, baking spices, dried thyme and  a lovely hint of vanilla and oak. I’m sad the bottle is gone! I may need to grab a few more for the rest of the spooky season.” @hayleyscellar

 

Creative Inspiration for your Halloween wine party and entertaining with Flora Springs and Recipes

How to Style a Dia de los Muertos Party
by Twinspirational

Dia de los Muertos Party Ideas
Photo credit: Twinspirational

See more party ideas from Twinspirational.


Jack-o-Lantern Baked Brie
by The Okayest Moms

Baked Brie Pumpkin by the Okayest Moms
Photo credit: The Okayest Moms

Get the recipe from The Okayest Moms.


Halloween Dinner, with a Fun Seasonal Twist: Pumpkin Cacio e Pepe
by My Diary of Us

Cacio e Pepe Halloween Dinner
Photo credit: My Diary of Us

Get the recipe from My Diary of Us.


Where are you celebrating Halloween?
Visit the Tasting Room

Wine blogger Noël visited Flora Springs. We invite you to come taste our Halloween Wines. The tasting room is open by reservation, make your plans today. Photo credit @wine_o_xperience.


Pumpkin Patch

Brianna took her Halloween Wines to the pumpkin patch. Photo credit @breezzzzyy.

Share your Inspiration

Show us how you’re celebrating Halloween with our wines—use #florasprings and we may share your post too!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

October 1st already? Halloween will be here before you know it! How will you be celebrating? 🎃 #floraspringspartner My husband and I received our shipment of Halloween wine from @florasprings and they paired so well with our charcuterie plate! We received 🧡 2014 Drink in Peace Merlot 🧡 2017 All Hallow’s Eve Cabernet Franc 🧡 2018 Ghost Winery Malbec These wines are exclusive and not available in stores, only directly from @florasprings 😃 You can order yours now to receive it in time for Halloween by clicking the link in my bio. Get creative and make a Halloween-inspired charcuterie board, pour some @florasprings Halloween wine & put on a Halloween movie…sounds like a great way to spend Halloween night! #florasprings #halloweenwine #halloween #ghostwinery #napawinery #napacalifornia #wine #napavalley #workinglifebelike #candidmotherhood #myquietbeauty #workingmama #mymamahood #ofsimplethings #realmomlife #thesearethedays #heaventhroughmylens #motherhoodunited #mynameismama #lifegivingsquares #motherhoodintheraw #calm_collected #momentsinmotherhood #worldoflittles #mymotherhood #livemoremagic #motherhoodrocks

A post shared by Teacher | Realtor (@themomtessorilife) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Friends!! Have you had Halloween wine before? We have partnered up with @florasprings to showcase their great line of Halloween wines they have to offer! And they are fantastic! 💀💀💀 Of course, we had to do a pairing of wine and charcuterie, because wine. And these big bold reds paired perfectly with salty meats and cheeses, as well as with Halloween Candy! 🍷🍷🍷 These wines are NOT sold in stores, you have to buy directly from their website, but you totally should! We are first of all loving the design of the bottles, but also the wine! All with a Halloween theme, the Ghost Winery Malbec and Drink in Peace Merlot are from a Ghost Winery! 👻👻👻 No, not that kind of ghost! What is a Ghost Winery? It’s a term that describes a winery built between 1860-1900 and fell into disrepair in the 20th century because of a vine disease, the Great Depression or Prohibition. When Jerry and Flora Komes purchased @florasprings in 1977, it came with 2 Ghost Wineries. One in 1900 owned by 2 brothers who were from Scotland, the other was the Charles Brockhoff winery built in 1885. You can read more on their website about these properties. 👻👻👻 The 2018 Ghost Winery Malbec featured the Brockhoff winery on the label. And is a cauldron of black cherry, blackberry and blueberry notes with vanilla, sassafras and cocoa powder. 🍷🍷🍷 The 2018 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc has a label designed by Anthony Yankovic of a winemaker at harvest. From a small block in Rutherford, this wine is dense and concentrated with blackberry, fig and plum. Notes of sassafras, cardamom, vanilla and toast with a smooth finish like the dark and black of an All Hallows’ Eve night. 👻👻👻 The last bottle is the Drink in Peace 2014 Merlot. In @florasprings signature coffin box, this Day of the Dead etched and painted bottle is a beautiful piece of art. Full bodied with a black currant and raspberry nose, flavors of cherry, oak, and vanilla with cedery smoke combine for this fabulous wine. We loved this collab with @florasprings, I will put a link to their Halloween wine in stories, and hope that you check them out! #halloweenwine #florasprings #ghostwinery

A post shared by Jay & Leah|Cocktails & Travel (@gastronomcocktails) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

No one does Hallowine like @FloraSprings 🧟‍♂️⁣ and yes I am the Halloqween! ⁣ ⁣ 31 NIGHTS OF HALLOWINE 👻 Night 11⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Every year, Flora Springs releases their All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc with beautifully designed Halloween labels. Although each years’ bottles look different, the consistency is always fantastic on this 100% Cabernet Franc. Blackberry, fig, cracked white pepper and toasted oak. This is the fourth All Hallows’ Eve I’ve tried from them and such a treat to look forward to each year! You can pick one of these up for $60, and they have fantastic aging potential, so get one to try now and one to try in 10 years!⁣ ⁣ Stay tuned for more Hallowine from Flora Springs this month 🎃 ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #cabernetfranc #florasprings #halloweenwine #spookywine #31nightsofhalloween #halloweencountdown #hallowqueen #spookyszn #halloweenvibes #redwine #cabfranc #halloweendecor #31nightsofhallowine #winegirl #winestagram #winetime #winetasting

A post shared by Lyssa | Wine Blogger (@wishesandwine) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Things are getting spooky with @florasprings wines! Both the 2018 Ghost Winery Malbec and 2016 All Hallows’ Eve Merlot feature a one of a kind Halloween Label (peep stories to get a closer look)! They are also donating 35% of the proceeds from this two pack towards fire relief! . . Shop your screenshot of this pic with the LIKEtoKNOW.it shopping app http://liketk.it/2Z0D3 #liketkit @liketoknow.it . . #florasprings #halloweenwine #ghostwinery #barcart #barcartstyling #halloweenbarcart #barcartdecor #barcartgoals #barcartstyle #barcartbeautiful #halloweendecor #halloween2020 #spookyseason #halloweendecoration #spookyszn #targetfinds #amazonfinds #worldmarketfinds #winetime🍷 #wineoclock #wineofinstagram #wineoftheday #sacblogger #LTKunder100 #LTKstyletip #LTKhome

A post shared by Katelynn | BloomsAndBoxwood (@bloomsandboxwood) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Drink in Peace 💀 ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 31 NIGHTS OF HALLOWINE 🕸 Night 20⁣ ⁣ ⁣ You really want to celebrate Hallowine right? I recommend getting your hands on one of these Drink In Peace Merlot boxes from @florasprings ⚰️ The bottle is beautifully etched and comes in a coffin, so when you finish the bottle you’ll probably still want to keep it for decoration, or you can let your wine Rest In Peace for a few years before opening it. This particular Merlot can be aged another 7-10 years, so I plan to wake it from the dead another time.⁣ ⁣ Flora Springs is home to one of Napa Valley’s original “ghost wineries” – wineries built between 1860 and 1900 but abandoned in the early 20th century due to vine disease, the Great Depression, and Prohibition. Today, some ghost wineries still exist as ruins, but others, such as Flora Springs, have been renovated and restored to their former glory. Every year, the winery pays homage to its ghost winery status with some awesome spooky bottles, and its true that no one does Halloween quite like @florasprings ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #wine #winetasting #winery #winenight #winetime #winecountry #wines #winestagram #vino #winelover #wineblogger #winelovers #winelife #sommelier #napa #redwine #wineoclock ⁣ #florasprings #merlot #31nightsofhallowine #halloweenwine #halloween #spookyseason #winestagram #napawine #californiawine #ghost #spookyscaryskeletons #wineinfluencer #drinkdrankdrunk

A post shared by Lyssa | Wine Blogger (@wishesandwine) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Working on my Halloween costume…I think I’ll call it “mom who sneaks the kids candy”. Which chocolate goes best with Malbec? Asking for research purposes! . @florasprings sent over their festive Halloween Malbec and Merlot- both of which are works of art. Did you know Napa has a whole slew of “ghost wineries”? Neither did I! With the recent fires in Napa County, @florasprings will donate 35% of the proceeds from the sales of these two wines when purchased as a 2-pack for $100. All other wines ship for $5 with code SHIPFOR5 as well! . . . #ltkhome #wineandchocolate #winepairing #florasprings #halloweenwine #ghostwinery #halloween2020 #gothmakeup #spookyszn #spookyseason👻 #momlife #momsofinstagram #mominfluencers #grig102120 #momiform #winelovers

A post shared by Meghan | Northern CA Blogger (@the_other_mk) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Cheers to the weekend! 🍷🍷 I am so excited to be teaming up with one of my favorites this month! @florasprings does Halloween right 🕷👻 They have the perfect bottles of wine for all your October Festivities and More! I don’t know how to choose, but this Malbec + Merlot are both delicious! 🍷🍷🍷 . Right now, due to the devastation of the Fire that affected our community, Flora Springs will donate 35% of the proceeds from the sales of these two wines when purchased as a 2-pack for $100. More details + the link to shop is in stories! You can also use the code SHIPFOR5 for $5 shipping! Get those orders in now so you are all set for your Halloween fun! #florasprings #halloweenwine #ghostwinery @florasprings #napawine #napawinery http://liketk.it/2YY3W #liketkit @liketoknow.it #LTKsalealert #LTKstyletip #LTKunder100 . . . . . #fblogger #bloggerstyle #expressyou #stylegram #fashiongram #styleinspo #fashioninspo #outfitoftheday #ootd #napavalley #whatiwore #halloweendecor #igstyle #igfashion #halloweenstyle #shoplocal #lookoftheday #wiw #whatimwearing #fashionblogger #wineblogger

A post shared by Corrine | Northern CA Blogger (@corrine_monique) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

It’s the weekend!!! Time to have some wine and unwind! Yes , I love wine, almost as much as I love Halloween, it’s my favorite Holiday and when I found out there was a thing called Halloween Wine, I was all about it!! Flora Springs Winery is right here in our very own Napa valley. Not only is their wine perfect but the history on their winey is amazing. They’re actually known as a Ghost Winery! I included a tidbit of info here, but I highly suggest checking out their page for their full history and even making a visit! www.florasprings.com The Ghost Winery Legacy ‘Ghost Winery’ is a term used to describe a winery that was built between 1860 and 1900 and fell into disrepair in the early 20th century due to the triple threat of the vine disease phylloxera, the Great Depression, and of course, Prohibition. Before 1919, when Prohibition began, there were an estimated 713 winery businesses in California. Following its repeal 14 years later, only 40 wineries were left. This resulted in a wave of abandoned wineries throughout the next several decades. Many wineries of the time disappeared forever; others were left in ruins. I had the pleasure of pairing up these wines with some fun Halloween treats! All of which pair well with any of these reds. Pumpkin Spice Macarons Red Velvet and Cream Cheese Cake Chocolate Salted Carmel cakesicles Drink In Peace ( D.I.P) 2014 Merlot Ghost Winery 2018 Malbec All Hallows Eve 2018 Cabernet Franc These wines are exclusive and available directly through their website for purchase. They are not available in stores. www.florasprings.com Right now, if you purchase a 2 pack of Halloween Wines they will donate 35% to the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund. #florasprings #halloweenwine #ghostwinery #hallowine #sweetsandWine

A post shared by Hot Mama’s Cakes 💗Elk Grove CA (@hotmamascakes) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Let’s have some skele-fun. 💀💀💀 Have you seen our Dia de los Muertos party yet? We wore black dresses and red or gold spiked floral crowns from @doramarra. We also applied the traditional Day of the Dead eye makeup. It is a lot easier than it looks. If you have a black or dark gray creme shadow and black liner, you’re half way there. We watched a few YouTube videos since this was our first time. We also added a few jewels for some extra glam. Other guests wore eye-masks, face-masks, jewels and/or makeup. Anything goes at a Dia de los Muertos party. Just have fun with it and check out our “squad ghouls.” Read all about it on the blog (link in bio). #twinspirational #diadelosmuertos #doramarra

A post shared by Twinspirational (@twinspirationalparties) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

It’s spooky season and I have some great wines to share for the occasion 🎃👻🧙🏻‍♀️ . . . If you’re looking for some wines that are very on brand for Halloween, look no further than the @florasprings 2018 Ghost Winery Malbec and 2016 All Hallows’ Eve Merlot. 🍷🍷 I drank the Ghost Winery Malbec on Halloween last year and it blew me away. I’m excited to have another bottle this year too! I know Halloween is looking a little different this year with COVID, so I will definitely be curling up with these bottles of wine while I watch the only two Halloween movies I enjoy: Hocus Pocus and the Halloweentown series. 🍷 . . . The best part about this is when you purchase the 2-pack ($100 total), Flora Springs will donate 35% of the proceeds from the sales to support the victims of the recent Napa wildfires. (These wines can only be purchased through the Flora Springs website) ❤️ . . . I also have a special promo code for you! If you enter the promo code SHIPFOR5 , you can get $5 flat rate on ground shipping. This is a great deal! (Note that this does not apply to the 2- pack of wine mentioned above as the proceeds are going to charity). . . . Cheers to good wine for a good cause 🍷🥂 · . . #florasprings #halloweenwine #ghostwinery #wineforacause #napafires #sponsored ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

A post shared by Whitney | ATX Wine Lover🍷 (@winebywhitney) on

We invite you to join us on Instagram!

Flora Springs Featured in Luxe Beat Magazine

July 7, 2023

Note: The article excerpted below was originally published in Luxe Beat Magazine and can be found here.

Flora Springs Winery Featured in Luxe Beat Magazine

“Summer Cheese, Clambake and Wine Party”
By Jill Weinlein

Summer has officially commenced, and to help celebrate the warm weather, serve a variety of cheese and wine before your clambake party!

Start with great cheese. My favorites to enjoy include Laura Chenel, a Sonoma, California producer of fresh and aged goat cheeses. Its sister brand Marin French Cheese, is California’s oldest cheese company. They have been making handmade artisan cheese at their historic creamery in Northern California since 1865. They combine traditional French cheesemaking techniques with an innovative spirit. The third is Beehive Cheese made in Utah, known as the Beehive State.

Marin French Cheese Golden Gate is a triple crème cheese offering rich and savory notes with a touch of funkiness. This cheese is best served with Flora Springs Napa Valley Family Estate wine. It was named “Best Hidden Gem Winery” in 2020 in Napa Valley Life Magazine. Founded in 1978, the estate vineyards were planted in the late 1800s. Vineyards are located in St. Helena, Oakville, Carneros, Napa Valley, Rutherford, and the Oak Knoll District. Red wines include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. White wines offered include Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé and Vermentino.

Flora Springs Napa Valley Wines

After farming our Napa Valley vineyards for over 40 years — we know how it’s done. Learn more about our wines.

Wine Tasting in Napa Valley

We invite you to our St. Helena Tasting Room in Napa Valley for wine tasting while enjoying views of flourishing vineyards and the western hillsides. Plan your Napa Valley trip.

“Lauded as one of Napa Valley’s local hidden gems, the St. Helena winery and tasting room offer visitors a relaxing respite to learn some of Napa’s unique history and experience some of the region’s top-rated Cabernet, Chardonnay, single varietal, and Bordeaux blends, including their award-winning Trilogy.” — Napa Valley Life Magazine

Our Family’s Napa Valley Vineyards

The Komes and Garvey Family has always been farmers first, and over the years the family has acquired 500 acres throughout Napa Valley, 300 of which are planted to vineyard. With estate properties stretching from the cool, rolling hills of Carneros to the famed sub-appellations of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, Flora Springs produces varietal wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and other red Bordeaux varietals. Each year the family selects a small percentage of the yield for their own wines, selling the remaining fruit to neighboring Napa Valley wineries. This selection puts the focus on quality, not quantity, resulting in hand-crafted wines that meet the family’s exacting standards. Read more about our treasure trove of vineyards.

A Love Affair With Chardonnay

May 3, 2023

Flora Springs’ love affair with the Chardonnay varietal began when the winery was founded in 1978. In fact, you could say that it’s Chardonnay that put our winery on the map so many years ago! It has always been one of John Komes’ favorite wines, and since that first vintage, he’s made a Chardonnay every year we’ve been in business. We’d like to think we’ve gotten pretty good at it, always using the best fruit from our Napa Valley vineyards. In celebration of #ChardonnayDay, we thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of our favorite Chardonnay milestones.

Pat Garvey First Harvest at Flora Springs
Vineyard Manager Pat Garvey watches as our first Chardonnay grapes are processed
Our first vintage of Napa Valley Chardonnay
Our first vintage of Napa Valley Chardonnay
Matriarch Flora Komes Overseeing Harvest
Matriarch Flora Komes oversees our first harvest

 

Our Napa Valley Chardonnay Gets the Gold!

Back in the 1970s and 80s, the highest accolade a winery could earn was a Gold Medal from a wine competition. Our 1979 Napa Valley Chardonnay won a Gold at the prestigious Los Angeles County Fair in 1980. The recognition put Flora Springs on the map, and made everyone, including ourselves, take our winemaking a little more seriously

 

Full Steam Ahead

“With that surprising win, what had begun as a hobby was becoming a business, and Flora Springs went full steam ahead with producing the very best wines possible.”

Flora Springs News Article

 

A “First Growth” Chardonnay

In 1990 Wine Spectator columnist James Laube published California’s Great Chardonnays, recognizing Flora Springs Chardonnay as one of the state’s “First Growths” for the varietal.

James Laube California's Great Chardonnay

 

A Wine for The White House

Over the years Flora Springs Chardonnays have been served at dinners at The White House and the U.S. Capitol, functions attended by heads of state, congressmen and women and government dignitaries.

White House Menu

 

The Legacy Continues

Today we make three Chardonnays, our Flora’s Legacy Chardonnay, the Family Select Chardonnay, and our Jon Nathaniel Lavender Hill Chardonnay, all sourced from our estate vineyards in Napa Valley. While they differ, each one carries the signature style for which we are known: beautiful forward fruit aromas and flavors, rich body and texture from barrel aging and lees stirring, partial malolactic fermentation, and just the right amount of acid to keep the wines fresh and perfectly balanced.

Napa Valley Chardonnay Bottles

Chardonnay Wine Tasting in Napa Valley

“9 Places to Taste Excellent Napa Valley Chardonnay” by NapaValley.com
“While officially founded in 1978, grapes were first planted on this St. Helena property, located at the foot of the Mayacamas, in the late 1800s, which marked the start of Flora Springs’ fascinating history. The winery produces several different chardonnays, each with a unique flavor profile, from the juicy and tropical Family Select Chardonnay to the limited-production Flora’s Legacy Chardonnay, made from a barrel selection of the finest chardonnay of the vintage, in honor of Flora Komes, the inspiration for the winery.” Read more.

Plan your visit to our Tasting Room located in St. Helena, the heart of the Napa Valley.

Shop Flora Springs Chardonnay

Our Flora’s Legacy Chardonnay is a limited-production, one-of-kind wine made in honor of Flora Komes, our mother, grandmother, and the woman who inspired the founding of Flora Springs Winery. Every year we involve the whole family in the creation of this wine, a barrel selection of the finest Chardonnay of the vintage. Shop now.

2020 Flora's Legacy Chardonnay

Presenting the 2022 Vermentino

May 2, 2023

The debut release of our 2022 Vermentino

Flora Springs has always been committed to creating and sharing exciting white wine. After all, it was our gold-medal winning Chardonnay that put Flora Springs on the map back in 1978. We are delighted to introduce our debut release of Vermentino, a wine we made specifically for wine club members. This wine is a rare find – it’s sourced from a tiny, 2-acre block of organically farmed Vermentino located in Rutherford.

We believe this is the only Vermentino planted in Napa Valley, making this one of just two Vermentino wines produced here. As soon as it was harvested we knew it was going to be compelling. Gentle handling of the grapes and lightly oaking the wine in seasoned French barrels yielded a bottling as irresistible as that early award-winning Chardonnay.

Vermentino is often compared to Sauvignon Blanc in body and taste. Our 2022 Vermentino is a dry, minerally white with flavors of grapefruit, citrus, honey, grated ginger and a hint of wet stone. Finely knit with zesty acidity, the wine is vibrant on the palate and carries a long, mouthwatering finish.

Pop this open for wine-curious friends eager to try something new from Napa Valley, and if they’ve been to Italy and experienced the Vermentino varietal there, so much the better!

Be the first to taste this new wine. Only 200 cases were made, we anticipate a high demand and expect it to be snapped up swiftly — shop now.

About Vermentino

Vermentino is a new varietal for Flora Springs, but it is actually an ancient white wine grape, found primarily in the northeastern region of Italy, from Liguria down the coast to Tuscany — and, as we recently discovered, in that tiny gem of a vineyard in Rutherford, Napa Valley.

Vermentino wines are typically dry, crisp, and refreshing, with notes of citrus, green apple, and tropical fruit. They are often enjoyed as a young wine, but some can also benefit from aging. Vermentino is a versatile grape that can be used to produce a variety of wine styles, including still, sparkling, and dessert wines. It is also often used in blends with other white grape varieties to add freshness and acidity to the wine.

Vermentino is a hidden gem of the wine world, with its unique combination of freshness, complexity, and elegance that make it a standout among white wines.

Flora Springs Featured in Food & Wine Magazine

April 4, 2023

Note: The article excerpted below was originally published in Food & Wine and can be found here.

Wild Boar Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
“41 Cabernet Sauvignons Worth Splurging On”
By Brian Freedman

These are the best bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon for your next anniversary, promotion, or big night in.

Great Cabernet Sauvignon can set you back by several mortgage payments if you’re not careful. Yet there are still plenty of splurge-worthy Cabs from around the world that ring in at under $150 per bottle…still a whole lot of money, but not in the realm of many Cab-based cult wines, or First Growth Bordeaux, which can easily stretch in to the four or five figures depending on the vintage and the provenance. The ones below, listed alphabetically, represent some of the top high-end Cabs around. They range from 2017 to 2020, and all are worth considering for special occasions as we head into the springtime holiday season of Mother’s and Father’s Day, graduations, and more. It’s also worth noting that, though a majority of these are from California, there are terrific ones that can be found from around the world, from great Bordeaux to South America, Australia, and beyond.

2019 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon
There’s so much ripe, sweet, generously spiced wild red berry fruit here, like strawberries and raspberries, as well as kirsch and balsamic notes that lend this wine terrific lift and energy. These notes are for the special holiday edition bottling, a blend of two key vineyard sources, but it speaks well of the range of Cabs produced by Flora Springs, as well.

Flora Springs Single Vineyard Cabernets

Truly elegant and powerful wines, that reflect the place from which they originate. Learn more.

Etched Holiday Wines

Our Holiday Bottles are our way of thanking members for their loyalty and providing them with uniquely elegant bottles ideal for festive holiday celebrations and thoughtful gifts. The brainchild of General Manager Nat Komes, whose grandmother, Flora, imbued him with a love for the holidays, each wine is meticulously etched and painted by hand, with capsules and back labels applied one by one. As the only Napa Valley winery to offer new holiday designs each year, we pour ourselves into this annual project, ensuring that each bottle is absolute perfection inside and out. Learn more.

Checking in With Richard

March 31, 2023

Richard Tiedemann

Richard Tiedemann is a fifth-generation Napa Valley native whose family has been growing grapes here since the late 1880s.

Richard spent the better part of the 1990s as a crab and salmon fisherman in Alaska, returning to Napa Valley in 2000 to work in the Flora Springs tasting room. His love and knowledge of wine, his ability to relate to people and his passion for sharing the story of the Komes-Garvey family soon earned him promotions and a series of sales roles, with responsibility at various times for California, the northeast, the Midwest and western regions. Now, as Director of Winery Relations, Richard travels extensively throughout the U.S. as an ambassador for Flora Springs, hosting lively, interactive wine dinners and building lasting relationships with customers and fans.

“Last April I had the opportunity to do something I’d dreamed about for a long time: host a Flora Springs cruise for Wine Club Members in the Mediterranean. I was actually a stand-in for John and Carrie Komes, who at the last minute weren’t able to make the trip. Knowing that a big reason members sign up for a Flora Springs cruise is to spend time with the Komes, I brought my “A” game, determined to make the voyage just as entertaining and enlightening.

On one of our first days, I staged a blind tasting of Bordeaux varietals – Malbec,Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. – to see if folks were able to identify the wines. Only three people got every wine right, but we all had a blast.

Our days were spent exploring awe-inspiring sites in Spain, the Canary Islands and Morocco. In the evenings we met at the Voyager Lounge where Flora Springs Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot flowed freely. And each night I hosted a small group of Wine Club Members for dinner at one of the ship’s amazing four-star (in my opinion) restaurants.

I loved spending time with these members, many of whom have long relationships with the Komes family and Flora Springs. But the best part might have been sharing photos and tales of my journey with John and Carrie when I got back. I’d sent them a post card from each port of call, which I know they appreciated. But not half as much as I appreciate them for giving me the opportunity to take the cruise of a lifetime.”

Napa Valley Wine Tasting

We look forward to welcoming you in Napa Valley for wine tasting while enjoying views of flourishing vineyards and the western hillsides. Named “Best Hidden Gem Winery” in Napa Valley Life Magazine’s 2020 Best of Napa Valley Awards Readers Choice & 2022 Best of Napa Valley Awards Readers Choice, we are open seven days a week by appointment. Visit Flora Springs Tasting Room.

Luxury Wine Travel

As they say, like father like son, and Nat Komes loves to explore the world just as much as his dad, John. This October, sail away with Nat and Anne Komes and cruise the Mediterranean from Athens to Jerusalem aboard the Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ elegantly refreshed Seven Seas Voyager. Learn more.

Flora Springs Trilogy Featured in 25 of the Best Red Blends for 2023 in VinePair

March 28, 2023

Note: The article excerpted below was originally published in VinePair and can be found here.

2019 Trilogy Red Wine

“25 of the Best Red Blends”
by Keith Beavers

Bordeaux, Chianti, Rioja, the U.S. — hell, the entire new world of wine is centered around red blends. Although blending red grapes has been part of wine since antiquity, the category dubbed “red blends” is a relatively new phenomenon. So, how do we define what qualifies as a red blend?

In Europe, even though there are a lot of red blends, they are strictly regulated within appellations. If you make wine outside the region’s set of rules you cannot put said appellation on the label. Here in the States, and in most wine regions outside of Europe, the rules are much more lenient. A red blend is anything you want it to be without having to adhere to any guidelines. Creativity takes precedence. And with so many varieties to choose from within a given wine zone, the category allows winemakers to show that creativity. The wines often have evocative labels and names designed to linger in the memory with blends that can sometimes push the envelope a little.

Although the category has only been around for a short while, it has come a long way. The enormous number of wines we tasted this year shows us that we are just getting started. On this list, you will see wines that span from Northern California to the south of L.A. in Temecula Valley, and from the Texas High Plains to the Mid-Atlantic. This is definitely a category to keep an eye on. Here are the 25 best red blends to drink in 2023, tasted and rated.

Flora Springs 2019 Trilogy Wine Review
Rating: 90
Perfect For: Dinner With The Parents, Steak Dinner, Winning Over the Boss
Drink If You Like: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot

The red blend category is a fairly recent trend in American wine, but Flora Springs has been making wine in this style for a few decades now. Not only that, but it’s their flagship wine. They have it done to a T. This wine is deep and soulful with concentrated fruit. In the calm depth of the wine, the inherent characteristics of the two cabs come through, adding a layer of quiet pepperiness. The weight on the palate is just right balanced by good natural acidity.

Trilogy, Our Flagship Wine

Our 2019 Trilogy marks the 35th vintage of our flagship red wine, a bottling that dates back to 1984 when our family decided to make the finest wine possible by selecting fruit from the highest quality blocks from our estate vineyards in Napa Valley. Back then it was one of Napa Valley’s first proprietary red wines, and we named it for the three Bordeaux varietals which made up the blend. Ever since, Trilogy has consistently earned more than 90 points from wine critics and is admired by fans both for its approachability and ability to age. Learn more about this wine.

Flora Springs 2018 Howell Mountain Dust & Glory Cabernet Sauvignon in Robb Report

February 28, 2023

Note: The article excerpted below was originally published in Robb Report and can be found here.

2018 Howell Mountain Dust & Glory Cabernet Sauvignon

“The 9 Best Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons From the Storied Howell Mountain Appellation”
by Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen

Long before the 1976 Judgment of Paris put Napa Valley’s vinous treasure on the wine world map, bottles from Howell Mountain were taking home medals at international contests. In 1889, a wine made by Jean Adolph Brun and Jean V. Chaix, pioneers in what is now the high-altitude AVA in the northeast of the valley took home a bronze medal from the Paris World Competition. Ten years later, two other early hillside settlers, W.S. Keyes and Frederick Hess, were awarded gold and bronze medals, respectively, for their Howell Mountain wines. It took almost another hundred years for official government recognition; in 1983 Howell Mountain was named the first AVA within the greater confines of the Napa Valley AVA.

What sets this small American Viticultural Area near Saint Helena apart from many other wine regions is that its perimeter is delineated not just by geographic borders but by altitude: All vineyards must be a minimum of 1,400 feet above sea level. And while many wines from Napa and neighboring Sonoma benefit from cooling Pacific fog that rolls in each morning, Howell Mountain’s vines sit above the fog line, offering full sunlight throughout the day. Mountain conditions create berries with thick skin, offering a higher peel to juice ratio and stronger tannins. At the same time, cooler temperatures at higher altitudes aid in retaining acidity; this balanced tannin and acidity create wines that are made to last. That said, picking at perfect ripeness and a judicious use of oak means that while these will age beautifully for years, no one would fault you for opening a bottle now. Back in the day, Howell Mountain wine was likely to be Zinfandel, but today its vineyards are mainly planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties for blending. Among the region’s 66 member vineyards and wineries you will find familiar faces with national distribution and small volume cult wines that take a little work to acquire. Here’s a selection of Cabs to get you started…

The name Dust & Glory is to honor founder Flora Komes who often used this phrase borrowed from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This delightful wine is purple ink colored when poured from the bottle with very concentrated aromas of blueberry, cassis and dark chocolate. It has flavors of black plum, blackberry and a touch of bramble. The tannins are plush yet firm and the lingering finish has notes of cedar, smoke and mocha. Enjoy now until 2029.

2018 Howell Mountain Dust & Glory Cabernet Sauvignon

This is the second vintage of our Dust & Glory Cabernet Sauvignon from the Howell Mountain AVA, the first new Single Vineyard Cabernet to be added to our portfolio in over two decades. We always admired the wines of Howell Mountain, an appellation that sits to the east of St. Helena in the Vaca Mountain range. But we also learned that growing fruit on Howell Mountain comes with its challenges; the grapes are typically late-ripening and the tannins can be overwhelming. But as John and Nat Komes explored and experimented, they identified a wine from one of the highest elevation sites in the AVA that met their criteria, a beautifully expressive mountain Cabernet, distinct from our other Single Vineyards but no less prized.

Why Dust & Glory? Read more.

Talking Beef with John Komes

February 20, 2023

Back in the days when John Komes was selling our first Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons, he came up with idea of holding winemaker dinners pairing each Cabernet with a different cut of premium beef. He knew what many wine enthusiasts knew intuitively: there’s simply something sublime about enjoying a juicy bite of steak with a sip of rich, ripe, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon. But he understood the science behind that magical pairing.

“The tannins in red wine are essentially attracted to fat and protein. When you bite into a steak, the tannins in the wine ‘bind’ with the fat and protein in the beef, so that the wine feels softer and less astringent,” says John.

2020 Wild Boar Cabernet Sauvignon

Over time, John experimented with different Cabernet Sauvignon and beef combinations until he came up with the ideal pairing for each Flora Springs offering. For the wine in the Preferred Palates Wine Club February 2023 shipment, our 2020 Wild Boar Cabernet Sauvignon, John recommends a tri-tip steak. Tri-tip, cut from the bottom sirloin, has been popular in California for decades, but has also become available in other parts of the country where it is sometimes called triangle steak, Santa Maria steak or California’s Cut.

“Tri-tip has great marbling which gives it a really good beefy flavor and a supple texture, as long as you don’t overcook it,” he says. “Plus, it has the added bonus of being more economical than many other cuts of beef.”

Tri-tip Marinade for Grilling

Tri-tip is made for grilling, and John likes to marinate this boneless steak for a few hours in the refrigerator before cooking. His preferred marinade (for a two to three-pound steak):

½ cup of red wine
¼ cup of olive oil
3 large garlic gloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Turn several times while marinating. Before grilling, remove steak from marinade. Cook to desired doneness (@122°F for medium rare), let sit for at least five minutes and slice. John likes to serve tri-tip when Nat and his family visit, as the cut easily feeds a small group. He recommends accompanying the meal with small, roasted red potatoes, grilled veggies, a nice arugula salad, and a bottle of his Wild Boar Cabernet Sauvignon.

2020 Wild Boar Cabernet Sauvignon

Wild boars are a fixture in Napa Valley, and as vineyard owners we’ve had our share of run-ins with the creature, which is how our Wild Boar Single Vineyard Cabernet got its name. Boars love to munch on ripe wine grapes, and when we get close to harvest we try to keep them to the natural habitats that surround our vineyards. But if one or two have a meal on us, we’re okay with it. As farmers who depend on Mother Nature, sometimes we need to live and let live. Sourced from our estate vineyard in the Rutherford AVA, our 2020 Wild Boar offers opulent aromatics of red and black raspberry and boysenberry that melt into rich flavors of cassis, black plum and black currant jam on the palate. The fruit is joined by notes of sweet vanilla bean, coconut and toasty oak which mingle with notes of lavender, espresso and a touch of licorice. With well-integrated oak and youthful tannins, the 2020 Wild Boar is a balanced, well-structured Cabernet that will reward further cellaring. Learn more about this wine.

Will You Be Our Valentine?

January 10, 2023

Our etched and hand-painted bottles are a cherished tradition at Flora Springs, a way for us to commemorate special holidays with festive, one-of-a-kind bottlings. Over the years, the popularity of these offerings has grown. With each holiday release, the etched artful label provides a unique Napa Valley wine to give or collect for yourself.

Valentine's Day Gift | Valentine's Wine

2017 Be Mine Blend

Our 2017 Be Mine Red Blend celebrates the most romantic holiday of all, St. Valentine’s Day. Combining Bordeaux varietals from our estate vineyards in St. Helena, Rutherford and Oakville, the wine warms the heart with rich, mouth filling flavors of blackberries, juicy plums and ripe blueberries, graham cracker and a whiff of cocoa powder. Notes of violets, vanilla crème and a hint of fresh rain round out the palate. Though plush and full-bodied, this classic Napa Valley blend has a pleasing streak of acidity and sleek, elegant tannins that provide balance and length. The wine would make a sweet gift or accompaniment to a candlelit dinner for two. Only 30 cases made, limit two bottles.

Valentine’s Day Order Deadlines

Order deadlines for delivery start February 4. Check shipping times.

Menu