Introducing our Halloween Wines for 2023

August 31, 2023

Introducing our Halloween Wines for 2023 | Flora Springs Napa Valley

All year long we look forward to releasing our Halloween Wines.

For 13 years now, we’ve paid tribute to our ghostly history by producing special Halloween wine bottles for our Wine Club and Mailing List Members. We enjoy giving our Wine Club Members exclusive access to wines crafted with our Napa Valley estate-grown Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Read more about our tips on throwing the spookiest Halloween Party!

2021 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc

This year, General Manager Nat Komes, the creative spirit behind this annual endeavor, worked with comic book illustrator, graphic novelist and digital comics pioneer, Steve Ellis. Steve has created All Hallows’ Eve labels for us before, and he and Nat continue to outdo themselves. With a full harvest moon in the background, a black crow scolds a pumpkin-headed figure who seems to have fallen asleep beneath a grapevine. Is it the winemaker, worn out from the long days and nights of harvest? Or is it a disheveled stranger who wandered into the vineyard to take a nap? A fallen scarecrow? We’ll leave it to you to decide!

Wine Tasting Notes

This limited-production Cabernet Franc is powerful and full bodied, with ripe currant, wild blackberry and black cherry fruit that will have you shivering with delight. Ancillary notes of fresh herbs, black tea and brown sugar lend complexity to the wine, and there’s a lovely integration of seductive vanilla oak. Lush and giving on the palate, this is a finely balanced Cabernet Franc with polished tannins and a hauntingly long finish.

2021 Ghost Winery Malbec

Napa Valley is home to a number of “ghost wineries” – wineries built between 1860 and 1900 but abandoned in the early 20th century due to the vine disease phylloxera, the Great Depression, and of course Prohibition. One of these ghost wineries happens to be the home of John Komes. Originally constructed in 1885, the Charles Brockhoff Winery was an active winemaking operation for over twenty years until Prohibition forced the family out of business. It remained abandoned until the 1930s when Louis M. Martini arrived in Napa Valley, using the building mostly for storage. When his parents, Jerry and Flora Komes, purchased the property in 1977, John completely renovated the old stone winery. He lives there with his wife, Carrie, to this day. Every year we bottle a small amount of Malbec in honor of the property’s illustrious history.

Wine Tasting Notes

Our 2021 Ghost Winery Malbec shows gorgeous purity and focus, with a dense core of ripe black cherry, cassis and violet-tinged floral notes that mingle with hints of cedar and dark chocolate. Notes of worn leather, espresso and toasty oak round out the supple, harmonious palate. The wine finishes with firm tannins and persistent notes of spice and wild berry.

Wine Club Benefits

Join our Wine Club to ensure an annual allocation of these limited, popular releases. Learn more about the many benefits of membership.

Presenting 2020 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc

October 1, 2022

2020 All Hallow's Eve Cabernet Franc

Halloween is always a cause for celebration at Flora Springs, and all year long we look forward to releasing our Halloween Wines.

For 13 years now, we’ve paid tribute to our ghostly history by producing special Halloween wine bottles for our Wine Club and Mailing List Members. Some years a favorite label is sold out upon release to the Wine Club. We enjoy giving exclusive access to wines crafted with our Napa Valley estate-grown Cabernet Franc and Malbec.

2020 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc

General Manager Nat Komes has done it again! This year’s one-of-a-kind Halloween-themed label is sure to delight club members and All Hallows’ Eve lovers everywhere. Nat worked with comic book illustrator, graphic novelist and digital comics pioneer, Steve Ellis, to develop a label that just might be our scariest ever. Steve is no stranger to Flora Spring’s Halloween shenanigans, as he created the label for our 2017 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc. Against the backdrop of a full harvest moon, a menacing bat hovers above the Flora Springs vineyard where the crew brings in the Cabernet Franc for this wine. Harvesting at night, a practice the Komes Garvey family pioneered in the 1980s, keeps the grapes and pickers cool, but it may also attract the attention of these fierce creatures of the night. Harvest crew beware!

Wine Tasting Notes

This limited-production Cabernet Franc has lovely aromas of sweet hay, black cherry, boysenberry and cassis that might just send shivers down your spine! With a warm entry and flavors of plum, cherry tobacco and worn leather, the wine is swathed in soft tannins and lengthened by notes of caramel, vanilla and mocha. Lavishly flavored and lush on the palate, the wine is finely balanced with a lingering finish of brown sugar, marshmallow and sassafras.

Wine Club Benefits

Join our Wine Club to ensure an annual allocation of these limited, popular releases. Learn more about the many benefits of membership.

Halloween 2020 is Flora Springs’ Most Epic Halloween Yet

October 15, 2020

Halloween 2020

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.

For a limited time, order our Napa Valley Fire Relief Halloween Wines 2-Pack and we’ll donate 35% to the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund to help our neighbors affected by the recent fires.

And though Halloween is different this year, we’re still going big. We’ve partnered with several very creative people who love Halloween as much as we do. Need Halloween inspiration? Look no further.

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!

Not Your Average Halloween Wines

August 15, 2019

Plan your Halloween Wine Country Visit

Halloween is more than just a day at Flora Springs…it’s an entire season! After all, with one of the few remaining Napa Valley Ghost Wineries on our property, we’re reminded year-round that there are phantoms and spirits who walked here before us. So we celebrate in a big way, dreaming up fun costumes, planning spooky tastings and events, such as our Ghost Winery Tour, and looking for new ways to decorate The Room, The Estate and our own homes. For General Manager Nat Komes and his wife Anne there’s another reason to celebrate: their wedding anniversary falls on October 31st!

Napa Valley Halloween

Of course in Napa Valley the wine you serve on Halloween is nearly, if not just, as important as the candy bowl! It’s the adult version of the “treat,” and that’s why we put so much effort into producing special Halloween-themed wines for our Wine Club and Mailing List Members. These are not your average Halloween wines, made to drink and forget. We set the bar high in terms of quality, using some of the best fruit from our estate property, including Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Because these vineyard blocks are small, they lend themselves perfectly to these limited-edition wines.

Best Halloween Wines

Unique Labels

Our Halloween labels are also a labor of love. Each year Nat Komes and his team let the creative juices flow as they seek inspiration from album cover art, comic books, children’s book illustrators and other artists to create brand new one-of-a-kind labels and packages. Skeletons, witches, pumpkins and black cats have all found their way onto these labels, in whimsical designs meant to treat, not trick. The only exception is our Ghost Winery Malbec, which always features a hand-drawn etching of our historic stone cellar on a label reminiscent of Flora Springs’ earliest releases.

Now is the best time to acquire your favorite labels, as these wines sell out fast. See all of our seasonal, winery-only Halloween Wines—they’ll send shivers down your spine! Do you have a favorite design?

Wines for Halloween

Halloween Entertaining

We’d love to hear about your Halloween traditions and party ideas. If you have a story or tradition to share, email us at info@florasprings.com or check out our We LOVE Halloween Pinterest board where we have collected all types of creative entertaining tips and ideas for a spooky wine tasting party.

Flora Springs’ Ghost Winery Featured in San Francisco Chronicle

October 30, 2018

Note: The following article was originally written by Chris Macias and published in the San Francisco Chronicle on October 30, 2018 and can be found here.

The Napa Ghost Wineries You Can Visit

Napa Valley Ghost Winery

Trek around Wine Country, near its luxury hotels and fine-dining destinations, and you’ll find the remnants of wineries that date back to a time when Napa wasn’t so flush. These are vestiges of the Dark Ages for California wine. They’re known as ghost wineries, not because they’re haunted (though that’s up for debate in some cases), but because they serve as an important link between Napa’s early years as a wine region and the bustling destination it is now.

Napa Valley had a thriving wine industry in the 19th century, with more than 140 operating wineries opened by the final decade. But starting in the late 1880s, the region was hit with a triple blow that left the local wine industry reeling for decades. First, an outbreak of the lethal grapevine virus phylloxera crippled wine production for 20 years. Then the Great Depression arrived, which dovetailed with Prohibition from 1920 to 1933.

This half-century of setbacks left many California wineries in ruins. Although a few were able to stay in business by selling sacramental wine or grapes for home winemaking, the industry had withered to about three dozen by the time Prohibition was repealed. Many of the buildings remained vacant for decades, falling into ruin. Halloween notwithstanding, Napa’s ghost wineries are worth visiting any time of year. They’re scattered throughout the valley, offering a peek into a storied history and a spirit of perseverance that defines the area.

Here are a handful of the ghosts you can visit:

Flora Springs: This former home of the 1900 Rennie Brothers Winery in St. Helena, suffered a one-two punch at the turn of the 20th century. Not only were its vineyards hit by phylloxera, but a fire in its wine cellar decimated its production capabilities. After decades of inactivity, the property was purchased in the mid 1970s and renamed Flora Springs. The ghost winery has since been renovated and serves as a production facility, which visitors can see during tours of the Flora Springs estate. Flora Springs plays up its ghost winery heritage with Halloween releases including All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc and Ghost Winery Malbec…

Read the full article.


Learn more about our Ghost Winery and our Halloween Wines.

All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc Featured in St. Helena Star

October 23, 2018

Note: The following article was originally written by Catherine Bugue and published in the St. Helena Star on October 16, 2018 and can be found here.

Wine of the week: Flora Springs All Hallows’ Eve 2016 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley

Halloween Wine

It was dark. She was tense. He came at her with a knife.

And as she grabbed the knife away from him, she sighed irritably, and used the corkscrew end to open the wine bottle herself. She was in no mood for his theatrics.

It’s Halloween — it’s time for stories! Why not gather up friends and good wine on the 31st for a night’s respite from the weekly grind? Adding a wine like Flora Spring’s iconic All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc brings good fun to the mix. The 2016 Cabernet Franc label features a spooked black cat and carved pumpkin; the wine has enough rich dark fruits and spice complexity to stand up to the spookiest of ghost stories.

See also special etched bottles like the Drink in Peace Merlot, complete with coffin wine box.


Order by 5 pm October 23 for delivery by Halloween. Please call (800) 913-1118 with questions on shipping times. Shop now.

 

Flora Springs’ Halloween Festivities Featured in Napa Valley Register

October 11, 2018

Note: The following article was originally written by Jess Lander and published in the Napa Valley Register on October 11, 2018 and can be found here.

Creepy visitors, ghostly wines: Flora Springs gets into the spirit of Halloween

Halloween Wines Napa Valley

As a tribute to their 1885 ghost winery, one of the few remaining in the area, Flora Springs Winery goes all out for Halloween.

You can’t miss the trio of enormous skeletons that dance outside their Highway 29 tasting room in St. Helena. Inside, the walls are covered in cobwebs, rooms are transformed into a crematorium and morgue, and you might just find a headless horseman sitting at your table and struggling to sip his wine (for a lack of mouth). But the decorations, done by local design team, The Baker Sisters, are just the beginning. The winery’s Halloween preparation starts months in advance.

Halloween Decorations

Halloween Decor

For eight years running, Flora Springs has released a collection of limited release, Halloween wines. Featuring custom labels and usually 100 percent bottlings of varieties that are traditionally used for blending, the initiative was started by Nat Komes, general manager and son of proprietors John and Carrie Komes. He has a personal fondness for the holiday and even tied the knot on Oct. 31.

Komes’ inspiration for the Halloween collection came from an unlikely place: beer. Once a year, hundreds of thirsty fans spend hours lined up outside Santa Rosa’s Russian River Brewing Company, all for a taste of their cult release, Pliny the Younger.

He wanted his own version of that, saying, “I was trying to generate some of that excitement in the wine business.”

There might not be a line outside of Flora Springs, but there’s certainly a high demand among the winery’s followers. The Halloween wines often sell out well before Halloween each year and have become collectors items in the cellars of many wine club members.

It all started with the Ghost Winery series in 2010. For the labels, Komes partnered with artist Wes Freed, best known for his eerie illustrations on Drive-By Truckers album covers. One of those albums was a favorite of Komes’ brother.

“My brother passed away from cancer right when I was starting the Ghost Winery project,” said Komes. “That’s how I got a hold of Wes Freed, because that was his favorite record at the time. I reached out to him, started telling him about my brother, how he loved the art, and he came right back to me and said, ‘Let’s get going on this.’”

Over the years, the Ghost Winery series evolved into the Halloween collection with a Ghost Winery label at its centerpiece. Always a bottling of malbec —fittingly sourced right in front of Flora Springs’ ghost winery — the label is a modern interpretation of the 1978 label. It features a sketch of the stone ghost winery building, which was severely damaged in a fire in 1900, but has since been restored.

While the Ghost Winery Malbec stays the same every year, the labels of the others change. Komes develops his vision by scouring through children’s books, album covers, comic books and even skateboards, then contacts the respective artist and commissions them to create a one-of-a-kind wine label for that year’s release.

His favorite label of 2018 is the 2016 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc, a throwback to old school Halloween imagery of a black cat and jack-o-lantern. The art was done by artist Emmenline Forrestal, a former wig maker who illustrated the children’s book “Gloppy,” a favorite of Komes’ daughter’s.

The true collectors item this year is the 2014 Drink In Peace Merlot. On it, a hand-etched, glow-in-the-dark skeleton holds a wine bottle across its chest. It even comes packaged in a coffin box.

And then there’s the 2013 Black Moon Cabernet Sauvignon. Available only in magnums, it’s already sold out and therefore as rare as an actual black moon (defined as an additional new moon that appears in a month or in a season, or the absence of a full moon or of a new moon in a month).

Skateboard artist Dennis McNett’s illustration depicts the phases of the moon surrounded by bats, which Komes said are regulars in the steeple of the ghost winery. The art is etched and hand painted on the bottle.

The new ghost tour
Those who want to taste the Halloween wines can reserve a tasting at The Room, Flora Springs’ St. Helena tasting room, but this year, the winery is taking their celebrations to a new level of creep with a ghost tour. Flora Springs has teamed up with Napa City Ghosts & Legends to lead a paranormal tour of the ghost winery and estate on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 10:30 a.m.

Komes said he was always curious if the ghost winery was haunted and that Napa City Ghosts have since identified three spirits during their recent visits. There’s Matthew, who supposedly died in a horse-related accident, a flapper who loves to party, and another man who gave off a particularly unsettling vibe.

Let’s hope he’s not in the mood for socializing that day.

For more information on Flora Springs’ Halloween tastings and ghost tour, visit www.florasprings.com/events.


Helpful Links:
Visit The Room | Visit The Estate
Ghost Winery Tasting at The Room
Paranormal Ghost Winery Tour at The Estate
Our Ghost Winery History
Halloween Wines
Ghost Winery Malbec
2014 Drink In Peace Merlot
2013 Black Moon Cabernet Sauvignon

Flora Springs’ Paranormal Ghost Winery Tour Featured in Wine Spectator

September 27, 2018

Note: The following article was originally published in the Wine Spectator on September 27, 2018 and can be found here.

Paranormal Activity at ‘Ghost Winery’

Ghost Winery Halloween Napa Valley
“…But if you missed the chance to commune with Napa’s dead last weekend at the St. Helena Cemetery, fear not: There are plenty more spectral vintners doomed to roam the terroir for all time (it’s been said some Napa winemakers even sold their souls), and not a few so-called “ghost wineries” they’re thought to haunt. The old Rennie Brothers Winery, completed in 1900, is one—the once-thriving wine factory sat derelict through Prohibition before its rebirth as Flora Spring Estate. On Oct. 28, the winery is bringing in local paranormal investigators/Napa history fiends Ellen MacFarlane and Devin Sisk, who most recently appeared together on the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, to lead a haunted tour and wine lunch in the old stone cellars and caves. “As one of the few remaining Napa Valley ‘ghost wineries,’ we are constantly reminded that there are phantoms and spirits who walked here before us,” noted general manager Nat Komes to Unfiltered.

As in past years, Flora Springs is also releasing a set of Halloween-themed wines…with limited-edition label art from painters and illustrators: All Hallow’s Eve Cabernet Franc, Ghost Winery Malbec, Black Moon Cabernet Sauvignon and Drink in Peace Merlot (glow-in-the-dark label; comes in coffin-shaped gift box) are a few representative treats.”


Helpful Links:
Book your Paranormal Ghost Winery Tour at The Estate – October 28, 2018, only 30 spots available
Check out our Halloween Wines
Learn more about our Ghost Winery history

Halloween Wine Selections from Napa Valley Life Magazine

October 17, 2017

by Doris Hobbs

2015 Ghost Winery Malbec

Trick or Treat with a ghostly blend of wine with Flora Springs All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc, 2015 Ghost Winery Malbec, 2013 Harvest Witch Cabernet Sauvignon, and more.

These devilishly delicious wine picks will satisfy the most bloodthirsty vampire in your group, as well as the white wine-loving witch. Watch out for wicked cool labels created by Jeremy Fish of San Francisco and official Artist in Residence at Coit Tower. His artwork is mainly about storytelling and communication, told through a library of characters and symbols with an emphasis on finding a balance with the imagery somewhere between all things cute and creepy.

These spooky labels complement the fact that Flora Spring’s has been designated as one of the original “ghost wineries” in Napa Valley. All the wineries built between 1860 and 1900 were abandoned in the early 20th century due to vine disease, the Great Depression, and Prohibition.

These limited production wines sell out fast, but you can keep them in mind for the next dark, dark night, I highly recommend the following Spooky AND delicious selection.

2015 Flora Springs “Ghost Winery” Malbec $55
“Ghost Winery” is the third in the Flora Springs Halloween Trilogy wine and can be purchased as a 6 pack for your spooky celebration.

2013 Harvest Witch Cabernet Sauvignon $50
For the 2013 Harvest Witch, Flora Springs winemaker conjured up a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from two distinct Napa Valley regions: Rutherford and Pope Valley. The Rutherford component, from the Komes Ranch, brings rich, juicy black and blue fruit and smooth tannins to the blend, while the Pope Valley element features bolder tannins and wild blackberry and spice notes. The wine was aged in a combination of new and seasoned barrels, adding notes of both vanilla and mocha along with subtle hints of fresh-baked bread. With bold fruit, excellent structure and seductive tannins, this is a wicked good wine that will make you cackle like a witch and howl at the moon.

2014 Drink in Peace Merlot Box Set $115
New this year, Flora Springs pays tribute to traditional Day of the Dead artwork with Drink in Peace Merlot – packaged with the wineries infamous Coffin Box. This darkly saturated plum-colored Merlot from Rutherford offers a blackcurrant and raspberry-scented nose and a palate dominated by rich black cherry fruit, spicy oak, toasty vanilla and cedary smoke.

There’s nothing to fear for this year’s Halloween party, because at least if the ghouls, goblins, zombies, and witches are afoot, you can offer them some scary-good wine from Flora Springs.

Menu