The Making of the 2016 Holiday Helper Cabernet
November 5, 2018
Our one-of-a-kind Holiday Wines are a year-round labor of love. Each year, the artwork changes and provides a unique, limited-edition Napa Valley wine to give or collect for yourself.
We’re excited to expand our annual tradition with a beautiful new holiday-themed release, our 2016 Holiday Helper Cabernet Sauvignon. The charming label artwork was created for us by self-taught artist and illustrator Ruth Harper—who is best known for her work in many New York Times #1 best-selling children’s picture books.
This is the second wine label Ruth has created for us, and her whimsical watercolor of those hard-working but ever-cheerful elves wrapping their holiday gifts is a reminder that even Santa needs a little help!
Ruth began work back in December of last year. “Now that the holiday rush is over (and what a LOVELY Christmas we had!), I’ve settled down to resume creating – all warm and cozy, with a shivery snow-covered landscape outside. You should see the gorgeous frosty designs on my windows. Dark chocolate syrup in my freshly-ground coffee and a sweet Aussie at my feet warm my fire as I work…”
We love the comforting setting Ruth describes, and we love the final illustration even more. Below you can see the progression and evolution of this year-long project.
See the final 2016 Holiday Helper Cabernet Sauvignon label and browse all of our Holiday Wines and Gifts.
Happy Anniversary, Nat & Anne Komes
October 31, 2018
Twenty years ago Nat and Anne Komes tied the knot on Halloween in a unique and fun celebration – it really is Nat’s favorite holiday! This was after a beautiful, traditional ceremony in Anne’s hometown in France. Join us in wishing them a very Happy Anniversary!
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
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…
Learn more about our Ghost Winery and our Halloween Wines.
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’
“…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
Sign the Official #WhiteWineEmoji Petition
May 22, 2018
Wine lovers who text, post and share their #currentstatus wine tasting or sharing a bottle with friends currently have only one varietal to rally around: the red wine emoji. While there is a rainbow of cocktails to choose from – and even two beer options – the single red wine emoji limits people to proclaiming their love for crimson wine only.
Join us in celebrating each and every white wine by calling for the establishment of a White Wine Emoji, by using hashtag #WhiteWineEmoji and tag us @florasprings. Make your voice heard and sign the #WhiteWineEmoji petition now.
Learn more about our White Wine Emoji campaign.
Celebrating #SauvignonBlancDay with Flora Springs
May 4, 2018
by The Nittany Epicurean
Happy #SauvignonBlancDay! In addition to being a day celebrated by Star Wars fanatics, today is #SauvignonBlancDay – a global celebration of the sauvignon blanc grape. Wine lovers and winemakers come together today across the world to celebrate this grape that makes outstanding white wines in regions across the globe. We’ll celebrate the day by enjoying this sauvignon blanc from Flora Springs:
2016 Sauvignon Blanc produced & bottled by Flora Springs (St. Helena, California).
This wine is 100% sauvignon blanc from Napa Valley. Following fermentation, the wine was aged for seven months in a combination of vessels – stainless steel tanks, large wooden oval casks, concrete tanks, small oak barrels and stainless steel drums. It comes in at 14 % ABV.
The wine showed a pale straw color. Lemon curd, peach, grapefruit, apple and whiffs of orange blossom all arrived on the nose. Apple, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, slate and peach followed on a palate redolent with nuanced citrus notes. The wine exhibited great acidity and minerality, along with good structure and length. This wine would be a great aperitif on a warm day and would pair classically with freshly shucked oysters or poached shrimp.
This wine* can be purchased in a special three-pack for $69 at the winery or directly from the winery’s website.
Stay tuned for more from Flora Springs!
To see the original blog post click here.
Where’s the #WhiteWineEmoji?
May 1, 2018
Do you love white wine? We here at Flora Springs do and are asking, “Where is the #WhiteWineEmoji?
While there is a rainbow of cocktail emojis and 2 beer options, even a champagne emoji, white wine lovers only have a red wine emoji to choose from when proclaiming their love for white wine.
Help Flora Springs advocate for the establishment of a #whitewineemoji. Sign and share the official petition, and we are relying on you to spread the word with every white wine lover you know, and help us call attention to this issue. Share your posts on Instagram and Facebook. Retweet us, and for every one of your white wine posts include:
#WhiteWineEmoji and tag @FloraSprings
Only we can raise awareness together, so go ahead and document your love for white wine. Wine lovers who text, post and share their #currentstatus of #whitewinemoji wine tasting solidify this need.
For a limited time, when you purchase the #WhiteWineEmoji Napa Valley 3-pack, or complete a tasting of Flora Spring’s current white wine releases, get an exclusive #WhiteWineEmoji button.
We’ll continue to shine a light on the need for a white wine emoji until we see one loaded onto every smartphone keyboard! Don’t you think it is about time?
Whooo’s Ready for Halloween?
September 15, 2017
It’s no secret that Halloween is one of our favorite holidays, and this year we are celebrating with special new Halloween releases, including 2015 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc, 2015 Ghost Winery Malbec, 2013 Harvest Witch Cabernet Sauvignon, and more.
These seasonal wines are spooky and sure to sell out! Shop Halloween wines.
About the Artist
Currently the official Artist in Residence at Coit Tower in San Francisco, Jeremy Fish has a degree in painting and a focus in screenprinting. His education and work experience has lead to a career as a fine artist and commercial illustrator. Finding a balance between exhibiting his work both across the US, and internationally in galleries and museums, he also maintains a presence designing skateboards, t-shirts, vinyl toys, album covers, periodical illustrations, murals, sneakers – and now, wine labels. 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. Jeremy has been based in San Francisco for the last 20 years. Learn more.
Kick Off Your #CabernetDay Celebration with the Wine Weirdos
August 28, 2017
#CabernetDay 2017 is August 31st. We’re starting the celebration today along with our friends, the Wine Weirdos!
#CabernetDay 2017 is August 31
August 20, 2017
Join the 8th Annual Global Celebration of Cabernet.
#CabernetDay is a global celebration of the Cabernet grape, intended to give Cabernet lovers around the world a fun opportunity to express their passion for the grape. Cabernet lovers come together in person and online to discover and share everything about Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet-based blends.
We are proud to say that after more than 37 years of winemaking and more than 30 years of crafting Trilogy – our flagship Cabernet-based red blend – Flora Springs is still breaking new ground. We credit the consistent organic and sustainable farming practices of our vineyard team as well as the focus and direction of our winemaker, Paul Steinauer.
How to participate:
- Open up your favorite Flora Springs Cabernet.
- Join us online August 31st. We’ll be talking about Cabernet and Cab blends all day, then the conversation really picks up at 5:30 pm Pacific time.
- Follow us on your favorite social site: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
- Enter to win: Tweet or Instagram with us on August 31st using hashtag #CabernetDay and @florasprings in your tweets/posts.
We will pick one lucky Flora Springs fan using #CabernetDay and tagging us in their tweet or Instagram post! You could win a Flora Springs prize pack.*
*Must be 21+ to enter. Void where prohibited. Wine will not be included in prize pack. Chance of winning depends on number of entries.