August 31, 2023
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
Join our Wine Club to ensure an annual allocation of these limited, popular releases. Learn more about the many benefits of membership.
August 3, 2023
Halloween is always a cause for celebration at Flora Springs, and all year long we look forward to releasing our Halloween Wines.
For 14 spooky seasons 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, as with our 2021 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc, a favorite label is sold out upon release.
12 pm – 10 pm
Wilfred’s Lounge
967 First Street, Downtown Napa
Get in the spooky spirit and kick off Halloween island-style with live music at our “Cocktails & Costumes” party at Wilfred’s Lounge in Napa. The event will feature a Halloween drink served in a festive mug. We invite Wine Club Members, locals, and friends to come and taste this one-of-a-kind new release.
Reservations for lunch and dinner are recommended. Plan to stay awhile. Warm vibes, island hospitality, and tiki cocktails and cuisine await…Costumes are encouraged!
Napa’s first and only tiki bar, the inspiration behind Wilfred’s Lounge lies with longtime Napa Valley family John & Nat Komes that brought you Flora Springs Winery. Our family’s take on a modern tiki bar is a layered experience that takes our passion for the beauty of Hawaii, the heritage of our vineyard and wine family, and an inspiring combination of food and beverage — that will take you on a journey you never expected, the way Uncle Wilfred would have imagined it. We’ve taken our roots and given them a twist to create a watering hole where both locals and visitors alike can experience the same touch of warm hospitality we’ve cultivated for over 40 years in Napa Valley. Learn more.
October 15, 2022
by Nat Komes, Flora Springs General Manager
When our family founded Flora Springs in the late 1970s, harvest was a family affair, with relatives and friends joining us from around the Bay Area to help us pick grapes over a couple of weekends.
As our vineyard holdings grew, we hired a full-time vineyard crew to help with harvest, though we still reserved a few rows for our family. In the early 1980s, everyone in Napa Valley picked during daylight, starting after sunrise and finishing up in the afternoon.
But our family came up with a better idea: why not pick the grapes at night when it’s nice and cool, and deliver them to the winery first thing in the morning for processing? It would be more comfortable for the harvest crew, and the fruit would better retain its acid and structure.
We jerry-rigged some lighting on a tractor and gave it a try, and quickly concluded it was a better way to go. Today, of course, nearly every winery in Napa Valley harvests at night; it results in superior fruit and happier vineyard crews.
This year we’re celebrating the fact that Flora Springs was among the first to implement night picking with a one-of-a-kind label created for our 2020 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc label. I worked with comic book illustrator, graphic novelist and digital comics pioneer, Steve Ellis, who developed one of my favorite labels to date. 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. As I mentioned, harvesting at night keeps the grapes and pickers cool, but it may also attract the attention of these fierce creatures of the night!
October 1, 2022
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.
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!
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.
Join our Wine Club to ensure an annual allocation of these limited, popular releases. Learn more about the many benefits of membership.
September 27, 2022
Halloween is always a cause for celebration at Flora Springs, and all year long we look forward to releasing our Halloween Wines.
For 13 spooky seasons 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, as with our 2020 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc, a favorite label is sold out upon release.
12 pm – 11 pm
Wilfred’s Lounge
967 First Street, Downtown Napa
We invite Wine Club Members, locals, and friends to come and taste this one-of-a-kind new release and kick off the Halloween weekend at Wilfred’s Lounge in Downtown Napa. The 2020 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc is sold out, but we’ve held some in reserve exclusively for this event — very limited availability.
Reservations for lunch and dinner are recommended. Plan to stay awhile. Warm vibes, island hospitality, and tiki cocktails and cuisine await…Costumes encouraged!
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wilfred’s Lounge
967 First Street, Downtown Napa
The Greasy Gills, the creatures from Oakland, will be playing instrumental twangy rock ‘n roll from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm. To guarantee a table during the live music, make reservations for dinner. Seating at the bar is first-come, first-served.
Napa’s first and only tiki bar, the inspiration behind Wilfred’s Lounge lies with longtime Napa Valley family John & Nat Komes that brought you Flora Springs Winery. Our family’s take on a modern tiki bar is a layered experience that takes our passion for the beauty of Hawaii, the heritage of our vineyard and wine family, and an inspiring combination of food and beverage — that will take you on a journey you never expected, the way Uncle Wilfred would have imagined it. We’ve taken our roots and given them a twist to create a watering hole where both locals and visitors alike can experience the same touch of warm hospitality we’ve cultivated for over 40 years in Napa Valley. Learn more.
June 30, 2022
Join the 8th Annual Online Celebration of Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is often considered a blending grape, but after farming a small block near John Komes’ home on the Rutherford side of the Komes Ranch for decades now, we know this grape can produce a luscious, smooth and rich wine that stands on its own.
For ten years now, Flora Springs General Manager Nat Komes has paid tribute to our ghostly history by producing special limited-edition, one-of-a-kind Halloween wine bottles for our Wine Club and Mailing List Members, one of which is a Cabernet Franc named All Hallows’ Eve. Some years a favorite label is sold out upon release.
Cabernet Franc Day
How to participate:
- Join us online December 4. We’ll be talking about Cabernet Franc all day.
- Follow us on your favorite social site: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
- Enter to win: Tweet or Instagram with us on December 4 using hashtags #CabernetFrancDay or #CabFrancDay and @florasprings in your tweets/posts.
- We will pick one lucky Flora Springs fan to win a Flora Springs prize pack.*
Our Halloween wines from Napa Valley are some of Flora Springs’ most anticipated annual releases. Learn more about our Wine Clubs to ensure an allocation of these limited, popular seasonal releases.
*Must be 21+ to enter. Void where prohibited. Wine will not be included in prize pack. Chance of winning depends on number of entries.
October 10, 2021
Halloween is always a cause for celebration at Flora Springs. After all, with one of the few remaining Napa Valley Ghost Wineries in Napa Valley, we are constantly reminded that there are phantoms and spirits who walked here before us. For the last decade we’ve paid tribute to our ghostly history by producing special Halloween wine bottles, which have become some of our most anticipated and highly sought after annual releases.
Whether you’re fully ready to get your spooky on with all of your friends or just looking to amp up a chill hang, we worked some magic to round up a few tips to conjure up a spooktacular Halloween.
At-Home Halloween Party Inspiration
1) Cast Your Spell With These Bewitching Halloween Wines
Treat yourself and your guests with our one-of-a-kind Halloween-themed labels. Order early, as these limited-edition wines sell out quickly—plus, shipping may take longer this year. See this year’s spooky selections.
“With Halloween fast approaching, treat yourself to special bottles from Flora Springs. This iconic Napa Valley winery celebrates every Halloween with flair. This collectable bottle changes annually, but for each Halloween-themed label the winery’s General Manager, Nat Komes, collaborates with a variety of artists. Marc Sasso, an artist from New York known for comics, skateboards, and album covers, designed this “witches at a party” label. The sumptuously sleek wine inside is made with Cabernet Franc (the Good Witch of red grape varieties). It showcases dark berry fruit, mineral notes, and a supple texture for a serious wine with a whimsical touch.” Read more. —Leslie Sbrocco, San Francisco Bay Times
2) Impress With Jack-o-Lantern Baked Brie by The Okayest Moms
Easy to make, fun, and delicious—the perfect appetizer! Find the recipe here.
3) Serve Up Pumpkin Cacio e Pepe by My Diary of Us
A seasonally-inspired twist on a favorite pasta dish that’s cozy and hearty, find the recipe here.
4) Decorate Sustainably and On a Budget
Look around your house and repurpose your succulents, houseplants or other decor to create a festive setting.
5) Experiment With a Different Color Palette
Look to unique sources—like our 2019 All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc label—and go beyond orange and black.
6) Make Your Photos Insta-Worthy
Wow your followers with an epic photo of your Halloween celebration featuring a surprise smoke bomb, just like @wishesandwine.
Or, dress all in black and find a gorgeous background like @napavalleytip.
What ideas do you have in your bag of tricks? Share your Halloween photos with us on Instagram—tag @florasprings and use #florasprings. We’ll share the best of the bunch and one lucky Flora Springs fan will 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.
August 30, 2021
Join the 7th Annual Online Celebration of Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is often considered a blending grape, but after farming a small block near John Komes’ home on the Rutherford side of the Komes Ranch for decades now, we know this grape can produce a luscious, smooth and rich wine that stands on its own.
For the past seven years, Nat Komes has delighted in creating a limited-edition, one-of-a-kind Halloween Wine, a Cabernet Franc named All Hallows’ Eve.
Cabernet Franc Day
How to participate:
- Join us online December 4. We’ll be talking about Cab Franc all day.
- Follow us on your favorite social site: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
- Enter to win: Tweet or Instagram with us on December 4th using hashtags #CabernetFrancDay or #CabFrancDay and @florasprings in your tweets/posts.
- We will pick one lucky Flora Springs fan to win a Flora Springs prize pack.*
Our Halloween wines from Napa Valley are some of Flora Springs’ most anticipated annual releases. Learn more about our Wine Clubs to ensure an allocation of these limited, popular seasonal releases.
*Must be 21+ to enter. Void where prohibited. Wine will not be included in prize pack. Chance of winning depends on number of entries.
September 6, 2020
Join the 6th Annual Online Celebration of Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is often considered a blending grape, but after farming a small block near John Komes’ home on the Rutherford side of the Komes Ranch for decades now, we know this grape can produce a luscious, smooth and rich wine that stands on its own.
For the past six years, Nat Komes has delighted in creating a limited-edition, one-of-a-kind Halloween Wine, a Cabernet Franc named All Hallows’ Eve.
How to participate:
- Join us online December 4. We’ll be talking about Cab Franc all day.
- Follow us on your favorite social site: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
- Enter to win: Tweet or Instagram with us on December 4th using hashtag #CabFrancDay and @florasprings in your tweets/posts.
- We will pick one lucky Flora Springs fan to 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.
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
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.