Flora Springs 2022 Rosé Featured in Forbes Magazine

August 16, 2023

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

Featured in Forbes Magazine Rose Feature | Flora Springs Winery Napa Valley

 

“Think Pink: Barbie Would Approve of a Picnic of Tinned Fish and Rosé”
By Jeanne O’Brien Coffey

Pink wine. Lush orangey-pink salmon spread. How could you go wrong?

Everyone else is tying into the Barbie juggernaut, so why can’t I? Tinned fish is so versatile — in Sauternes, France, they mix sardines with cream cheese and serve it on crackers paired with Sauternes wine, naturally. For that combination, choose a young bright one, with less of the sweet intensity of an aged bottle.

We are in our pink era. So, let’s talk rosé. I’m always singing the praises of rosé as a wine that goes with everything year-round — and honestly, most Provencal rosés are custom-made to pair with fish.

The more berry-cherry offerings from other parts of the world, made with different varietals, can be a bit trickier, but there’s likely a tinned fish for every rosé. Toss a couple cans into a beach bag with some fancy crackers or a loaf of French bread — maybe some smoked olives and some sliced in-season cucumbers—and you have a perfect meal in no time that travels anywhere.

Flora Springs 2022 Rosé and smoked salmon: This cherry-fruit-forward rosé ($32), made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Vermentino grapes, is sustainably-farmed in Napa Valley. The big fruit flavors make it a perfect pairing with luscious (and trendy) Fishwife smoked salmon.

Fleurs de Prairie with Sardines: This lovely subtle rosé from the Languedoc ($20), with its lightly pineapple nose and dry minerally strawberry palate, is a good pairing with rich, oily Siesta Co. sardines. Made mainly with Grenache Noir and Syrah, it’s got good structure, yet even adding a squeeze of lemon to tame the oiliness of the fish, the acidity of the wine doesn’t overwhelm. And of course it’s a brilliant way to get your Omega-3s.

Proxies Non-Alcohol canned Sparkling Rosé and vegan tinned fish: While Proxies’ bone dry, limited edition beverage ($30/six-pack), made from a blend of Riesling juice and strawberries with white tea and lime zest, would totally pair with actual fish, it seems fun to serve a wine-substitute with a fish substitute — and the Mushroom Snow Crab from Seed to Surf totally fills the bill, with its sweet-savory profile. The rosé is crushable— luscious bright berry flavors and a hit of citrus balanced with good mouthfeel and a savory finish.

Beau Joie Rose Champagne and caviar: Caviar counts as tinned fish, right? Although you do need to keep it in a cooler rather than pell-mell in your beach bag. If you add this gorgeous bottle ($130), encased in woven copper and made from a 50 percent Pinot Noir and 50 percent Chardonnay blend, heads are guaranteed to turn. Bubbles in general are palate-cleansing and food friendly, so it’s no great surprise that these are a tasty combination.

Priest Ranch Sparkling Rose and uni: This fruity/peachy wine ($60), made from 100 percent syrah grapes, is less restrained than the Beau Joie, and might stand up better to some of the stronger tinned fish — I could see it being very nice with smoked mussels. Or Priest Ranch Estate Chef Dan Solomon suggests La Brujula sea urchin would be a nice complement — rich and buttery with a deep-sea flavor. If you’re feeling fancy, chef says sea urchin is best chilled, and served on warm brioche toast with a squeeze of lemon and fresh herbs (top with caviar to really gild the lily).

Flora Springs Rosé

Our 2022 Napa Valley Rosé is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Vermentino grapes and is made the wine using a classic technique known as Saignée. Once the handpicked grapes arrived at the winery, we whole-cluster pressed the fruit, removing the juice from the grape skins quickly in order to preserve freshness and imbue the wine with a lovely, light pink color. Learn more about this wine.

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.

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.

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 45th Anniversary Celebration

March 3, 2023

“How time flies when you are making and drinking great wines along with the wonderful people we have met on this journey. From day one to present the most important elements of the business are the friends you make along the way, the food you eat and the wine you drink. In 45 years this has remained the same.” —John Komes

Take a walk “Through the Decades” with us, as we celebrate our 45th year of winemaking. A Flora Springs celebration not to be missed. John and Nat Komes look forward to welcoming you to the beautifully reimagined space that is our St. Helena Tasting Room.

 

This event is Sold Out, please contact us for waitlist.

The afternoon of Saturday, September 23rd 4:30pm
for a celebration of
Flora Springs “Through the Decades”

Indulge in delicious cuisine exquisitely paired with specially selected vintages
representing our finest wines made over the past 45 years, and live music
Refined Wine Country attire is recommended

Contact Madeline for more information and accommodation options by email or call her at (707) 967-6724

“Our family has been crafting wine for 45 years,
and we are honored to have your support on this journey.
We wish to thank you for your continued loyalty and we
look forward to seeing you at this celebration” — Nat Komes

Wine Club Member Appreciation Holiday Party

March 3, 2023

Exclusively for Wine Club Members!

We’re decking the halls and spreading the cheer this season with a special Member Appreciation Holiday Party! Flora Springs Wine Club members know how much we love the holidays, the most magical time of the year.

1pm-4pm Saturday, December 9 at our Tasting Room in St. Helena.

This event is sold out. To join the waitlist, call (800) 913-1118 or wineclub@florasprings.com by November 15.

Please contact Wine Club Manager Madeline Nossiter at wineclub@florasprings.com with any questions.

Learn more about the many benefits of Wine Club membership.

Wine Club Member Appreciation Spring Party — SOLD OUT!

March 3, 2023

This event is sold out, please contact us at wineclub@florasprings.com to be added to the wait list.

Exclusively for Wine Club Members

Join us on Sunday, May 21 from 1 – 4 pm for our Wine Club Member Appreciation Spring Party at our Tasting Room in St. Helena.

Enjoy live music by Campbell’s Jazz Soup Dixieland Quartet, catering by Tarla Mediterranean Kitchen, and wines including our flagship red Trilogy and flagship white Soliloquy plus rare wines from our library.

Experience our new outdoor space; John Komes, whose career began in construction, has reimagined the back patio with new landscaping, a hand-laid mosaic that pays tribute to our matriarch, Flora Komes, and other unique features. We can’t wait to show you!

Complimentary for one Wine Club Member + one guest, up to two additional tickets can be purchased at $50/each. Only 100 spots available.

Please contact Wine Club Manager Madeline Nossiter at (800) 913-1118 or wineclub@florasprings.com with any questions.

Learn more about the many benefits of Wine Club membership.

Trilogy Library Tasting Flight at the Tasting Room

January 10, 2023

Because the 2020 wildfires precluded us from making our flagship wine in 2020, we are sharing exceptional library vintages of Trilogy through February — the month we traditionally release this wine.

Experience the difference vintage makes and enjoy a taste of history.

Make a reservation for our Trilogy Library Tasting Flight — featuring a special selection of library wines, a vertical of Trilogy from 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019 — complimentary for Wine Club Members.

Flora Springs 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.

Wine Tasting in St. Helena

We welcome you to Napa Valley for wine tasting while enjoying views of flourishing vineyards and the western hillsides. Wine tastings are currently by reservation only. Space fills quickly, make your reservations today.

Can’t make it to Napa Valley this February?

Take advantage of special pricing on our Trilogy Library 4-Pack and celebrate Trilogy at home. Shop now before library pricing goes into effect.

Flora Springs Named “Best Hidden Gem Winery” by Napa Valley Life Magazine

February 24, 2022

Note: The article excerpted below was originally published in Napa Valley Life Magazine and can be found here.

Flora Springs Tasting Room - Rooftop Lounge

“Each year, Napa Valley Life pauses to recognize and celebrate the area’s bounties by asking our readers to weigh in on their favorite places to eat, drink, shop, and play, and we have the privilege to present them in our annual Best of Napa Valley-Readers Choice Awards. Well, folks, the results are in! After calculating thousands of votes and write-in entries, we are pleased to share and congratulate this year’s winners in each polling category.

We hope you enjoy reading the results and take the time to congratulate the ones you know and make a point to discover the ones you don’t.”

Flora Springs Named “Best Hidden Gem Winery” in Napa Valley Life Magazine’s 2022 Best of Napa Valley Awards Readers Choice

“Founded in 1978 by John and Julie Komes and named after their free-spirited mother, Flora, Flora Springs history dates back to the late 1800s when grapes were first planted on the estate. 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.”

Flora Springs Tasting Room - Vineayrd CourtyardVisit Our Tasting Room in St. Helena

We welcome you to Napa Valley for wine tasting while enjoying views of flourishing vineyards and the western hillsides. Wine tastings are currently by reservation only. Space fills quickly, make your reservations today.

A Wine Like No Other

December 16, 2021

The year 2018 marked our 40th harvest at Flora Springs, a milestone we commemorate with this special bottling of single vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Celebrating Our 40th Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon.

Flora Komes, Harvest 1978, Napa Valley
Flora Komes Working the First Flora Springs Harvest in 1978

 

“Flora Dispensing Her Favours on the Earth”

“Flora Dispensing Her Favours on the Earth” originally appeared in an 1807 book on botany by Robert John Thornton. The print now resides in the digital collection of the New York Public Library.

The label is a reproduction of a print titled “Flora Dispensing Her Favours on the Earth,” created by the artist Richard Cosway in 1807. Nat Komes came across the illustration in a book given to his grandmother, Flora Komes, many years ago. “I immediately looked up the origin of this image, which captures my grandmother’s spirit so completely,” says Nat. Moved by this timeless image and Flora’s oft heard saying, “Love the land and it will love you back,” Nat decided to use this illustration on the wine that celebrates his family’s 40 years of farming the land.

“Flora Dispensing Her Favours on the Earth,”Art
The “Flora Dispensing Her Favours on the Earth” Print Nat Found in His Grandmother Flora’s Book
The Original “Flora Dispensing Her Favours on the Earth" - Now in the Digital Collection of the New York Public Library
The Original “Flora Dispensing Her Favours on the Earth” – Now in the Digital Collection of the New York Public Library

 

2018 Celebrating Our 40th Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon

The Wine

An excellent vintage in 2018 yielded a big, concentrated wine with forward flavors of black cherry, blueberry, and crème de cassis that coat the mouth in luscious blue/black fruit. Hints of coffee, dense dark chocolate and sandalwood emerge in this layered and complex Cabernet, and though muscular and powerful, the wine’s silky-smooth tannins keep it approachable even in its youth. Still, this wine will reward aging for the next 20 years and should be decanted if opened within the next five. This highly collectible wine is like no other, the last Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon to be sourced from Rennie Vineyard on our former St. Helena wine estate.

2018 elebrating Our 40th Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2018 Napa Valley Harvest

2018 brought a long, steady and near-ideal growing season to Napa Valley. Bud break began in late February/early March followed by an extended flowering period in May/June that yielded uniform grape clusters. The summer continued with typical warm temperatures but no significant heat spikes. Harvest was later than in recent years, accompanied by mild weather through September and October that allowed grapes to be picked at optimum ripeness and flavor. Napa winemakers agreed that 2018 was one of the least eventful and finest growing seasons they’d witnessed, yielding wines of intensity, concentration and balance.

Learn more about this one of a kind wine.

Flora Springs Tasting Room Featured in Napa Valley Register

September 25, 2021

Note: The article excerpted below was originally published in the Napa Valley Register and can be found here.

“…Ten miles northwest is the also-eccentric tasting room for Flora Springs, which emulates the cave style of Jarvis with the asymmetry and playful nature of Quixote. Right alongside Highway 29 at the gateway to St. Helena, Flora Springs certainly grabs the attention of those driving by. A striped mound-shape, the tasting room differs significantly from the surrounding bistros and minimalist exteriors.

“We wanted the building to feel like the entrance to a wine cave built into a mountainside, so we used bent plywood to give the structure its curvature and painted the outside to represent the natural geologic striations of the earth,” said founder John Komes. “The name Flora Springs combines the name of Flora Komes, my mother and our matriarch, with the natural springs that run in the western hillsides, so we wanted to capture the natural energy of the springs as well.”

Komes has a background in construction, so he wasn’t too hung up with the building process and was sure to incorporate a laid-back meeting space outside on the backside of the facility.

“Beautiful wine caves have and always will be a draw for guests to the Napa Valley, so it’s nice to be able to offer a sense of that with our tasting room, but our outdoor patio and rooftop deck have a different sensibility,” said Komes….” Read more.

Napa Valley Wine Tasting in St. Helena

We invite you to our Napa Valley Tasting Room for wine tasting while enjoying views of flourishing vineyards and the western hillsides. Plan your Napa Valley getaway and experience the Flora Springs Tasting Room, named “Best Hidden Gem Winery” in Napa Valley Life Magazine annual 2020 Best of Napa Valley Readers Choice Awards.

Wine Tasting in St Helena

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