October 9, 2023
As they say, like father like son, and Nat Komes loves to explore the world just as much as his dad, John. Sail away with Nat and Anne Komes starting in the dazzling city of Tokyo to multi-sensory
immersions in the port cities of Japan and South Korea aboard the Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ elegantly refreshed Seven Seas Voyager.
We will begin our adventure in Tokyo, Japan’s capital and largest city. This hyper-modern city showcases today’s and tomorrow’s technology, yet maintains traditions of the past such as the Imperial Palace and the Meiji Shrine nestled in a lush forest within the city. In Hiroshima, stroll the 1.3 million sq. ft. Peace Memorial Park. Japan’s old imperial capital, Kyoto, boasts ancient, yet breathtaking, temples and shrines. And a visit to Busan, South Korea’s second largest city, promises to not disappoint with scenic cliffs, exceptional beaches and temples high up in the mountains.
If you’ve been on a Komes-hosted cruise in the past, you know this is a not-to-be-missed experience of a lifetime. Every luxury is included, details below. Please invite your friends and family to join us!
Seven Seas Voyager
Fresh from her complete and total refurbishment, the Seven Seas Voyager now boasts a refreshed elegant style in her restaurants and lounges, as well as luxurious new décor across her 340 suites. And with 455 international crew on board, personal service is exceedingly indulgent throughout. Among her four dining options that allow guests to savor meals whenever and with whomever, Seven Seas Voyager features the modern French restaurant Chartreuse and the largest specialty restaurant at sea Compass Rose with its brand new menu.
The Regent Experience: Every Luxury Included
– Special Restricted Business Class Air Add-on offer of $5,700 per person
– Multiple Dining Options including 24-hour room service
– Dynamic Theatrical Productions and Destination Experts
– Included 1-night pre-cruise hotel package* in Concierge Suites and higher
– Included Shore Excursions
– Included Unlimited Beverages including Fine Wines and Premium Spirits
– Included Open Bars and Lounges PLUS In-Suite Mini-Bar Replenished Daily
– Included Pre-Paid Gratuities
– Included Specialty Restaurants
– Included Unlimited WiFi
Our Wine Club Members and friends will enjoy many exclusive experiences and events:
– $400 per Suite Onboard Credit
– Exclusive Wine Events hosted by Flora Springs
– This event is selling out – reserve your place now before the ship sells out.
See pricing and more details. All bookings must be made though Alamo World Travel. For more information and reservations, contact info@alamoworld.com or (800) 848-8747.
*See terms & conditions
August 16, 2023
Note: The article excerpted below was originally published in Forbes Magazine and can be found here.
“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).
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.
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
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.
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.
July 7, 2023
Note: The article excerpted below was originally published in Luxe Beat Magazine and can be found here.
“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.
After farming our Napa Valley vineyards for over 40 years — we know how it’s done. Learn more about our wines.
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
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.
April 29, 2023
Back in the days when John Komes was selling our first Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons, he loved 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. On this National Cabernet Day, we invite you to enjoy one of our Flora Spring’s 2020 Out Of Sight Cabernet Sauvignon with a tri-tip steak with friends for the ultimate celebration. Read more.
Flora Springs Single Vineyard Cabernets
Single Vineyard Cabernets from Napa Valley were quite rare. But John Komes recognized there was something special about a group of vines – Block J – located behind his home on the northwestern edge of the Rutherford appellation. Rather than blending he kept these wine lots separate and bottled less than 50 cases on their own, beginning a tradition we’ve held to ever since. Shop Single Vineyard Cabernets.
April 29, 2023
National Red Wine Day is a celebration of the many varieties and diverse range of red wines.
We are proud to say that after over 40 years of winemaking, Flora Springs is still breaking new ground as one of the few Napa Valley wineries to produce a wide array of red wines, including several Cabernet Sauvignons, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sangiovese, and our proprietary red blends Poggio Del Papa and flagship wine Trilogy. See our wine portfolio.
April 29, 2023
After more than forty years of crafting world-renowned wines, the Flora Springs name has become synonymous with perfectly balanced Napa Valley white wines.
The legacy began when our inaugural vintage in 1978, when our Napa Valley Chardonnay was awarded a gold medal at the Los Angeles County Fair. A few years later our status of gold was bronzed when James Laube selected Flora Springs as one of his “First Growth” producers of Chardonnay in his book California’s Great Chardonnays. We now proudly craft Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, and our flagship white wine Soliloquy.
April 4, 2023
Note: The article excerpted below was originally published in Food & Wine and can be found here.
“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.
Truly elegant and powerful wines, that reflect the place from which they originate. Learn more.
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.
March 9, 2023
Let’s #RoséAllDay! Join the 10th Annual Celebration of Rosé.
Rosé is so popular for a reason — it’s lovely! Join us in celebrating pink wine and the start of summertime.
Our 2022 Napa Valley Rosé is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Vermentino grapes grown in sustainably-farmed Napa Valley vineyards. We made the wine using a classic technique known as Saignée or Bleeding. Learn more about this wine.
“A spectacular rosé from Napa Valley that’s also sustainably farmed. Sangiovese, Merlot, and Malbec grapes are used in a classic technique called Saignée aka bleeding to produce this wine. The notes of strawberries, white peach, and melon are prominent with accents of scented rose making it the perfect poolside sip.” Read more.
—Abby Stern, The Zoe Report
February 28, 2023
Note: The article excerpted below was originally published in Robb Report and can be found here.
“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.
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.