It’s hard for a winery to stand out amid the standouts of Napa Valley — so many producers have storied pedigrees, notable owners, and award-winning vintages. But few combine all their disparate elements as smoothly as Bouchaine Vineyards. It’s the closest Napa winery to San Francisco, but it would be worth a far longer journey. That’s because for all the seriousness that has gone into the endeavor, they’ve never lost sight of the fact that wine is meant to be a source of deep pleasure and camaraderie. As co-owner Tatiana Copeland says, their motto is “Wine makes you happy.”
THE LOCATION
Bouchaine Vineyards is the oldest, continuously operating winery in the Carneros AVA (American Viticultural Area), which occupies the southern tip of Napa Valley, as well as part of Sonoma County. It’s only about an hour and a half from San Francisco, which is one reason that it regularly appears in prominent wine tourism guides.
Los Carneros is known as a beautiful area of low-lying hills, which is often made moody by the cool fog and breezes from San Pablo Bay to the south. Its microclimate makes it attractive for the cultivation of cool climate grapes like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as the grapes that are used for sparkling wines.
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THE HISTORY
That “oldest continually operating” designation means a lot. Bouchaine Vineyards began life in the 1880s, when Missouri-born settler Quincy Boonfly planted grapes and fruit trees on the property. The vines kept producing even as the property changed hands a few more times, being sold to Italian winemaker Johnny Garetto in 1927 and then to Beringer in 1961.
But the winemaking giant lost interest in the buildings somewhere along the way, and after 20 years as storage facilities, the buildings had dilapidated to the point of fixer-upper status. That’s when Gerret and Tatiana Copeland acquired them, along with 30 acres of surrounding land. Ever since then, Tatiana — a great-niece of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff who was brought up on three continents and speaks five languages — and Gerret, a member of the du Pont family whose parents were founding members of the Delaware chapter of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, have poured their imaginations and passion into producing excellent wines and creating a wine country experience for visitors that’s a distillation of their extraordinary lives.
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THE WINES
While the Carneros AVA may be known for its award-winning Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the offerings at Bouchaine Vineyards are much broader. The estate now encompasses more than 100 acres of various elevations and sun exposures, allowing them to grow a great variety of grapes and bottle nearly two dozen references. Well over half of these have earned more than 90 points from Wine Spectator.
The majority of Bouchaine’s wines are reds, with special emphasis given to Pinot Noir, but there are also some novelties in the mix. There are unexpected cool climate whites, like Gewurztraminer, Reisling, and an Alsatian white blend; a fortified dessert wine that’s made in the style of port and named Tsarina in a nod to Tatiana’s Russian heritage; and a very au courant non-alcoholic rosé.
Their winemaker, Chris Kajani, is a proud Napa native who fell in love with European wine regions from an early age and has spent her viticultural career crafting worthy “California cousins” to the Burgundy wines that both she and the Copelands appreciate so deeply. After almost a decade at Bouchaine (after another decade spent elsewhere around the valley), she continues to operate by a simple philosophy: “Pick for flavor. Get serious about the details. Don’t take shortcuts. And above all, enjoy the wine.”
Along with the points and various accolades in the wine press, Bouchaine’s wines have enjoyed pride of place on some of the world’s most prestigious tables. They have been served at Versailles and at British royal galas.
Wine Spectator reported that the estate’s wines were served at a private celebration during the Jubilee that marked 70 years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth II (and noted that Tatiana has enjoyed a long friendship with the late Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, since the two were vacationing together on the Caribbean island of Mustique, where the Copelands own a luxurious villa). A year later, they were served again as part of the 75th birthday celebrations for King Charles III.
THE SUSTAINABILITY
Kajani likes to say that Bouchaine is committed to leaving a gentle imprint on the land, so that it can be enjoyed by future generations. The vineyards were the first in Napa Valley to be certified Fish Friendly, and they also hold the Napa Green Certification.
While they’re not out there harvesting barefoot in the light of the full moon, they are serious about putting practical sustainable farming methods into practice. The vineyards are full of cover crops such as clover, peas, and barley, which maintain the healthy balance of microbes in the soil and has the added benefit of being beautiful when flowering. They’ve made composting an integral part of the farm plan and devised low-impact ways to conserve and manage water.
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THE WINE TOURISM OFFERINGS
The points of the wine in the bottle and the sustainable bona fides of the land management practices are all well and good, but ultimately the soul of Bouchaine is the visitor experience. Here especially, they always remember that motto, that “Wine makes you happy.” (This is also true of the virtual wine tastings that they can arrange for groups who want to enjoy quality wine education without traveling to Napa Valley.)
No reservations are required (though they are always encouraged) for the most casual tasting, which includes four of Bouchaine’s limited production wines, served at relaxed picnic tables in the breezy garden, where children and well-behaved canine companions are welcome. A slightly more technical option, which must be booked ahead, is the terrace tasting, which makes use of an overlook that has 270-degree views over the vineyards and includes a guided journey through five of the estate-grown and small-production Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Both options are complimentary for members of the wine club.
Serious oenophiles can choose from even more specialized options. The Vine to Vessel experience takes guests into the heart of the cellar and gives them a chance to taste, discuss, and compare wines aged in concrete eggs, large French oak casks, acacia barrels, and clay amphorae. And a master class in pairing combines four types of artisanal cheese from around the globe with four Bouchaine wines, giving visitors insight into pairing philosophy, the terroir of cheese and wine, the vocabulary of cheese shopping, and the composition of showstopping cheese boards.
At the more playful end of the spectrum, master falconer Rebecca Rosen of Authentic Abatement offers weekly overviews of the pursuit in the estate’s garden. The experience includes interactions with her raptors, including hawks, owls, and falcons; an explanation of the role that falcons play in the grape harvest; and, of course, a glass of wine at the end.
Feature image courtesy of Bouchaine Vineyards. In partnership with Bouchaine Vineyards.
