Sabina Vineyards
Family-owned, small-production goodness
On the infamous St. Helena Highway, near Calistoga, sits Sabina Vineyards. Sabina is family-owned, started by David Sabina in 2002 when he moved from Chicago to Napa Valley. For 22 years, David has been making small-production wines. David creates the wines that he loves and shares them with his wine club and visitors.
When we arrived at Sabina Vineyards, we drove up the snaked driveway to the main house. At the top, we parked in the driveway and were greeted by a beautiful stone staircase curving up to the rest of the house, a view of Napa Valley, and a beautiful, giant wooden double door surrounded by vines.
Behind the double doors was the production room, along the walls were tanks for fermentation, and in the back were barrels slowly aging their wine. David walked us through his facility and told us about how Sabina focuses on small production (only 4,000 cases per year), and how he always saves some of his wine to experiment with. We continued the tour to the back room of the production floor to see his personal wine cellar and hear more about the history of Sabina Vineyards.
After the tour, David and his son, Ryan, walked us up the curved stone staircase, behind the house, along the pool, and sat us at the table on his outdoor patio. The table was lined with three bottles of wine, 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2013 Reserve Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, and a charcuterie platter of cheeses, meats, and nuts.
Tasting notes
The first wine we tasted was the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc. This wine was crisp, fruity, with a touch of minerality, and was perfect for the mid-summer afternoon. Next, we tasted the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon. Immediately you could feel the full body (heaviness on the tongue) of the Cab. The red fruit notes sang loudly with a hint of vanilla from the barrel aging. Lastly, we tried the 2013 Reserve Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was my favorite of the three. The soft, velvety feel of the tannins, the balance between fruity and earthy was perfect, and the finish was long and lingering. This wine tasted amazing and, with its long finish, stayed with you to enjoy, even after swallowing.
We sat with David and Ryan for three hours, trying their wines and talking about life. We talked about anything and everything we could possibly come up with. From wine to coffee, careers to retirement, and where wine passions started, all while sitting at a patio on the hillside of Napa, looking at the valley.
The sun began to slowly set and we parted ways (after some slightly tipsy group photos). We drove back down the snaked driveway with bellies full of wine and memories to last a lifetime.
We can’t recommend Sabina Vineyards enough and can’t wait to go back to see David and Ryan again!
If you are interested in an experience at Sabina Vineyards, reach out to us for our experience planning for your perfect Napa getaway.