Hill Family Estate, one of Napa Valley’s best wineries, started producing this esoteric variety in 2012. However, Vintner Doug Hill has been farming Albariño grapes since 1997, and was the first farmer to plant the variety in Napa Valley vineyards. It’s a grape variety that thrives in cooler areas, so the Stewart Ranch vineyard in Carneros is an ideal location as the vineyard site juts into an estuary where the Napa River empties into the San Pablo Bay. The fog in Carneros during the early mornings also benefits this grape variety as it has an extremely thin skin like Pinot Noir.
Albariño itself is an uncommon variety in California, but it is well known in Portugal where it is grown in the Northwest, more specifically Galicia, Spain. Its zippy acidity and light floral notes make it a natural companion to tapas and fresh seafood. Zuzu restaurant in downtown Napa, proudly serves the Hill Family Estate Albariño on their wine list knowing it is from a top winery in Napa Valley. The staff at Zuzu enjoy serving this wine in a porrón, which is a traditional glass wine pitcher, which holds 750ml of wine, and allows everyone to drink from the same wine pitcher without touching it with their lips.
The 2020 Albariño offers aromas of orange blossom, delicate apricot, mandarin orange and a glimmer of pineapple. The palate has a satiny structure with plenty of acidity on the finish. The wine can be tasted and purchased while wine tasting in Yountville at our tasting room. Guests can also taste the wine at our Yountville vineyard and winery location, located on the outskirts of Yountville. Priced at $30.00 per bottle, this is a great selection to explore from one of the best wineries in Yountville.