Squirreled away in a stunning Calistoga canyon, the family-owned, family-run
Kelly Fleming Winery has recently opened the doors to a charming Tuscan style winery. Though Fleming's first vintage was in 2002, the full-scale winery was completed in the fall of 2010. Exuding a classy, understated elegance that mirrors both Kelly and her wines, the new boutique winery is home to 7,000 square feet of wine caves, a dazzling professional kitchen and a lovely seated tasting room that could have been plucked from a page of
Architectural Digest.
With only three full-time employees, including Kelly, her daughter Colleen and her assistant winemaker, Becky George, the Kelly Fleming winery is turning out a stunning Sauvignon Blanc and a remarkable small lot Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon crafted from 100% organic, estate grown vines. Celia Welch, one of Napa's most sought after winemakers, offers hands-on expertise and vivid direction as consulting winemaker for Kelly Fleming Wines. Together the team is producing outstanding wines on the wings of four very capable women.
In this industry, "family-owned" can quickly become cliché and yet I don't know that I've seen a more intentional family-integrated operation in the area. This radiant, boutique winery is family-owned and operated in every sense of the term. With Kelly herself steering the project from dirt to dynamite - she started planting vines to Cab in 1999 and was just as enthusiastic when it came to dynamiting her wine caves nearly a decade later. Her daughter Colleen wears a variety of operational hats as well - from handling communications and PR to leading tastings, tours and helping with harvest and bottling projects. They've formed a dynamic mother-daughter team that places a premium on giving an elegant voice to world-class Calistoga Cabernet.
Wines to Try at Kelly Fleming Wines
Kelly Fleming Sauvignon Blanc 2010 ($30) - Bright aromatics are ushered into the mix by fresh-picked honeysuckle and juicy pineapple, along with the crisp flavors of d'Anjou pear, a second debut of pineapple and a final brush of well-honed acidity, doing its part to create a wine of phenomenal balance. (530 cases)
Kelly Fleming Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ($90) - With all estate grown, organic fruit as the foundation, this full-bodied '07 Kelly Fleming Cab brings dark berry fruit to the forefront, with dominating dark cherry, raspberry and blackberry themes playing in concert and cocoa nuances dancing in between. New French oak imparts delicious vanilla and clove to the ongoing elegance of this well integrated Calistoga Cab. (700 cases)
Many folks are searching for an extraordinary, boutique winery gem in the Napa Valley, often a small lot winery that offers exceptional wines off the beaten track. The Kelly Fleming Winery fits that bill and more - with gorgeous grounds, exclusive premium wines and hard-to-beat hospitality. This is Napa's latest jewel, tucked back in the southeast corner of the Calistoga AVA, the winery itself is enshrouded by the rustic walls of a private, wooded canyon, just off of the Silverado Trail.
Visit Kelly Fleming Wines
The tours and wine tastings are led by proprietor Kelly Fleming, her daughter Colleen or assistant winemaker, Becky George.
Tastings and tours by appointment only, Monday thru Saturday from 10-4 p.m.
Tasting Fee: $30 per person
Kelly Fleming Wine
2339 Pickett Rd.
Calistoga, CA 94515
Phone: 707.942.6849
Website: www.kellyflemingwines.com
Email: Colleen@kellyflemingwines.com
