When Ashes & Diamonds arrived on the scene nearly eight years ago, it was almost like an act of revolution. Deliberately foregoing the “faux Château” architecture and riper-is-better approach embraced by many wineries at the time, the Napa newcomer made a splash with its midcentury-inspired style and classically restrained wines.
The story
Kashy Khaledi spent most of his adult life working as a creative director in multimedia and advertising, including stints at Live Nation and Capitol Records, before turning his visionary talents to wine. The son of Darioush Winery founder Darioush Khaledi, he’d come to admire the new crop of California winemakers embracing organic and biodynamic farming practices, and he had a special love for Napa wines from the ‘60s and ‘70s. With Ashes & Diamonds, Khaledi set out to create modern-day renditions of the elegant, low-alcohol wines that filled his cellar. He opened the winery — named for the 1958 Polish film that inspired his life-altering career move — in 2017.
The vibe
By design, the Ashes & Diamonds winery looks like a stylish throwback to another era. Set along Highway 29, next to Don Giovanni, the place has a light and breezy aesthetic that’s more Palm Springs than typical Napa Valley. Los Angeles architect Barbara Bestor collaborated with Khaledi to conceive the boxy white building, with its wall-sized windows, zigzag roof and playful portholes. In contrast to his parents’ opulent winery up the road, inspired by the ancient city of Persepolis in the family’s native Iran, Ashes & Diamonds is all clean lines and minimalist decor.
Enter through the oversize yolk-yellow door and you’ll find an open space outfitted with curvy midcentury modern chairs and sofa seating. From its potted plants to its ‘70s playlists, everything is carefully curated to create a relaxed, lighthearted atmosphere. This makes the winery a magnet for a hip, younger crowd — though its style also feels comfortingly familiar to those of us who remember watching reruns of “The Brady Bunch” after school.
On the palate
Ashes & Diamonds wines are “classic California,” before oak and alcohol levels began creeping up. Taking a divide-and-conquer approach, the wines are crafted by a trio of winemakers: minimalist Steve Matthiasson, Diana Snowden Seysses, who makes wine in Burgundy as well as California, and sparkling wine innovator Micheal Cruse. The wines, which hail from the Ashes & Diamonds Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District as well as other sites in Napa and the Santa Cruz Mountains, are lower in alcohol than many Napa offerings, with less emphasis on new oak.
Try the chillable 2023 Rosa ($45), a deeply colored blend of Cab Franc and Sangiovese that tastes like a grown-up version of Hawaiian Punch — and I mean that as a compliment. I’m especially smitten by the 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc No. 8 ($80), which skillfully balances fruit and acidity for optimal food compatibility (looking at you, duck carnitas!).
Tastings range from $45 for a three-wine teaser of club-only wines to $175 for the excellent A&D Wines + Food family style lunch. This season’s menu features incredible housemade focaccia with mushroom butter, plus squash spaetzle, and chicken schnitzel with tahini rémoulade.
Beyond the bottle
Keep it low key with a post-tasting hang at Napa Yard at Oxbow Gardens. The dog-friendly beer garden along the Napa River was made for lawn games, tasty tacos and chilling around fire pits.
Ashes & Diamonds, 4130 Howard Lane, Napa. Open daily. ashesdiamonds.com
Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, HuffPost, and Sonoma magazine. Follow Tina on Twitter @winebroad, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.