For a winery that only makes about 16,000 cases each year, Bouchaine Vineyards has a lot going on. The Carneros winery makes an array of delicious, single-vineyard and single-clone Pinot Noirs, plus Chardonnay, aromatic white wines and more. With 20 different small-lot wines on the roster, this is definitely a something-for-every-palate situation. You’ll also find plenty to do at the winery, from lounging on the tasting room terrace to soaring with falcons.
The story
In the late 1800s, a pioneer named Boon Fly led a wagon train from his native Missouri to Carneros and planted the first grapes on the future Bouchaine Vineyards estate. By the time Gerret and Tatiana Copeland bought the property nearly 100 years later, the dilapidated winery buildings had seen better days. Used for two decades as a storage facility for Beringer Vineyards, the winery looked more like a slaughterhouse than a production facility for fine wines.
The Delaware-based couple had no experience planting vines or running a winery, but they did have a lifelong love of wine and plenty of resources. Gerret, a member of the du Pont family, had a successful career in finance while Tatiana focused on international business. Though Tatiana was born in Germany and grew up in Argentina, her Russian family heritage provided a pivotal connection to renowned Napa Valley winemaker André Tchelistcheff. He declared the site ideal for Pinot Noir, which was thrilling news to Gerret, who’d long dreamed of owning a Burgundy-style domaine.
In the decades to follow, the Copelands expanded Bouchaine — the name is a play on bouchon, the French word for cork — to 100 acres and renovated the old winery buildings. Among the estate’s 87 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards are 46 acres of Pinot Noir, plus Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Grigio, Riesling and Syrah.
The vibe
Just outside Bouchaine’s hilltop hospitality center is a message embedded in stone pavers that sets the tone for your visit: Wine Makes You Happy. Inside the glass-walled building, renovated in 2019 to include a 2,000-square-foot terrace, you’ll find an expansive, sunlit space with a u-shaped tasting bar. Sofas and armchairs encourage guests to relax on the terrace and drink in views of the winery, vineyards and the San Pablo Bay. A second outdoor tasting area, set below the terrace in the winery’s flower garden, is a casual, family-friendly spot for bring-your-own picnics.
On the palate
Winemaker Chris Kajani spent years making wine at Saintsbury before joining Bouchaine in 2015, so she knows her way around Pinot Noir. The 2022 Swan Clone Estate Pinot Noir ($70), one in a series of single-clone offerings, sits at the lighter end of the spectrum with delicate strawberry and cherry notes. For fans of crisp, aromatic whites, go for the 2023 Alsatian White Blend ($50), a floral, peachy melding of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Riesling. It’s not often you come across a stand-alone Pinot Meunier, so be sure to try the 2022 Estate Pinot Meunier ($72), with its savory-meets-berry profile.
Seated tastings range from $45 for the Garden Tasting to $75 for the Terrace Tasting. To explore how different winemaking vessels impact the wine in your glass, book the Vine to Vessel tasting ($120). You’ll step into the cellar to sample wines directly from large oak casks, concrete eggs, Acacia barrels, and both Italian and French clay amphorae.
Beyond the bottle
Bouchaine offers an array of interactive experiences, and one of the coolest is the Falconry in the Garden demonstration ($95). As part of its efforts to keep grape-eating birds at bay, a master falconer sends raptors into the vineyard to swoop in and scare the pests away. With a glass of wine in hand, visitors can meet the majestic falcons and watch them in action.
Bouchaine Vineyards, 1075 Buchli Station Road, Napa, 707-252-9065. Open daily, with reservations required for interactive experiences. bouchaine.com
Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel journalist who contributes to Sonoma magazine, SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, Northern California Public Media, KQED, and more. Follow her on Bluesky at @winebroad.bsky.social, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.