A Couple of Tech Guys Opened Napa’s Cuvaison 55 Years Ago. It Keeps Getting Better

After more than 50 years in business, Cuvaison Winery keeps finding new ways to wow visitors.


Cuvaison has a long history in Los Carneros, predating the appellation itself. But that doesn’t mean the winery is stuck in the past. After more than 50 years in business, the Napa Valley winery keeps finding new ways to wow visitors.

The story

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A couple of Silicon Valley tech guys visit Napa Valley and decide to open a winery. That’s just what happened in 1969, when wine-smitten engineers Thomas Parkhill and Thomas Cottrell founded Cuvaison on a hillside property near Calistoga. The two Thomases sold the winery five years later to New York publisher Oakleigh Thorne, who then passed the baton to — are you ready for the twist? — a fourth-generation family of vintners based in Switzerland.

The Schmidheiny family recognized good vineyard land when they saw it. Soon after buying Cuvaison in 1979, they acquired 400 acres in Los Carneros as the focus for their new Chardonnay and Pinot Noir program. In 2009, the family built a modern winery and tasting room at the site.

Cuvaison Winery in Napa
Architect Douglas Thornley designed Cuvaison’s light-filled tasting room as an antidote to the dark, cellar-like wineries of the early 2000s. (Courtesy of Cuvaison Winery)
Sip wine overlooking the water at the new, open-air boathouse pavilions at Cuvaison Winery in Napa. (Courtesy of Cuvaison Winery)
Sip wine overlooking the water at the new, open-air boathouse pavilions at Cuvaison Winery in Napa. Cuvaison has just two boathouses, so reservation times fill up quickly. (Courtesy of Cuvaison Winery)

The vibe

Architect Douglas Thornley designed Cuvaison’s light-filled tasting room as an antidote to the dark, cellar-like atmosphere found at many wineries in the early 2000s. Outfitted with wall-size sliding glass doors that blur the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces, the contemporary venue presents panoramic views of the surrounding vineyards and hillsides. Cuvaison recently expanded its terrace tasting area and created two “boathouse” pavilions that extend out over a picturesque irrigation reservoir.

On the palate

Estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the focus here, but it’s also fun to explore Bordeaux-style wines from Cuvaison’s Brandlin Estate on Mount Veeder. I’m sometimes wary of barrel-aged Sauvignon Blanc, but the wines can be truly gorgeous when the oak isn’t allowed to eclipse the fruit. The 2022 Brandlin Sauvignon Blanc ($50) is a prime example. Oak aging adds body to the wine, yet it retains fresh notes of lime, grapefruit and green apple.

If you’re over big, oaky Chardonnays, you’ll dig the 2022 Cuvaison Méthode Béton Chardonnay ($70). It’s made in an egg-shaped concrete fermenter that adds texture to the wine while bringing out its mineral notes. (Translation: yum!) Be sure to try the bright and silky 2022 Cuvaison 90.1 Pinot Noir ($80), made from a single clone planted on the Carneros estate. Standard tastings range from $60 for the Estate Tasting to $85 for the Winemaker’s Tasting, which includes artisan cheese pairings.

Cuvaison Winery in Napa
Outside tasting area at Cuvaison Winery in Napa. (Courtesy of Cuvaison Winery)
Sip wine by the water at the new, open-air boathouse pavilions at Cuvaison Winery in Napa. (Courtesy of Cuvaison Winery)
Sip wine by the water at the new, open-air boathouse pavilions at Cuvaison Winery in Napa. Cuvaison has just two boathouses, so reservation times fill up quickly. (Courtesy of Cuvaison Winery)

Beyond the bottles

As stunning as the tasting room views are, it’s hard to beat the serenity of the new Boathouse Tasting Experience ($150 per person). The private tasting for two to six guests includes a visit to the winemaking facility and barrel cellar, followed by a golf cart tour of the vineyards with views of San Pablo Bay.

Next, it’s on to the boathouses to sample small- and micro-lot wines expertly paired with gourmet bites like fried olives and duck tostadas. Cantilevered over a scenic irrigation pond teeming with ducks, cranes, herons and even the occasional freshwater otter, the open-sided redwood and steel structures let you imagine you’re relaxing on your own private dock with lively bird chatter as a soundtrack. Cuvaison has just two boathouses, so reservation times fill up quickly. This experience runs year round, weather permitting.

Cuvaison, 1221 Duhig Road, Napa. Open daily by appointment. cuvaison.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.