Joseph Phelps Vineyards is an independent estate winery located on a knoll overlooking bucolic Spring Valley just outside of St. Helena. The graceful redwood winery overlooks vineyard-studded hills and the lush valley floor that produce richly flavored Bordeaux and Burgundian varietals.

The winery is dominated by a massive wisteria-covered trellis made from
100-year-old recycled bridge timbers. From the tree-shaded back terrace, visitors are offered a spectacular view of Spring Valley, St. Helena, and the Mayacamas Mountains to the west.

The tasting experience at Joseph Phelps requires an appointment for one of the in-depth tasting programs. There is a general wine-appreciation seminar and two separate blending seminars that test your skills as winemaker. An olfactory sensory program challenges your aroma-identity ability. A new barrel seminar focuses on the role the barrel plays in winemaking, and a history seminar on the terroir of their flagship Insignia wine is also available. Fees for these programs are $30, but they are free for wine club members. (An extensive -- and filling --
wine-and-food-pairing class is offered to club members only.)

Varietals produced at Phelps include Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Insignia (their Bordeaux luxury blend), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, several Rhône-style wines, and a dessert wine made from Scheurebe grapes, which are a cross between Riesling and Sylvaner.

Joseph Phelps owns extensive tracts of biodynamically farmed vineyards in the Oakville, Rutherford, Sonoma Coast, Monterey and St. Helena areas.