Barnett Vineyards

Winemaking and viticulture practices at Barnett Vineyards are influenced by the artisan craft of creating wines by hand. Due to the estate’s low yielding vineyard, it is critical to hand-harvest the vineyard vine-by-vine to ensure each cluster is picked at optimal ripeness. This manual work is additionally challenging on a 35º slope that is not conducive to any normal farm equipment.

To preserve the integrity of each individual vineyard block, the grapes are fermented separately in small batches. The “must” is punched down several times a day utilizing traditional techniques. This process maximizes the extended skin to juice contact providing added richness, flavor concentration, aromatics, and deep color extraction, while allowing the tannin levels to be micro-managed.

Only French oak barrels are used, with a preference to use between 65% and 100% new oak barrels and the balance being one to four year old barrels. The winemaking at Barnett Vineyards is undertaken with the utmost care and attention, assuring that the wines possess the ultimate fruit, complexity and well-balanced tannins necessary to age the wines for decades to come.

features

napa green

certified winery

climate smart

winery

wine

caves

renewable

energy

meet the team

Fiona and Hal Barnett | Proprietors

Fiona was born in the UK and raised in Mexico & Canada, before meeting her husband, Hal, and moving to California. Fiona earned her undergraduate degree from Simon Fraser University while also holding her masters degree in finance. Fiona’s deep appreciation and fondness for the Napa Valley, spurred her and Hal to cultivate forest atop Spring Mountain Road. She would spend the next 30+ years establishing and expanding what is now Barnett Vineyards. Her energy and deep desire to foster a familial community among guests and the Barnett team is what makes Barnett Vineyard’s truly unique. Hal was born and raised in Stockton, CA and is a fifth generation Californian. 

David Tate | Winemaker & General Manager

David has been the winemaker and General Manager at Barnett Vineyards for fourteen complete vintages, beginning with 2007. David has worked in the Barossa Valley, Australia; Provence, France; Canterbury, New Zealand and has traveled to every fine wine region in the world. David graduated from Brock University in 2002, with an Honors Degree in Enology and Viticulture. Prior to working with Barnett, David was the assistant winemaker at Ridge Vineyards for five years atop Montebello in the Santa Cruz Mountains. When he is not doing all things wine he is hanging out with his son Nolan and tinkering around on his vintage VW bus. His favorite wine is the one in his glass!

more certified members