After a Friday spent criss-crossing between wineries along the Napa Valley wine train route, the unparalleled hospitality of Trinchero Family Estates Wine & Spirits Education Manager Brandon Smith at the winery’s Legacy Tasting Experience on Saturday, May 31, was the welcomed warmth our unit of six yearned.

The group, headed by Harbour Wines and Spirits Commercial Manager Dr Debbian Spence Minott, and consisting of winners of the company’s Sip To Win A Trip To Napa Valley competition winners Racquel Francis, Shantoya Gapour, and Leo Rampasard; Trio Grill. Wine. Bar co-principal Carlos Max-Brown; and Jamaica Observer Senior Lifestyle Reporter Alayne Richards popped into the meticulously designed St Helena winery after a lunch date at Gott’s Napa, a James Beard award-winning restaurant known for its modern take on American roadside classics and a partner of Trinchero.

Over a glass of All The Hats Sauvignon Blanc — a crisp and welcomingly refreshing opener for the group that had just experienced highs of 27 degrees Celsius, while lunching outdoors — and, while strolling through the well-appointed Hospitality Centre, Smith chronicled the winery’s storied past.

In 1948, Italian immigrant Mario Trinchero took a leap of faith, leaving New York City, and heading west to Napa Valley, hoping to build a better life for his wife Mary and their three children Bob, Roger, and Vera. They purchased an abandoned Prohibition-era winery in St Helena, refurbishing it and initially scraping by as a mom-and-pop operation. They worked tirelessly to build their business. Their dedication and innovative spirit culminated, in 1972, with second-generation vintner Bob Trinchero’s accidental invention of White Zinfandel, a result of a stuck fermentation. The serendipitous creation quickly sold out and became the best-selling wine of its time.

Today, the Trinchero Family Estate is one of the largest family-owned wineries in the US, comprising more than 50 award-winning wine and spirit brands distributed globally. Under its umbrella are Sutter Home, Ménage à Trois, Joel Gott, Trinchero Napa Valley, and Napa Cellars.

Harbour Wines and Spirits, a division of GraceKennedy Ltd in Jamaica, is the local distributor of Ménage à Trois wines. While Ménage à Trois wines are made some four miles away at the Sutter Home estate, we were introduced to a flight of wines, thoughtfully paired with small bites that brought out the nuance and character of each.

All The Hats Sauvignon Blanc, 2022 — Precise, meaningful, and lengthy, this wine displays powerful aromatics, layered fruit, a strikingly long finish with weight, and a richness that balances out the fresh acidity. It is not flashy, but is a true delight to everyone, just like Mary Trinchero. Sourced from Mary’s Vineyard in Calistoga, the 34-year-old certified organic vines are low-yielding and dry-farmed, offering a true expression of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

Traces of Manhattan Red Blend, 2021
— As a nod to the effect that Manhattan had on the Trincheros — particularly Mario Trinchero, who spent years as a bartender at the Waldorf Astoria — this wine showcases a diverse and beautiful blending, the hallmark of New York City, bursting with layers of personality, vigour, and character. With attention to detail and a selection process of the most expressive lots, this Bordeaux varietal blend is rich and complex, with all its elements in beautiful balance.

All the Hats Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021
— This balanced, elegant, and complex expression of Cabernet Sauvignon is distinguished by a distinct “old school” style, reminiscent of Mario Trinchero himself.

Tale of Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021 — Just as Trinchero brothers Bob and Roger worked side-by-side to continue a shared legacy, the vineyards on Atlas Peak and Mount Veeder work in harmony to deliver this complex Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit from Atlas Peak on the east side of the Napa Valley adds bold, ripe density while fruit from Mt Veeder on the western side of the valley adds nuanced aromatics, flavours, and soft, polished tannins.

Post-tasting, Smith afforded the group a tour of the grounds, which features stunning views of Spring Mountain to the west and Howell Mountain to the east. There were also stops at the Tank & Barrel rooms.

Photos: Leo Rampasard, Alayne Richards & www.trincheronapavalley.com

The barrel room is home to noak barrels from some of the most respected coopers in France and Austria.