Skip to main content

Impress Your Friends with 631 Years of Wine Tradition

antica
You’ve heard the saying that wine just gets better with age, right? Well, what about wine that has over six hundred years of winemaking tradition behind it?

The Antica Vineyard, located in Napa Valley, was started in 1987 by the Antinori family. The Antinoris, if you’re not familiar with wine culture, have been making the beautiful juice consistently since 1385. Yes, you read me correctly. 1385. At that point in history, the Crusades were just beginning to wind down. It’s safe to say with that much time in the field, they’ve learned a thing or two about how to make a good bottle of wine.

Related Videos
winery-1

Then, in 1987, Piero Antinori—the 25th Generation head of the company—bought and began developing the Antica property in Napa with hopes of bringing his family’s tradition stateside.

“[The winery] represents the fulfillment of Piero’s dream to take his world-class winemaking pedigree to Napa Valley since he first fell in love with the region in the 1960s, but it’s still a work in progress as our first vintage, the 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, was only released to market ten years ago in 2007,” Estate Manager Glenn Salva said.

In that time, they’ve steadily grown, from 300 acres at 775 vines per acre to 600 acres at 2,200 vines per acre. On the production side, they started at 1,600 cases and now reach 10,000 cases per year. These changes have been incremental, as they worked to continually produce high-quality wines that are worthy not only of the Antica label, but the Antinori name.

“Antica is truly an exercise in patience and perseverance, two pillars of the Antinori philosophy—in time, and under the right circumstances, we see these wines joining the ranks of other iconic Antinori wines,” Salva said.

winery-2

It’s easy when you’re in Napa to just stop at any old winery—they are literally everywhere you look—but why bother stopping at any winery, when you can stop at one that has more history than the United States twice over?

If you’re looking to try Antica wines (which you should, immediately), you can find their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Chardonnay, and Townsend Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon in wine stores across the country. For bragging rights, though, you’ll want to head to Napa and check out the varietals that are only available at the winery, which include Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sangiovese.

Editors' Recommendations

Why the experts say you need to embrace keg wine
Beer is not the only thing worthy of a draft line. Good wine is too, as more and more producers are showing
Keg wine from Settembre Cellars.

Keg wine has become more common than ever and the reasons to support the stuff are many. It's a functional, environmentally friendly option that's being taken more and more seriously by wine pros and drinkers alike. Turns out, tap lines are not just for fresh-hop IPAs and pilsners; they're for Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc too.

First, a bit of history. Wine on draft is nothing new, first gaining a hold in certain markets a couple of decades back. The problem, however, was perception, as is typically the case with wine. Most people thought there was no way a good wine could be served from a draft handle. And, regrettably, many people continue to feel that way today.

Read more
9 best fall beers and autumnal releases to drink this year
Pumpkin brews, Oktoberfest ales, and a few more to celebrate the season
mug of beer.

Holy schnitzel! It's that time of year again. Step outside and you might notice a nip in the air (and a more than a bit of smoke if you're in a Western state). Cooler temperatures and colorful leaves — the arrival of autumn means the reintroduction of heartier, fuller-bodied brews onto beverage menus, including seasonally specific favorites like Oktoberfest biers and brown ales.

To help wade through the glut of autumnal offerings now gracing grocery store shelves and local bar taps, we surveyed the best new beer releases from craft brewers to gather the best fall beer recommendations sprouting this fall season. And yes, this dynamic list of brews to snatch up before winter comes of course includes everyone's seasonal favorite, pumpkin beers, alongside plenty of gourd-free options.
Best pumpkin beers
Thompson Island Brewing Company Boooo!!!! Pumpkin Ale

Read more
My Favorite Neighbor is changing up the artisan wine game
A bottle of My Favorite Neighbor wine next to a glass with casks in the background.

This content was produced in partnership with My Favorite Neighbor.
Think back to the last time you were perusing the shelves of your local store for your next bottle of wine. You certainly looked at the different types of wine, and probably paid some attention to which part of the world this or that bottle came from -- but how much did you think about the vineyards, their farming practices, and the people making the wine? My Favorite Neighbor is cultivated from the idea that winemaking should focus on community and wellness as well as quality, with the result being artisan wines without prohibitive pricing or pretense.
Shop Wine

My Favorite Neighbor was established in 2006 with an emphasis on organic farming methods, pure wine with no additives, community investment, and environmentally-conscious farming. Farmer-winemaker Eric Jensen named the wine after his neighbor and mentor, winemaker Stephan Asseo of L'Aventure Winery. Every time Jensen would call his friend, Asseo would answer and refer to himself as Eric's "favorite neighbor." Since then, one neighbor has become many, and My Favorite Neighbor now partners with neighboring "A+" vineyards to source the grapes for its wine.

Read more