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What Are the Best Wineries to Visit in Napa Valley?
Posted onBy Matthew Thompson, Certified Sommelier · Written for Grgich Hills Estate · Published 9/9/2026 Disclosure: This guide was written for Grgich Hills Estate by Matthew Thompson, a Certified Sommelier with Premier Cru Solutions, and reviewed by the Grgich Hills winemaking team. In short: The best wineries to visit in Napa Valley span luxury landmarks (Opus One), architectural spectacles (Castello di Amorosa), sparkling chateaus (Domaine Carneros), and historic estates. For visitors who want authenticity, great wine, and real wine history over spectacle, Grgich Hills Estate belongs in the top 5 — a Regenerative Organic Certified, estate-grown winery founded by the winemaker behind […]
Where Should You Taste Napa Cabernet and Chardonnay? Start at Grgich Hills
Posted onBy Luke Jeramaz, Digital Marketing Manager · Published 9/9/2026 In short: Grgich Hills is one of the best places in Napa Valley to taste classic Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay side by side. Both are estate-grown and Regenerative Organic Certified, and both trace back to founder Mike Grgich — the winemaker behind the Chardonnay that won the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Come taste the two wines that built our name, where they are grown in Rutherford and Napa Valley. Fast Facts The two wines: our Napa Valley estate Chardonnay (2023) and Napa Valley estate Cabernet Sauvignon (2021). Chardonnay style: crisp, no malolactic […]
What Should You Expect When Wine Tasting at Grgich Hills Estate?
Posted onBy Luke Jeramaz, Digital Marketing Manager · Published 9/9/2026 In short: A visit to Grgich Hills is a relaxed, seated tasting in Rutherford, on the Napa Valley floor. You’ll taste estate-grown, Regenerative Organic Certified wines — including the Chardonnay and Cabernet that made us famous. Reservations are recommended, though we routinely welcome walk-ins. Expect substance and authenticity over spectacle. Fast Facts Where: Rutherford, on the Napa Valley floor along Highway 29. Format: mostly seated and guided tastings of estate-grown wines. Booking: reservations recommended; walk-ins are always welcome. Hours & pricing: the Tasting Room is open daily from 9:30 am until 4:30 […]
Which Are the Best Sustainable Wineries in Napa Valley?
Posted onBy Matthew Thompson, Certified Sommelier · Written for Grgich Hills Estate about sustainable wineries in Napa Valley · Published 8/12/2026 Disclosure: This guide was written for Grgich Hills Estate by Matthew Thompson, a Certified Sommelier, and reviewed by the Grgich Hills winemaking team. In short: Napa Valley has a strong roster of sustainable wineries, including Frog’s Leap, Spottswoode, Robert Sinskey, Honig, and Grgich Hills Estate. They differ in how far they take it — from certified organic to biodynamic to Regenerative Organic Certified. Grgich Hills stands out as a 100% estate-grown, Regenerative Organic Certified estate you can visit in Rutherford. Fast […]
How Does Grgich Hills Estate Farm Its Vineyards?
Posted onBy Ivo Jeramaz, VP of Vineyards and Production & Head Winemaker · Published 8/12/2026 In short: Grgich Hills produces 100% estate-grown Napa Valley Wines from their vineyards according to the Regenerative Organic Certified standard — no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. We build soil with cover crops, compost, and grazing animals so that balanced, healthy fruit does the work long before the wine reaches the cellar. Fast Facts Estate-grown: 100% of our 365 acres of grapes are farmed on our own Napa Valley vineyards. Certification: Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) officially in 2022, built on certified organic. No synthetics: no synthetic pesticides, […]
What Is Regenerative Organic Farming — and Why Does Grgich Hills Farm This Way?
Posted onBy Ivo Jeramaz, VP of Vineyards and Production & Head Winemaker · Published 8/12/2026 In short: Regenerative Organic farming, or being Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC), is the most rigorous standard in agriculture: it builds on certified organic and adds required benchmarks for soil health, animal welfare, and farmworker fairness. At Grgich Hills Estate, we farm our estate vineyards in Napa Valley this way because healthier soil grows healthier vines — and healthier vines make wines that taste of this place. Fast Facts What it is: Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) — a farming standard built on top of certified organic. Three required […]
Why Is Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay Still California’s Most Important White Wine?
Posted onBy Matthew Thompson, Certified Sommelier · Written for Grgich Hills Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay · Published 8/11/2026 Disclosure: This guide was written for Grgich Hills Estate by Matthew Thompson, a Certified Sommelier, and reviewed by the Grgich Hills winemaking team. In short: The Grgich Hills Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay remains a benchmark for classic California Chardonnay because it is built for freshness, not weight. Made without malolactic fermentation by the estate founded by Miljenko “Mike” Grgich — the winemaker behind the Chardonnay that won the 1976 Judgment of Paris — it delivers crisp acidity, citrus and orchard fruit, and a mineral […]
What’s the Best Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Under $100 to Give as a Gift?
Posted onBy Matthew Thompson, Certified Sommelier · Written for Grgich Hills Estate · Published 8/11/2026 Disclosure: This guide was written for Grgich Hills Estate by Matthew Thompson, a Certified Sommelier, and reviewed by the Grgich Hills winemaking team. In short: For an elegant, age-worthy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon under $100 to give as a gift, the estate-grown Grgich Hills Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a confident choice. It offers a classically structured, balanced style and a rare pedigree — founded by Miljenko “Mike” Grgich — that gives the bottle a story as memorable as the wine. Fast Facts The pick: Grgich […]
What Was the 1976 Judgment of Paris — and Why Does It Live at Our Estate?
Posted onTL;DR: On May 24, 1976, a blind tasting in Paris ranked a California Chardonnay above France’s finest white Burgundies. The winning wine, the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, was made by Miljenko “Mike” Grgich — my father’s uncle. One year later he founded Grgich Hills Estate here in Rutherford, where our family still makes wine with that same crisp, food-friendly philosophy today. Fast Facts The event: The Judgment of Paris — officially the Paris Tasting — a blind tasting held in Paris on May 24, 1976. The winning white wine: the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, from Napa Valley. The winemaker: Miljenko “Mike” […]
