Hello, I’m Paige Bindel, a Certified Sommelier at Peppoli Restaurant at the iconic Pebble Beach Resorts in California. Over the past two decades, I have built my career around wine service, education, and tasting, including representing the United States as one of four sommeliers selected for the USA Wine Tasting Team at the World Tasting Championship in France. Through this elite international blind tasting competition, I am currently ranked among the Top 20 blind wine tasters in the world.
Peppoli is a proud Antinori-sponsored restaurant named after the celebrated Antinori Peppoli Vineyard in Chianti Classico, Tuscany. Our menu features dishes drawn from the Antinori family’s recipe archive, and our wine list showcases the largest collection of Antinori wines in the United States.
Recently, I spent an afternoon at the Antinori Napa Valley estate tasting their wines with my dear friend Glenn Salva, the longtime Estate Manager who has helped shape Antinori Napa Valley for four decades.
Joining us was my friend and writing partner for this article, Donald Sonderling, whose feature story in Monarch Wine explores the remarkable history and legacy of the Antinori family and their Napa Valley estate.
Glenn guided us through the tasting flights while sharing his remarkable insights. I left reflecting on how Marchese Piero Antinori’s vision of blending Tuscan heritage with Napa Valley terroir has evolved into one of the most distinctive mountain estates in the region.
Arriving at Antinori Napa Valley on a radiant afternoon feels cinematic. Golden sunlight spreads across terraced vineyards, illuminating the estate’s stone and glass architecture. The design blends Tuscan warmth with California modernity.
As we were escorted through the serene courtyard and into the light-filled tasting salon, anticipation quietly built.
Seated at a magnificent table framed by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking vineyards and the rugged Vaca Mountains, the stage was set for an unforgettable experience.
A Little Background
The Antinori family’s winemaking history dates back to 1385, more than six centuries of tradition passed down through generations.
Piero Antinori, the 25th-generation leader, long dreamed of bringing that heritage to California. In the 1960s, he visited Napa Valley as a young man and discovered the energy of a new wine frontier.
Two decades later, the Antinori family, together with England’s Whitbread and France’s Champagne Bollinger, purchased land that would become a 1,170-acre Napa Valley estate.
Piero Antinori was drawn to the property because it reminded him of Tuscany. The high plateau and surrounding mountains felt familiar.
In 1993, the family took full control of the vineyards and winery operations. In 2006, the estate was named Antica Estate. The name reflected the blend of Antinori tradition and California terroir.
Beginning with the 2019 vintage, the wines are now labeled Antinori Napa Valley, a name chosen to honor both the family legacy and the estate’s location.
Today, the estate is managed by Piero’s three daughters, Albiera, Allegra, and Alessia Antinori, who continue the family’s winemaking vision while embracing modern innovation.
The vineyards cling to steep mountain slopes where rocky soils and elevation shape wines with distinctive character.
A26 Chardonnay
Antinori Napa Valley produces an estate-grown Chardonnay called A26, named as a tribute to the family’s long history.
This wine reflects the Atlas Peak terroir with remarkable clarity. While tasting with Glenn, I was reminded of the elegance found in Puligny-Montrachet.
The wine shows precision and subtle floral and mineral notes that vary slightly depending on vintage and clone. Because the vineyard sits in a cooler mountain location, the acidity remains fresh, giving the wine structure and a clean finish.
It is a beautiful expression of refined mountain Chardonnay.
I was pleased to learn that Renzo Cotarella shares this perspective. Cotarella, Antinori’s longtime CEO and chief oenologist, has worked alongside Piero Antinori for more than forty years and is widely regarded as the architect behind legendary wines such as Tignanello and Solaia.
ANTICA Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc has been planted on the estate since the late 1980s. When improved French clones became available in the early 2000s, the fruit quality reached a level worthy of a dedicated estate bottling.
The result is ANTICA Cabernet Franc.
The Antinori family has a long tradition of producing remarkable Cabernet Franc wines. One of their most prestigious examples is Matarocchio from the Guado Al Tasso Estate in Bolgheri, Tuscany.
The Napa Valley version expresses sensual aromatics with notes of perfume, herbs, and elegant spice. The palate reveals vibrant red and dark fruits supported by firm tannins and a balanced structure.
It is expressive yet refined, and a wine that will reward careful cellaring.
Townsend Cabernet Sauvignon
Townsend Cabernet Sauvignon is a limited production wine sourced from some of the estate’s best mountain vineyard blocks. The wine is named in honor of a neighboring property acquired by the estate in 1998.
The blend is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with a small percentage of Cabernet Franc.
The aromatics reveal ripe blackberry, boysenberry, and blueberry layered with subtle herbal notes and gentle oak sweetness.
On the palate, the wine shows lively acidity with plum, currant, and cranberry flavors. The finish carries a light spice that hints at the wine’s aging potential while remaining enjoyable even in its youth.
Proficio
Introduced in 2019, Proficio has become Antinori Napa Valley’s flagship wine.
The name reflects the Antinori family motto, “Te Duce Proficio,” which translates roughly to “Following my ancestors, I flourish.”
In the glass, the wine reveals a deep ruby color with aromas of blackberry, plum, and mountain earth. Subtle notes of dried herbs and tobacco add complexity.
Cabernet Franc lifts the aromatics while Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure and aging potential.
The palate is concentrated and layered with dark fruit, peppery spice, and firm tannins that carry through a long finish.
This is a wine produced only in exceptional vintages from select high elevation blocks on the estate.
Small Production Wines
Piero Antinori was also curious to see how his noble Tuscan grape Sangiovese would perform in Napa Valley’s mountain climate.
In 1986, budwood from a respected Brunello di Montalcino producer was brought to the estate and grafted onto existing vines.
Today, about two acres of Sangiovese produce roughly 1,200 bottles each year. The wine is available exclusively at the winery.
The current vintage offers aromas of raspberry, orange peel, pomegranate, and clove. On the palate, it shows lively cranberry notes with hints of milk chocolate, red cherry, vanilla, and anise.
My Personal Impressions
The afternoon with Donald and Glenn reinforced something I believe deeply. Great wine reflects place, passion, and patience.
The wines of Antinori Napa Valley do not rely on excessive power. Instead, they reveal nuance, balance, and a clear sense of mountain terroir.
The Chardonnay felt graceful and lively. The Cabernet Franc showed perfumed elegance. Proficio and Townsend carried strength and structure while remaining refined.
What impressed me most was the harmony. Fruit, acidity, tannin, and earth worked together seamlessly.
At Peppoli Restaurant, where we celebrate Antinori’s culinary and winemaking heritage, these wines pair beautifully with Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Their balance elevates the meal without overwhelming it.
Looking Forward
The wines of Antinori Napa Valley reflect the same dedication to tradition and excellence that has defined the Antinori name for centuries.
While Piero Antinori laid the foundation, his daughters Albiera, Allegra, and Alessia now guide the estate forward with a philosophy that honors history while embracing the future.
As I left the estate that afternoon, what stayed with me most was the balance the wines achieve between heritage and place. They carry the elegance of Tuscan tradition while clearly expressing the rugged mountain character of Atlas Peak.
For those who appreciate wines with history, restraint, and a true sense of terroir, Antinori Napa Valley offers something rare: a meeting of Old World philosophy and New World landscape, captured in the glass.
Paige is a Certified Sommelier with The Court Of Master Sommeliers and resides her talents with The Pebble Beach Resorts at Peppoli Restaurant, she also holds her degree as a Certified Sherry Specialist with the Regulatory Council of Jerez Spain. Paige has aided as an honorary designer for Georg Riedel of Riedel Austrian Crystal in the design of the updated Zinfandel Crystal glass series.
