Tour of Whitehall Lane Vineyards

Each of the six vineyards owned and operated by Whitehall Lane offer something unique to our portfolio and are critical pieces of the Whitehall Lane story. Five of these vineyards are situated on the floor of the Napa Valley where the soil tends to have a lot of gravel. The sixth vineyard is settled in the eastern hills of St. Helena, a region that offers world-class Cabernet Sauvignon.

Estate Vineyard

Grape vines have been planted at the original Whitehall Lane Winery site since the late 1800’s when Napa Valley settlers were drawn to the soils and climate. The vineyard has been sold several different times, and it wasn’t until Art Finkelstein and Alan Steen purchased the land in 1979 that Whitehall Lane was founded. The Leonardini Family replanted the 25-acre vineyard in 1994.

Our Estate Vineyard is planted to grow Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and the Orange Muscat grapes that make up our Belmuscato Dessert Wine. The largest planting on the vineyard is comprised of Merlot, which accounts for more than 12 acres of the land. The smallest planting is one acre of Orange Muscat.

Leonardini Vineyard

The Lewelling Family first planted the Leonardini Vineyard to grapes in the late 1800’s. The soil, Cortina Gravely Loam is renowned for “black” wine grapes but the uncertainty of annual rainfall made harvest difficult. Because of this, the Lewelling family turned the vineyard into pastureland and then leased the property to the City of St. Helena for a proposed airport. The airport was never built, and the vineyard was finally replanted under the direction of Whitehall Lane Winery in 1989.

The vineyard is made up of 10 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and two and one-half acres of Merlot. The Wine Spectator selected the Leonardini Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon as the finest representation for the St. Helena appellation.

Bommarito Vineyard

The Bommarito Vineyard is located in the Rutherford Appellation of Napa Valley and is 25 acres with soils similar to those found in the Whitehall Lane Estate Vineyard. Dominic Bommarito purchased the property in the early 1920’s to build his summer home and plant a vineyard, and the area has been producing outstanding grapes ever since.

This vineyard is planted to four different grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon. The rootstocks were matched to the various types of soils to yield ultimate fruit flavors.

Millennium MM Vineyard

Whitehall Lane purchased this property in 2000, and much of the 20-acre vineyard is currently being replanted. In 2007 we employed a scientifically engineered machine to profile the soils through the property, and with these results we have created four new blocks that will be planted with strategically matched rootstocks and clones. Our goal is to grow grapes with optimum complexity and flavor. Currently, there are a little over four acres of Cabernet vines producing grapes on the Millennium MM Vineyard properties.

Oak Glen Vineyard

This vineyard gets its name from the grove of Oak trees it is situated by. The Oak Glen Vineyard is 25 acres of gravelly soil, making it perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

This property was originally used as a farm and pastureland where cattle and pigs have grazed. In 1980 an investment group purchased the land and replanted the vineyard. Whitehall Lane Winery purchased the property in 1996 and replanted the vineyard once again because of phylloxera, a type of vineyard pest invasion.

Fawn Park Vineyard

The Fawn Park property has a long and colorful history. It’s been used as an Indian campground, a local dairy that supplied milk to the St. Helena Sanitarium, and farming land before the vineyard was planted. Loren Sorenson purchased the land in 1978 and began planting the vines.

Fawn Park Vineyard is located on the eastern hillside at the Silverado Trail in St. Helena. Due to its gentle slope, this vineyard has been producing outstanding fruit for more than 25 years. The bulk of the vineyard is planted to high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon, but just two and a half acres of Petite Verdot were planted in 2005.