Pritchard Hill Hike & Flight, 2018 Cabernet Barrel Tasting, Wheeler Farms Al Fresco Tasting, Chardonnay Primer and the Black Magic Experience Offer Brand New Ways to Experience TOR
(St. Helena, Calif.—June 16, 2020) – TOR Napa Valley looks forward to welcoming guests back to the Napa Valley with a variety of new private experiences and tastings for summer and harvest on June 15, 2020. All tastings and experiences will be exclusively on private and by-appointment-only, allowing guests the chance to visit some of Napa’s Grand Cru vineyards, walk amongst the vines, meet with growers and experience TOR’s famed wines—following the CDC’s extensive health and safe precautions and measures.
WHAT’S NEW FOR SUMMER AND HARVEST 2020
The Pritchard Hill Hike & Flight ($200 per person)
Greg Melanson’s Pritchard Hill vineyard is prime real estate for world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. Perched approximately 1500 feet above the valley floor. The vineyard shares august neighbors: across from Colgin and adjacent to Continuum and OVID.
It’s a stunningly and rugged site that is usually not open to the public, however Greg is allowing TOR to bring a small number of people to his top-of-the-world vineyard to enjoy the magnificent view and hike its steep grade to better understand the nuances of Pritchard Hill Cabernet–truly at its prime under the capable hands and palates of Tor and Winemaker Jeff Ames.
After either heart pumping vineyard walk or leisurely stroll, enjoy a tasting of TOR’s Grand Dames Chardonnays, followed by 2015, 2016 and 2017 of TOR’s spectacular Melanson Cabernets paired with small bites. TOR can also offer a picnic or lunch for a slight additional cost.
Single Vineyard Barrel Tasting of the Stunning 2019s ($200 per person)
For the first time, and only before bottling, TOR will be sharing barrel samples of the dazzling 2019 single vineyard Cabernets: Tierra Roja, Melanson, Vine Hill Ranch and Beckstoffer To Kalon. Prior to the tasting, guests will enjoy a stroll through Wheeler Farms’ gardens and state-of-the-art winemaking facility. This tasting features five wines from a selection of terroirs and vineyards and is paired with small bites by Chef Sarah Heller.
Chardonnay Primer ($250 per person)
Many of TOR’s Grand Dames Chardonnays are sourced from cool-climate benchmark Chardonnay sites in the gently rolling hills in the Carneros District of Napa. Guests will visit Hyde Vineyards where Larry Hyde produces world renown Chardonnay grapes of unique distinction. Here in the private countryside is a retreat into how Napa Valley looked like 75 years ago. An agrarian paradise. After a walk through the vineyard, guests will enjoy a picnic lunch under the oak trees or an al fresco lunch at FARM Restaurant in Carneros, along-side three vintages of TOR’s Hyde Chardonnays, followed by TOR’s Chasing Windmills Grenache and an older vintage of TOR Tierra Roja Cabernet.
The Black Magic Experience ($750 per person)
Only a select few can ever experience Napa Valley like this. The TOR Black Magic Experience is available on a very limited basis by-appointment-only.
Limited to a tiny handful of guests, this is a true behind the curtains peek into the life of a vintner at the top of their game, and what goes into making 100-point wines at TOR.
David Grega, TOR’s Associate Winemaker of six years will be the host for an exclusive tour of the haloed soils of the legendary Beckstoffer Dr. Crane. Beckstoffer To Kalon and Vine Hill Ranch.
Guests will then then have the rare opportunity to taste barrel samples considered for TOR’s next Black and Pure Magic wines, prior to relaxing over a delicious three-course lunch nestled in gardens beneath Vine Hill Ranch. With lunch, enjoy a selection of highly rated TOR wines including single-vineyard bottlings.
Al Fresco Wines Experience ($125 per person)
Guests will arrive at TOR’s home for wine making and guest visits: The Wheeler Farm 12-acre historic estate on Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena. Enjoy the beautiful vineyard views and the most outstanding down-valley-view of Mount St. Helena.
Prior to the tasting, guests will enjoy a stroll through Wheeler Farms’ gardens and state-of-the-art winemaking facility, learning about the advanced technologies Tor and his team uses. Tastings feature five wines from a selection of Napa Valley’s First Growth vineyards, and the wines are paired with a cheese and charcuterie platter prepared by Chef Sarah Heller. This tasting can be customized to guests’ particular tastes and interests.
ABOUT TOR NAPA VALLEY
TOR Napa Valley produces single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in the Napa Valley. The wines are highly coveted and sold exclusively to collectors and some of the world’s finest restaurants and specialist retailers. Tor Kenward has spent more than 40 years in the wine business and established TOR Wines in 2001 to produce wines from only the best blocks in great vineyard sites he knew and revered. In October 2016, Robert M. Parker Jr. said of TOR: “Tor Kenward is using his vast experience in the wine industry and impressive palate to find exceptional terroirs and produce fascinating wines that merit serious attention.”
