The iconic winery is welcoming back guests in the heart of St. Helena
St. Helena, Calif. – November 15, 2022 – Markham Vineyards today announced the reopening of its historic winery and tasting room after a 12-month renovation project. All the updates were designed to preserve Markham’s history while bringing in modern elements and crafting seamless experiences for guests, with new “conversation corners” and seated vignettes. Markham Vineyards was officially established in 1978 when Bruce Markham purchased the stone winery built in 1879. The last renovation to the winery was over 30 years ago when the tasting room was initially constructed.
In addition to the tasting room renovations, Markham Vineyards has been making investments across the winery to ensure the brand’s commitment to Merlot and deep experience with Bordeaux varietals results in crafting the highest quality wines possible. This includes upgrades in Markham’s 260 acres of estate vineyards and land with replanting selected vines and a dedicated focus on sustainability to improve soil health and conserve water. In the winery, Markham has added a new press and small lot tanks, for more special selections and limited production wines. The recent renovations are the final piece that create the modern scenery and backdrop to showcase the Markham Vineyards wine portfolio.
“After almost 30 years making wines at Markham, I’m looking forward to welcoming guests for a front row seat into the magic of producing and barrel aging these exquisite wines in our storied stone cellar,” explained Kimberlee Nicholls, Winemaker at Markham Vineyards. “Markham has always been known for our gracious hospitality and approachability. As we envisioned the new renovations, we kept the guest at the center of every decision as we sought to preserve our history and elevate our experiences, creating the perfect stage for our Napa Valley Merlot-centric wine portfolio to shine.”
Markham Vineyards intentionally designed the tasting room to bring people together. With these updates, the winery now has multiple spaces available for private events, both indoors and outdoors. The seven unique spaces within the space allow Markham to accommodate private groups as small as two people all the way up to 150 people.
In the tasting room, there was a top to bottom renovation with a focus on opening the floorplan. A sleek new tasting bar, custom furniture and commissioned artwork draw guests into the space. The adjacent historic barrel cellar has been home to continuous winemaking operations for over a century, and the updates were designed to give guests a closer view into the winery’s production with a dedicated event space with large windows that look into the working barrel room. The exterior updates focused on elevating the patio spaces to accommodate more outdoor tastings along with new delineated tasting areas on each patio, replete with fire tables and heat lamps for an inviting ambiance.
The Markham Vineyards tasting room is now open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. by reservation only. A selection of classic tasting experiences is available with prices starting at $45 for a flight of four wines. Select special tastings will be added seasonally throughout the upcoming year. Cheese pairings can be added to tastings and bottle service is also offered on the Markham patio during the weekends. For more details and to reserve an experience, visit markhamvineyards.com/visit.
About Markham Napa Valley Vineyards
Markham Vineyards is a Napa Valley winery focused on Bordeaux varietals, and with an unwavering passion for Merlot. With 260 acres of sustainably farmed estate vineyards and land, the wine portfolio showcases the nuanced characteristics of the Napa Valley along with a commitment to Merlot. Markham’s deep experience with Bordeaux varietals give the perspective needed to not only honor its history but to take a modern approach to farming, winemaking, and hospitality. For more information visit, markhamvineyards.com.
