(“Antica” is a portmanteau of “Antinori” and “California.”) Try to make a reservation a few weeks in advance. The large estate is owned by the Antinori family, whose eponymous company is one of the most famous wineries in Italy. That’s why Antica Napa Valley, perched at 1,600 feet elevation on Atlas Peak, is such a gem. But most of the time, hillside wineries have strict limits on their visitor capacities, and they tend to charge more for tastings. Some of Napa Valley’s most rewarding wine tasting experiences are in the hillsides, at wineries high above the hustle and bustle of the valley floor. White wines from the former tend to show more floral characteristics, while the latter are influenced by the volcanic terroir of Mount Etna, and can take on a more beeswax-like note. When you sit down for your tasting flight at the bar or in one of the lounge areas, pay special attention to the differences between Aeris’ wines from its Sonoma County vineyard, on the outskirts of Dry Creek Valley, and the wines it makes in Sicily itself. Aeris is an offshoot of Rhys Vineyards, a Santa Cruz Mountains specialist in Pinot Noir with a fanatical following it seems inevitable that these Italianate counterparts will find a similarly passionate audience. Step into this tasting room for wines like the honeyed, waxy white Carricante and the light, earthy red Nerello Mascalese - grape varieties you won’t find elsewhere in California. One of the newest additions to the downtown Healdsburg square is Aeris, where the North Star is the Italian island of Sicily.
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