The extended Fontanella Family includes a team of amazing individuals who share the winery's commitment to excellence in winemaking and service. We make and sell wine for a reason. After majoring in Viticulture and Enology at the University of California at Davis, Jeff completed his first harvest at Opus One in 1998 - and he's been making wine in the Napa Valley ever since.
When the Fontanellas opened their own winery in 2008, Jeff brought the experience he'd accumulated over his years spent at Opus One, ZD, and Saddleback to bring his own dream to fruition. Today, he shepherds our grapes from bud-break to bottle, crafting wines in his own signature style: wines that are approachable, balanced, and premium - without pretense.
When the Fontanellas opened their own winery in 2008, Jeff brought the experience he'd accumulated over his years spent at Opus One, ZD, and Saddleback to bring his own dream to fruition. Today, he shepherds our grapes from bud-break to bottle, crafting wines in his own signature style: wines that are approachable, balanced, and premium - without pretense.
Services
Delicious memories are made every day here on the private winery patio. Sipping Jeff's wine and hearing our story surrounded by the vineyards we've planted, can be transformative in your appreciation of our wines. We're told time and again that these memories come flooding back every time our members and friends open a bottle of Fontanella in their own homes.
Complement your Fontanella experience with our favorite ways to get around, places to eat and stay! Working with a local host is a great way to see the Napa Valley! Not only will they take away the hassle and stress of driving, many can also help you build a custom itinerary based on your preferences - and introduce you to other off-the-beaten-path wineries like ours!
I'm already part of the Fontanella Wine Family I know someone who's a member of the Fontanella Wine Family and they told me to come and get my own supply! It's so much better to leave the driving to someone else and find the hidden gems of the Napa Valley, such as Fontanella, with one of our recommended tour companies.
The art of crafting an exceptional wine begins with two essential components: premium grapes and a talented winemaker. Armed with some of the most coveted vineyards in Napa Valley, and one of Napa's best kept secrets, winemaker Jeff Fontanella, our winery produces rich, lush, intense wines that are premium without the pretense.
As a member of our Fontanella Family Wine Club, you have the opportunity to be the first to receive our award winning wines throughout the year. We invite you to join our wine family and experience the new generation of exceptional wine making in Napa Valley. Feel free to call the tasting room at (707) 252-1017 or send us an email at info@fontanellawines.com.
Reviews (20)
Bill H.
Jul 19, 2021
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Kristin A.
May 04, 2021
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Andrea B.
May 03, 2021
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David Lubarsky
Dec 17, 2020
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Immensely hospitable (than you Paige!). A couple friends on their mailing list said I had to try their wines (being a UCD professor and the winemaker also with a UCD background......). Anyways, several great wines, reasonable value, and lovely hillside vineyard. No better way to celebrate Napa wineries' re-opening this past Saturday. Note to self - biking there would be a tad hard on the final climb :-)
Jeff N.
Nov 14, 2020
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Mark P.
Aug 25, 2020
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My wife and I had had enough of the lock down/working from home and needed to escape. I can't think of a better way than spending a weekend in Napa Valley and especially a visit to Fontanella Family Winery. Still the most personable visit of any winery that we've visited. Jennifer, as always, was amazing, knowing what we like and dislike. It was like visiting with family and two hours flew by before we knew it. Burt Reynolds is still as chipper as ever, but misses his hand outs during these restrictive times. One of the best wine tasting experiences in Napa, don't miss it!
Kenny K.
Aug 11, 2020
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Mark Patton
Jul 10, 2020
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Small, intimate wine tasting in a beautiful setting. Our hostess Paige was wonderful, warm and personable, greeting us as we approached the tasting room with two glasses of Chardonnay. A little cheese and crackers with the tasting was a nice touch. While all their wines were good, we enjoyed their Zinfandel the best. We will definitely return.
Aug 2020 - Wanted to add a follow-up review (Yes, we came back again), but Google will only let me edit my first review. So here is today's review...
My wife and I had had enough of the lock down/working from home and needed to escape. I can't think of
Aug 2020 - Wanted to add a follow-up review (Yes, we came back again), but Google will only let me edit my first review. So here is today's review...
My wife and I had had enough of the lock down/working from home and needed to escape. I can't think of
Justin K.
Jun 29, 2020
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Best wine experience we've experienced in a long time. Both wine associates that provided us with wine and history were fantastic. The wine was simply far from average and ordinary Napa wine. I'm typically not one that loves all the wines during a wine tasting, but that wasn't the case with Fontanella Family Winery. The four of us left very satisfied, spoke with the owner Jeff, with several bottles of wine and a new favorite Napa Valley winery. Looking forward to going back soon!!!
David Wallace
Jun 05, 2020
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An incredibly wonderful experience! Thanks to Jennifer and Burt (the cheese thief)! It was the only "Club" we joined on our trip and we've really enjoyed our quarterly shipments. They are super responsive to change requests, if you want to make a change to the standard order. Wines are incredible. We opened a 2012 Cab last weekend, and oh my!! What a wine!
Deva
Nov 08, 2019
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We were greeted when we got out of our car by our hostess who had wine already poured for us. She was fantastic and really made our visit so much better. We had conversations with her while we tried several wines. She told us not only about the Fontanella family, but explained a lot about wine making. Such a great place. We joined their club and hope to be back soon,.
Gee K.
Oct 17, 2019
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Love this place. It's appointment only. But it doesn't sound as daunting as it seems. No heavy pressure to join wine club or purchase wines. Jennifer Was so lovely. We drove up , she was outside with glasses of wine waiting for us. Along with Rachel Rachel, the queen of all trades AND The fabulous Ms Burt Reynolds, the very well behaved doggie!
Good wines and in a fun and lovely environment!
Good wines and in a fun and lovely environment!
Kirsten W.
Aug 03, 2019
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When my husband and I go wine tasting in Napa we look for a few of things, 1) boutique winery - no tourist traps 2) beautiful scenery 3) personable and knowledgeable staff 4) GREAT wine. Fontanella Family Winery takes the prize for all 4 and then some. Do yourself a favor and reserve a spot for a tasting! Thanks Rachel, you were outstanding and we had an amazing day with you!!
Jill D.
Jul 06, 2019
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Johanna Schuessler
Jun 09, 2019
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Mike Whitaker
Jan 27, 2018
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If you're looking for a great wine, great view, intriguing history/background and incredible staff, this is a place to go. This is our second time to this winery and impressed once again. Their consistently in producing great wines is on track. If you like small producers with incredible wines at reasonable prices, this is the place to go. Avoid those mass producers that herd you in like cattle. Make a private reservation and enjoy your time here!
Rachel Nearhood
Sep 29, 2017
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Easily the best tasting in our trip. The value was incredible (8 wines for $40), a small cheese plate, a barrel tasting, and the most gracious host. We learned so much and had complete one-on-one attention. We were absolutely blown away with the wines - not a single bad one! The story behind Jeff and Karen’s estate is inspiring. We only bought three bottles, but trust me when I say it was a hard choice as they were all so delicious! A definite must-stop when you’re in the area!!
Alex Mosier
Jul 12, 2017
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Kelly Compton
Aug 29, 2016
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My visit to Fontanella was a very pleasant surprise. Our tour guide: Jack Swanson suggested Fontanella. He was spot on. The wines are great. As nice as the wines are, the hostess was even nicer. Jennifer did a great job. She was extremely warm and welcoming. We spent 4 days touring wineries and Jennifer stands out as our favorite host/hostess! Overall a great experience. I highly recommend Fontanella.
Eric F.
Jun 05, 2016
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Situated within the Mount Veeder AVA, Fontanella is quite the picturesque estate. My friends and I came for the tour & tasting and had a great time sampling the portfolio on the spacious patio.
Our host did an excellent job taking care of us and we all loved the visit to the barrel room to try some of the different Cabs grown in unique soils, each of which is used to create the final blend.
All that being said, the winemaker still has room for improvement. Having had excellent Mount Veeder Cabs from other wineries, these all lacked a bit in depth and tannin structure. This was actually
Our host did an excellent job taking care of us and we all loved the visit to the barrel room to try some of the different Cabs grown in unique soils, each of which is used to create the final blend.
All that being said, the winemaker still has room for improvement. Having had excellent Mount Veeder Cabs from other wineries, these all lacked a bit in depth and tannin structure. This was actually
