Forbes contributor Cathy Huyghe recently did a lovely write up on Cain Vineyard & Winery and described why she feels that the Spring Mountain estate is the “ultimate movie location in the Napa Valley”. While I’ve not had the privilege of visiting Cain, I was recently at Spring Mountain in August and got to experience the majesty of the fog from nearby Barnett Vineyards on Spring Mountain. I took a video as I was walking through the vineyard and about 15 seconds in you can see my “WOW” moment with the fog.

Seeing the fog and watching it slowly burn off over the course of an hour as it crept back towards San Pablo Bay had me feeling like Neo from The Matrix the first time he had programs, like martial arts, uploaded directly into his brain. It really clicked what made Napa so unique. I’ve read about it. I’ve tasted a lot. I’ve visited the area before (just not this early in the day) but all that stuff I thought I knew became more vivid and real at that moment.

This is Napa

This is how such a warm, beautiful Mediterranean climate can still produce wines with such lively acidity that allows them to still taste fresh and then age for decades. This is why, contrary to what is the norm in the Northern Hemisphere, AVAs to the north like Calistoga and St. Helena are so much warmer and can grow Zinfandel while AVAs to the south like Carneros and Oak Knoll District are more Pinot and Chardonnay country. This is why with the vineyards planted in the Mountain AVAs that your elevation and placement above or below the fogline can be the difference between wines with chewy but ripe tannins or wines with more intense and firmer tannins.

Taken from roughly the same location at Barnett Vineyards

It truly is an incredible sight and experience that no amount of pictures, videos or descriptions would ever do justice. I would encourage any Napa Valley wine lover to make it a point, at least once in their life, to book an early morning appointment with a producer on one of the mountain AVAs. Not only are there several terrific ones on Spring Mountain like Barnett, Cain, Philip Togni, Newton, Pride, etc but there are usually tourist options on Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder as well. It might take a bit of cajoling to convince them to open the gates that early for an appointment but it’s worth the effort.

But be forewarn, if the wine is even half as awesome as Barnett’s was, it will be incredibly difficult to want to spit. So just enjoy your early morning boozing with a view. We won’t tell anyone.