Fleury Estate Winery

We allow the grapes to take center stage in every barrel, bottle and glass of our wines," says Brian Fleury, and his boutique winery reflects that approach. A successful Bay Area businessman who brought his family to the Napa Valley ten years ago, he turned his passion for collecting fine wine into a passion for making it. Fleury Estate Winery now owns 50 acres spanning three vineyards in three appellations and at three elevations: Rutherford, St. Helena and Howell Mountain. Its small Rutherford facility produces and sells out of 3,000 cases a year by winery sales only, without the use of distributors.

Brian is a self-taught winemaker who learned the craft by hiring various mentors and working alongside them. Clearly, he's learned well, since his wines are in such great demand. Current releases include a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, a Zinfandel/Cabernet blend, three Cabernet Sauvignons and a Port. The Fleury flagship wine is "Passionne," a Bordeaux-style blend that is always the first to sell out.

With its elegantly rustic feel, Fleury Estate Winery offers its guests an unusually intimate wine-tasting experience. "Every tasting done at this winery is in a private salon setting among the barrels," explains Brian. "No one leaves Fleury Estate Winery without being provided a barrel sample of our future releases.