cellar facade
Let's look for reasons to be Ashes & Diamonds , one of the most interesting wineries on the wine route of Napa Valley, and we'll go back to the late 50's, when the movie ashes and diamonds was revealed as Andrzej Wajda's masterpiece.
“We chose the name because of a scene in which two lovers come across one of the passages from the homonymous poem by Cyprian Norwid in a graffiti , an allegory of why you must follow what the heart commands, even when you are at risk of alienating your identity”, he explains. Lauren Feldman, winery manager.
lauren feldman
The owner of the warehouse, Kashy Khaledi, she made a qualitative leap from the materialism of a solid career in the world of music – she was a creative executive at Paramount Records – to the vitality of the vineyards. "Sometimes so much reality is overwhelming, but it's comforting coming from where I come from," he tells Traveler.es.
In any case, music continues to penetrate strongly in his world, since Ashes & Diamonds it's probably the only winery in the region where you'll hear MF Doom followed by Leonard Cohen without a word of complaint.
White wine
At Ashes & Diamonds everything begins and ends with the wines, made by winemaker Diana Snowden, Steve Matthiasson and Andrew Brooks. Classic and inspired by the old Beaulieu Vineyard wines of André Tchelistcheff or the Mayacamas of the Bob Travers era. Low in alcohol but full of flavor and elegance.
Even so, the environment also plays an important role in communicating a feeling of openness to the world that is reinforced by the design of the building that houses it and by ThePark, a green and grassy esplanade that is complemented by the green views of the vineyards. “Very much like what you would see in a landscape by the architect Garrett Eckbo , contemporary of Albert Frey and Charles and Ray Eames , two other influences in the design of our cellar”, says Feldman.
Proof of this is her tasting room, the living image of a living room in a house taken from the middle of the 20th century, nothing to do with the predictable constructions of the rest of her 'competitors' in Napa Valley. "I like to think that we are the typical postcard of the Californian dream, like in a photograph of Slim Aarons", says Lauren with humor.
Diana Snowden
The type of client that comes to A&D is the one that usually shares services such as Lyft, rent an old car to show off along the way and even hot air balloons to round out the experience. Eclectic are the means of transport with which visitors come , as well as the culinary proposal that they promote in this wine paradise where local products and homemade elaborations are adored.
“It is not what is usually offered in this area and we love that. We like to have fun and enjoy ourselves, that's why we receive our clients with snacks like lotus chips and onion miso dip , spiced chickpeas or a homemade butter with sourdough bread. It is a small initial offering, but it is a gesture that extends to the way we like to drink wine: with good food and good people”.
White wine
Address: 4130 Howard Ln, Napa, CA 94558, USA View Map