Vineyard Tour and Lunch with Emma Swain

After joining St. SupĂ©ry CEO, Emma Swain on a UTV tour, the Cellar Mouse team was left with one impression: there’s no place like Dollarhide Estate Ranch.

Tucked into the remote northeastern hills of Napa Valley, Dollarhide is a valley within a valley—wild, expansive, and teeming with life. Seven rain-fed lakes glisten across the terrain, providing irrigation and a haven for diverse species. Spanning more than 1,530 acres, the ranch is also home to 1,200 heirloom fruit trees—peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, and more. Their certified Napa Green vineyard blocks stretch from 600 to 1,100 feet in elevation, shaped by seven distinct soil series and 13 unique soil types. These variations in altitude and microclimate allow St. SupĂ©ry’s winemaking team to craft wines with remarkable depth and nuance.

After a few hours exploring the ranch by UTV, we made our way back to St. Supéry Estate for a lunch that beautifully captured the synergy between the land and the table.

Hosted at the historic Atkinson House on the winery’s Rutherford property, Estate Chef Vincent Sanchez prepared a four-course Taste of the Estate pairing menu. Its a seated experience offered at the winery that highlights seasonal produce from both the winery’s Culinary Garden and Dollarhide Ranch.

The Menu:

Estate cucumbers and tomatoes with labneh, mint, and za’atar, paired with the 2023 Dollarhide Estate Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc—a wine as vibrant as the dish itself. Crisp, layered, and complex, this Sauvignon Blanc carries a parfum of zesty grapefruit, green apple, and white peach. It beautifully enhanced the bright, herbaceous flavors of this bite.

Estate melon salad with ricotta salata, cucumber, prosciutto, and basil was summer distilled into a single dish. The 2023 Napa Valley Estate VirtĂș, with its bright notes of pink grapefruit and flinty minerality, lifted the sweetness of the melon and complemented the savory depth of the prosciutto, making for a perfectly balanced pairing.

Grilled Bavette steak with estate-grown cranberry beans, squash, sweet corn, and tomato was a hearty nod to the season’s bounty. The 2019 Dollarhide Estate Vineyard Malbec was a seamless match, its deep berry fruit, spice, and velvety tannins echoing the richness of the dish and bringing everything into balance.

Miticana de Oveja—sheep’s milk cheese served with Dollarhide stone fruit, brioche, frisĂ©e, and tarragon, was paired with the 2022 Dollarhide Estate Vineyard Muscat Canelli. This bright, floral wine offered ripe peach and honeysuckle balanced by citrus and tangerine zest, delivering an indulgent and elegant finish.

Our time at Dollarhide Ranch and the St. SupĂ©ry Estate with Emma Swain was truly unforgettable. From exploring vineyard rows by UTV with Emma—whose deep connection to the land is evident in every turn—to enjoying a beautifully curated lunch at the historic Atkinson House, the day offered a rare and intimate look into the heart of St. SupĂ©ry.