Family owned and operated Schweiger Vineyards’ is located on Spring Mountain at an elevation of 2,000 feet above the fog line – and just a short 15-minute drive from downtown St. Helena.</>
Proprietors Fred and Sally Schweiger have lived and worked on this land since the 1960s, it’s not uncommon for visitors to be welcomed by both in the tasting room. Schweiger Vineyards is one of the distinguished multi-generation wineries with a father-son grower-winemaker team who have been working together for over 20 years.
Originally purchased by Fred’s parents, the land did not grow grapes until the 1970’s when Fred discovered a perfect wine growing location. During the clearing process, old Redwood grape stakes spaced at 1×1 meter intervals were discovered, reconfirming the notion that the property had once been a prime viticulture area dating back to the late 1870’s. 1984 was their first harvest of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Over the years, the Schweigers sold grapes to many of Napa Valley’s top wineries. Ten years later, in 1994, Sally and Fred worked with their son Andy to create their first vintage of Schweiger Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
There are 35 acres of planted grapevines on-site at Schweiger Vineyards. They use what they call The Schweiger-Smart trellis system, which is a system Fred Schweiger developed with Viticulturist Richard Smart. The estate vineyard and winery is Napa Green certified and sustainable practices include Fish Friendly Farming certification. The Schweiger Family dry-farms their vines, which allows the grapevine roots to grow 25 feet deep, where the vines have access to water and the nutrients they need to produce quality grapes. Located in the Spring Mountain District Appellation on land with a distinctive micro-climate; they do not get the thick layer of fog in the mornings as the valley floor vineyards do. This helps the fruit ripen with more sunlight. The complexity of flavors in the wines are attributed in part by the five types of volcanic soil on our property.
Fred’s son, Andy Schweiger is the winemaker. His style of winemaking is an extension of his father Fred’s passionate artisan vineyard methods, concentrated quality wine production and unique winemaking style reflective of our terroir. Due to meticulous viticulture practices, the dark red wines produced from their mountain fruit have intense flavors.
Schweiger Vineyards offers unique and exclusive wine tasting experiences by appointment only. Book an all terrain vineyard tour exploring the top of Spring Mountain through the incredible slopes of Schweiger Estate, with none other than Founder and Farmer, Fred Schweiger, or Winemaker, Andy Schweiger, as your host. As you ride through the vineyards, stops will be made to taste each wine in the block from which it was sourced and with an up-close look at our farming techniques, terroir, and micro-climate diversity. Return to the winery for a glance at production, and finish your visit in the tasting room with a pour of our Bordeaux-style blend, Dedication.
Schweiger Vineyards welcomes guests to their estate tasting room, inside and outside on the terrace. VIP Vineyard Tours are also available.
