Envy Wines

The origins of Envy Wines began in the mid 1980’s when the historic Carter House Victorian was built. When this small bed and breakfast became too popular for the crowd from the cities up and down the west coast the Hotel Carter was added and a restaurant (the highly regarded Restaurant 301) was needed for the guests. For the guests at the restaurant Mark Carter began compiling what has become (since 1998) a Wine Spectator Grand Award winning wine list. He began sourcing the best wines the world had to offer from first growth Bordeaux to the top Napa Cabernet and even the high quality, little-known gems that helped the wine list stand out. Because of the great recognition of the restaurant and its wine list Mark was able to host winemaker dinners with the likes of Dan Duckhorn and Nils Venge.

Mark and Nils became fast friends at these dinners while sharing their all encompassing passion for great wines. Mark wanted to expand his love of wines with his own wine label, Carter Cellars. His goal was to create the best Napa Cabernet that could be made. Nils Venge, the superstar winemaker responsible for receiving the first “perfect score” on a domestic wine from Robert M. Parker Jr. while at Groth in 1985, seemed like the perfect match on this quest for perfection.

Mark and Nils began looking for a permanent home for Carter Cellars and for a small Napa Winery at which they could produce wines from estate grown fruit. In 2006 they founded Envy Winery on Tubbs Lane in Calistoga. This 17 acre property specializes in Estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc . Envy Wines has grown steadily over the years, and now produces nearly 2,500 cases of wine with grapes from our Estate Vineyard as well as several select vineyards throughout the Napa Valley.

Estate Vineyard

Under the influence of Mt. Saint Helena, at the northern end of the Napa Valley Floor lies eleven planted acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Merlot and Sauvignon Blancvines. These vines are planted in well draining alluvial soil in an east to west row pattern, allowing the grapes to soak up sunshine and develop unique and bright varietal expression that are then lovingly crafted into the wines you know.
 

The Fortuna Vineyard

At the base of the sloping Oakville bench on the Western side of the Oakville appellation facing Southwest, sits the Fortuna Ranch. Located on the Silverado Trail, the 59 acre vineyard features ancient red volcanic soils from the adjoining Vaca Range that produce darker fruit notes with an identifiable spice box component. 
 

The Kenefick Ranch Vineyard

Kenefick Ranch consists of 125 acres located at the foothills of the Palisades Mountains in Calistoga. This bench land beauty has the ability to ripen any varietal earlier than most parts of Napa Valley. Excellent drainage, rocky soils, warm Calistoga days and cools nights bless this site with rich, boastful grapes that fill our wines with stunning blue fruits yet compliment them with polished structure. 

The Amoenus Vineyard

Located in the beautiful and remote Western rolling hills of Calistoga in the Napa Valley just beneath Mount St. Helena, this just might be our favorite place on Earth to sneak away under an old Oak tree. The 101- acre Amoenus Vineyard features a variety of volcanic soils. The higher elevations and exposures in this part of the Valley are influenced by the ocean air and fog, which cools the fruit at night and provides good acidity with dark cherry notes. Wines from this vineyard have a density of flesh, plush mid palate and a unique minerality.
 

The Toffanelli Vineyard

The historical vineyard located at the top of the Napa Valley near the town of Calistoga now stands as one of the last examples of pre-World War II grape growing. The 40 acres of grapes head-trained are managed with an organic philosophy and without the use of irrigation. e methods we still use were once prevalent throughout the valley; no irrigation, an organic philosophy and no trellis systems on our red varietals.

Known as “The King of Cabernet,” legendary winemaker, Nils Venge, has been making stellar Cabernet Sauvignon, along with many other varietals in the Napa Valley since his arrival in 1970. Nils’ philosophy on making wine is that it must reflect the best qualities that the varietal has to offer; sometimes a single vineyard, sometimes a single appellation, or a blend of appellations to make the best wine in a particular vintage. Despite his reputation as “The King,” Nils is a down-to-earth, cheerful, full-of-life kind of guy whose wines not only reflect the character of their region, but also seem to reflect his personality – bold, yet approachable, friendly and fun yet with layers of complexities.

Nils earned his degree in Viticulture from the University of California at Davis, with a minor in Enology, and has been making top wines since 1973. The list of wineries for which he has made wine or consulted on reads like a Who’s Who of the industry. His talents come from not only his superior winemaking skills, but also due to his wine career beginning first in the vineyard – initially as a vineyard supervisor at Charles Krug, and then as vineyard co-manager at Sterling.He went on to begin his winemaking career at Villa Mr. Eden, and then in 1982 as winemaker and general manager for Groth Vineyards. In 1988, Nils earned the title "King of Cab." with his 1985 Reserve Cabernet garnering a 100-point rating from Robert Parker Jr. – the only perfect score ever awarded to an American winery at the time.