Cardinale Estate Winery

Single Varietal Focused Producer in Oakville, California

Cardinale Estate is owned by Jackson Family Wines, parent company of Kendall-Jackson, La Crema, Murphy-Goode, Matanzas Creek, Freemark Abbey, and other fine wines.

Lawyer and entrepreneur Jess Jackson started his wine empire in 1974, when he purchased a pear and walnut orchard in California’s Lake County, converted it to a vineyard, and began selling grapes to local wineries. In 1982 he produced the first vintage of his own Kendall-Jackson wine—and the rest is history.

Cardinale Estate is one of the rare wineries that create a single wine each year—in this case, an extremely high-end Cabernet Sauvignon-based meritage named Cardinale (the 2006 received 100 points from Wine Enthusiast).

On a visit to the lovely all-stone winery with its spacious tasting room, you’ll sample a few vintages of Cardinale for a relatively low fee.

The winery sits atop a hill in a serene setting that offers stunning views of Napa Valley’s southern end. Take time to stand on the balcony and survey the scene before you.

Fascinating Fact:

In 2005, Forbes Magazine listed Jess Jackson’s worth at $1.8 billion, making him the 366th richest person in the world. Two years later he was richer, with $2.2 billion, but had fallen to No. 432 in world ranking.

Amenities: Cellar Tour, Wine & Food pairing
Founded: 2004
Signature Wines: Cardinale (meritage)
Wine Tasting: By appointment only
Hours: Daily, 10:30–5

Cardinale Estate Winery
7600 St. Helena Highway
Oakville, CA 94562
800-588-0279

email: info@cardinale.com
website: www.cardinale.com

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Suzie Rodriguez writes about travel, food, and wine from her home in the wine-country town of Sonoma, California. You can follow her travels and musings at The Culinary Gadabout.

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