#COPPOLA WINE TOUR NAPA MOVIE#

This is the only Napa winery we have seen selling horseshoes inside the tasting room – although it certainly fits when you take into account the properties’ history. Visitors can however purchase some artsy looking horses as well as rusted iron “good” luck horseshoes.

#COPPOLA WINE TOUR NAPA MOVIE#

This winery has no affiliation with the Black Stallion movie – so no souvenirs for this movie are sold here – although for marketing purposes this would not be a bad idea. In 2008 a full-time winemaker was hired to oversee the Black Stallion wines. Black Stallion also sources grapes from local vineyards not under their ownership, mostly in the Napa Valley also also selectively in Sonoma County. Later additional adjoining acreage was acquired and also planted to more vineyards. This is the Gaspare Vineyard, named in honor of the Delicato’s Italian immigrant patriarch Gaspare Indelicato. Some of the wines are from the 10 acres of vines surrounding the winery – this vineyard was originally planted when the winery was built – all the vines are Cabernet Sauvignon. The Indelicatos are one of the largest by case production wine producers in the USA. Through a partnership with musician Zac Brown, they also produce a number of wines under the label Z. Martini’s Gnarly Vine wine) and Bota Box – reasonably priced wine in a pouch contained within a box. The Inedelicatos own several physical wineries and over 15 wine brands including perhaps their most known brands, Gnarly Head (not to be confused with Louis M. This original winery was named after both men’s ‘American’ nicknames. After Prohibition was repealed, demand for grapes for home winemaking decreased and both men decided to start a winery, founding Sam-Jasper Winery in 1935. This was during prohibition and their grapes were shipped mainly to Chicago for home winemakers. The Indelicato family’s domestic wine origins start with Gaspare Indelicato and his brother-in-law Sebastiano Luppino who began a vineyard and grape shipping business in Lodi in 1924. This family owns Delicato Family Wines – founded in 1935 in Manteca California (home of their sizable winery along with a tasting room open to the public). In 2010 they sold Black Stallion to the Indelicato family.

Director Francis Ford Coppola has had a long time connection to Napa (through his own winery, Inglenook Estate).īlack Stallion was founded by two brothers Terrance and Michael Maglich, owners of MGM Wine & Spirits, a Minnesota based brand of alcohol retail outlets centered in and around Minneapolis. Historical information about this and the Silverado Trail hangs on the wall near the tasting counter.Īlso of note is one scene in the movie, Apocalypse Now was filmed here. The original equestrian center (behind the tasting room building) has now been remodeled for winery production uses. It housed an indoor riding track with an outdoor arena that seated up to 3000 people. The winery site used to be horse stables and an equestrian center called the Silverado Horseman’s Center and had a long rich history before closing in the 1990’s. Look for the large statue of the black stallion in the front – don’t actually park here – the main parking lot is located in the back of the winery accessible via another driveway slightly to the north, directly off of the Silverado Trail. We visited several times during the construction (tasting was in a trailer at that point – how far they’ve come since then) as well as after the “new winery” officially opened. The 38 acre property is located off of the southern part of Silverado Trail in the Oak Knoll Appellation. Their hospitality center opened to the public in May 2007. Black Stallion Winery began virtually – meaning they did not own a physical winery or property (their first release dates from 2002).

Coppola wine tour napa