Guess what? We can find affordable wines from Napa Valley! In light of the recent shade tossed about regarding Napa’s out-of-control costs for tasting fees at certain wineries, exorbitant prices for a bottle of wine, over-the-top fees for hotel rooms (and more), I was thrilled to be sent as samples, two reasonably priced, high-quality selections from the region. The Mill Keeper label, launched in 2021 by Tom Gamble’s winery Gamble Family Vineyards, is a portfolio of wines at a price point we can all afford. Bonus? Fruit is sourced from sustainable vineyards and I’m raising a glass to that!
Photo Credit: Gamble Family Vineyards
Gamble Family Vineyards consists of approximately 175 acres of premium estate vineyards from Oakville, Yountville, Mt. Veeder and Rutherford, notable AVAs in Napa Valley. The winery itself is located in a quiet, pastoral setting off Highway 29 in Napa Valley’s Oakville District and tastings are invitation-only. In 2020, I had the chance to interview Tom Gamble, third generation farmer, from my home in the Chicago area to his in Oakville. For more about Tom, his story and the winery, read the full article here.
Each wine under The Mill Keeper label could be considered Tom Gamble’s love story of sorts to Napa’s early wine industry pioneers of the mid-1800s. Having grown up surrounded by Napa Valley vineyards and witnessed the growth of wineries there, Tom offers The Mill Keeper as an homage to the spirit, dedication and hard work of its early trailblazers. On the label, the artwork and words explain it all. “Respecting the past, pioneering the future. Authentic, approachable, artfully-crafted wines that honor the everyday.”
Photo Credit: Gamble Family Vineyards
My grandfather arrived in Napa in 1916. Having graduated from University of California (UC) Davis in 1911, he was drawn to Napa to graze the lands surrounding his brother’s, my great uncle’s, mine in the far northeast corner of Napa. Many different farm crops followed, but with Prohibition on the horizon, wine grapes were never a focus of his. It wasn’t until the time of his death in the early 1970s that his lands (still in the family) in Oakville were planted under lease to Beringer.
I, too, attended UC Davis and immediately started farming grapes in 1980 while still in school, becoming the first in the family to commercially do so. I started the wine brand in 2005, much as my grandfather started converting many of his crops to non- or at least less-perishable items to provide more economic sustainability to his family. Though a type of different farming, I follow in his footsteps. Tom Gamble
Photo Credit: Gamble Family Vineyards
Now, Tom Gamble has crafted The Mill Keeper portfolio of four wines with no vintage designation. A rogue concept? Not at all. Other regions around the world such as Champagne in France or Jerez in Spain use fruit from different vintages to achieve consistency and complexity to what’s in the bottle and ultimately, in the glass.
Through this project, Tom has been able to “give second life” to smaller, often overlooked vineyard sites with the purpose of “preserving Napa Valley’s agricultural space.” He sources fruit for The Mill Keeper wines from generational vineyards that adhere to “responsible land-management programs.” Further, with The Mill Keeper, Tom has partnered with Napa’s State Park, Bale Grist Mill and the National Parks Conservation Association. In essence, Tom Gamble offers “multi-vintage wines made and priced to return Napa Valley wine to the dinner table.”
The Mill Keeper Multi Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon ($35) was a powerful, rich wine that exuded quiet sophistication. On the nose, I found aromas of balking spice, black cherries, dried autumn leaves and oak. The palate, framed with soft tannins and vibrant acidity, presented elements of dark red fruit, more spice and that striking complexity I admire. Fire up the grill, cook the juiciest steak and pour the wine!
Cheers! ~ Cindy
If you have time for one more article, enjoy Three Wines from Gamble Family Vineyards and Favorite Foods for Pairing. (Click here for the link.)
For more Grape Experiences and a free infographic “4 Keys to a Stellar Wine Pick” click here.
