Julie Johnson and her vineyard dogs had just harvested her organically-grown zinfandel in 2005 when disaster struck: fire hit her off-site fermentation facility. Rather than risk smoke-taint, owner/winemaker/farmer/chef Julie ingeniously repurposed the juice for barbecue sauce, and her winery rebounded. Today Tres Sabores' soulful zin is the toast of Napa Valley, sauvignon blanc was named a New York Times top-10 pick, and rare rosé is a collectors' favorite – you might even score legendary Por Que No? (Why Not?) BBQ sauce.
Guinea fowl and sheep control pests on the 35-acre estate, while Julie's golden retrievers greet visitors and chase butterflies through gnarled old vines. Meet them all on a 90-minute tour and vineyard tasting, covering recent releases and estate olive oil from centennial olive trees plus snacks.
