The Napa Valley Reserve - The Gardens

Welcome The Winery The Vineyards The Gardens Contact Us

The California climate nurtures a twelve-month growing season, which supports the local, fresh-from-the-garden culinary style. Mild weather encourages the enjoyment of nature and the out of doors year round and the Valley expresses its seasonal beauty in the colors of the landscape, the shapes of the clouds and the quality of light. Time spent here is spent closer to the land and life slows to the rhythm of nature.

A setting of simple beauty and natural surroundings, the gardens of the estate are holistically integrated into their vineyard setting. Spend an afternoon in the garden as part of a tour or event and you will never want to leave.

The Reserve Garden is a working garden changing with the seasons, but a place where you will learn, share and enjoy the products of the land.

The gardens of the estate are holistically integrated into their vineyard setting.

Winter Rains moisten the soil and awaken the life that has slept during the heat produced by the summer sun. The garden rebuilds itself in anticipation of the following year's bountiful growth. While the soil is rejuvenating, our staff will be working to plan the spring and summer gardens.

Spring The winter rains taper off and the sun warms the soil. The garden is productive in a very short time.

Members work in the beds harvesting the abundant spring harvest and prepare delicious meals using fresh ingredients.

Produce is picked at the height of ripeness and is the focal point for seasonal culinary explorations.

Summer Members and their families taste the differences between different varieties and learn to appreciate the rich gift of nature and the important connections between food and the land.

Fall We search the garden for the last of the ripe tomatoes and take pride in the size of our pumpkin and winter squash crop knowing that they will be savored in pies throughout the holidays. Fall brings us the memories of nature's flavors that were coaxed by our hands and hard work from well tended soils.

Spend an afternoon in the garden as part of a tour or event and you will never want to leave.

A setting of simple beauty and natural surroundings.

Beekeeping Beekeeping has a long tradition and is a satisfying and exciting hobby that demands that the beekeeper – to be successful – be familiar with the lifecycle of bees and perform the necessary tasks at the appropriate time in the course of the changing seasons. During winter the bees are using winter food stored in the combs to generate necessary heat.

Honey Harvest Members can begin to harvest their own honey as early as June and will begin rearing new queens for the following year's hives.

Hive to Table As summer comes to an end, the colony will have gotten smaller. As the nights cool the bees begin to contract into a tight cluster. By October members will have finished feeding the bees and harvesting honey and will prepare the hives for winter.

The Reserve planted over 150 olive trees, including four varietals, all imported from Italy in 1994.

Fresh from the Olive Grove

Fall Olive Harvest