Larkmead Vineyards

Aesthetics, history, and renowned Cabernets draw collectors to southern Calistoga winery.

Larkmead Vineyards, whose tastings are geared toward collectors of its renowned Cabernets, lists its founding date as 1895. That was the year the second of this property’s three owners in the past century and a half took possession. Even before 1895, though, Lillie Hitchcock Coit, the free-spirited daughter of the initial owners, planted grapes here. The original estate encompassed 1,000 acres, now divided among a few wineries and Bothe–Napa Valley State Park.

Old wine label. — Circa-1940s bottle of Larkmead Petite Sirah; the Salmina family owned the estate from 1895 to 1948.

Early History

Coit, who donated the funds to build San Francisco’s Coit Tower, named Larkmead for the meadowlarks then plentiful in the north valley. From 1895 to 1948, the Salmina family grew grapes and made wine on the estate. From 1895 to 1948, the Salmina family grew grapes and made wine on the estate, these days 150 acres, 110 planted to vines. Larry and Polly Solari, the parents of the current proprietor, Kate Solari Baker, purchased Larkmead in 1948.

Flower. — Ann Baker, the daughter of Larkmead’s current owner, planted the winery’s gardens.

Keeping Accounts

A visit to Larkmead revolves around both history and aesthetics. White walls in airy, light-filled spaces provide a soothing backdrop for vintage wine bottles from the Salmina era, as well as photographs and other ephemera that evoke this land’s illustrious past. Kate’s paintings please the eye, as does the colorful landscaping by Kate’s daughter, Ann Baker. Kate’s “Keeping Accounts” series of mixed-media collages incorporates Polly’s business ledgers to great effect.

Artwork incorporating old business ledgers. — Kate Solari Baker incorporated her mother’s winery ledgers in the “Keeping Accounts” collages.

Looking Forward

One stop on tours, a component of most tastings, is the 3-acre Research Block, planted in 2020 to research the effects of climate change on Cabernet Sauvignon, the Napa Valley’s premier grape. In addition to Cabernet, the block contains former Napa red-wine stalwarts like Charbono and Petite Sirah, along with Aglianico, Tempranillo, and other varieties known to thrive in high heat. In 2023, the winery produced the inaugural Estate Chenin Blanc from the only white Research Block grapes.

Vineyard, sign with grape names, and two umbrellas. — The Research Block in 2021, a year after planting began.

The Wines

In addition to the Chenin Blanc, Larkmead makes a Sauvignon Blanc, Lillie, named for Lillie Hitchcock Coit, and a small amount of Tocai Friulano, an Italian white varietal, from old vines.

Bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and wine glass. — Lillie Sauvignon Blanc is named for a famous San Franciscan.

Also named for Lillie Hitchcock Coit, the Firebelle Estate Red Blend is a Merlot-heavy affair whose other components vary with the vintage but always include Cabernet Sauvignon and often Cabernet Franc. The grapes for the flagship white-label Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon come from a few sections of the estate, which has three distinct soil types, each imparting different characteristics to the wine. Grapes from the estate’s oldest blocks form the core of Solari, a lush, deeply flavored upper-tier Cabernet Sauvignon. Recent vintages have received high-90s scores from influential critics.

Larkmead’s reputation rests on its reds, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tip: Visits to the Larkmead estate are strictly by appointment, and children under 21 and pets are not allowed.

Why go: rich history; artworks by winery owner Kate Solari Baker; genteel hospitality; Cabernets made with finesse.

This story originally appeared in 2019; it was most recently updated in 2025.

Aesthetics, history, and renowned Cabernets draw collectors to southern Calistoga winery.

Early History

Keeping Accounts

Looking Forward

The Wines

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