Holiday Hosting, the Napa Valley Way
December 18th, 2025
Tips from Sylvia Taplin The holidays have a way of sneaking up on us – one minute we’re watching the last leaves fall in the vineyard, and the next our homes are filled with friends, family, and the clink of glasses. someone who hosts her fair share of gatherings, I’ve learned that great holiday entertaining… [Read More]
2025 Harvest Update
October 30th, 2025
From our winemaker, Julien Fayard The 2025 growing season in St. Helena will be one I remember for its elegant texture, dark aromatics and refined tannins . The year began with good spring warmth fueled by a couple heat spikes but soon mellowed into a long, even summer. The vines responded with calm energy, setting a strong crop… [Read More]
Come Over October
October 14th, 2025
Why We Love Hosting – Especially in the Fall There’s something about fall that just calls for gathering people together. Maybe it’s the cooler evenings and golden light, or maybe it’s the chance to finally slow down after the bustle of harvest. Whatever it is, this is our favorite time to open the doors, set… [Read More]
The Proper Glassware for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons
September 25th, 2025
There’s a certain magic in uncorking a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Choosing the right glass isn’t just a detail – it’s the vessel that allows the story of the wine, and of the Taplin family, to unfold fully. The deep garnet color catches the light, the first swirl releases aromas of blackberry, cassis, and cedar,… [Read More]
The Magic Before Harvest at Taplin Napa Valley
August 25th, 2025
There’s something palpable in the air in Napa Valley in the weeks before harvest. The vineyards are heavy with fruit, the days are golden, and the nights are cooling down. You can feel the valley holding its breath. Walking through the rows of our estate vineyards this time of year is pure magic. The Cabernet… [Read More]
5 Things You Need to Know About Shipping Wine in the Summer
August 15th, 2025
As a Napa Valley winery, one of the questions we get most often this time of year is, “Is it safe to ship wine in the summer?” The short answer? Yes – as long as we do it smartly. Wine is a living, delicate thing, and summer heat can be tough on bottles in transit. But… [Read More]
Meet the Team – Camille Gaïo, Director of Winemaking, Fayard Wines
July 23rd, 2025
As the Director of Winemaking at Fayard Wines, working directly under our winemaker, Julien Fayard, Camille Gaïo has become an integral part of the Taplin team, and we’d love for you to get to know her better. Where are you from originally, and what brought you to Napa Valley? I’m originally from the French Alps,… [Read More]
Serving Taplin Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons at the Right Temperature
July 15th, 2025
When it comes to enjoying a glass of our Cabernet Sauvignon, there’s more to it than simply pulling the cork and pouring. One of the most overlooked – yet most impactful – ways to elevate your experience is serving wine at the ideal temperature. Temperature can dramatically affect a wine’s aroma, texture, and overall impression,… [Read More]
Savoring Summer – Pairing Taplin Cabernet Sauvignon with Your Backyard BBQ
June 11th, 2025
When summer hits its stride and the grill gets fired up, most people reach for crisp whites or refreshing rosés. But don’t count out a bold red just yet—especially if that red is a Taplin Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Known for its rich structure, ripe fruit, and silky tannins, Napa Cab can be an unexpectedly… [Read More]
A Napa Valley-esque Dinner Party With Rosé at the Heart
May 29th, 2025
If you’ve ever spent an evening in Napa Valley, you know the magic: golden-hour light spilling across the vines, glasses clinking over candlelit tables, and food that celebrates the land. Those of us who live here are lucky enough to get to experience this magic regularly, but you don’t need to live in wine country… [Read More]
Meyer Lemon and Thyme Brined Whole Chicken
May 16th, 2025
We often think of Rosé as being an appetizer wine, or something that you merely sip while lounging in the sun, and while it’s great for both of those things, don’t forget that it can also be a great wine to serve with a full meal! Our Estate Host, Peter, recently enjoyed our 2024 Melinda’s… [Read More]
How to Tell If You Should Decant That Bottle
May 8th, 2025
Picture it – it’s a Saturday night and you’re cooking something special, so you decide to open a bottle of Taplin Cabernet Sauvignon to go with the meal. Good decision! But before you pop the cork and start pouring, here’s a little insider tip: decanting that bottle could be the difference between “This is good” and “Wow…… [Read More]
Napa Valley vs. French Cabernet Franc
April 29th, 2025
Napa Valley vs French Cabernet Franc: What’s the difference, really? Cabernet Franc, the elegant and peppery red grape long revered in France’s Loire Valley and Bordeaux, is planting some major roots in a second home these days – Napa Valley. At Taplin we are thrilled to have debuted a Cabernet Franc with the 2019 vintage,… [Read More]
The Many Shades of Rosé
April 25th, 2025
Rosé comes in many styles, but for those of us who love it, the first thing that catches the eye is the color—so many beautiful shades of pink! But what determines the color? First, the grape varietal plays a key role. Different red grapes have varying levels of pigmentation—Grenache-based rosés tend to be a lighter… [Read More]
Top 5 Reasons to Love the 2022 Terra 9
April 25th, 2025
The Terra 9 Cabernet Sauvignon is our most popular wine at Taplin Cellars, and it is no secret why. Made from blocks of our estate vineyard that are hand-selected by our winemaker, Julien Fayard, the Terra 9 delivers a knock-out wine (especially for the price) year after year. The 2022 is already winning hearts, so… [Read More]
Lamb Lollipops with Bacon Jam
March 18th, 2025
Inspired by a dish recently served at a Taplin on the Road event in Florida, our Estate Host, Peter Lilly, crafted this lamb lollipop dish to pair with our 2022 Terra 9 Cabernet Sauvignon. Lamb lollipops are individual or double-cut bone-in lamb chops that come from the ribs, also known as a rack of lamb.… [Read More]
Open That Bottle Night
February 18th, 2025
This coming Saturday, February 22, Stephen and Sylvia Taplin will pop open a 2002 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for Open That Bottle Night. 2002 is a special year for them, as it is the year that they met. They weren’t making their own wine then, but the producer that this wine is from was using grapes… [Read More]
Chef Eric’s Grilled Tuna
January 15th, 2025
Our annual members-only Midsummer Winemaker’s Dinner is a highlight of the year for us. This very intimate dinner pairs Taplin wine with a five-course meal, and our winemaker, Julien Fayard, speaks to every course and mingles with guests. The 2024 menu included a delicious Grilled California Tombo Tuna with Leeks and Beurre Rouge, which was… [Read More]
An Autumnal Lamb Dish to Pair with the 2021 Taplin Cabernet Sauvignon
October 3rd, 2024
Lamb Chops with Advieh & Minted Yogurt Advieh literally means “spices” in Farsi, but also refers to a fragrant blend of sweet and savory spices frequently used in rice dishes, grilled meats, and stews. Like all spice blends, the exact composition of advieh varies from household to household. This simple version – equal parts ground… [Read More]
Meet Toni Vaccaro
August 21st, 2024
What is your place in the Taplin family, and what does being a part of it mean to you? I’m married to Adam, who’s in the sixth generation of Taplins who have lived in St. Helena. We met in college, and the first time I came to the Taplin ranch was soon after we graduated… [Read More]
A Summer Pairing with 2017 Terra 9 Cabernet Sauvignon
July 30th, 2024
Recipes by Peter Lilly, Taplin Cellars Host These three recipes showcase summer produce at its peak. The grilled steak or lamb recipe works wonderfully with 2017 Terra 9, as its Chilean Merquen seasoning adds some spice, which a wine with a riper fruit component of this vintage can handle. Adding in the Bing cherry… [Read More]
Part 2 with Adam Taplin
June 28th, 2024
What kind of work are you currently doing with the vineyards? If you read my previous interview, you might remember that I’m relatively new to viticulture. However, the decisions made now will affect my family for the next twenty to thirty years, so I want to do everything I possibly can to make sure we… [Read More]
Meet Adam Taplin
May 29th, 2024
What is your place in the family, and what does living on the land mean to you? My ancestors settled in the Napa Valley in the 1870s, in two separate locations: one family where I am now, and another over on Silverado Trail. I’m now the sixth generation to live here on this ranch with… [Read More]
2021 Terra 9 Cabernet Sauvignon Is Now Released!
April 18th, 2024
We are pleased to announce that our 2021 Terra 9 Cabernet Sauvignon is now officially released! The 2021 Terra 9 is a sun-kissed vintage with opulent fruit, rich aromatics, and an irresistible silky roundness. Fragrant notes of black cherry, bay leaf, cedar, and dried winter savory waft from the glass, with darker aromas of blackberry… [Read More]
Chef Eric’s Cabernet Braised Pork Cheeks
January 19th, 2024
Our annual members-only Winemaker’s Dinner is a highlight of the year for us. This very intimate dinner pairs Taplin wine with a five-course meal, and our winemaker, Julien Fayard, speaks to every course and mingles with guests. The 2023 menu included a wonderful Cabernet Braised Pork Cheeks course, which was paired with the 2019 Taplin… [Read More]
Peter’s Entrecôte Bordelaise
November 17th, 2023
Entrecôte Bordelaise – Steak with Bordelaise sauce is a classic, and easy to serve over the holidays. To pair with the 2016 Taplin Cabernet Sauvignon, we recommend doing this recipe with a filet mignon. With the 2019 Taplin Cabernet Sauvignon, a rib eye is the perfect choice. When pairing with 2019, we recommend decanting the… [Read More]
Five Tips for Hosting with Wine from Sylvia Taplin
November 16th, 2023
The members of the Taplin family are a varied bunch, but one thing we all have in common is our love for hosting, and our passion for sharing wines that we love with our guests. Over the years, I have honed my hostess skills, and here are five tips I recommend when you are serving… [Read More]
Our Fish Friendly Farming Certification
August 7th, 2023
At Taplin Cellars, one of our core tenets is being good stewards of this land that has been in our family for over 150 years. One part of this stewardship that we take very seriously is our commitment to sustainable farming, and doing what we can to take care of the environment and ecosystem that… [Read More]
Our Cabernet Franc Story
June 8th, 2023
When the 5th generation of Taplins took stewardship of the land, all of our vineyards were planted with Cabernet Sauvignon. Then almost 10 years ago, we planted a small block with Cabernet Franc, which we made our first wine from in 2019. We couldn’t believe how high the quality was, and how well it was… [Read More]
What is a “library wine”?
May 12th, 2023
When you hear the term library wine, sometimes it is unclear exactly what that means. What makes a wine a “library wine”? The term “library wine” refers to keeping a certain quantity of some vintages stored in the cellar after their initial release, so that they can develop with age and be enjoyed for years… [Read More]
A Provençal Pairing for Melinda’s Rose
April 19th, 2023
Grilled Pissaladière au Fenouil Like Melinda’s Rosé, this is a Napa Valley twist on a Provençal classic. Sweet, fresh fennel joins the traditional caramelized onions on this flatbread, melding seamlessly with the wine’s wild garrigue notes, and drawing out its fresh red fruit and orange zest aromas. Cooking the flatbread dough on the grill instead… [Read More]
It pairs with cabernet? You’d be surprised
March 22nd, 2023
Crispy-Skinned Duck with Vietnamese Pistou This recipe blends French and Vietnamese flavors in a hauntingly exotic herb & walnut pistou. The secret ingredient is Vietnamese fish sauce, which layers marvelous depth and umami without weighing down the mint- and basil-flecked sauce. 2019 Terra 9 Cabernet Sauvignon’s ripe Bing cherry, boysenberry and mint tea notes are… [Read More]
Premiere Napa Valley, 2023
March 13th, 2023
Have you ever tasted a PNV wine? PNV stands for Premiere Napa Valley, an event where the top Napa Valley wineries put a limited amount of wine from their best barrel, or produce a unique blend to offer it up for auction to benefit the Napa Valley Vintners. Restaurants and retailers are invited to participate… [Read More]
Making Terra 9
February 14th, 2023
The process of making Terra 9 starts in our vineyards every year as the vines awaken from their winter slumber and begin to breathe again with new life. We make Terra 9 using a different approach from that of our Taplin Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes from a very targeted, precise location of our vineyard every… [Read More]
Vegetarian Pairing for 2017 Taplin Cabernet Sauvignon
November 10th, 2021
This vegan recipe draws (loose) inspiration from feijoada, the national dish of Brazil—an intensely rich, meaty black bean stew often seasoned with tempero baiano and served with toasted cassava root, sliced oranges, and greens. Here, layers of smoky and herbaceous flavors in the black beans pair beautifully with the earthy thyme and basil notes in… [Read More]
Evening BBQ with 2017 Terra 9
June 23rd, 2021
Grilled Flank Steak Flank steak is a lean meat; therefore, the marinade and accompanying sauce are all-important. This recipe pairs very well with our 2017 Terra 9. The simple marinade with brown sugar helps to create a soft caramel sauce in the steak, enhancing the black cherries and purple berries in the wine. Add the… [Read More]
A Summer Salad With Melinda’s Rosé
June 16th, 2021
Shaved Zucchini and Parmesan Salad Ideal for a hot summer day, this salad features raw zucchini shaved into thin ribbons and tossed in a lemony dressing, with Parmesan, herbs, and some crunch from toasted nuts. Basil and pine nuts, or parsley and almonds, are each good options for the herbs and nuts. Or try a… [Read More]
Join us in “Move With Love” to remember Melinda’s story on May 15
March 30th, 2021
Are you confused by the many types, colors, and flavors of rosé wine? Our sister Melinda Taplin was, until she spent a year in France and fell in love with Provençal rosé: dry, with gentle flower and fruit aromas. Back home, she dreamed of making rosé in California. After years of work, including partnering with… [Read More]
Decanting
February 10th, 2021
Recently, I was busy making dinner and rushed to my wine cooler to get a bottle of Cabernet that I thought would pair well with the beef I had cooked. When we were all ready, I opened the bottle at the table. BIG Mistake. The wine was too cold, and it tasted tight, with notes… [Read More]
Glass Fire Update
October 8th, 2020
Thank you to everybody who has had us in their thoughts. Harvest had wrapped up when the fire started and the wine is in a safe facility. Our property did not suffer damages. We did have to work off-site for a few days, but we are back to our schedule determined to continue on. We… [Read More]
Deep roots
September 13th, 2020
While sharing a bottle of our wine with an esteem sommelier in France, we were meticulously describing our Cabernet Sauvignon. He stopped us and said, you do not produce a Cabernet, you produce a St. Helena. Herein is the concept of terroir, hard to define but often interesting to explore. Its basic definition combines climate,… [Read More]
Sip with Susan: Dr. Stephen Taplin hosts Dr. Susan Love for a virtual tasting and Q&A on breast cancer, August 13th
July 31st, 2020
When Melinda Taplin was diagnosed with breast cancer over 10 years ago, her brother, a physician, connected her with Dr. Susan Love. It was often difficult to even articulate the questions Melinda wanted to ask her doctor, but Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book provided guidance and understanding so Melinda could formulate her questions. Despite the… [Read More]
Wrapping Up Another Harvest
October 28th, 2019
Greetings from the Napa Valley, where we are wrapping up another harvest – Vintage 2019. We are almost a month later than last year. This year the steady warm temperatures and prolonged hang-time gave more development opportunity for compounds responsible for taste and complexity. Our winemaker Julien is hard at work now and we look… [Read More]
