Hudson Vineyards

Nestled in the beautiful hills of Carneros in Napa Valley is Hudson Vineyards. At Hudson Vineyards, people also talk about the ranch instead of a winery, domain or château. In fact, in addition to winemaking, you will find Tuscan olive trees, chickens, lambs and a vegetable garden with fruits and vegetables. The latter two are also sold in their grocery shop, called Hudson Greens & Goods.

In 1981, Robert Lee Hudson and his wife Cristina Salas Porras Hudson bought the estate and planted the first vineyards together. Cristina has an impressive CV and has worked with Steve Jobs, Slow Food International and celebrity chef Alice Waters, among others.

There are now 80 hectares planted across more than 20 plots. Chardonnay, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot dominate the plantings. Besides the classic grape varieties, you will also find a number of varieties that are quite unusual for the region, including aleatico, friulano, ribolla gialla, arneis, vermentino and verdejo. Hudson's premium vineyards are much loved and famous. Not surprisingly, top producers in the region buy Robert's fruit for their own wines. These include Aubert, Kongsgaard and Kistler. To work one hectare takes an average of 220 man hours a year. Therefore, the team consists of at least 16 FTEs and many part-timers. Together, they ensure that the vines can grow naturally and the highest achievable quality is pursued.

The cellar is supervised by Clayton Kirchhoff. His career began with studying business economics, but after a visit to Italy he found out that that industry was not his calling. After years of working with several winemakers in Napa Valley and a lot of self-study, Clayton has gained all the expertise needed to produce high-level wines. The Chardonnay Ladybug and Chardonnay Little Bit are the house's two flagship wines. Both wines have been awarded 99 Parker Points several times! For the red wines, the toppers are Syrah Hudson Vineyards, Old Master Proprietary Red and Phoenix.

Hudson Vineyards' top vintages are: 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.