Hestan Chardonnay is the only white wine that Napa Cabernet specialist Mark Herold (Herold, Kobalt, Kamen) has on his résumé. Stanley Cheng possesses an unlikely grape source—a 2-acre vineyard planted outside the headquarters of his other business: Meyer Corporation, a global cookware company based in downtown Vallejo, just south of the Napa Valley. Cheng says he initially planted grapevines as a landscaping alternative for three reasons: He likes wine; grapevines are drought-tolerant; and they look nice. He discovered that the cooling influence of nearby San Pablo Bay allows his fruit to ripen slowly, maximizing fig and apricot flavors. Future bottlings will carry the "San Francisco Bay" designation.

Tasting notes from Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast—91 pts: "The winery doesn’t tell us where in this gigantic, multi-county region the grapes came from, but it’s quite a good wine. Firm in 'citrusy' acids, with a mineral undertow, it’s a dry, elegant wine with complex notes of pineapples, buttered toast and creamy lees. Lots of oak, but it’s well-integrated with the fruit."

Total Production: 400 cases

Aging Potential: 3-6 years