Fodor's Expert Review Hestan Vineyards

A contemporary structure of concrete, glass, hand-forged copper, and other materials, Hestan's downtown tasting room further impresses with its interior use of travertine and Venetian plaster. Gleaming cookware catches the eye before wine bottles do—the founder manufactures pots and pans for upscale outlets like Williams-Sonoma and in the 2020s introduced a line by chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry. Sit down for a tasting, though, and attention quickly shifts to the polished, almost voluptuous wines that two acclaimed winemakers craft for four separate labels. The Meyer and Stephanie Cabernet Sauvignons and the Stephanie Petit Verdot, all from grapes grown amid the southern Vaca Range, are particularly successful, as is the Vincent Christopher Pinot Noir.