A surprising number of Napa wineries also have art galleries on their premises. The Hess Collection, Clos Pegase, and Hall Wines –more on that winery later—are among our personal favorites.
Mumm Napa is a great place to stop for a glass of sparkling wine and a visit to their photo gallery.
We frequently stop by Mumm Napa to see what’s new in their gallery, which features fine art photography. This time, we grabbed a glass of their California sparkling—always choosing one that is not readily available outside the winery, like the Santana or a DVX Cuvee – and headed off to see the Graham Nash photos then on view. The primarily black and white photos focused mostly on Nash’s days as part of the band Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
Mumm Napa’s gallery features fine art photography and exhibitions changes frequently.
A color photo by singer/songwriter Graham Nash on view at Mumm Napa’s photography gallery.
Mumm’s permanent collection includes a sizable collection of Ansel Adam’s black and white photos of Yosemite and other beautiful California locations.
Mumm’s photo exhibits change frequently and you may be lucky enough to visit while they’re hosting an artist’s reception.There is no charge for admission to the Mumm gallery nor are you required to purchase wine, but why wouldn’t you? After viewing the photos, relax on their expansive verandah with another glass and enjoy the pleasant views out over the vineyards.
Hall Wines has a truly marvelous contemporary art collection and they make delicious wines, too, which were two reasons we chose to stop in. Located on Route 29 in St. Helena, visitors can’t help but notice the huge metal rabbit that appears to be leaping over the vineyards (shown above). Lawrence Argent created the sculpture. He is also the artist responsible for the gigantic red rabbit titled, “Leap,” in the Sacramento, CA airport. Hall’s owners, Kathryn and Craig Hall, were quite taken by the airport piece and had a similar one commissioned for the winery.
Baldessari’s camel greets visitors to Hall Wines in St. Helena.
Please don’t ride the sheep!
Guests at Hall are greeted by a whimsical flock of sheep by Francois- Xavier Lalanne and a camel sculpture by John Baldessari, both positioned close to the main entrance. Other contemporary pieces on view include a an enormous piece constructed of “temperamental” index cards by Peter Wegner and a huge wall hanging fashioned from embroidered and bedazzled textiles (read repurposed sweaters) by Nick Cave. You’ll find fiber optic art, a crazy kaleidoscope by Alyson Shotz that looks out over the vineyards behind the modern tasting facility, and many more edgy pieces to capture your imagination by highly regarded artists like Russell Crotty, Joel Shapiro, Anya Gallaccio, Jaume Plensa, Jesus Moroles, Ivan Navarro, Spencer Finch and others.
Wenger’s “temperamental” index cards are prominently displayed in the visitor’s center.
This piece by Nick Cave was fashioned from repurposed textiles like embellished sweaters.
Outside, you’ll find more art including a number of structures by Patrick Dougherty reminiscent of the “Big Bamboo” installation that was on display, and available for climbing, at Rome’s Macro Museum in the Testaccio during one visit. Please do not climb any of the art at Hall. There are plenty of benches to rest on to contemplate life and watch the grapes grow. There is also a barn on the property available for private functions.
It’s fun to explore these “structures” on the grounds at Hall Wines.
Hall hosts private events in this barn.
After touring the collection outside, head back in to the LEED® Gold certified building for what the Halls tout as #crazygoodcabernet—and it is. The attentive and very knowledgeable wine hosts will tell you everything you want and need to know about the provenance of the grapes, the processes used and the excellent wines you will taste here. There is a fee for tasting and several options are offered. Reservations are requested.
Step inside the beautiful tasting room for some #crazygoodcabernet.
Hall also has a well-stocked gift shop with just about anything the wine aficionado could want, including a suitcase designed to carry those precious bottles back home on the plane.
The gift shop has something for every wine fan.
Wineries cannot compete with their own distributors by discounting prices so sometimes it’s wise to wait until you get home to buy—this applies to all wineries in California. If you fall in love with a wine that’s only available at the winery, buy it! California wineries ship to most states.
Looking for more art? Click here.
Note– I have updated this post to reflect the need for reservations during the current coronavirus crisis, though other elements of a visit may also have changed. Please check with individual wineries for details and requirements.