For decades, the charming Canard Vineyard has sat in the shadow of its neighbor: the gondola at Sterling Vineyards, one of Napa Valley’s biggest tourist attractions.
Canard’s tiny, unassuming operation, which has some of the oldest, burliest vines in Napa Valley, is the antithesis of Sterling’s white-washed mountain perch across the street. “We’ve always been kind of under the radar,” said Adam Fox, Canard managing director and partner, “and that’s kind of how we like it.”
But that could soon change. Despite its founding in 1983, Canard opened to the public a couple of years ago for the first time, unveiling a fascinating history involving the Donner Party and a fateful phone call from California wine legend Robert Mondavi. Offering a no-frills, old-school experience — complete with two friendly pigs — Canard may finally stand out in a sea of flashy, corporate-owned estates.
When Rich Czapleski and his wife, Carolyn, purchased the Calistoga property (1016 Dunaweal Lane), one of the first things they did was hire a vineyard manager, who advised them to rip out the Zinfandel plantings on the property. “Everyone was pulling out Zin. There was a lot of money (being paid) for the French varieties,” said Fox. Czapleski wanted to plant Bordeaux grapes…