Red Cap Vineyards

This vineyard is a secret little hidden gem! They make some amazing wines. It is a small family owned and operated business with great charm. Tom and Desiree's hospitality is beyond words! They will make you feel like long lost family. Highly recommend trying these delicious wines. You won't be disappointed and will be blown away with a memorable experience.

Our stop at Red Cap was truly special and memorable, owing exclusively to the warmth and generosity of vineyard owner, Tom, and Red Cap’s proprietor, Chris. The wines are enchanting and delicious, and the walking tour of some of the vineyard included some interesting insights into the joys and challenges of growing fruit on Howell Mountain. Thanks for a magical visit to the property!

Great people, excellent wine and a beautiful mountain top vineyard. It's a true gem in Napa with a personal experience.

Kudos to the wonderful people at Red Cap, especially Tom! This visit was the most special I have had in Napa in all my years. Visiting with the founder and owner of a winery is not common at all, but what made it special was Tom's kindness and willingness to share his home, the Red Cap story, and the beautiful wine. This is a hidden gem, and thankfully becoming a member of the wine list means I will be drinking Red Cap from the comfort of my home in Miami. I'd prefer to be on the patio of Tom's home looking at the vines, but sometime soon--hopefully.

What an awesome vineyard experience! You'll need to make reservations to get in, but if you're able most definitely do it. It's a one-on-one tour and tasting with the owner(s). You'll literally be sipping wine and chatting inside their living room. The wine they produce is amazing and an excellent example of what Howell mountain vines are capable of. Next time you're in the area support them if possible.

We had an absolutely WONDERFUL visit last November when we in town during the Napa Valley Film Festival. Your vineyard stands out ahead of the crowd. We were trying to visit small producers and RED CAP is the "BOMB". ! What great host you were. You met us in the driveway with that darling, big, lovable dog. Next, you toured us around your amazing property, where we could see the real "red cap" of the earth. And what a view too from the top of this remote mountain. The wine tasting was first class, complete with delicious cheeses. Your lovely wife even brought out some chocolate, when I remarked how well they might compliment dessert items. How very thoughtful! You both made us feel like "old friends" when we visited, and that's not just "the wine talking". We'd love to stop by this year and maybe just say " hello" and have some more delicious RED CAP ! Your vineyard is a MUST TO VISIT !!!.

Most amazing wines and most amazing people. Tom and Des share their home and property so freely. Its amazing to be up there and if you're lucky enough to stay for dinner, you get to taste the 1st class culinary skills.

Red Cap Vineyards sits above the fog on Howell Mountain with its characteristic red soil and charming vineyards and estate. Their production focuses on Sauvignon Blanc and amazing vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon. There is a big hype, particularly on Instagram about this winery, and after you've visited and communed with wine and food with its owner Tom Altemus, you will understand the reason behind the hype, and trust me, you will become a fan, as well. This winery does not have a traditional tasting room that's open to the public. Please call for an appointment.

This is a hidden Gem at Howell Mountain! We enjoyed the wine , the history and the hospitality of the hosts , we ended up getting the memberships which we gladly did. We cant wait to go back soon!

Had the pleasure of visiting Red Cap Vineyards recently, it was a beautiful setting and we had a great tour from owners Tom and Desiree. Our tasting was delightful, a very personal experience. It was so nice to visit their vineyard and home. The Cabernet Sauvignon was amazing! And very much enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc. Both were complemented with a homemade bread, fresh from the oven, that Tom backed.

Our second visit and definitely won't be our last! We love Tom, Georgie AND the wine! This always ends up at the very top of our list during long weekends of wine tasting and never disappoints! If you're able to get in, you're in for a treat! Also...the owner/chef makes amaaaazing bread.

Red Cap Vineyards was an absolute highlight of our Napa Valley trip! I am now in the same camp as a previous reviewer that said he is biased toward Howell Mountain wines - they are incredible. My husband and I left with a couple of their masterpieces and the other couple we were with joined their wine club. The hospitality we received from the owner Tom was also the best we have ever experienced. He is so genuine and down to earth. We took a brief tour of the vineyard and learned a bit about the joys and challenges of growing grapes. Roscoe, the family dog, accompanied us and then we went inside for our tasting paired with a delicious focaccia bread. Thank you Red Cap for an outstanding day!!

We have visited Red Cap Vineyards twice, each time with a different couple. Each time we visited we walked out with several bottles of wine and great stories to tell our friends. First of all, Tom and Desiree are two of the nicest people you will ever meet in the wine country. They invite you into their home, share food and wine and tell wonderful stories. We plan for 90 minutes and always end up staying longer - sorry Tom and Desiree but time goes by quick when you are enjoying yourselves. The winery makes a Howell Mt Cab and a Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc. The Cab is huge and you can taste Howell Mt in every sip. The Sauvignon Blanc has all the qualities of a superior white but at an affordable price point. Truth be known, both wines are priced less than their peers. Tom states he charges less because he wants to treat people like he would want to be treated. Red Cap Vineyards is by far one of the best finds in all of Napa. We have visited most of the wineries in Napa and this one is hard to top. When it comes down to it, it is the people behind the wine that makes the visit special. These two have vested their lives into Red Cap Vineyards. Your visit will be special and you will walk away feeling like you are part of the Red Cap family.

This review is a long time coming. We stumbled upon this Gem in February of 2020 and what an amazing experience it was. Tom and Desiree invited us into their home to sample/share their wines along with some incredible fresh warm bread and listen to their stories. While we were impressed with their wines, what truly topped this experience was their hospitality!

A small disclaimer: I am bias towards Howell Mountain wines! That said, the wine grown and bottled at Red Cap Vineyards is exquisite! Tom and Desiree have the art of wine making and the art of hospitality down pat! Visitors can expect to see the vines, meet the family dog, drink beautiful wines, engage with Tom, and taste wonderful flat bread to add, what Tom says, is a little "fat on the mouth" while tasting his wines. I love it when you find little gems like Red Cap, whose logo harkens to simpler days and whose wine is unpretentious and beautiful. Yes, I think I'll have a glass!

Wow, what a great experience at Red Cap. One of the best I've ever had out in Napa/Sonoma. Tom & Desiree were the consumate hosts and very passionate about what they do. They really make you feel welcome and are great at sharing their knowledge and property. And to top it off, their wines were fantastic! I can't wait to stop by again on my next trip!

This is our third trip to California wine country and our first visit to Red Cap. We had a lovely experience. Tom took us through the vineyard and answered any questions we had. He made an amazing flatbread appetizer that paired perfectly with our outdoor tasting. We enjoyed the stories about the wines and the label, which I fell in love with. The wines were just as beautiful as the stories. I would recommend adding this vineyard to your list if you are planning a trip. It is well worth it.

You want some great Juice? Red Cap, is the amazing find. I'm bias to reds, tho their Sav Blanc is excellent as well.

WOW!!! What a great find! When traveling to Napa we all try to find that hidden gem, that out of the way vineyard or winery that we can boast about to our friends. Well friends I found it before you. Red Cap Vineyards, hidden high atop Howell Mountain between feral landscape and among the mature trees. If you can secure the great hospitality of Tom and Desiree Altemus, drop everything, change your plans and go. We were able to sit in the comfort of Desiree's kitchen, enjoy her company, her fresh, out-of-the-oven flatbread and have the vertical flight of Cabernet expounded upon by their winemaker, Rudy, an up and coming superstar. You just had to be there. Hope you can enjoy unique experience soon.

We had a WONDERFUL time at Red Cap. Not only did we thoroughly enjoy the wine but we also thoroughly enjoyed our hosts, Tom and Desiree. We walked around the property and listened to Tom educate us on wine. We then sat at a picnic table on the property and just took it all in and relaxed. It was so enjoyable and we can't wait to go back!

We just got bad from our semi-annual trip to the Napa Valley. We, too, try to a hidden gem on each trip. We found it, for sure, at Red Cap. We sat under the big oaks at the picnic table and were impressed by the natural beauty of the vineyard, the wine and the hospitality of Desiree and Rosco, the vineyard dog! They have accomplished something magical that most of. Us only dream of! Try it, you won't be disappointed!

If you want outstanding mountain Cabernet, and want to be treated like family, you must check out Red Cap. Some of the best wine you will have, and without a doubt you will be treated like family!

What a great experience. This was my first time to Napa, and if I every make it back I do not know how any winery can top what Tom is doing at Red Cap. Not only was the wine amazing, but Tom was a very sincere and humble person, who also sat and enjoyed the wine with us. You can tell he loves what he does, and it shows through in his wines. Thanks Tom

Simply the gem of Wine Country and Howell Mountain itself! A wonderfully great experience with Tom and Desiree with a tour and tasting throughout the property. Both the Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are DIVINE! I walked out with a case of wine and have already reordered 4x. Beautiful wine, beautiful property, and last but not least... beautiful people!

On a recent trip - my first - to the area, my wife and I and our two friends (Brett and Christy Kratzer) had the good fortune to have a visit at Red Cap. We had been in the area for 3 days and had set our goal to taste some of the best wines we could find, particulary focusing on smaller producers. We had been given a tip by Mike Lamborn that we HAD to go to Red Cap. Tom received us warmly and asked us to step into his tasting room - at a picnic table , under a tree between his family home and his vineyard. He opened up a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, poured us tastes, and excused himself to get the pizza he was preparing for us in the kitchen. He returned with a fabulous pizza and we proceeded to taste some more wine (adding a couple of different years of Cabernet). He answered all of our questions, explained his views toward winemaking, and took us on a tour on the vines. He could not have been more gracious, informative, thoughtful, and attentive. Oh, by the way, the wine was excellent! Tom spent almost three hours with us! It was a fabulous stop on our journey out there and we all felt we had made a new friend. We also bought several cases of the wonderful Red Cap wine. We'll pass Red Cap's way again! Dick and Mary Sexton