Look up "Tulocay" on the internet and usually the first thing you get is the cemetery down the road. Like where dead people hang out.

In case anybody's wondering, that's not us. Well, we might act like zombies sometimes, especially after a long afternoon of wine tasting, but by and large we're very much alive, thank you very much.

And who are "we"?

Well, first there's Bill, then there's Mark, and then there's me, Skippy, Chief Cellar Rat. And there are also various other good friends like Mickey and Ron.

Bill is the boss. He has owned the place ever since he founded the winery in 1974.

He quickly became known in Napa Valley wine insider circles for making not only outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons but exquisite Pinot Noirs, some of which have been confused for French Burgundy in older vintage blind tastings.

Mark Bunter is our wine consultant. He's been with us for many years, and has a lot to do with crafting "the Tulocay style."

What makes Tulocay wines unique?

The winery itself is located in the Coombsville district just east of downtown Napa. This was once an area devoted to horse farms, but now has come into its own for its uniquely cool grape growing climate (relative to the rest of upper Napa Valley). The Haynes and Rancho Sarco vineyards are located in the Coombsville district.

As Napa Valley wineries go, Tulocay is one of the oldest. It's also one of the smallest. And just in case you're wondering, it doesn't have any trams, fancy tours, gift shops or anything else if the sort. And, oh yeah... It's NOT owned by a mega international corporation.

I see you have a lot of older wines in your repertoire. How come?

There are two reasons:

First, Tulocay wines are made to develop with age. Most are bottled unfined and unfiltered, leaving in the wines all the "stuff" that nature endowed them with. That means they are capable of aging for a long time, unlike so many of the corporate wines of today that are fashioned for the "drink me now" generation.

Second, we are terrible marketers, which means we believe in the old-fashioned way of selling wines; that is, from the winemaker directly (as possible) to the customer. Wine is a connection. It is family. We would like nothing more than to know each and every person who buys each and every bottle of our wine.

Gee, can anyone visit your winery? Do visitors have to pay a tasting fee?

"Yes" to the first question. "Not at all" to the second.

Unlike the hoity-toity tourist-focused wineries that Napa has (unfortunately) become famous for, we offer FREE tastings and our own "down home" style of tour — just like Napa Valley used to be in the old days before it became Beverly Hillsified.

And you're even welcome to bring a lunch here and dine at our picnic table under the giant oak in the front patio. The only requirement is to give Bill a call in advance so he can make sure someone's around. Fair enough?

If you need to get a hold of him, all the contact info you need is below.

We look forward to seeing you!