Owners:  John Komes Family

Location:  1978 W. Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena, CA 94574

Tasting Room:  677 S. St. Helena Hwy, St. Helena, CA

Website: www.florasprings.com

Phone: (800) 913-1118 

• Third generation, family-owned winery that has been styling elegant, complex wines from its Napa Valley estate vineyards for over 25 years. 
  

• One of the largest landowners in the Napa Valley with over 750 vineyard acres in 8 locations.
  

• Known for white and red wines (8 different varietals), particularly world-class Trilogy and Cabernet Sauvignons.
  

• The winery possesses an enviable record of critical acclaim: five different wine varietals have been listed among Wine Spectator's "Top 100" wines of the world.
  

St. Helena, CA -- Nestled at the base of the western foothills of Napa Valley, off Route 29 just outside of St. Helena, sits the picturesque stone and wooden, vine-covered winery and offices of Flora Springs. With the equally majestic family homes, vineyards and venerable, ancient oak and verdant fir trees surrounding it, the property is as lovely and romantic as its name implies.  

The Komes family has owned Flora Springs since 1978, when Jerry and Flora Komes bought the old Martini family homestead as an ideal retirement location. The original property came with lots of history, great soil and two old "ghost" wineries.

Constructed in the late 1880s, the buildings were a living reminder of the birth of Napa Valley winemaking—but had not been in use for many, many years. Jerry Komes had long toiled in the construction industry and his son, John, owned a successful construction business in San Francisco’s East Bay, so it was a natural fit for them to bring these historic structures back to life. 

What was supposed to be a simple retirement project quickly took on a life of its own. Soon, John, his sister Julie Garvey and their families were working nearly full-time for the winery. John quickly talked his brother, Mike Komes, into investing in the project. Vines were planted and Julie’s husband, Pat Garvey, took over vineyard management. By 1980, professional winemaker Ken Deis was hired, and Flora Springs became a serious contender in the burgeoning Napa Valley industry.  

John’s wife, Carrie, is credited with naming the new winery. She based it on the two obvious life-giving forces for this venture: John’s mother Flora and the continuously flowing springs that were the sole water source for the property. 

Today, the still family-owned winery boasts 1,100 acres, over 600 of which are vine-covered and producing grapes. The vineyards represent some of the finest soil in the region, at ten locations from Carneros to Oakville to Rutherford to St. Helena to Pope Valley. The unique "terroir" of each vineyard expresses itself in the wines specially created to bring out the best qualities of each grape’s origins. This sensitivity and care is the essence of the family’s winemaking philosophy. "We view ourselves, first and foremost, as winegrowers," John Komes explains. "The name implies that winemaking begins in the vineyards and continues into the winery. Our philosophy of winemaking, therefore, is simple – great grapes make great wines." 

While Flora Springs first wines were white, the winery is best-known today for Trilogy. One of the first California Meritage wines, it is a blend of estate-grown

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and, at times, Malbec, that is a multiple award-winner, routinely rated 90 points or higher by the wine media in every vintage. The first vintage of Trilogy was 1984 and the winery is celebrating the wine’s 20 th Anniversary in 2004. Flora Springs also produces a line of varietal reds, including Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Napa Valley Merlot, and special Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons that are produced in very limited quantities with such unique names as Wild Boar, Out of Sight and Holy Smoke. The popular, highly-rated Rutherford Hillside Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the vineyard on the undulating hills next to the gracious stone home where the 92 years young family matriarch Flora still resides.

Flora Spring’s white wines are led by the remarkable Soliloquy Sauvignon Blanc, with grapes coming from the family’s Crossroads Vineyards in Oakville and a unique

taste profile that prompted Wine & Spirits Magazine to give the 2001 Vintage 91 points. 

The winery’s Chardonnay has gone through a number of changes over the years as winemaker Ken Deis experiments with different techniques. "Winemaking is a combination of science and artistry," Ken says. "I make use of every tool at my disposal. But, mostly, I trust my senses; the feel of the berry in my fingers, the taste of the fruit, the smell during fermentation." Such is Ken’s dedication that he tastes and smells each barrel of Chardonnay before he deems it good enough. 

With the 2002 vintage, Ken has raised Flora Springs Barrel-Fermented Chardonnay to another level, calling it Select Cuvée. "We’ve been experimenting with barrels – French, American, Eastern European – and barrel suppliers. The 2002 Select Cuvée comes from 60% new Burgundian barrels in which the Chardonnay was aged for 10 months. Bottled and released at the end of 2003, it’s already being called one of the best Chardonnays we’ve every produced." It recently received 92 points from The Wine Spectator.

Flora Springs also produces a line of Cal-Italian wines. It is a labor of love for John Komes as he particularly enjoys the taste of Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese. "I love Italian wines and really believe that the soil and climate in Napa Valley are suited to producing wines from those varieties that can compete with the best Italy has to offer," he states. "I think our two varietals and our Poggio del Papa blend are already there in terms of quality. Now, we just have to convince Italian restaurants and retailers that Cal-Italian wines are worthy additions to their wine lists and shelves."

A few years ago, Flora Springs opened a Tasting Room less than a mile away from the winery on Route 29 and initiated a wine club that has been an unqualified success. And, in 2003, construction was completed on an expansion of the Flora Springs Cave that was first built into the hill behind the winery in the mid-1990s. A lovely

outdoor tasting pavilion covers the former tennis courts just outside the new Cave entrance. Plans are also underway to separate the production of the red and white wines into two, separate operations through the conversion of another building on the property into a second state-of-the-art winemaking facility. "I can’t abide to see an under-utilized building or space, especially when we have a need that will improve the winery’s operation. I guess it’s just the contractor in me coming out," John asserts. 

The next generation of the family is already hard-at-work. John’s two sons, Otto (who manages the family-owned Rancho Caymus Inn in nearby Rutherford, CA) and Nat

(who oversees the Tasting Room and helps with wine sales in California), with their cousin Sean Garvey (a West Coast salesman for the winery), are assisting John in his

efforts to keep Flora Springs a vibrant and successful force in Napa Valley well into the 21 st Century.