Conn Creek Winery on the Silverado Trail is best known not for a single wine but for an experience: the Anthology blending program, where visitors work with barrel samples of the five classic Bordeaux varieties and assemble their own custom red blend to take home. The winery also produces a flagship Anthology Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from Napa Valley sources alongside varietal bottlings.

History of Conn Creek Winery

Conn Creek Winery was established on the Silverado Trail in 1974, taking its name from Conn Creek, which runs through the eastern Napa Valley below Howell Mountain. The winery changed ownership multiple times in the following decades before being acquired by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, the Washington-based wine company that also owns Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in Napa Valley.

The Anthology blending program, which became the defining visitor experience, was developed under Ste. Michelle ownership as a way to differentiate the tasting room from the many similar pours-and-buy programs on the Silverado Trail. The program succeeded in creating a distinctive identity and has been refined and expanded over the years.

The Anthology blending experience at Conn Creek was among the earliest interactive programs of its kind in Napa Valley. Visitors draw barrel samples of five Bordeaux varieties, receive a brief tutorial on each variety’s character and role in a blend, then develop their own proportions and bottle their custom wine. It transformed what would be a standard winery visit into a hands-on winemaking session.

Vineyard sourcing and the Anthology concept

Conn Creek sources from multiple Napa Valley vineyards across the valley floor and hillside sites to assemble the Anthology blend and the varietal program. The diversity of sourcing across sub-appellations gives the winemaking team the five Bordeaux varieties in sufficient quantity and quality to both produce the flagship blend and supply the individual variety barrel samples used in the Anthology blending experience.

The program requires maintaining barrels of each variety separately through aging, which is more expensive than blending early but allows visitors to taste the unblended components at any stage. The Cabernet Sauvignon is typically the dominant component in the final Anthology blend, with Merlot providing plushness, Cabernet Franc adding aromatics, and Petit Verdot and Malbec contributing color and spice in small percentages.

The wines of Conn Creek Winery

The Anthology Cabernet Sauvignon blend is the flagship, produced from Napa Valley sources and blended to the same template that visitors use in the blending experience. It demonstrates the house style that guides the blending sessions: Cabernet-dominant, with Merlot plushness and Franc aromatics balanced against the structure the Napa Valley sites provide.

Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot bottlings alongside Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay round out the commercial lineup. The Anthology program wines are typically available exclusively through the tasting room and wine club, while the varietal wines have broader distribution.

Food pairings with Conn Creek wines

The Anthology blend, as a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux-style wine, suits the classic Napa Valley table: rack of lamb with rosemary and Dijon, dry-aged ribeye with bone marrow butter, or duck leg confit with roasted root vegetables. The Merlot component softens the wine enough that it works at more casual tables than a straight Cabernet would require.

For visitors who create their own Anthology blend with higher Merlot percentages, the wine becomes even more food-friendly: roasted chicken, mushroom pasta with truffle, pork shoulder braised in red wine. The Sauvignon Blanc from the estate suits grilled fish, oysters, and goat cheese preparations where the variety’s herbaceous acidity becomes the defining flavor.

Conn Creek Winery: common questions