What is there to say about Napa Valley? It’s beautiful, it’s the wine capital of the world, it’s saturated with hundreds of the top vineyards from across the globe, and it’s one place we want to visit over and over again.
So when Remi Cohen, Vice President and General Manager of Napa Valley’s Lede Family Wines – the 2002 brainchild of Cliff Lede and parent company of three distinct wine brands: Cliff Lede Vineyards, Poetry and FEL Wines – comes to Miami with exciting new updates and vintages to share, we couldn’t wait to find an excuse (or nine) to check it out for ourselves.
Here are nine reasons to visit Cliff Lede Vineyards and Lede Family Wines’ own ultra-luxury boutique hotel, Poetry Inn:
The People. To bring this dream to fruition, Cliff Lede surrounded himself with only the best – like David Abreu, the top viticulturist in Napa Valley, to replant and farm all Lede Family Wines vineyards. Taking the relationship one step further, Cliff Lede Vineyards is also one of a select few who source from David’s personal vineyards – meaning Lede fans are literally getting the best grapes Napa Valley has to offer.
The Land. Back in 2011, Cliff Lede bought Anderson Valley’s 44-acre Savoy Vineyard, which is viewed as the benchmark of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards in all of California wine country.
The Art. Winemaking is an art form, and Cliff Lede takes that literally. As an avid art collector, Cliff makes sure his entire estate is decorated with some of his favorite pieces. In addition to the estate’s permanent collection – which includes “Twin 6’ Hearts” by Jim Dine, a painting “Grace Kelly” by Tony Scherman, and “Asaf & Yo’ah” by Boaz Vaadia – The Backstage Reserve Tasting Lounge has a rotating art exhibit, which is currently dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead.
The “Rock Blocks.” When Cliff Lede planted his grapes, their locations were so specific to soil type and sun exposure that he needed a creative way to keep track of them. The result? Calling them “Rock Blocks” and naming them after his favorite rock songs and albums: like “My Generation,” “Dark Side of the Moon,” U2’s “Beautiful Day” and more.
The Music. Walk through the property, and you’ll spot musical references at every turn; like an exact replica of the famous Abbey Road crosswalk next to the “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” Rock Block, guests’ favorite songs playing in their rooms upon arrival at Poetry Inn, and Cliff Lede Vineyards’ “White Room” – located above the winery, it’s named after The Beatles’ “White Album.”
The Technology. Using a Pellenc optical sorting machine, all grapes are individually sorted based on Lede Family Wines’ quality settings. These grapes are then hand-sorted using a unique gravity crane system that gently delivers the berries to tanks for fermentation – allowing both minimal processing of the fruit and better flavor.
The Inn. Cliff Lede Vineyards’ luxury hotel, Poetry Inn, is the only hotel in the Stags Leap District – and one of Napa’s most regarded boutique properties.
The Service. And with a luxury hotel, comes luxury-level service. The concierge team reaches out to guests, prior to their arrival, to check on music and pillow preferences, food allergies, vineyard recommendations and more.
The Views. Every room in Poetry Inn has sweeping views of Napa Valley. Don’t believe us? See it for yourself:
