Larkmead Vineyards

The land Larkmead occupies was once part of the Napa Valley country estate of Lillie "Firebelle" Hitchcock Coit, the San Francisco socialite and fire department patroness in whose honor Coit Tower was later named. Sent to the family's Calistoga property, Coit named her new home Larkmead after the meadowlarks in the area, planted three palm trees there, and cultivated a vineyard that included Zinfandel and Riesling among its vines. Three Larkmead wines, the 'Lillie' Sauvignon Blanc, Firebelle, and LMV Salon, are named in her honor. The Italian-Swiss Salmina family arrived in Napa Valley from Switzerland in the 1860s, leased the Larkmead winery in 1895 and purchased it outright in 1903. Felix Salmina had a background in winemaking, and by 1906 the family's plans for expansion were complete: a new stone winery, built of stone quarried from the nearby hills, stood on the property. Napa's leading enologist of the era, André Tchelistcheff, considered Larkmead to be one of the four "outstanding wine processing plants" in the valley, alongside Inglenook, Beaulieu Vineyard, and Beringer. After Felix Salmina's death in 1940, the family sold Larkmead to Chicago bottler and distributor Bragno & Co. in 1943; the property was later sold to National Distillers, then in 1948 to the Solari family. The estate's modern winemaking history began in 1997, its first modern-day vintage a Cabernet Sauvignon overseen by consulting winemaker Paul Hobbs, per the Napa Wine Project.

• Land originally part of Lillie "Firebelle" Hitchcock Coit's Napa Valley estate; she named the property Larkmead, planted three palm trees, and is honored today in the names of three Larkmead wines: Lillie, Firebelle, and LMV Salon
• Salmina family leased the property in 1895 and purchased it outright in 1903; a new stone winery was completed in 1906
• André Tchelistcheff considered Larkmead one of the four "outstanding wine processing plants" in Napa Valley, alongside Inglenook, Beaulieu Vineyard, and Beringer
• After Felix Salmina's 1940 death the family sold Larkmead to Bragno & Co. in 1943; the property passed to National Distillers before the Solari family's 1948 purchase
• First modern-day vintage: 1997, a Cabernet Sauvignon overseen by consulting winemaker Paul Hobbs, per the Napa Wine Project

Larry and Polly Solari purchased Larkmead in 1948. Larry went on to become President and CEO of United Vintners, the grape grower cooperative that owned Italian Swiss Colony, Inglenook, and Beaulieu Vineyard, then Executive Director at Heublein, and later Chairman of the Wine Institute. Their daughter, Kate Solari Baker, is Larkmead's Proprietor and President; she and her husband Cam Baker, who managed the estate's operations until 2022, directed a complete replanting of the property during their first decade of ownership. Cam Baker, identified by the Napa Wine Project as Stanford University graduate and former Belvedere, California mayor David Cameron, died in 2023. Kate's three children, Cameron, John and Ann, and three grandchildren, Mac, Lucy and Alma, make up the estate's fourth generation. In June 2024, Larkmead announced the appointment of Bill Vyenielo as its new President, bringing more than three decades of experience in the agriculture and wine sector; Larkmead's own site currently lists Kate Solari Baker as Proprietor and President. Winemaker Avery Heelan, previously at Screaming Eagle, was promoted from Associate Winemaker to Winemaker in July 2021, taking over from Dan Petroski, who had joined Larkmead in 2006 and been winemaker since 2013 before leaving to concentrate on his own label, Massican. In her new role, Heelan oversees all winemaking and vineyards, working alongside consulting viticulturist Kelly Maher and vineyard manager Nabor Camerena; she remained active as Larkmead's winemaker as of a May 2026 tasting reported by James Suckling.

• Larry and Polly Solari purchased Larkmead in 1948; Larry later became President and CEO of United Vintners, an Executive Director at Heublein, and Chairman of the Wine Institute
• Kate Solari Baker is Proprietor and President; husband Cam Baker managed Larkmead's operations until 2022 and, per the Napa Wine Project, died in 2023
• Kate's three children, Cameron, John and Ann, and three grandchildren, Mac, Lucy and Alma, represent the estate's fourth generation
• Bill Vyenielo appointed President in June 2024, with more than three decades of experience in the agriculture and wine sector
• Avery Heelan, formerly of Screaming Eagle, promoted from Associate Winemaker to Winemaker in July 2021, succeeding Dan Petroski, who left to focus on his own label, Massican

Larkmead farms a contiguous 115-acre estate on the Calistoga floor of northern Napa Valley, planted to Bordeaux varieties and, aside from one ancient-vine block, completely redeveloped since 1995. By acreage, plantings are led by Cabernet Sauvignon at 72.7 acres (66.6%), followed by Cabernet Franc at 13.4 acres (12.3%), Merlot at 6.5 acres (6.0%), Petit Verdot at 5.6 acres (5.1%), Sauvignon Blanc at 4.6 acres (4.2%), Malbec at 2.2 acres (2.0%) and Tocai Friulano at 1.1 acres (1.0%). The vineyard is divided into three primary blocks. A Block sits at the property's highest point on the rarest of the estate's soil profiles, Cortina gravel, and anchors Larkmead's Cabernet Sauvignon program with bright, high-toned wines showing cassis, menthol, dried herbs, black tea and cedar. B Block surrounds the winery itself on three sides and is Merlot-dominant on loam-based soils; it is one of the estate's lowest-yielding blocks, producing wines of concentrated intensity in limited quantity. C Block, across the road, grows six of the estate's seven varieties, has the most fertile soils and the coolest average temperatures on the property, and is the source of the estate's LMV Salon, its flagship C Block bottling. Vineyard manager Nabor Camerena and consulting viticulturist Kelly Maher farm the estate. In 2021, winemaker Avery Heelan began producing wine from the Hillside vineyard, described at the time as Larkmead's most recently completed vineyard development.

• 115 contiguous acres planted to Bordeaux varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon leads at 72.7 acres (66.6%), followed by Cabernet Franc at 13.4 acres (12.3%) and Merlot at 6.5 acres (6.0%)
• A Block sits at the property's highest point on rare Cortina gravel and anchors Larkmead's Cabernet Sauvignon program
• B Block surrounds the winery and is Merlot-dominant on loam soils; C Block has the estate's most fertile soils and coolest temperatures and is the source of the LMV Salon
• In 2021, Avery Heelan began producing wine from the Hillside vineyard, Larkmead's most recently completed vineyard development at the time

Larkmead earned California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) status in 2023 after nearly seven years of farming organically and completing a rigorous certification process; the vineyards are completely free of herbicides and neonicotinoids. The estate holds Napa Green Winery certification since 2011 and Napa Green Land certification since 2017, both at the program's highest GOLD level, and in 2024 Larkmead was included in the Slow Wine Guide. Established in 2020, the 3-acre Research Block trials eight grape varieties selected to gauge performance in a changing climate; per the Napa Wine Project, the block is planted to Aglianico, Charbono, Chenin Blanc, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional and Zinfandel. The Research Block Series, launched from that vineyard, comprises three wines: Estate Chenin Blanc, a 100% varietal aged 11 months in neutral French oak and Larkmead's current release from the program; Contour Estate Red Blend, centered on Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon; and Keyline Estate Red Blend, led by Shiraz and a mix of non-traditional varieties, with Contour and Keyline both set to release in fall 2026. Each label carries original artwork by proprietor Kate Solari Baker. Per the San Francisco Chronicle, the Research Block Series wines are priced between $75 and $85, compared with Larkmead's Cabernets, which start at $125.

• CCOF organic certification achieved in 2023 after nearly seven years of organic farming; vineyards are completely herbicide- and neonicotinoid-free
• Napa Green Winery certification since 2011 and Napa Green Land since 2017, both at the program's highest GOLD level; included in the 2024 Slow Wine Guide
• Research Block established 2020 (3 acres, eight varieties): Aglianico, Charbono, Chenin Blanc, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional and Zinfandel, per the Napa Wine Project
• Research Block Series (Estate Chenin Blanc, Contour, Keyline) priced $75-$85 per the San Francisco Chronicle; Larkmead's Cabernets start at $125

Larkmead's own account describes an estate under two families' continuous stewardship for more than a century, from the Salminas' 1895 founding through the Solari-Baker family's ownership since 1948. James Suckling's January 2026 scores for the 2023 vintage, 98 points for The Lark Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 97 for Solari Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 95 for the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 94 for Firebelle Estate Red Blend and 94 for the 2024 Lillie Estate Sauvignon Blanc, point to the estate's standing among Calistoga's Cabernet producers. Wine-Searcher has credited the Research Block's expansion into Chenin Blanc, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Aglianico and other grapes with drawing renewed interest from younger wine drinkers to a portfolio historically anchored in Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietals.

• Continuous family stewardship from the Salminas' 1895 founding through the Solari family's 1948 purchase to the present
• James Suckling's 2023 vintage scores: The Lark 98, Solari 97, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 95, Firebelle 94, 2024 Lillie Sauvignon Blanc 94
• Wine-Searcher: the Research Block's expansion into Chenin Blanc, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Aglianico "has sparked serious interest among Millennial and Gen Z patrons"

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.larkmead.com/, https://www.larkmead.com/about/, https://www.larkmead.com/vineyards/, https://www.larkmead.com/wines/, https://www.larkmead.com/visit/, https://www.larkmead.com/researchblock/, https://www.larkmead.com/news/. Secondary sources: The Napa Wine Project. Last verified 2026-09-09. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.