Palisades Vineyard, Calistoga, Napa Valley

Domenico Barberis sure knew great potential when he saw it. The young immigrant was from the same village in Italy, Murialdo, as Bob Biale’s grandmother–Nonna Cristina Biale. Barberis came to Calistoga in 1902 and soon thereafter was able to start a vineyard and ranch with his large family at the scenic Horns Creek property. The Palisades Vineyard owners now are Felicia Woytak and Steve Rasmussen, who take great pride as stewards of this historic landmark.

This eastern side of Calistoga features the spectacular geological formation named the Palisades. These dramatic west-facing cliffs are composed of igneous rock and were formed from volcanic upheaval millennia ago. The geological formation stretches for over two miles and reaches elevations at over 3000 ft. It’s no wonder the farmland below is perfectly suited for wine grapes. An active creek bed, stone, gravel, and well-drained soil, not to mention extended sunlight, are ideal conditions for ripening grapes for red wines.