20 Years In, Press Remains a Beacon for Rare Napa Valley Wine
Today, the “eat and drink local” ethos is a common theme among many restaurants. But 20 years ago, that wasn’t necessarily the case. Even in places like Napa Valley, a bedrock of the U.S. wine industry, lists had a broad purview that extended well beyond what was in the backyard.
Press Restaurant in St. Helena changed all that. Its focus is on Napa Valley wines — and solely Napa Valley. From small producers to internationally known names, all hold a place on the page. Not just current vintages, either. Press boasts an extensive cellar of aged wines that provide a glimpse into the prestigious region’s rich history with bottles like the 1947 Louis Martini Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 1968 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon, and even an Inglenook Charbono from 1985.
With conviction and a strong point of view, Press showed how a wine list can not only create a memorable dining experience, but champion and elevate an entire region. And now the restaurant holds the largest and most comprehensive library of Napa Valley wines — with over 2,700 selections — in the world.
On its 20th anniversary, VinePair spoke with wine professionals about the origins of this legendary restaurant and its influence on the Napa Valley wine industry and its reputation.
An Unexpected Influence
Leslie Rudd, the founder of Press, was a serial entrepreneur across the food and beverage space, founding or investing in businesses such as Dean & DeLuca grocery stores, Oakville Grocery, and Rudd Estate Wines. According to his daughter Samantha Rudd, Leslie loved traveling to Europe, and was influenced by the dining scene.
Ironically, it was a bistro in France that inspired one of the most domestically focused wine lists in the U.S. “He noticed everywhere he went in the world, when he would go to a restaurant, the wine list was predominantly local,” she says. L’Ami Louis in Paris was a particular favorite of Rudd’s, and he dined there on occasion with wine critic Robert Parker. Perfect bistro food, Sam Rudd recalls her father saying, and unparalleled hospitality — it was called “My Friend Louis,” after all. But more importantly, it touted a wine list that was unapologetic, even arrogantly assertive, in its locality.
“And then in America, when he would go to restaurants, even in California, if it had Napa Valley wines, they’d often try to sell them by referencing another wine, like a French wine,” she adds. “My dad always felt we needed to put a stake in the ground and say we’re on the same level as all the other wine-growing regions. We need a place that pays homage to Napa Valley and puts it on a pedestal.”
What’s Old Was New
Press opened in May 2005 as a steakhouse, mirroring the type of bistro food found at Rudd’s favorite Parisian boîte. But the wine list was still finding its way.
Renowned wine professional and author Kelli White and her husband, Scott Brenner, joined Press in 2010 as sommeliers. At the time, the wine list was “a one-pager, back-of-the-menu kind of deal,” White recalls. “We were brought in to take it to the next level.” At first, they envisioned an international list, much like the programs they formerly ran in New York City. But Rudd had a mandate: The list had to be all Napa.
Faced with the challenge, White and Brenner decided to take it a step further. “We had an idea to focus on older vintages for a lot of reasons,” she says. “One, the wines were beautiful, and very, I would say, undervalued at that time. It also gave more range for food pairing options, so it wasn’t just all young, powerful Cabernet. It would provide more delicate or earthy flavors for the chefs to play with.”
White says she and Brenner had a sense that older vintages were drinking great, but the theory hadn’t been widely tested. They started by approaching producers whom they thought had wines built to age, like Randy Dunn, and asked to buy back vintages. “We methodically worked our way through the valley,” she says.
Also foundational to the programs was access to the cellar of Barney Rhodes, the owner of Bella Oaks and a serious wine collector, who passed away in 2008. His wines went up for sale at the time White and Brenner were building out the list.
“The provenance was perfect,” White recalls. “These wines had been stored in absolutely perfect conditions, and that gave us a really broad foundation. And the truth of the matter is, as we tasted more and more, we became more and more confident in the ability of Napa wine to improve with age.”
White and Brenner expanded beyond Cabernet. “As we gained confidence, we developed significant verticals of Chardonnay and Riesling, because there used to be a quantity of Riesling here, as well as Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Charbono, and things like that.”
White says at first, Rudd was not fully on board with the focus on older wines and was suspicious of how they would be received. His fears were unfounded. Winemakers in the valley made it their clubhouse. Tourists came to learn about Napa Valley and try bottles they couldn’t during winery visits. The media picked up on the list, and the restaurant gained broader attention.
Their concept proved itself, and the list synergized Rudd’s vision for all-Napa with something new: historic vintages.
“I want to give a lot of credit to Leslie Rudd for really wanting to reproduce what he saw in Europe,” White says. “I am very, very thankful that he believed what he believed, and he was that focused and driven.”
She sighs. “I miss that man a lot.”
An Impact on the Industry
The local winemaking community especially latched onto Press. “All of us who were in the industry were excited to go there because we could enjoy these wines that were otherwise really, really difficult to come by,” says Beth Novak, president and CEO of Spottswoode Winery. Older vintages of Charles Krug, Mondavi, or even brands like Christian Brothers, a historic winery that was sold in 1989, offered winemakers insights into the region. “There was a lot of camaraderie, excitement, and a sense of collective discovery,” she says.
“And the truth of the matter is, as we tasted more and more, we became more and more confident in the ability of Napa wine to improve with age.”
Access to older vintages also framed the work currently being done in the industry. For Novak specifically, tasting the aged bottles reconfirmed the potential longevity for Spottswoode’s restrained and balanced style. “We’ve never chased trends,” Novak says, “We’ve been true to what we feel our estate can do.” Press features a vertical of Spottswoode with vintages dating back to the 1980s. “For us, tasting other older wines and having Spotswoode included among those served there is extremely gratifying,” she says.
Older wines also play a role in building the reputation of Napa on a global scale. “For people getting introduced to Napa Valley, a list like Press’s is so important,” Novak says. “It gives a sense that the wines that are made here can become ethereal, beautifully harmonious, and wonderful with age. That we really stand among the wines in any region, be it Burgundy, Bordeaux, or wherever.”
The Reference Point for Napa
Over the past two decades, the cuisine and format have evolved; in its current iteration, a tasting menu by Michelin-starred chef Philip Tessier, along with a newer, four-course option, is offered in the main dining room. Like the food, the wine program shifted, and bottles from elsewhere in California started appearing on the list.
But now, Tyler Potts, the current beverage director, is restoring the list to its original all-Napa form. “We’ve always been the reference point for Napa,” he says. “From the inception, it focused on Napa; what’s historically and currently relevant, as well as what will be relevant in the future.”
As Napa continues to come into its own, “historical relevance” morphs in definition; a winery founded in the 1990s will have a different legacy than one created in the 1960s. Potts finds the challenge exciting.
“We honor people who have a large global presence and who are responsible for crafting the legacy of Napa Valley,” he says. “But there are a lot of growers here who make 100 or 200 cases, and they don’t sell outside of the valley, or California. However, those are the people who planted [important] properties and who have been responsible for the development of the industry here, so it’s fun to pour those wines.”
Showcasing the Future
While older vintages will remain integral, the future element of Potts’s program serves as a mouthpiece for the industry in its own way. Potts is reconfiguring the list to make sure all the AVAs are equally represented.
While Cabernet is an obvious focus, with its own dedicated cellar, white wine also claims significant territory on the list. Potts says chef Tessier’s food is very suited to white wines and allows him to show a whole new side of Napa. “For most of the year, the whole wine pairing with the tasting menu is four whites and a red,” he says. “This is what works. I’ve learned a lot about white wine and Napa Valley.”
Potts also explains the future of the valley by introducing guests to new producers, such as BXT, a traditional-method sparkling wine project from Tom Sherwood that he calls “outrageously delicious.”
“In the context of future projects of what we’re paying attention to, he’s a good reference point,” Potts says of the small-production label.
Sherwood, an Australian native, started BXT in 2018 with his wife, Brittany Sherwood, who is the winemaker at Heitz Cellars and director of winemaking for Lawrence Wine Estates. “For us just to be on the list with so many wonderful producers and peers, it’s humbling,” he says. “It means a great deal to us, just on a personal level, that people see the wines in that kind of scope.”
“My dad always felt we needed to put a stake in the ground and say we’re on the same level as all the other wine-growing regions. We need a place that pays homage to Napa Valley and puts it on a pedestal.”
A placement on Press’s wine program has also been a boon for business. According to Sherwood, a number of people joined BXT’s mailing list after drinking the wine at Press. He believes restaurants serve as the mouthpiece for small brands like his. “Everyone has this notion of wanting to be DTC (direct to consumer), which is all well and good, but I think there’s a certain thrill and accolade that I personally find from being in great restaurants,” he says. “And you very much understand that it’s a mutually beneficial relationship.” A restaurant offers something new and memorable to guests, which, at the same time, helps smaller businesses like BXT.
Although the wine list at Press has returned to its original all-Napa format, a new endeavor highlights the next chapter in Press’s food and wine program. This past summer, the team opened Under-Study next door to the restaurant. Behind the display counter at this all-day cafe, market, and event kitchen, whimsical baked goods such as a cream cheese-filled everything bagel croissant beckon for breakfast. The idea here is to showcase the same culinary prowess seen in the kitchen at Press, particularly with pastry, but in a more casual setting. The wine list here gets experimental, too. Non-Napa wines, including international options, can be paired with the lunchtime caviar-topped lobster corn dog.
Despite all the changes, at its core, the mission of Press’s wine list remains the same. “Why I love Press, and being here, is in a world that’s moving very quickly and looking for new, new, new all the time, we’re trying to do the same thing that we started trying to do 20 years ago,” Potts says. “It’s nice to do something with some continuity.”
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