06 Jun Meet the featured vintners joining Melka Estates for l’Eté du Vin

In addition to featuring wines from our Guests of Honor Philippe and Cherie Melka of Melka Estates, l’Eté du Vin will also feature wines from friends and clients of Atelier Melka, Philippe’s wine consulting company. 

The featured vintners will share exceptional wines Friday evening at the Patrons’ Dinner, and Saturday at the l’Eté du Vin wine sampling reception. Meet the featured vintners below!

Dalecio Family Wines — Kathy & Scott Dalecio

Born and raised in Northern California, Kathy and Scott Dalecio always knew their individual and collective life journeys would eventually lead to a return to their roots. 

Dalecio Family Wines was born from a desire to honor their respective upbringings, combined with the continued commitment to create lifelong traditions with their own children. With diverse vineyards and one of the nation’s top winemaking teams, Dalecio Family Wines are small production, handcrafted wines that focus on quality over quantity, on nuance over mass production, on the very special connection that comes when you gather friends and family to love, laugh, savor fine wine and share great stories.

At the Patrons’ Dinner, Kathy and Scott will share Dalecio Family Wines Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2019. During the reception on Saturday, they will pour three wines: Dalecio Family Wines Reuling Vineyard Chardonnay 2020; Dalecio Family Wines Reuling Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019; and Dalecio Family Wines Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2019. Learn more about Dalecio Family Wines here.

Flint Knoll — Meredith & Aaron Michaelis

Flint Knoll is driven by a passion for elegant, terroir-driven, hillside Cabernet Sauvignon from esteemed Napa Valley vineyards on Spring Mountain, Diamond Mountain, Howell Mountain, and Pritchard Hill. 

Since 2016, the brand’s founders, Aaron and Meredith Michaelis, have made it their mission to deepen the connection between vine, vintner, and oenophile. Crafted with reverence and known for their stunning, true-to-terroir character, Flint Knoll wines embody meticulous attention to detail at every turn. Aaron and Meredith believe it is a blessing for their wine to be part of life’s most precious moments and blend each vintage accordingly.

“At Flint Knoll, we focus on hillside grapes from Napa’s most desirable mountain AVAs,” Meredith said. “We’re showcasing several of our Spring Mountain wines at l’Eté du Vin because they beautifully highlight the balance you can achieve between power and elegance in hillside winemaking.” 

At the Patrons’ Dinner, Meredith and Aaron will share Flint Knoll ‘McLintock’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2021. On Saturday evening at the reception, they will pour three wines: Flint Knoll ‘Noble Right’ Merlot 2022; Flint Knoll Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2022; and Flint Knoll ‘Blanc’ 2023.

“We want people to remember that the challenging terroir of our various mountain vineyard sites produces some of the most beautifully layered, complex, and distinct wines in Napa Valley,” Meredith added.  Learn more about Flint Knoll here.

Moone Tsai Wines — MaryAnn & Larry Tsai

Co-founded by MaryAnn and Larry Tsai, Moone Tsai is located in the magical Las Posadas district of legendary Howell Mountain. 

Abiding by their long-standing mission to produce rare and remarkable wines of renown, they are privileged to create wines prized for their character, complexity, and scarcity, including their coveted Cabernets, acclaimed Chardonnays, and signature proprietary blends. With winemaker Philippe Melka since 2006; they carry this through every aspect of their craft, from harvest, to declassification, blending, and barrel/bottle-aging. The result is a stunning reflection of a core philosophy grounded in a simple, elegant design, and practiced with ardor, persistence, and inspired winemaking.

When asked what wine sparked his inspiration and continues to influence his journey, Larry shared of a time he stole a taste of a 1964 Figeac Grand Cru (blend of Merlot, Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon) during a break while working as a busboy in a New York white tablecloth restaurant. This was his first big “ah-ha” wine moment. 

“At that time, as an 18-year-old kid growing up in the suburbs of Long Island. I had barely heard of Bordeaux, much less what goes on in the fabled right bank environs of St-Emilion,” Larry said. “Holy mackerel! The noble red blend, while still young-ish twelve years-out, was exuberant, expressive, layered and complex,…and already revealing its potential to be one of the truly superior Right Bank wines made during this remarkable decade. With this memorable moment, I was gifted the revelation: ‘So THIS is what the fuss is all about!’”

MaryAnn and Larry will share Moone Tsai Paige Cuvée Chardonnay 2021 at the Patrons’ Dinner. 

“Hints of star jasmine open the wine’s nose with a delicate, floral suggestion; followed by entreaties of juicy pear, and golden Delicious apple not far behind,” Larry said of the Chardonnay. “The wine’s attack opens like the first stanza of an inviting ballad, inviting interest to a mid-palate resonating with notes of mandarin, kumquat, candied lemon peel, and a dusting of ginger snap as the wine’s finish is revealed.”

On Saturday evening, they will pour Moone Tsai Howell Mountain Hillside Blend 2019 at the reception. Learn more about Moone Tsai here.

Namo Wines — Nick Briggs 

Namo is a dream whose time has come. Proprietor Debra Mathy and winemaker Nick Briggs didn’t have a timeline when they envisioned Namo. As it is with wine, it came down to the fruit. It has always been terroir driven. Knowing the wine they wanted to make, the journey to find the right vineyards began and that quest will never end. With Philippe Melka by their side, they don’t let outside forces push them in any one direction. Namo wine shows all the classic characteristics of great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

When asked about an “ah-ha” moment that sparked his interest in wine and served as inspiration, Nick shared a dinner celebrating a close family friend’s 50th birthday. 

“That night, several exceptional wines were opened and shared, but two stood out: the 1982 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and a 1998 Château Mouton Rothschild. Tasting these iconic bottles was a turning point,” Nick said. “They didn’t just impress me—they stirred something deeper. Experiencing wines of that caliber awakened a real curiosity in me, pushing me to dive further into the world of winemaking. That night didn’t just leave a memory—it lit a fire.” 

At the Patrons’ Dinner, Nick will share Namo Wines Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019. This Cabernet is sourced from benchland vineyards in Oakville and Rutherford. Saturday evening, Nick will pour three wines at the l’Eté du Vin reception: Namo Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2019; Namo Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2021; and Namo Wines ‘Metta’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2019.

“As we continue, our focus is shifting to vineyard-designate and appellation-driven wines—each one a precise expression of Napa Valley terroir,” Nick said. “This is just the start. But like all things Namo, it’s built with respect—for the ground, the craft, and the future.” Learn more about Namo Wines here.

Tench Estate — Margaret Tench & Rem Reigersman

The Tench Terroir in the heart of Oakville, is defined by two equally important components: Tench Vineyard, which has quietly nurtured the grapes behind numerous 100-point Cabernet Sauvignons for Napa Valley’s most esteemed producers over the past half-century, and Tench Estate wines, which offer a style that is unique to the Tench family’s vision of their land. 

Today, the torch is carried by third-generation stewards, Margaret Tench and husband, Rem Reigersman. They’ve deepened the family’s commitment to sustainable farming and added a new chapter: the creation of Tench Estate winery, complete with caves, a sanctuary for their estate wines.

While they consider their wines to be exquisite and beautifully made, they also seek to tell the Tench story of place and time. Tench Estate’s foundation is built on honoring the legacy of our Oakville property, making decisions to benefit future generations and remembering our past to guide us for the future. This is why they chose the theme of “seasons” for their labels. 

“Not only do we, as farmers, live our lives tied to the seasons, but we wanted to tell the story of Tench or the ‘season’ of Tench within each label as well,” Margaret said.” This reminder ensures that we stay grounded in who we are and what we want from our wines: 100% estate grown, produced and bottled wine that provides a full and true expression of our Tench terroir and our Tench values.  And we hope that this is expressed through the wine when tasting them!” 

At Patrons’ Dinner, Margaret and Rem will share Tench Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2023. During the reception on Saturday, they will pour three wines: Tench Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2022; Tench Estate Cabernet Franc 2022; and Tench Estate Lilian John 2022. Learn more about Tench Vineyards here.

Zakin Estates — Jan Zakin

Jan and Jon Zakin are true lovers of Napa Valley and its elegant, nuanced Cabernet Sauvignon wines. 

Since they planted the vineyards in 2004, they meticulously strive to create wines of true distinction, finesse, and style. The 150-acre, southwest-facing estate on Howell Mountain benefits from rocky, volcanic soil, excellent sun exposure, and drainage. These are perfect conditions for growing superb Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes with small berries and refined intensity. 

Zakin Estates has transformed Jan and Jon’s lives and allowed them to meet and become friends with innumerable patrons. The couple shared that Helen Turley once referred to the property as ‘Cabernet Heaven’.

At Patrons’ Dinner, Jan will share Zakin Family Estate Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon 2022. Jan will also pour Zakin Family Estate Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 at the reception on Saturday. Learn more about Zakin Estate here.

Melka Estates will share the following wines Saturday evening at the l’Eté du Vin wine tasting reception: Mekerra Proprietary White 2018, Métisse Jumping Goat Vineyard 2019, Métisse Martinez Vineyard 2019.