Everything in Balance

Annie Favia and Andy Erickson are one of Napa’s “it” couples. Both transplants to Napa, they’ve carved out respected careers working with some of the top vineyards and wineries of the valley: she as a viticulturist, he the celebrated winemaker behind brands such as Screaming Eagle and Dalla Vineyards. In 2003, they started their own label, Favia Erickson, applying her knowledge of unique hillside vineyards from which to source fruit, which he crafts into balanced, luscious expressions of site. 

In 2023, they joined forces with the Huneeus family – which also owns Quintessa, Flowers, Faust, and other acclaimed wineries – to breathe new life into an 86-acre stretch of land nestled by the Napa River on Oakville Cross Road. In essence, this joint venture isn’t just about making great wine; it’s about creating a balanced ecosystem, one that respects and revitalizes its natural surroundings.

As opposed to farming in the hills, where soils are infertile and slopes can make it hard to work, this is a new challenge, and they relish the opportunity to approach the valley floor with fresh eyes. Annie’s excitement about this project is clear: “It’s a really fun project because it's basically the opposite of everything that I know how to do. So, it's a big learning curve.” Here, instead of trying to invigorate the vines, they’re taming the soil’s vigor. The valley floor also offers better water access—vital in this era of climate change.

The focus is on quality farming, managing the vineyard vine-by-vine, and introducing permanent cover crops to keep the soil healthy and increase the longevity of the vines. She observes: ““I think this is that fourth dimension of time. We talk about organic soils and farming and biodynamics and sustainability, and today they're really buzzwords, but you don't really understand necessarily that you're not just farming the plant – you're farming the soil, you're farming the ecosystem. You’re rewilding.” Restoring the soil is central to their mission. Initially, hard and compact, more like cement, now the land teems with life, including a few monarch butterflies flitting between the lovely corridors of perennials and annuals, strategically placed as pathways throughout the blocks. It takes patience to rehabilitate a site.

A significant part of their plan involves restoring the riverbank. This isn't just about improving the vineyard; it’s about honoring the land's history, recognizing the Napa River's importance to the Native American communities who once lived here. She notes: “This site is between riparian zones; it’s a unique opportunity to get the ecology back to what it was and think about how grapes fit into that, rather than how the natural landscape fits into agriculture.” They also have dedicated areas to grow produce, with plans to engage with the greater Napa community and culinary institutions. In the future, they’ll break ground on a new winery and be able to host visitors, too. 

The site, Annie observes, is special: “There’s something so soothing about being here, that makes you look at things in opposition and find balance.” The vineyard, with its confluence of dramatic views, combination of soils, and proximity to the place that was once the valley’s beating heart, embraces the oppositional characteristics of the Napa Valley – dry and lush, flat and steep, hot and cold, past to present to future – capturing what makes this place so unique.