After the concept of farm-to-table dining became internationally popularized, many experiences that use the term have veered from its origins. However, farm-to-table authenticity holds true in Napa Valley, especially at Wheeler Farms — a Hospitality House in St. Helena that celebrates wine and agriculture.
The 11-acre property was purchased by Bart and Daphne Araujo in 2014, who carried on the legacy of the original owner, 19th-century farmer and winegrower John Hoffman Wheeler. Today, the J.H. Wheeler label is discernible for its portfolio of single-vineyard wines crafted by revered winemaker Nigel Kinsman. The winery is currently rolling out its 2021 Beckstoffer Georges III Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet and has already sold out of their inaugural release of 2021 Diamond Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Guests of J.H. Wheeler can expect to indulge in one of many experiences offered: The farm embraces them immediately with a distinct wooden barn surrounded by their meticulously planted and maintained culinary gardens, where 15 different specialty herbs are handpicked daily for wine pairings and lunches.
With radical hospitality at the forefront of every experience, the team at J.H. Wheeler lives to pull out all the stops, making guests’ time in Napa Valley and, more importantly, at Wheeler Farms unforgettable. Just past the gates, guests will find garden tours where they are inclined to harvest the ingredients that grace their lunch, visiting with J.H. Wheeler’s 40 (all named) chickens, which reside under the original 19th-century stone fruit orchard.
J.H. Wheeler’s signature experience is their Farm-to-Table Wine Tasting, which consists of a garden stroll (complete with a parasol), a birds-eye view from their state-of-the-art winery mezzanine and ends with a personal chef-prepared canape food and wine pairing of current release cabernet wines.
The pinnacle of happenings at Wheeler Farms is their J.H. Wheeler Chef’s Table Experience, bookable at $350 per head with a max of two guests. Without giving too much away, guests are greeted with a canapé and a flute of Champagne to savor while touring the Estate Gardens, including a visit to the beehives, pollinator garden, and chicken coop. The tour continues through their modern production facility to view J.H. Wheeler’s fermentation and aging rooms before it culminates at the Hospitality House, where guests slide into their front-row seat at the Kitchen Island. Here, Chef Tom Harder takes over the afternoon with a five-course lunch procured predominantly from the onsite culinary garden and locally sourced protein.
Harder prides himself on preparing seasonal pairings to complement the J.H. Wheeler wines, so it’s a cohesive experience no matter the time of year. Chef Harder teased that he’s most excited about tomatoes and the bounty of stone fruit he will make into Wheeler Farm’s preserves in summer and fall, respectively.
This summer and fall, Wheeler Farms will send guests home with treats, including jams, fruit, vegetables, herbs, and eggs, garden herbs as well as fruits, vegetables, and fresh eggs from their friends-and-family farm stand. There will also be a tea garden where guests can smell the farm’s unique leaves that will go into the J.H. Wheeler House Tea, things like chamomile, holy basil, lemon verbena, and hibiscus.
