Adam Grimm bought 400 acres four miles north of Calistoga in 1883 and called it Grimm’s Vineyard and Wine Vaults. His brother Jacob joined him in 1889, and together they had three large caves excavated into the volcanic rock by Chinese labourers. By 1919 Jacob was making sacramental and medicinal wine through Prohibition. After repeal the place was abandoned, and a fire in 1964 destroyed what was left of the vineyard. The caves came through it untouched.
Jerry Seps, a former Stanford professor of European history, and his German-born wife Sigrid found the site in 1976 and bought 90 acres of it. They replanted about half to vines and renamed it Storybook Mountain, for the fairytale character of the place and for the brothers who built it.
On André Tchelistcheff’s advice they committed to Zinfandel, because the red clay-loam soils and eastern exposures suited it. Their first release in 1983 took a gold medal, and by 1989 the 1984 Reserve was the highest-rated Zinfandel on record. The vineyard runs up to 1,250 feet and is divided into more than a hundred micro-blocks, farmed certified organic with no herbicides or pesticides. The 130-year-old caves hold at 55 to 60 degrees with high humidity, which is why the barrels are still down there.
Wines
A tasting room Storybook Mountain Vineyards can open from the cellar.
Vesper is live video and a checkout in the same window. Independent wineries broadcast from where the wine is actually made, talk through what is in the glass, and sell it direct without you leaving the stream. Most bottles worth knowing about never reach a shelf near you. This is how you meet them, and the people who made them, anyway.
- 1Follow, and get the call
Following Storybook Mountain Vineyards means a notification the moment they switch the camera on. Tastings are announced here, not buried in an email list.
- 2Watch and ask
The winemaker pours what is in front of them and talks through it. Chat is open, so the thing you actually wanted to know gets answered on camera.
- 3Buy direct, mid-pour
The wines being poured are purchasable on the spot. Storybook Mountain Vineyards is the seller of record and ships the order themselves. Vesper only earns a commission when a bottle sells.
Frequently asked
What is Vesper?
Vesper is a live tasting room for independent wineries. Wineries broadcast live video from the cellar or the vineyard, talk through what they are pouring, take questions in chat, and sell those wines direct in the same window. Storybook Mountain Vineyards is the seller of record and ships orders itself. Vesper takes a commission only when a bottle sells.
Where is Storybook Mountain Vineyards located?
Storybook Mountain Vineyards is based in Calistoga, CA.
What wines does Storybook Mountain Vineyards make?
Storybook Mountain Vineyards produces Zinfandel, Bordeaux Blend, with vintages spanning 2021–2022.
Can I buy Storybook Mountain Vineyards wine online?
Yes. You can buy Storybook Mountain Vineyards's wines directly on Vesper, ranging from $45.00 to $80.00. The winery ships your order directly.
Does Storybook Mountain Vineyards host live tastings?
Storybook Mountain Vineyards can host live tastings on Vesper where you watch the winemaker pour and buy featured wines as they're presented.
Do I need a ticket or a reservation to join a tasting?
No. Live tastings on Vesper are free to watch and open to anyone. Follow Storybook Mountain Vineyards and you are notified when they go on camera. You only pay if you decide to buy a wine.
Who ships my order, and who am I buying from?
Storybook Mountain Vineyards. On Vesper the winery is the merchant of record: it sets the price, takes the order, and ships the wine directly to you. Vesper handles the video, the checkout, and the payment, and earns a commission on the sale.
Be in the room when Storybook Mountain Vineyards pours
Following puts you on the list for their next live tasting. Watch from wherever you are, ask the winemaker anything while the bottle is open, and buy direct from the winery in the same window.