Some invitations feel special before you even arrive. The Jarvis Estate Harvest Festival is one of them. From the moment we entered the estate for the 2026 celebration, it felt as though we had stepped into a private Napa Valley world created especially for Jarvis members.
This was not a traditional wine tasting. Hosted by Will Jarvis, his mother, Leticia Jarvis, and the winery team, it was a full-scale members’ celebration filled with exceptional wine, elevated food, live entertainment and the kind of warm hospitality that makes you feel genuinely connected to the estate.
Held in even-numbered years, the outdoor festival spreads across the park-like grounds surrounding Jarvis’s remarkable wine cave. Elegant tents, cascading ponds and wide Napa views created a beautiful backdrop, while areas not normally open to guests added to the feeling that members were being welcomed behind the scenes.
This year’s Napa trip included our third Harvest Festival so our expectations were already high. Somehow, the Jarvis family and team still managed to exceed them. The afternoon was polished without feeling formal, generous without feeling overdone and personal in the way that large events rarely are.
The Arrival
The experience began on the drive from Napa up Monticello Road into the Vaca Mountains to the Jarvis Estate, where the views seem to build anticipation with every turn. Upon arrival, we were welcomed with name badges, a commemorative Riedel Jarvis wineglass, a bamboo tasting tray, an event passport outlining the afternoon and a canvas bag for our belongings.
Then came a glass of 2022 Finch Hollow Chardonnay—the perfect way to begin.
The VIP Experience
We had chosen the VIP experience, and it quickly became clear why it was worth it.
Inside the beautifully appointed private tent, 2011 Sparkling Leticia and 2021 Unfiltered Finch Hollow Chardonnay were paired with Regiis Ova Ossetra caviar and its traditional accoutrements, while the 2013 Lake William accompanied a lobster heirloom shooter and the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon was served with Texas Wagyu tartare.
The experience ended on a sweet note with Jarvis Cabernet truffles, dark caramels, salted milk chocolate crunchies and macarons. Freshly shucked oysters from The Oyster Girls added another indulgent touch, while Bouchon Bakery and Annette’s Chocolates contributed to the dessert selection.
Later in the day, a 3-liter bottle of 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon donated by one of the members made its way into the tent and became another highlight of the afternoon. It was a beautiful reminder of how well Jarvis wines can age.
A Special Pour: Sparkling Leticia
Sparkling Leticia deserves a moment of its own
Sparkling Leticia is the first and only sparkling wine Jarvis has produced, inspired by William and Leticia Jarvis’s years spent living near France’s Champagne region.
Made from Finch Hollow Vineyard fruit using the traditional méthode champenoise, it matured deep inside the Jarvis cave before being late-disgorged and recorked ten years later by Leticia and sparkling-wine specialist Keith Hock.
We found inviting brioche notes, a fine, persistent mousse and a smooth, elegant finish. We’ve been fortunate to acquire a small number of bottles over the years, and recently opened one for our 25th anniversary earlier this year. It’s also a highlight for us at every Jarvis event.
Wine, Food and a Little Dancing
The party atmosphere carried across the grounds. Synchronicity Strings brought live music to the celebration, Line Dancing with Tay invited guests onto the dance floor and Mariachi America of Sacramento added another lively dimension to the afternoon.
The varied entertainment suited the western theme and nodded to the Jarvis family’s heritage. Before long, members were dancing beneath the open sky. Those unscripted moments—great music, a beautiful setting and a glass in hand—were some of the most fun of the day.
The food and wine pairings were thoughtfully arranged across the festival tents.
In the Chardonnay Tent, the 2022 Finch Hollow Chardonnay was paired with ahi tuna, avocado and tangerine poke, while the 2022 Unfiltered Finch Hollow Chardonnay accompanied grilled wild Mexican prawns. Both pairings highlighted the wines’ freshness and made this tent an especially bright start to the tasting experience.
In the Main Tent, the 2019 Petit Verdot was paired with a choice of grilled garden vegetable and mozzarella crostata or wild mushroom crostata. A 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon library selection accompanied either creamy cowboy-butter tri-color tortellini or vegetarian ravioli with crispy mirepoix and Manchego cheese.
The 2018 Lake William library selection was served with Sonoma lamb lollipops, heirloom tomato marmalade and Jarvis Cabernet glaze. The 2013 DTR met its match in oak-grilled tomahawk steak with Gorgonzola slaw and Jarvis Cabernet barbecue glaze.
Napa Valley Bistro and Chef Bernardo Ayala provided the savory dishes, turning the tent into a tour through the estate’s wines rather than simply a place to stop for food.
Art Among the Vines
Near the cascading ponds outside the cave, the Jarvis team had invited local artists to create on the estate during the festival. En plein air artists Michael Bartlett, Pat Meier-Johnson and Donna DeLaBriandais painted the estate as the celebration unfolded around them. It was nice to stroll over and see the winery through their eyes, and watch them create.
One of Pat Meier-Johnson’s pieces immediately caught our attention, and we purchased it as a lasting reminder of the afternoon. We love bringing home something that holds the memory of a place – just like wine – and this painting now carries a little of Jarvis Estate with it along with memories of this year’s event and all of our visits over the past few years. Pat was absolutely delightful and she had numerous pieces painted during previous trips to Jarvis. At one point, we saw her dipping water from the pond to incorporate into the painting she was working on – truly creating a piece of Jarvis art.
Nearby, the Hat Bar by Rose & Co. brought a playful artistic touch to the western theme. Guests could have cowboy hats fitted, steamed and embellished on the spot. It was fun to see how there were more and more hats as the afternoon unfolded, and each personalized for the person wearing it.
RazorPix Photo Booth and photographer Melaney Mahoney helped capture the occasion, adding another interactive detail to an afternoon designed to be remembered.
Together, these details were stylish, engaging and exactly the sort of thoughtful flourishes that made the event feel celebratory and memorable.
The People Behind the Experience
As we wandered the grounds, we caught up with members of the winery team and friends we had met at previous Jarvis events. We also spent time speaking with Will and Leticia Jarvis.
Their presence mattered.
Rather than simply lending their names to the occasion, they welcomed members personally and helped the festival feel like a gathering hosted by the family.
That same warmth extended throughout the staff. The team was knowledgeable and attentive but never made the experience feel rehearsed or rushed. They shared the stories behind the wines, answered questions and kept an ambitious event moving with ease.
It is one thing to pour an impressive bottle; it is another to make people feel welcome, almost like friends, while doing it.
A Peek at the Cab Franc
At the Barrel Tasting, one of the most exciting wines of the afternoon was still in the making: the 2025 Cabernet Franc.
Even at this early stage, it was expressive, beautifully structured and full of promise. It showed every sign of becoming an exceptional bottling—and an exciting first vintage under new winemaker Ryan Pass. We can’t wait for this to be released!
As Cabernet Franc lovers, this was exactly the kind of preview we hoped to discover. And we may have sampled it a couple of times…just to be sure…
A Taste of Jarvis History
The festival also gave members the rare opportunity to revisit Jarvis history through its library program. Since the 2010 vintage, the estate has reserved small quantities of each release for additional aging in the cave.
Among the most coveted pours was the Dimitri Tchelistcheff Reserve, known as DTR.
The wine began with a 2012 collaboration among founding winemaker Dimitri Tchelistcheff, William Jarvis and Will Jarvis. After 29 months in new French oak, it spent another five months in a second set of new French oak barrels at Tchelistcheff’s recommendation—an unprecedented regimen at Jarvis.
William Jarvis has called it “the Jarvis wine of the century.”
The 2013 DTR poured at the festival was powerful, distinctive and every bit as memorable as its story.
Why the Harvest Festival Matters
By the final pour, we were already thinking about the next invitation.
The Jarvis Harvest Festival brought together what we value most in a wine experience: beautiful wines, thoughtful food, a remarkable setting and people who make the day feel personal.
If you have considered becoming a Jarvis Estate Inner Circle member, this event captures the real appeal. Membership is not only about gaining access to limited bottles, although that’s a nice benefit. It is about becoming part of the community around the wines—and connecting with others who appreciate them too. And occasionally being invited to celebrate right where the wines are made.
We will return for the next celebration without hesitation.
New to Jarvis Estate?
More to come on jarvis estate
We’ll be sharing more about Jarvis, the wines and the extraordinary cave that makes this Napa estate so special for us in the near future. In the meantime, you can learn more about tours, wines and Inner Circle membership on the Jarvis Estate website.
