For years, Turnbull Wine Cellars was just sort of there. One of many wineries with a tasting room along Highway 29, it seemed to be an also-ran in one of the most famed wine regions in America: Oakville.

The winery made perfectly adequate wines, but nothing of any great note. It was best known, if at all, for Cabernets heavily dosed with mint, probably a legacy from a legendary but now-gone eucalyptus tree in the 21-acre home vineyard.

The winery began as the Johnson-Turnbull Winery in 1979 when architect Bill Turnbull teamed up with attorney Reverdy Johnson. The two had worked together to create Sea Ranch on the Pacific Coast; Turnbull also designed Cakebread Cellars, as is obvious from the similar architecture.

In the last decade under new owner Patrick O'Dell, however, the winery has blossomed into one of Napa Valley's unappreciated gems.

Since buying the winery and changing its name, O'Dell, who was the publisher of satellite TV guides, has acquired some of the best vineyards in the Oakville appellation. In the process, he has expanded the estate holdings from 21 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon to 185 acres planted to 15 interesting varieties.

He also recently added a vineyard outside Oakville at the extreme north of the Napa Valley appellation.

The four Oakville vineyards differ dramatically, each providing optimum conditions for different grapes. They vary in soil from deeper alluvial soils on the valley floor, ideal for Sauvignon Blanc, to the shallow, volcanic and rocky soils of the hillsides where Cab is king.

Turnbull Vineyard

Turnbull's home vineyard lies around the winery. These 21 acres at the northern boundary of the Oakville appellation provide an important component for the winery's flagship varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Skellenger Vineyard

The 44 acres of rich soil in the center of the valley floor adjacent to the Napa River are exceptional for Sauvignon Blanc, though it was once best known for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Fortuna Vineyard

Fortuna Vineyards lies just west of the Silverado Trail. Its 60 acres contain ancient red volcanic soils from the adjoining Vaca Range, with a sloping bench ideal for concentrated and luxuriant Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. The Cabernet Franc and Syrah from this property are also exceptional.

Weitz Vineyard

The gem of Turnbull's holdings, however, are the 60 acres called the Weitz Vineyard. It lies on extremely rugged and sloping soil on the plateau above the Silverado Trail that contains Phelps' Backus Vineyard, Vine Cliff, Dalla Valle and Screaming Eagle. That's right: Above them.   From this site you look down on some of the most famous land in all of Napa Valley, hence the world. The vines here have to struggle to grow among boulders and stones, plus the shallow soil remaining as the rest long ago washed down the hill.

Turnbull grows all five popular red Bordeaux wine varietals here; they produce wines exhibiting intense color and flavor.

Blossom Creek

Blossom Creek Vineyard is Turnbull's newest vineyard. It lies just south of Storybook Vineyards, the most northerly vineyard in Napa Valley. The 21 acres are planted to Cab, Syrah and Zinfandel, grapes that love its hot days and cool nights.

The wines

Turnbull is focused on estate-grown, -produced and -bottled Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc and most of the modest production is in these varietals.

Winemaker Jon Engelskirger also has fun creating many small lots of wines available only at the winery including Petite Sirah, Syrah, Tempranillo, Viognier and Zinfandel, as well as some unusual blends.

Engelskirger joined Turnbull in January 1998. In his 20 years in winemaking, he was winemaker at Hanna Winery and Robert Pepi Winery, and as an associate winemaker at Silverado Vineyards.

The 2001 Sauvignon Blanc (4800 cases, $15) contains about 30 percent of the floral Sauvignon Musqué clone as well as a little Semillon, and Viognier, giving it an unusually appealing perfume.

The 1999 Merlot (3100 cases, $25) and 2000 Fortuna Vineyard Merlot (165 cases, $40) well illustrate what Merlot can be if grown properly with restricted production and careful management.

The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon (13,000, $35) is the winery's largest production wine, and it produces two luxury Bordeaux wines, the 2000 Weitz Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (418 six-pack cases, $75) and   2000 Red Wine (1540 six-bottle cases, $75), a blend of 609 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 percent Petite Verdot, 10 percent Cabernet Franc, 4 percent Malbec and 2 percent Merlot, Not surprisingly, these two are killer wines and are naturally the winery's pride and joy.

The fun wines include a 2002 Viognier (295 cases, $30), 2001 Old Bull Red that varies every year, but in 2001 contained 74 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 8 percent Merlot, 8 percent Sangiovese, 4 percent Barbera, 3 percent Syrah   and 3 percent Cabernet Franc ($15)

Other small lots include 2000 Sangiovese, which also contains a bit of Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo (619 cases, $22), 2001 Syrah (791, $30) and 2001 Toroso (382 cases, $25), an unusual but tasty blend of Sangiovese co-fermented with a little Sagrantino, which helps set its color.

Turnbull also makes a dessert wine, a 2001 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (235 cases, $38 for a half bottle).

Turnbull is naturally a fun place to visit, having both big time wines and some minor ones you'll enjoy tasting and perhaps taking home. It is working on an art gallery for owner O'Dell's extensive photography collection, so check to see if you want to visit it.

Turnbull Wine Cellars is at 8210 St. Helena Highway (Highway 29), half a mile north of the Oakville Crossroad. Its retail room is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call the winery at 800-887-6285 to make an appointment for a tour or tasting.

Tasting on Main helps overcome fear of feigning  

Many people feel intimidated by the process of wine tasting, and often pretend they know more than they do to avoid embarrassment.

If they take a class in wine tasting at Tasting on Main in St. Helena, however, they'll never have to feign again.

Instructor Michael Wangbickler will cover everything from the wine tasting environment to the swirl, sniff and taste. The classes are held every Sunday morning from 11 a.m. until noon and include a flight of four wines for the $15 fee.

Tasting on Main is a collective tasting room, a prime example of one of the hottest trends in Napa Valley. In these facilities, you can try wines from a number of smaller wineries at one site. This gives visitors the chance to try compare   wines from different producers – sometimes without the embarrassment of telling a winery owner his wine isn't your favorite..

The shared facilities are good for the wineries, too. They can share costs –- and many are in out-of-the-way places where they can't host tastings because of restrictive laws. Many make wine at other wineries, too.

Tasting on Main in the heart of St. Helena's two-block-long downtown. It features wines from nine excellent wineries that mostly make wine from mountain vineyards.

The tasting room features wines visitors aren't likely find at home, including Robert Keenan, Oakville Ranch, Broman Cellars, Ehlers Grove, Kelham Vineyards, Richard Partridge Cellars, Saddleback Cellars, Venge Family Reserve and Schweiger Vineyards. None of the wineries are open to the public, though you can visit some by appointment.

The wines range in price from $18 Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc from Saddleback Cellars to $100 for an Oakville Ranch Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, but most are under $50.

Contact Paul: paul@ilovenapa.com