Favia
Summary
Favia is a boutique Napa Valley winery founded in 2003 by viticulturist Annie Favia-Erickson and winemaker Andy Erickson, producing limited-quantity Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Rhône-style wines from their historic Coombsville estate and select vineyards with distinctive volcanic and granitic soils. Their winemaking integrates traditional methods in their 1886 stone cellar with meticulous vineyard management, native yeast fermentations, and gentle extraction techniques, maintaining production between 100-500 cases per bottling while focusing primarily on direct-to-consumer sales.
Heritage & Leadership
Favia was established in 2003 by husband and wife team Andy Erickson and Annie Favia-Erickson in Napa Valley, California. The winery represents the culmination of their combined expertise in viticulture and winemaking. Annie Favia-Erickson built her career as a viticulturist working alongside renowned vineyard manager David Abreu for over a decade, where she managed some of Napa Valley's most distinguished vineyards. Andy Erickson developed his winemaking credentials at properties including Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, and Staglin Family Vineyard, where he refined his approach to crafting site-specific wines.
The couple purchased their home property in the Coombsville area of southeastern Napa Valley in 2006, which they named Favia-Erickson Farming. This historic 6.5-acre property, featuring a stone cellar dating back to 1886, serves as both their family home and the base for their winemaking operations. The acquisition of this property marked a significant milestone in their journey, allowing them to establish permanent roots for their brand while honoring the agricultural heritage of the site.
Under their leadership, Favia has maintained a deliberate focus on small-production wines that express the distinctive characteristics of carefully selected vineyard sites. Their combined expertise in both vineyard management and winemaking informs every aspect of production, from site selection to bottling.
Vineyards & Wines
Favia sources fruit from specific vineyard sites in both Napa Valley and Amador County. In Napa Valley, they work with vineyards in the Coombsville, Oakville, and Carneros appellations. Their home vineyard in Coombsville features volcanic soils with tufa limestone and obsidian, planted primarily to Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Favia portfolio encompasses both red and white wines. Their red offerings include single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Coombsville and Oakville, Cabernet Franc from their home vineyard, and a proprietary red blend called "Cerro Sur." Their white wine program features Chardonnay from Coombsville and a white Rhône-style blend called "Suize" made from Viognier and Roussanne.
The winery also produces wines from the Amador County region in the Sierra Foothills, where they work with old-vine Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah. These wines, including "Rompecabezas" (a red blend) and "Linea" (Grenache), showcase the distinctive character of these high-elevation, granitic soil vineyards.
Production remains deliberately limited, with each bottling typically ranging from 100 to 500 cases, allowing for meticulous attention to detail throughout the growing and winemaking process. The wines are primarily sold through a mailing list and select restaurant placements.
Philosophy & Practice
Favia's approach centers on the principle that exceptional wines begin with exceptional vineyards. Annie Favia-Erickson's background in viticulture drives their site selection process, focusing on vineyards with distinctive soil compositions, favorable microclimates, and proper varietal matches. Their vineyard management practices emphasize canopy management techniques that optimize sun exposure and air circulation while maintaining balanced vine vigor.
In the winery, Andy Erickson employs minimalist intervention techniques designed to preserve the inherent character of each vineyard site. Fermentations typically utilize native yeasts, and extraction methods are gentle to avoid harsh tannins. The red wines undergo aging in French oak barrels, with new oak percentages tailored to each wine's structure and intensity, generally ranging from 50-75% new oak for their Cabernet Sauvignons.
Their white wines see a combination of stainless steel and neutral oak fermentation, with aging on lees to develop texture and complexity. Bottling occurs without fining or filtration when possible, preserving the wines' natural characteristics.
The historic stone cellar at their Coombsville property provides natural temperature control for barrel aging, connecting their modern winemaking practices to the viticultural traditions of Napa Valley's past. This integration of historical elements with contemporary techniques reflects their commitment to creating wines that honor both place and time—wines that express the distinctive characteristics of their vineyard sources while maintaining balance, structure, and aging potential.