80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot

Food pairings: Steak and filet mignon, lamb, venison, roasted meats, pasta with red sauce and aged cheeses.

Winemaking: Drawing inspiration from the celebrated blends of Bordeaux's Left Bank, Caravan shares the pedigree of Darioush's Signature wines but shows riper, more saturated fruit with an elegantly textured finish. Winemaker Hope Goldie's approach combines meticulous attention to detail in the vineyard with minimal cellar handling: the 2021 was hand-harvested, destemmed and fermented in stainless-steel tanks, then aged 22 months in French oak barrels, 60% new and 40% neutral, with each barrel lot racked at least once before bottling.

Vineyards and terroir: Caravan carries the Napa Valley appellation. Darioush focuses on the cooler, maritime-influenced microclimates of southern Napa Valley, with estate vineyards spanning three distinct areas: high atop Mount Veeder, a pocket of Oak Knoll, and the valley floor. Its winemaking philosophy centers on blending vineyard sites and varieties to achieve balance, concentration and refinement.

Family and history: Founder Darioush Khaledi grew up near Shiraz, in the foothills of Persia's Zagros Mountains, immersed in an ancient winemaking culture. After leaving an engineering career in Iran and emigrating to the United States, he and his wife Shahpar founded their namesake winery in 1997, choosing the then little-explored southern Napa Valley. The winery on the Silverado Trail, whose architecture evokes Persepolis, the illustrious capital of ancient Persia, is rooted in taarof, the Persian art of gracious hospitality.

In the pictures: The Darioush winery on the Silverado Trail, Napa (courtesy of Darioush), and its Persepolis-inspired columns (courtesy of Darioush).