The 20-acre Dolce Vineyard is located in Coombsville, just east of the city of Napa, at the foot of the Vacca Mountains which form the eastern border of the Valley.
The volcanic soil is soft and very well drained, and the west-facing vineyards are protected from the prevailing valley winds, resulting in the humidity and morning mist that surrounds the vines until midday, which is essential for the development of Botrytis cinerea. It accumulates.
This humidity and subsequent drying encourages the growth of Botrytis, but there are no guarantees.
If the mold does spread, coverage is random and varies from berry to berry.
Far Niente's sister winery, Dolce, is the only winery in North America that produces late harvest wines and a single wine only.
"Dolce" comes from the Italian phrase "Dolce Far Niente" - "Sweet to do nothing."
A winery like this is rare in the world and shares a common philosophy with the Sauternes producers of Bordeaux.
Because the winemaking relies solely on natural noble rot, production volumes vary considerably, but the wine has been produced every year since 1989 and is known as "Napa Valley's gold drops."