Downtown is where the action is, from finding beautiful spots for wine tasting to making it easy to enjoy pairings for local restaurants. Throughout the Napa Valley, locals and visitors alike can find a wide variety of tasting rooms on or just off main corridors.
Tasting in a location other than a winery gives guests a chance to visit spontaneously and have food from local restaurants delivered. Sometimes, the tasting room has other surprises as well.
At Maria Concetto Winery in Calistoga, that includes “Robbie,” a robot sommelier that pours, serves, smiles, dances and bows. The winery also showcases live music on Saturdays twice a month. Additional performance dates are expected in the spring.
“We’re open from noon until 8 p.m., so guests can come by before and after dinner. The ambiance is stylish, like an upscale nightclub,” said Maria Reznikova, the owner of Maria Concetto Winery.
The business’ winery is located in Mendocino County and has no on-site tasting room. Yet Maria Concetto Winery sources grapes grown in Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties, as well as fruit from the Central Coast.
“Our Lincoln Avenue location is convenient for guests visiting the Napa Valley who want to explore events like our food and wine pairing with Bricco Osteria Restaurante,” Reznikova said.
For cold, sunny days, Reznikova recommends the 2019 Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon, a balanced wine with flavors of red cherry and the aromas of vanilla and red licorice. Guests are also excited about the 2020 Moscato from Mendocino County, a crisp Italian dessert wine with notes of fresh peaches and freesia.
“We have 11 wines to taste and offer cheese and charcuterie boards with nuts and chocolate. There are also specials like two sparkling wines with caviar. We can take guests on a short complimentary driven tour through Calistoga,” Reznikova explained.
Farther down Highway 29, Orin Swift Cellars and Winery’s off-site tasting room is located in a historic bank building in downtown St. Helena. The tasting room offers four tasting experiences: Rock, Paper, Scissors and the Vault.
“Rock is our walk-in casual tasting of four wines” in the main tasting room, explained Allison Morales, Orin Swift’s senior marketing officer. “Paper is a seated, more structured tasting for four wines. The Vault is where you can enjoy aged magnums or library selections. Hidden away from the main tasting room in a private space is our Scissors tasting experience. (It) offers the opportunity to indulge in extremely rare, limited production Orin Swift wines crafted exclusively for Scissors.”
In spring, Orin Swift will celebrate with new vintages of Mannequin, a California Chardonnay; Palermo, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; Machete, a California red wine; and Trigger Finger, a Napa Valley Grenache.
The tasting room is unique because it contains vintage furniture and materials sourced by founder and winemaker Dave Phinney. It also has obscure and hidden design features that are discoverable only to extremely observant visitors.
“Dave is the master creative behind all of Orin Swift’s provocative wine labels, most of which are photographed – also rare in the wine world,” said Morales. “Many of Dave’s own photographs will also hang in the space.”
A HUSTLING, BUSTLING MEET-UP SPOT
Clif Family Winery’s tasting room is another St. Helena favorite, a bit farther up on Main Street.
“It’s a little bungalow that has been renovated as a bright, welcoming spot,” said Meg Barkley, the winery’s vice president of marketing and membership. “There are visual treats around every corner. We have an open bar that’s usually playing sports, from cycling races to local football games. You can get wine by the glass or espresso.”
The tasting room attracts a regular crowd of locals as well as visitors.
“Some people find us because they’re cycling on the Napa Valley Vine Trail or hiking nearby. It’s a great place to stop and take a break,” Barkley added. “We also have a lot of sports-geared swag.”
For cold days, she recommends The Climber Red Blend, a blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah with notes of plum and black raspberry. Those who favor whites should try the Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, a fruit-forward wine with great acidity and flavors of citrus and apple.
Clif Family Winery has many healthy food pairing options available at the food truck parked outside, the Clif Family Bruschetteria. The lineup includes salads, different types of crisp bruschetta, Mary’s Organic rotisserie chicken, and chocolate chip and hazelnut cookies.
“Street Food Napa Valley is every Wednesday, and once a month, we have ‘Sip & Support,’” said Barkley. “This involves a special menu and a donation of 20% of our proceeds to a nonprofit that benefits the community. We also stay open late on Wednesdays, 7 p.m. instead of our usual 5 p.m.”
A little farther south in Yountville, Hill Family Estate can be found on Washington Street, the town’s main thoroughfare. The family-owned and operated winery typically averages 750 visitors a month and offers customized tasting flights and a by-the-glass menu.
“Two to four guests can also share wine by the bottle,” said Ryan Hill, the winery’s co-owner. “One favorite experience is the blind tasting with black stemware. We hold that once a day. From June to September, guests can travel five minutes from the tasting room to our secret garden in Yountville. There they’ll have a chance to smell and taste fruits, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers.”
Allison Negron, direct-to-consumer manager for Hill Family Estate, recommends “Like a Hawk.” This Napa Valley red blend is a big, bold vintage that contains Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
“It’s elegant and punchy. (It’ll) definitely warm you up on a cold day,” Negron noted.
For those who like to shop, the Hill Family Estate tasting room features a small retail store with fresh flowers, changed seasonally, from the San Francisco Flower Market. The store also sells sustainable fabric and paper flowers that change seasonally.
“We also offer handmade items like the porron, a Spanish drinking vessel similar to a decanter, pottery from Calistoga Pottery, stationery made by the artist who painted one of our wine labels, and clothing with (the) slogan ‘It takes a vineyard,’” Negron said.
18 VINTNERS, TOGETHER
In the city of Napa, Vintner’s Collective Napa Valley, located on Main Street, offers a dizzying range of boutique wines — two to 20 barrels per label, from 18 vintners.
“The tasting menu varies according to your preferences and what’s available,” said Garret Murphy, owner of Vintner’s Collective. “We’ll ask questions and match the wines to your palate.”
The group’s tasting space has an upstairs area that is more exclusive and a downtown floor that is accessible without reservations. The building was originally a saloon, built in 1875, and later hosted a Chinese-owned laundry from the 1930s to the 1970s.
“I recommend coming on the weekends when we have one or two vintners who usually come by to talk about their wines and answer questions,” Murphy said. “In spring, when the weather warms up, we’ll open the back deck, which looks over a creek.”
His tip is to try KrisTodd Vineyards’ Rosé, which is made primarily from Howell Mountain Cabernet and a bit of Petite Syrah. This wine has a dark, rich color and aromas of cranberry and pomegranate.
“Pinots Noirs are a fantastic choice later in the spring,” said Murphy. “We have a chef who can make delicious artisanal cheese and charcuterie boards.”
One option is the Las Bonitas Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, with flavors of wild strawberry and red currant jam and aromas of violet and black tea.
“We’re here in Napa to invite locals and day trippers who want an easy-to-reach, amazing experience that doesn’t involve climbing a mountain,” Murphy said.
He adds every visit to the tasting room can be unique. Staff will showcase new wines that will align with what a guest has liked before.
“In spring, we expect to release a number of whites and rosés from our small boutique wineries,” Murphy noted. “We invite you to treat yourself at this historic stone building, which brings me back to my childhood in France.”
