We stumbled in here after hitting up a winery or five, and I'm so glad we did. While we waited for our table, we went next door to the tasting room where the staff was casual and personable. Fun fact - if you are dining at Farmstead, they give you discounted wine tastings!
Inside the restaurant, it has a classic yet modern farmhouse feel, decorated with aged wood planks on the walls and mason jars filled with fresh flowers. Our waiter was helpful and knowledgeable
You really do feel like family at Frias Family Vineyard. Had the opportunity to taste here with a car service we hired and were greeted by Manny. It was a rainy December day so we tasted indoors, but Manny pointed out to the vineyard where there are chairs on the hillside to taste when it's sunny. Definitely need to come back to taste with that view. Manny is also a bit of a comedian which pairs well with the wine!
The Frias wines we tasted across the board were darn good. From the Chardonnay to the Rose to the many Cabs, it's all well done
We visited many wineries during our stay in Napa and thought that this was one of the best tours for the money. The location was beautiful and if you have nice weather, pack a picnic and plan to eat your lunch in their picnic area. Its located in an olive grove high on the hillside. Bring a camera.
D-cubed Cellars started in 1994 with the Howell Mountain Zinfandel made grapes grown at the Black Sears Vineyard. In 2010 D-cubed Cellars was called a Top Artisan Winery by Wine and Spirits Magazine.
MARTIN ESTATE wines are produced and bottled exclusively at the Rutherford Chateau which was established in 1887.
Located in Block B of the original Caymus land grant, the historic property in the heart of Rutherford pedigrees back to the estate of George C. Yount. Today, Winemaker Aaron Pott is in charge of the Estate wine production.
This wine comes from the same area in Napa that the big cabs are located--i.e. BV, Beringer, etc... It fooled me the first time I had a glass in a wine bar. Nicely oaked with a big full taste. I have several bottles handy when I want the taste of a big red without the cost of one.
Beautiful property with elegant tasting rooms and a lovely upper balcony for you to enjoy your "tasting" on. They don't do the typical 1oz tasting that most wineries offer. Opus One's tastings are full glasses of their two wines being offered that season.
Opus One, unlike many other wineries, offers intimiate tours just to your group. There's no feeling of being herded along with 15 other strangers, straining to hear what the winemaker or guide is trying to say.
Caleb, our guide, was perfect. He spent just the right amount of time on relevant topics and in each area of the winery. We saw the barrel room, the vines, all the sorting processes, the vats, the winemaking room, even some executive offices! This was service at its best. We were given the Overture (2009, I think), Opus One 2009, and Opus One 2006 to taste throughout our two-hour tour.
I wouldn't recommend this winery if you are with 15 friends on a party bus, looking to get drunk. Or if you're just looking to "check out" Napa for the first time. Or if you couldn't tell the difference between red wine or white wine with red food coloring . The money and the prestige are not worth it. It's a special treat to learn and experience Opus On
Buccella, under the guidance of well-known winemaking consultant Celia Masyczek has fashioned brilliant Cabernet Sauvignons in both 2006 and 2007 and the 2008 continues their success. The 2008s are slightly more powerful, backward wines but they have enough structure as well as sensational concentration and depth to support the tannins.
ROBERT PARKER RATING: 95
Arns Winery is definite Must Try and Buy wine and winery stop while in the Saint Helena area of the Napa Valley, CA. I arrived at the winery and was met by John, Sandi and Kathi as well as their lovable yellow lab. I tried their 2008 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, and their 2008 Syrah (Melanson Vineyard). The Cab is full bodied, with luscious chocolate n black cherry, tiny bit of pepper, and has one of the most lingering, long lasting finishes I can remember.
Most of the 2000 case annual production is sold to a mailing list on a first-come basis. Part of each offering is a very limited amount of the Cabernet made ten years earlier, as an illustration of the ageworthiness of our wine. The balance is split between a broad but thin presence in many of the well known wine stores in the U.S., and a definite presence in almost all European countries together with the principle Asian markets.
