| MUST Stops in Napa Valley | | | | By: Byron Carman |  Page 1 of 5 next >> |
Must Stops In Napa Valley
Byron, The Bay Area Critic
www.BayAreaCritic.com
The local perspective on great wine tasting experiences.
As the person who came up with The Bay Area Critic, I’m often asked for suggestions on wineries to visit when planning a trip to Napa. My typical response to the question is, “It really depends. Tell me more about what you’re seeking.”
strongly believe Wine Tasting in Napa Valley is mainly about the wine you taste and the people you meet along the way. However, Napa Valley can be broken into the following categories:
Scenic Tours (Breath taking views, old Chateaus, etc.)
Red Wine Tours (Wineries tasting predominately red wines)
White Wine Tours (Wineries tasting predominately white wines)
Port Tours (For those who like ports or dessert wines)
Tourist Magnets (Well known, high volume, less intimate)
K-9 Friendly (Wineries that welcome pooches in their tasting room)
Touring with Children in tow (Kid friendly places)
As I mentioned earlier, wine tasting is mainly about the wine you taste and the people you meet along the way. However, for the purpose of a Bay Area Critic review, one must look at the elements of the experience which include, however not limited to ambiance, setting, scenery, tasting room staff, types of glasses used, value for the price charged for tasting and of course the wine that’s poured.
Last weekend, we set out on a mission to visit some of our favorite wineries and a few new ones. Here are a few places I would like to recommend visiting:
Opus One
Right off Hwy 29 in Oakville, a couple of miles North of Downtown Napa. You can’t miss the winery on the right side of the road - it resembles something you might see in a James Bond movie. It a stone structure built on top of a small hill.
This is one famous winery and basically one of the mega labels that got Napa on the world map. You’ll have to be into wines in order to fully appreciate the wines of Opus One. After you check in with the receptionist, there’s a short walk through the building to where the wine is poured. A bottle of Opus One at the winery will run you around $165 bottle, and $25 for a one glass tasting. For those “the glass is ½ full” folks, you’ll feel right at home. Each tasting is basically a full pour served in a Riedel glass. From the tasting room bar, you can then ascend the staircase to the top of the structure where there are 360 views of the vineyards and Napa Valley. A good visit as a group our couple.
This is a very sophisticated winery with a somewhat stuffy ambiance. The pouring room staff is pleasant, yet never engaging; however, the wine and the view from the top of the structure makes is a worthwhile stop.
Opus One
7900 Saint Helena Hwy
Oakville, CA 94562
(707) 944-9442
St. Supery
At the recommendation of our neighbor who works at this winery, we included it on our weekend in Napa Valley. The tasting room is located at the rear of the old Victoria house through an area that would appear to be a great location for outdoor group functions.
As we entered there’s a very nice wine tasting room and gift shop. We choose to taste upstairs where they were pouring the reserve wines. The upstairs appeared to be somewhat of an art gallery and area for which groups could hold events as well as taste St. Supery’s reserve wines.
We always look for the friendliest person pouring wine whenever we enter a tasting room. Joe of St. Supéry didn’t disappoint us with his friendliness and charm. We first learned that the winery wasn’t named after “Saint Supery” because there is one. However, on a yearly basis, artists submit paintings of their renditions of what Saint Supéry would look like. The paintings were featured on the wall just behind the bar and have been selected to be featured on their label. The combo of the art and the wine was wonderful.
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