Napa Winery Recommendation?

Question

Hi all,

Some friends and I are meeting up in San Francisco for the labor day weekend. We decided to make a day trip to Napa wine country. I've visited Napa Valley a couple years ago, and only remember Domaine Chandon. I remember it was a beautiful estate, and the sparkling wine was tasty as well. I've searched the winecountry.com website to find a list of wineries, but I was overwhelmed by the amount of tasting rooms they listed. So, could you share with me your top 3 wineries (and why) in Napa Valley? Thank you so much.

-Angie

Paul Parker · Accepted Answer

2 of my favorites are:Sterling - Great Cabernet and the Club Level wines are outstanding. The view on the gondola ride up the hillside is great. You get a great view of the surrounding valley and vineyards. I recommend ask to go to the club tasting room.Milat - Small hand crafted wines, outstanding Zin, Red Table and desert (Port style) wines. And the owner Mike Milat frequently pours in the small tasting room with great stories about the family vineyards.I was in Napa right after July 4th and those 2 were our favorites.Paul

Mark Lipton · Answer

Angie, It really depends on what kind of wines you like, and what you look for in a visit. FWIW, here are my thoughts:

for tours/history: Beringer, Mondavi, Schramsberg for "high end" wines: Chateau Montelena, Joseph Phelps (by appt), Duckhorn (by appt) for Zinfandel: Storybook Mountain (by appt) for sparkling/food: Domaine Chandon, Schramsberg for low cost wines: Raymond, Hess Collection for wines you won't find in stores: Milat, Dutch Henry, Vincent Arroyo, Volker-Eisele, V. Sattui

I realize that that's more than three wineries, but I suspect that once you decide what you're looking for, you can narrow it down to three.

Mark Lipton

R C & M S · Answer

Midlife · Answer

in article        at     wrote on 8/25/06 9:29 AM: ies, but I was overwhelmed by the amount of tasting rooms   If you are able to call ahead and secure reservations, my favorite "byappointment only" wineries are:  Stony Hill,  Jarvis and Shafer, All 3 greatwines,and Jarvis is all in caves.For "walk-in", I'd agree with most of what's been posted and would addSilver Oak, Robert Sinskey, Arger-Martucci, Hall,  Prager Port Works, andFranciscan (especially since you can taste many other labels that are partof the Icon Group there).

Lawrence Leichtman · Answer

Don't forget Elyse about 6 blocks from Domaine Chandon in Yountville.

Rick Rubenstein · Answer

Having just returned a few weeks ago, the visit is still very fresh in my mind.

I very much enjoyed Domaine Carneros. A beautiful view, very nice tasting, and surprisingly good Pinot Noir on the still wine side. Robert Sinskey was terrific. A beautiful open kitchen, knowledgeable staff, and nice little hors d'ouevres served with the tasting. Fine wine. Joseph Phelps has a beautiful view, a nice outdoor tasting, and of course, very steady and excellent selections. Frank Family was a very informal place, with very unusual, big wines, nice sparkling selections, and a generous tasting. Clos Pegase was magnificent, with gorgeous artwork. Hess Estate was likewise a very good quality tasting, with a spectacular modern art gallery and beautiful grounds.

The choices are many, of course. Don't miss a hearty lunch at Rutherford Grill or outdoor dining for lunch at Taylor's Refresher.

ChiChiRuiz · Answer

Thanks for your info!

Napa Winery Recommendation?

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