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Best Wineries in Napa

Updated: Jan 7, 2023


Napa, the wine country, the place which helped put USA on the map of French wines. I am sure we all have heard about "The Judgement of Paris" of 1976. Th tasting was so crucial that it ended the notion that fine wines can only come from Europe. May 24, 1976, made history for California wines.


My husband and I have been fortunate to visit many wineries over the course of last few years. Some of our friends have kids so we are always on the look out for Family friendly wineries as well. Hope you like something from the list:


Opus One

One of the best wineries we have visited and the experience is definitely worth the visit. Opus one

is a brain child of Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. They focus more on Red wines. When you visit, you are offered a complimentary glass of Champagne, Pol Roger and the host will walk you to your table for tasting. When we visited them in 2021, they offered 2 testings: 1 glass of Wine - $50 per person and second option of flight of 3 Wines - $125 per person


We decided to take the flight of 3 wines and really enjoyed each wine as it was poured. Our host was very gracious and offered us great knowledge about the wines, history and family.


As of Nov. 2022, they have changed their offerings. They have opened a restaurant and offer a seasonally paired Menu along side wines for a $750 per person. You can also enjoy just a flight of 2 wines at $100 per person.


Location: Oakville

Kids allowed: No (Infants and toddles are not allowed as well)

Reservations Required: Yes

Wine Offers: Red blends








Castillo di Amorosa

If you are talking to someone who uses the word Castle winery and Napa, chances are very high that they are talking about Castillo di Amorosa. A beautiful 14th century Tuscan style Castle was envisioned by Sattui family. Yes, the same folks as V. Satuii winery, we will talk about them later in the post below.


Castillo has a good portfolio of Wines to impress everyone - Red, White, Sweet, Rose, Sparkling and non-alcoholic Muscat grape juice anyone? Their Dolce wine gewürztraminer is one of my favorite. They also make a unique Frizzante (soft sparkling) style Rose with their blends.


They offer multiple experiences from seated, standing, cheeseboard, estate tour or chocolate pairing upgrades. Majority of them are tasting of 5 wines of your choosing from their menu. The only challenge is that it is in Calistoga which is 40mins further down from main Napa land so if you have a morning tasting, please keep the distance and travel in mind.


Be mindful of their cancellation policy, if you cancel within 24hours, there is no refund so call them if you need any change and do that prior to 24hours. There is a one-time total $4.95 online fee that charge which is odd but you can always call and make the reservations.


Make Reservations @ - https://castellodiamorosa.com/tour-tasting2/

Location: Calistoga

Kids allowed: Yes including infants, there is a fee involved though

Reservations Required: Yes

Wine Offers: Red, White, Rose, Sparkling and Sweet








Domaine Carneros


For delicious bubblies, Domaine Carneros remains one of my favorite places in Napa. We actually were also their members for quite a while. Their members only Salon is a beautiful and relaxing place to enjoy some bubbly sparkling.


So you all know that any sparkling wine that is grown outside of Champagne (a region in France) should not be called Champagne, hence our California bubbly is a Sparkling wine. The method they used to produce is same though as Champagne which is called "Method Traditionelle". They also make some Pinot Noirs which are easy drinking wines to enjoy.


This was founded by the noble family behind Champagne Taittinger in 1987 when Claude Taittinger selected a 138-acre parcel in the heart of Carneros, Napa Valley. It is a must visit for those who love Champagne.


Their tastings have many experiences for you to choose from depending on your desire and budget, from $40 wine flights to cheese boards and Smoked Salmon Pate, they even offer a vegan cheese plate.



Location: Napa

Kids allowed: No (Infants and toddles are not allowed as well)

Reservations Required: Yes

Wine Offers: Sparkling and Limited to Pinot Noir in Red


Caymus

When you think of the bold and strong Napa Cabernet, there are a few names that come to mind and Caymus usually and almost always is on that name list. Even though Caymus actually offers white wines and Rose as well however people always relate Caymus with their powerful Cabernet. We got our hands on our very first 2011 Caymus bottle for $80 back in 2015, for our anniversary celebration. That year and now, I have never seen a 2011 on shelves (yeah, I do kick myself for not buying another bottle to cellar it).


What I love about Caymus visit is that you can enjoy a flight of wines for $50 however if you purchase wine worth $50, the tasting fee is waived. I can assure you, if you go to Caymus, you will definitely be buying wine which means your tasting is free.


The only tiny thing is that there are no vineyards for you to explore, their tasting room is an outdoor patio seating but if you want to enjoy visiting a winery or a vineyard, you may not want to go here. That being said, Caymus-Suisun is another winery and they do have beautiful views of the land. It is on our list but a good one for you to visit.


I would highly recommend trying their Petite Sirah Grand Durif and Cabernet Sauvignon.


Location: Napa

Kids allowed: No (Infants and toddles are not allowed as well)

Reservations Required: Yes

Wine Offers: Rose, Red, White


Darioush


I am a little surprised that sometimes Darioush does not get the love and attention it deserves. It check marks all the boxes you are looking for when you visit a Napa winery - Picturesque views, nice location, good wines and helpful hosts helps you enjoy your visit. In 1997, Darioush and his wife Shahpar founded the Darioush Winery.


We visited Darioush for one of my birthdays and I immediately fell in love with the wines and place. As you enter, you are welcomed with a glass of Rose and Persian roasted Pistachios. We took the tasting with Viognier, Shiraz and their signature Cabernet Sauvignon. The tasting is $85 per person. They also offer a cheese pairing tasting which is $100 per person. They also started offering an Olive Oil tasting experience for $125 per person which we are yet to try.


I would highly recommend trying their Shiraz.


Picture Courtesy and credit to- Darioush Website


Make Reservations @ - https://www.darioush.com/be-our-guest/signature-mezze

Location: Napa

Kids allowed: No (Infants and toddles are not allowed as well)

Reservations Required: Yes

Wine Offers: Rose, Red, White


Chateau Montelena

The first time I heard about Chateau Montelena was on a Wikipage. I was reading about the Paris judgement and heard about this amazing winery that was one of the winners. Soon after that I saw the movie Bottle shock. I was so mesmerized by the story that I knew I had to visit it.


I made the appointment and I still remember walking through the gardens and jade pond, it was out of the world. The main door of the winery was covered with leaves and looked gorgeous. When the time came for our tasting, I realized that we had a glass of Riesling. I had never tried a Californian Riesling and was worried that it would be sweeter than what we prefer. I was pleasantly surprised by the dry French style Riesling. The cost for tasting now is between $55 to $125 depending on the experience you choose.


I would highly recommend trying their Riesling.

Picture courtesy and credit to - Chateau Montelena Website


Make Reservations @ - https://montelena.com/visit/

Location: Calistoga

Kids allowed: No (Infants and toddles are not allowed as well)

Reservations Required: Yes

Wine Offers: Red, White



I hope you enjoyed reading about these wineries, I will make another post about some more winery recommendations from Napa. Follow us for more wine related content @sommrasa



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