Napa Valley

The joint venture people still want to see. Architecture, gravel, and a Cabernet blend that drinks like a statement.

Appointment. Dress like you mean it. Fee is not a secret.

Cabernet Sauvignon · Opus One

Niebaum's old estate. Rubicon is the bottle; the grounds are why you go.

Book the estate tasting. Walk the gardens after.

Cabernet Sauvignon · Rubicon

Hillside Cabernet with a tasting that still feels like a winery, not a lounge.

Appointment only. Worth the email.

Cabernet Sauvignon · Syrah · Hillside Select

Organic, unfussy, and the Sauvignon Blanc is Tuesday-night Napa.

Often the easiest good booking. Garden, not velvet rope.

Sauvignon Blanc · Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Sauvignon Blanc

Sparkling in caves. A different Napa than Cabernet on the valley floor.

Cave tour by appointment. Cool even in August.

Chardonnay · Pinot Noir · Blanc de Blancs

Rutherford Cabernet and a Chardonnay people still order by name.

Cellar tastings by appointment.

Cabernet Sauvignon · Chardonnay · Cakebread Cellars

Family estate on the Oak Knoll floor. Less theater than the highway names.

Book a tasting. The historic building is the stop.

Cabernet Sauvignon · Chardonnay · Trefethen

Rutherford estate that still teaches the valley, not just the gift shop.

Book. Good if you want one clear Cabernet flight.

Cabernet Sauvignon · Sauvignon Blanc · St. Supéry