Best Napa/ Sonoma Tasting Experience?

Need some help WBer’s, what in your eyes is the absolute “best” tasting experience in Napa/ Sonoma? Looking for a realistic option (no helicopters flying to Screagle), that you don’t have to be best friends with the winemakers brother (Ex. Macdonald), but cost isn’t really an issue (this question sparked by the Promontory thread @ $200/ tasting). Back story, I’m planning a trip for my wife and I to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary sometime this year. Looking to add 1 or 2 epic tastings that we typically don’t do. We normally target tastings in the $30-50 range, but have splurged in the past up to $75. In the past, we’ve done Shafer, Phelps, Ridge, Frank Family, Schramsberg, J Swan, Scherrer, Hartford, Paraduxx, Calluna, Montelena, Twomey, Smith-Madrone, etc. We enjoy all types of wine. Looking for epic views, epic wine, and epic experience for this special occasion. Thoughts?

For the Views: Chappellet, Pride, Outpost

I recommend tasting with food pairing at B cellars. Their chefs prepare right on the spot, take you on a tour and cellar, barrel tasting and finish up the rest of the tasting at the table. They also offer tasting of Heritage wines with Beckstoffer grapes. We had good company and had a good time.

When I was there a month ago, people were recommending the new Flowers tasting room on Westside Rd. It is $55. Supposedly the wines have improved under the new winemaking team. Lynmar was a good experience but I think the wines have slipped a bit and prices are up. Many, many options; food pairings seem to be in vogue.

Private tasting at Spring Mountain Vineyards. Great experience and awesome opportunity to taste back vintage wines from the 80’s. 90’s and early 2000’s.

I’m going in 2 weeks. We have visits set up with Italics, Alpha Omega Collective, Dakota Shy, Chappellet and Paradigm. Others I tried but could not make work were Black Sears, Covert and Theorem.

Hall’s St. Helena location is really nice. It was the first Napa winery I ever went to on our honeymoon in 2017. Stunning property with beautiful artwork and great views. I’ve been a club member since my first visit and I just got a bunch of guest passes in the mail. PM me if you want them I’d be happy to pass them along for a comped tasting.

My recommendations would be:
-Continuum (atop Pritchard Hill with spectacular views, beautiful property and wine)
-Jarvis (all underground, with a glass tasting room next to an underground stream)
-Palmaz (the most high tech winery in the valley, beautiful views)
-Theorem (TRB wine on Diamond Mtn, new, stunning property)
-Progeny (secluded on Mount Veeder, amazing views, wonderful wine).

Does Chappellet still have the picnic tables with that view?

Reach out to Jean at Alpha Omega. He’s set up great tastings for us in the past.

Yes. Those are below the winery. They had the Pritchard Hill release party there last year. Great views of the lake when its not cloudy/foggy.

Continuum is a beautiful property with spectacular views to SF. First class all the way. Diamond Creek is a classy, beautiful and iconic property with legendary wines. Both offer very private intimate experiences around $100/pp. Both also offer special wines that while expensive dont approach Promontory. Id consider those two

Repris in Sonoma Valley is a tremendous experience. Costs about $65 iirc but it’s truly immersive. The wines are quite good and rarely spotted in the wild.

Arista in Sonoma does a 5 course food and wine pairing afternoon. I believe its $155/person. It’s by appt only (not sure if you have to be on the allocation list). The property is beautiful. My wife and I did this experience in 2017 and it was truly a wonderful day. We were the only 2 with a SOMM and the winery chef. The veggies were from their property. I like Arista’s pinots but walked away loving their Chardonnays.

Have you done any of the Phelps private tastings like the Wine Aroma Challenge, Barrel Aging Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Single Vineyards - A Taste of Place, or Insignia Blending?
They put the other tasting experience to shame.

We’ve only done the basic, wife at the time wasn’t too into the additional experiences at the time. Any one you would recommend?

My favorite in this order

  1. Barrel
  2. Wine Aroma
  3. Insignia blending
  4. sense of place

One of the best tasting experiences I’ve had was a library tasting (might be $100) at Spring Mountain Estate. Such a lovely property with history. We tried wines from 80s, 90s, 2000s, and current releases. Aida, our host was fantastic and highly recommended!

A few quick facts I can remember:
Did you know their property is as large as Central Park?? That blew me away
Falcon Crest was shot there
The Victorian mansion on property was built by the same architect who designed Beringer’s mansion.
Their wine was 4th place at the Judgement of Paris

My favorite wine from their collection is their 2001 Estate.

I have no affiliation to the winery, other than a big fan.

If you want an “experience” more than just a tasting, consider:

Barrel Blending at Conn Creek. You will taste different AVA cabs, ultimately make YOUR best cab blend, then experiment with other reds to make YOUR #1 cuvee. If was pretty neat, and has apparently won “wine tourist event of the year.”

Hendry Ranch Seminar. A several hour tour and wine education by the winery’s owner - George Hendry. Followed by tasting with him. Hendry Ranch doesn’t get a lot of love as a premier Napa winery, but the experience is very interesting, and George seems like a great guy.

I had vaguely remembered Conan O’Brien visiting Spring Mountain on his show years back. I searched for it and they have actually included the segment from his visit on their website. Not sure if you’ll get the same treatment…haha

http://www.springmountainvineyard.com/a-mc-cob050207-part1.html