On Saturday, I went up to Napa with a couple of friends to do some wine tastings at some smaller, boutique producers with a focus on high-end Cabernet Sauvignon, which Napa is particularly well-known for. We had some amazing wines in some beautiful settings. We visited:
- Keever Vineyards: a small family owned vineyard with only 6 acres of vines, where we tasted a Sauvignon Blanc ($28), Syrah ($45) and Cabernet Sauvignon ($90). I think Keever is worth a visit for the views alone. They also did a great job of taking us through their whole wine-making process; we went on a private tour of their wine making facilities and caves. Appointments are necessary, tastings are $20 and include the tour.
- Whitehall Lane: we made an impromptu stop here, no appointments are necessary. We tried a lot of wine, but they weren't as notable. Their wines are more widely available at local retail stores.
- Pride Mountain: Pride was very cool, up in the hills north of St. Helena, towards Sonoma / Calistoga. My favorites were the complex and elegant Viognier ($42), and really nice Merlot ($56) and the Cabernet Sauvignon ($66). Prices are mid-range for Napa, but definitely worth it. Pride is definitely worth a visit; most of the tastings are poured inside the caves during the tour; we even got to do a couple of barrel tastings. They have some picnic tables for lunch. I would definitely visit them again. Appointments are necessary well in advance (even for Will Farrell who took the tour after us), tastings are $10, including the tour, but waived if wine is purchased.
- Merus Wines: We tasted some really wonderful 06 and 07 Cabernet Sauvignons at Merus, but they were quite expensive at ~$130 a bottle. Merus is a very small, exclusive producer that only makes Cabernet Sauvignon. I believe that you need to be on the mailing list in order to get a private appointment, although the tasting and tour is free.
- 750 Wines: This was an awesome little wine shop in St. Helena that our host at Merus sent us to after our tasting. They carry a well-edited selection of boutique, mostly mailing list only producers. We tried a variety of interesting wines, including roses, chardonnay, merlot, cabernet sauvignon. It was a great experience; the proprietors were very cool. I would definitely make a return visit; it is a really nice way to taste a variety of wines from a variety of producers with some very knowledgeable hosts who are passionate about what they do. Appointments are necessary, tasting is free.
- We finished with dinner at Redd Restaurant in Yountville. Dinner was very good, but since there are so many great restaurants in the area, I'm not sure that I would make a special trip back.
More pictures and details can be found
here.
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