Raymond Vineyards
A visit to Raymond Vineyards is truly a unique experience – and offers something different for everyone. Located on Zinfandel Lane, which spans the Napa Valley just south of St. Helena between Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, the Raymond Vineyards hospitality center is set back from the road a bit, behind organically- and biodynamically-farmed vineyards. Don’t be surprised if you see some sheep grazing away between the rows of vines surrounding the driveway – a touch of whimsy that merely sets the stage for what you’ll find once you arrive at the tasting room. Raymond Vineyards celebrated their first vintage in 1974, but...
Chateau St. Jean
C hateau St. Jean is a picturesque winery located along Highway 12 just south of Kenwood in the Sonoma Valley. Beyond a long driveway surrounded by estate vineyards sits the chateau itself, along with a large complex of equally-picturesque buildings housing the winery operations and indoor cellars. After parking in one of the ample on-site lots, you enter the winery through a large gateway offering nice views of a manicured European-style garden, with a path guiding you naturally toward the main hospitality area – a large main tasting room, which sits directly across from the 1920 chateau that was once the Summer home to the Goff family. It’s truly a grand property, and even though we spent over an hour there, I could easily see myself returning again...
Paraduxx
T he Paraduxx tasting experience is like no other. Nestled between vineyards along Silverado Trail, just south of Rutherford, is a yellow farmhouse that serves as the tasting room and hospitality center for your visit to this amazing property. Paraduxx does not have a stand-up bar like most tasting rooms – rather, you choose a seat, indoors or out, and your selected tasting flight is brought right out to wherever you’re seated. What makes the experience at Paraduxx so unique is that it is at the same time personal, casual, and truly relaxing. We visited on a Sunday in mid-February, and didn’t arrange a reservation ahead of time, but I imagine that reservations are a must during peak season (and...
Long Meadow Ranch Winery
L ong Meadow Ranch is a sustainably-farmed ranch in the Mayacamas Mountains to the west of Napa Valley, producing fine wines, handcrafted olive oils, grass-fed Highland cattle, eggs, organic fruits and vegetables, and honey. In fact, their St. Helena tasting room and adjacent Farmstead restaurant and gardens are only a part of the Long Meadow Ranch experience, which includes LMR Rutherford Gardens and the 650-acre Long Meadow Ranch itself. Set back from the main highway a bit by a “green zone” of vines, vegetables, and fresh herbs, the Logan-Ives house that serves as the main tasting room is a restored 1874 Gothic-revival farmhouse, and is at once modern, timeless, and elegant. The...
GustavoThrace (plus Toolbox Wines)
N apa’s underrated downtown is home to a number of tasting rooms, including this one. GustavoThrace is conveniently located near the corner of McKinstry and First streets, across the street from the Oxbow Public Markets. With several tasting rooms to choose from within a few hundred feet, this one just seems like the most fun. The interior looks like a hot-rod garage exploded and left quirky, cool artifacts everywhere. All that’s missing from the serious (but classy) man-cave vibe is a pool table. From the street, a stained-glass portrait of winemaker Gustavo Brambila hangs proudly in the front window. You might recognize the names Brambila and GustavoThrace from the 2008 movie Bottle Shock, where Brambila was portrayed by actor Freddy Rodriguez as a young lab...