Despite wine having a history dating back to 6,000 BCE, the pastime of wine tasting is a very recent novelty. For much of its California-based history, wine has been an agricultural byproduct sold by the jug by farmers, along with eggs, prunes and walnuts. That all changed thanks to Charles Krug, a Prussian immigrant and winemaker who opened California’s very first tasting room in 1882. The idea caught on and more Napa Valley winery tours were established, introducing tasting opportunities to offer visitors. Allowing people to sample wines, compare the flavours and decide which ones they like best has helped to elevate the drink to an artisanal level and today, wine tasting in Napa is big business, bringing 3.7 million visitors to the valley in 2023.
You’ll find every kind of wine tasting to fit your mood, palate and personality. Perch on a pretty patio, get cosy in a wine cave, see the scenery from the back of a motorised cart or settle into an architecturally significant salon for wines paired with haute cuisine. Expect to pay tasting fees of £36 to £60, with many high-end wineries charging upwards of £95 per person depending on the experience. A few places accommodate walk-in guests, but most wineries require reservations, especially on weekends.
If you’re short on time, the tasting rooms of downtown Napa focus on sipping wine in a beautiful – and more conveniently located – space.
But if you’re keen to learn more about some of the world’s most enticing wine labels from grape to glass, here’s a selection of leading Napa Valley wineries that offer the best tours and tastings for your pleasure.
The best Napa Valley winery tours and tastings
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LOLA
Calistoga
Seth Cripe of Lola is at the vanguard of a new generation of winemakers creating flawless, acid-driven wines using classic plus underappreciated grape varieties from heritage vineyards. Tastings at Lola’s cosy cottage, complete with wood-burning fireplace, may include Chenin Blanc, Albariño, Charbono, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir made using minimal-intervention techniques. Consider adding some of the house-made bottarga (cured fish roe) to your tasting experience.
916 Foothill Blvd, Calistoga, CA 94515
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La Sirena Winery
Calistoga
Heidi Peterson Barrett is the queen of Napa Valley’s 100-point winemaking consultants. At her La Sirena tasting room, Barrett offers her signature balanced and intensely flavoured Cabs (including those from the Barrett & Barrett label, a collaboration with her husband Bo Barrett), as well as wines from other grape varieties she loves, including Syrah, Amador County Primitivo and Calistoga Muscat. Visiting the rustic vineyard house, decorated with Barrett’s original oil paintings, offers a chance to acquire wines from all her brands.
4455 Saint Helena Hwy, Calistoga, CA 94515
Schramsberg Vineyards
Calistoga
Winemaker Jessica Koga and CEO Hugh Davies carry on the Schramsberg tradition of making fine American méthode champenoise wines with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Hugh’s parents, Jack and Jamie Davies, pioneered the style in California in 1965. From the blanc de blancs to the brut rosé, it’s easy to see why these balanced, creamy and vibrant wines have been enjoyed repeatedly by world leaders and politicians at the White House in Washington DC. Seeing the circa-1862 Victorian house (pictured) and touring the slightly spooky hand-dug caves are a must when visiting Napa Valley.
1400 Schramsberg Rd, Calistoga, CA 94515
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Diamond Creek Vineyards
Calistoga
After starting his vineyard with ‘borrowed’ vine clippings from Bordeaux, founder Al Brounstein was among the first to make wines from single-vineyard sites and offer them by an allocation system. Touring the wild and fertile slice of Diamond Mountain that Diamond Creek Vineyards calls home is a revelation; seeing the differences in their Lake, Red Rock Terrace and Gravelly Meadow vineyards helps explain the intricate differences in the glass.
1500 Diamond Mountain Rd, Calistoga, CA 94515
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
Napa
Founder Warren Winiarski was a young winemaker who helped make the Napa Valley famous with his 1973 SLV Cabernet Sauvignon, which took top marks in the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting. Today, winemaker Marcus Notaro makes modern wines with richness and finesse while honouring the house traditions. The Signature Tasting highlights the Fay and SLV vineyards, while the Estate Experience brings a cave tour along with tasters of wines, including the Artemis Cabernet, which cellars beautifully.
5766 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558
Viader Vineyards
Deer Park
Born in Argentina and educated in Europe and the US, founder Delia Viader (pronounced VEE-ah-dare) was drawn to Napa Valley for the lifestyle as well as business opportunities. She bought Howell Mountain land in 1986 and started making a Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend that marries Old and New World styles. Her son Alan carries on the tradition of turning organically grown fruit into red wines that capture their mountain terroir, now part of the new Crystal Springs AVA designated in 2024. Experiences include a tour and three-wine flights with cheese, or an opportunity to join the winemaker for a barrel tasting, tour and five other wines on select Thursdays.
1120 Deer Park Road, Deer Park, CA 94576
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Adamvs
Angwin
A team of winery cows and herbal preparations help viticulturist Mike Wolf nurture the land at Denise and Stephen Adams’ modern biodynamic wine estate, Adamvs (pronounced uh-DAM-us), named in Latin as a reference to the red clay earth. Consultant Philippe Melka and winemaker Alberto Bianchi’s ethereal wines, including Quintus, Téres and Adamvs, capture the essence of the estate’s soils. Touring the site in a vintage Land Rover with electric engine and tasting in the modern glass-walled space surrounded by a freestanding cypress log sculpture, guests are invited to commune with nature as well as with these unique wines.
501 White Cottage Rd North, Angwin, CA 94508
Mt. Brave
Napa
From a perch more than 1,400 feet above the valley floor, guests feel on top of the world at Mt. Brave. The signature, by-appointment Mt. Veeder Experience includes a greeting at the front of the estate, a visit to a scenic lookout and a seated tasting in a glam furnished tent with a view of the vineyard and mountains. Guests enjoy Mt. Brave wines that may include Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and a Chenin Blanc blend, as well as others from 100-point winemaker Chris Carpenter’s portfolio such as La Jota and Hickinbotham from South Australia’s McLaren Vale.
3875 Mt Veeder Rd, Napa, CA 94558
Palmaz Vineyards
Napa
Heart stent inventor Dr. Julio Palmaz channelled his fortune and love of wine into Palmaz, one of the most high-tech wineries in the valley, which is now run by his children. The tasting experience incorporates a tour of the property including the gravity flow winemaking cave that was created by excavating 18-storeys-deep into Mount George. Tastings feature beautiful bites designed to complement the wines, which range from a supple Cabernet Sauvignon to a bright yet rich Chardonnay and a balanced, sweet Florencia Muscat.
4029 Hagen Rd, Napa, CA 94558
Brown Estate
Napa
Back in 1980, Pasadena doctors Marcela and Bassett Brown bought 182 hectares in what is now the Chiles Valley AVA and planted Zinfandel vines at the advice of a neighbour. Seeing the demand for their fine fruit, in 1995 their three children founded the Brown Estate wine label, which is beloved for winemaker David Brown’s expressive Zinfandel and Petite Sirah wines, as well as Chaos Theory, a blend that once featured at an Obama-administration White House dinner. Visitors can choose a wine flight, add a cheese board or opt for the tasting that pairs five wines with small bites such as dry-cured beef bresaola with caramelised onion and balsamic jam or Parmigiano Reggiano with pepper jelly on a charcoal wine biscuit at the chic Brown downtown tasting room in the city of Napa.
1005 Coombs St, Napa, CA 94559
Jarvis Estate Winery
Napa
There’s a sense of calm wonder that comes over guests as they tour Jarvis Estate, the world’s first winery built entirely underground. The same machines used for boring the English Channel Tunnel helped to create these caves, which include a series of canals that culminate in a waterfall. A seated tasting shares artisanal cheeses and estate-grown wines including Chardonnay, Tempranillo, long-aged Cabernet Sauvignon and elegant Cabernet Franc.
2970 Monticello Rd, Napa, CA 94558
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Antinori Napa Valley
Napa
Wine lovers who appreciate Tuscan style and the quiet reserve of Italian wines will immediately feel at home at Antinori Napa Valley, the Atlas Peak outpost of a 600-year-old Italian wine dynasty. Winemaker Marla Carroll uses fruit from the Antinori’s Napa estate vineyards, located in a mountain valley with elevations of 1,500-1,800 feet, to craft savoury, food-friendly Cabernet Sauvignons, Cabernet Francs and more – all served in a sophisticated tasting salon with 180-degree views.
3700 Soda Canyon Rd, Napa, CA 94558
Robert Biale Vineyards
Napa
Biale’s many remarkable and refined Zinfandels are wonders that will win over anyone who’s ever doubted the merits of the grape variety so closely tied to California. Fruit is grown in their estate vineyards as well as some of California’s most acclaimed heritage vineyards (the likes of Stagecoach, Monte Rosso, and Morisoli). Choose between the relaxed Valley Vista Experience, a patio tasting that includes Biale’s award-winning Petite Sirah, or the Estate Experience with a behind-the-scenes tour of the vineyard, a barrel tasting in the cellar and a cheeseboard to accompany the wines.
4038 Big Ranch Rd, Napa, CA 94558
Tres Sabores
St Helena
Guests see the constant buzz of activity at Tres Sabores, from bottling to planting cover crops to welcoming a baby lamb. Julie Johnson and husband John Engelskirger run a certified-organic farm with sheep, goats, gardens and pomegranate trees. Grab a seat in the garden and enjoy wines that are bright and full of personality, from a Rhône white blend and Zinfandel rosé to bright and juicy Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah. The new Insight Tour and Tasting Experience offers a deeper exploration into organic grape growing, biodiversity and how animals nurture the vineyard, plus a comparative tasting of wine from the barrel and the library.
1620 S Whitehall Lane, St Helena, CA 94574
Matthiasson Winery
Napa
In 2003, farmers Jill and Steve Matthiasson quietly started a shift towards crisp, minimal-intervention wines made with natural yeasts – which has since become something of a movement. They craft organically grown fruit into lithe and lean Cabernet Sauvignon and spicy Cabernet Franc. They also celebrate the small vineyards of Italian wine varietals still growing in the valley, home to Refosco, Tocai Friulano and Ribolla Gialla grapes. By-appointment tastings on the outdoor patio of the Mt Veeder winery overlook their Phoenix Vineyard, a site full of old Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot vines.
3175 Dry Creek Rd, Napa, CA 94558
Spottswoode Winery
St Helena
The heart of Spottswoode is the organic- and biodynamic-certified vineyard that teems with birds, wildflowers and so much life. Founder Mary Novak and her daughters have made it a benchmark for pure wines with a sense of place, from expressive Sauvignon Blanc to lushly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon. Email or call to reserve a private tasting experience at the historic estate dating back to 1882. For the Then and Now tasting, the host greets guests with a glass of Mary’s Block Sauvignon Blanc before a guided tour of the vineyard, sampling from the barrel and a seated tasting of library wine.
1902 Madrona Ave, St Helena, CA 94574
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Stony Hill Vineyard
St Helena
Founders Fred and Eleanor McCrea used to entertain guests at their Spring Mountain home to showcase their singular white wines. Under the ownership of Lawrence Wine Estates since 2021, Stony Hill has since instituted biodynamic viticulture and carried out a renovation that honours the 1951 home’s mid-century origins, creating unique residential tasting spaces. Guests on the elevated Terroir Experience explore the land in a Lexus GX 550 before tasting winemaker Reid Griggs’ mineral-driven Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon matured by the magnum.
3331 St. Helena Hwy North, St Helena, CA 94574
Corison Winery
St Helena
Cathy Corison is a pioneering winemaker and purist, making Cabernet Sauvignon in a restrained style inspired by Bordeaux. Her flagship Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc wines come from the Sunbasket and Kronos estate vineyards, and she also makes rosé, Gewurztraminer and Riesling under her Corazón label. The unfussy, by-appointment tasting experience carried out in the working wine cellar or on the patio is as pure and elemental as the wines. Corison’s daughter Grace now assists with winemaking, ensuring that the family winery will endure.
987 St Helena Hwy, St Helena, CA 94574
Quixote Winery
Napa
Quixote Winery, as the name hints, is a fanciful estate inspired by the quest of Miguel de Cervantes’ most famous character. Founder Carl Doumani wanted to create a playful winery with turrets, curves and tile mosaics to showcase serious Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah made from mountain fruit. Architecture buffs won’t want to miss a chance to spend time in the only North American building by Austrian painter and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
6126 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558
Shafer Vineyards
Napa
Shafer’s Hillside Select is one of the Napa Valley icon wines that collectors covet. Winemaker Elias Fernandez is a master at creating wines with power, balance and from the hillside vineyards first planted by founder John Shafer in the 1970s. Of the three tasting experiences, the most luxe is the Hillside Select Experience, which includes Billecart-Salmon Champagne and Regiis Ova caviar, a vineyard tour in a Polaris Ranger, and finally, a seated tasting of 5, 10, and 20-year-old library wines.
6154 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558
Inglenook
Rutherford
Founded in 1879, Inglenook is one of the historic properties that helped put Napa wine on the international map. Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola of Godfather fame took over in 1975 and the family restored the property, even adding a film museum. More recently, Philippe Bascaules of Château Margaux was hired to direct the winemaking of gems like Rubicon and its Blancaneaux white blend. A plethora of tasting options offer cellar tours, seated tastings or the chance to enjoy wines with Mediterranean dishes from the bistro.
1991 St Helena Hwy, Rutherford, CA 94573
Gamble Estates
Napa
Tom Gamble made his reputation as one of the region’s best growers thanks to the expertise his family gained over more than 100 years farming grapes in the Napa Valley. Gamble, with consultation from Atelier Melka, crafts fruit from sustainable estate vineyards into Bordeaux-inspired wines including the expressive Yountville Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Rutherford Cabernet and the Mount Veeder red blend. Taste on the farmhouse patio or choose a Reserve tasting experience that pairs top-tier wines with a vineyard picnic.
7554 St Helena Hwy, Napa, CA 94558
Cathiard Vineyard
St Helena
Bordelaise sensibility and California terroir meet at Cathiard Vineyard, a winery by Florence and Daniel Cathiard, the family behind Smith Haut-Lafitte in Pessac-Léognan. By-appointment tastings start with a splash of white Bordeaux from the mothership, before a jaunt around the property and vineyards in a restored Land Rover with an electric engine. Enjoy a trio of wines – Hora, Cathiard and Founding Brothers – from their estate vineyards at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains. Tastings are hosted on a terrace with a view across the valley, as weather permits, or in a study filled with French antiques. It’s the only winery in the valley with a dedicated cooperage and French-trained cooper working onsite.
1978 Zinfandel Lane, St Helena, CA 94574
Rudd Estate
Oakville
Tucked away off the Silverado Trail, Rudd Estate is a singular wine ecosystem where an experience full of exquisite details awaits. Visitors tour the biodynamic vineyards, gardens and a workshop (aka winery) with Bordeaux-style concrete tanks before settling in for a private tasting in the greenhouse, at the harvest table or in a boathouse overlooking a small lake. Winemaker Natalie Bath uses native yeasts and a variety of tanks for her memorable and distinctive wines of place including an Oakville Estate red that’s earthy with bright berries, and the Mt. Veeder Estate Leslie’s Blend, brimming with flavours of savoury umami and herbs.
500 Oakville Cross Rd, Oakville, CA 94562
Raymond Vineyards
St Helena
Boisset Family Estates took over this heritage vineyard in 2009, adding panache to the décor and converting the farming to organic. The velvety Red Room Lounge and Crystal Cellar with Baccarat chandeliers make for memorable places to taste wines, including Raymond’s Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon. For a day with a difference, blend your own wine with the Raymond team; if on more limited time, sample historic vintages in a Library Tasting experience.
849 Zinfandel Lane, St Helena, CA 94574
Domaine Chandon
Yountville
Domaine Chandon was the first outpost from a Champagne maker in Napa Valley, and the circa-1970s winery fits seamlessly into the landscape. A 2023 renovation brought biophilic interior design and outdoor tasting spaces that showcase the Yountville setting. Book a sparkling lunch tasting starring fried chicken, or groups of 6-to-12 may reserve a private garden cabana to sip rosé from magnum as a parade of dishes appear. Some walk-ins are accepted, but reservations are wise.
1 California Drive, Yountville, CA 94599
Cliff Lede Vineyards
Yountville
A lover of both music and fine wine, Canadian construction heir Cliff Lede bought a hillside property to make his own wines. The elite Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard is called Poetry, while other blocks are named after ’70s rock songs. Go on a morning vineyard walk, taste wines from the estate’s Platinum collection and older vintages in the private Backstage Lounge or level up with The Poetry Experience, which explores wines from this special vineyard along with artisan cheeses and charcuterie.
1473 Yountville Cross Rd, Yountville, CA 94599
Chappellet Winery
St Helena
Chappellet’s oxidised iron pyramid (pictured) seems like it just grew out of the ground among the ferns, moss and mature trees on Pritchard Hill. This is one of the Valley’s most acclaimed spots for Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Chappellets have been learning the terroir since 1967. Depending on the experience, guests will taste from a barrel, explore older vintages or tour the property in a four-wheel drive. From Chenin Blanc to the Pritchard Hill icon wine, winemaker Philip Corallo-Titus crafts ageworthy wines that capture freshness and acidity.
1581 Sage Canyon Rd, St Helena, CA 94574
Darioush
Napa
Visitors will be enthralled by founder Darioush Khaledi’s amazing business success story and his luxe winery modelled on a Persian temple, with its impressive gardens, fountains and fire feature. But the real treasures are the Darioush wines, from the floral Sauvignon Blanc and the estate-grown Darius II Cabernet Sauvignon to their beloved Shiraz (aka Syrah), a grape variety suggested to have its origins in Persia. All tastings, from a Signature Mezze experience to a tasting ‘By Invitation Only’, include Persian-inspired delicacies selected to pair with the wines.
4240 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558
Hudson Ranch & Vineyards
Napa
Vintners Cristina and Lee Hudson have created a distinctive and beautiful property out in Carneros that evokes a Western ranch with its wide-open pastures and copious succulents. Join them for a seated tasting on the sunny veranda, or a more in-depth Collector Experience that includes estate olive oil along with wines, from stunning Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to a Bordeaux blend called Phoenix, plus the juicy dry white Aleatico that’s made from rare Black Muscat grapes.
5398 Sonoma Highway, Napa, CA 94559
