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Wineries
Most reviews by James Knight. Note: Those listings marked ‘WC’ denote wineries with caves. These wineries are usually only open to the public by appointment. Wineries in these listings appear on a rotating basis.
SONOMA CO U N TY
Syrah from ad man turned cellar geek. 1014 Hopper Ave., Santa Rosa. Barrel tasting, by appointment only. 707.527.9700.
in the kind of Cabernet that makes the Wine Spectator drool. 2121 Diamond Mountain Road, Napa. By appointment. 707.942.0707.
Adobe Road Winery
Wind Gap Wines One-
Freemark Abbey In
time vintner of big, opulent Pax Syrah refocuses on coolclimate locales that yield a more savory, European style. 6450 First St., Forestville. By appointment only. 707.887.9100.
1881, Josephine Tychson was the first woman to own and operate a winery in the valley. Enjoy the Cabs. 3022 St. Helena Hwy. N. (at Lodi Lane), St. Helena. Open daily, 10am-5pm. 800.963.9698.
Woodenhead Damn
Hess Collection Winery An intellectual
Award-winning Cab, Pinot, Zin, Cab Franc, Syrah and Petite Sirah. Their tasting room is located in Petaluma at the Racers Group Porsche race headquarters. 1995 S. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma. 707.939.7967.
Charles Creek Vineyards The wines dazzle. Chardonnays and Merlot, those old workhorses, shine. 483 First St. W., Sonoma. Open daily, 11am–6pm. 707.935.3848.
Chateau St. Jean Winery Take the educational tour and sample both reserve and premier wines on acres of vineyard with gardens and gourmet food. Famed Riesling and rare Malbec. 8555 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood. Open daily, 10am–5pm. 707.833.4134.
D’Argenzio Winery Much like the family-run, backstreet bodegas of the old country that the decor invokes. Sangiovese, Moscato di Fresco, and Randy Rhoads Cab. 1301 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa. Daily 11am–5pm. $10 tasting fee. 707.280.4658.
DaVero Sonoma Get lubed with spicy extra virgin from California’s first Tuscan olive trees; rare Sagrantino wine is in a different league. Jams, soaps and balm from the farm, too. 766 Westside Road, Healdsburg. 10am-5pm daily except Tuesday. Nominal fee $15. 707.431.8000.
David Coffaro Vineyards Coffaro specializes in unique red blends and Zinfandels. Coffaro keeps an online diary of his daily winemaking activities (www.coffaro.com/diary. html). 7485 Dry Creek Road, Geyserville. Appointment only. 707.433.9715.
Eric Kent Wine Cellars Nevermind the art of wine, there’s art on the wine. Limited release Chard, Pinot,
good wine. Pinot, Zin–yum, yum, yum. 5700 River Road, Santa Rosa. Open Thursday– Monday, 10:30am–4:30pm. 707.887.2703.
N A PA CO U N TY August Briggs Winery Tasting room is a white barn lit by skylights and often staffed by the owner’s wife or mother. 333 Silverado Trail, Calistoga. Open Thursday– Sunday, 11:30am–4:30pm. 707.942.5854.
Beaulieu Vineyard History in a glassful of dust– Rutherford dust. Somethingfor-everyone smorgasbord of solid varietal wines, plus library selections of flagship Georges de Latour Cab back to 1970. 1960 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford. Daily, 10am–5pm. Tastings $15–$20; Reserve Room, $35. 707.967.5233.
Casa Nuestra Winery Endearingly offbeat, with a dedicated staff and a collection of goats and dogs roaming freely. 3451 Silverado Trail N., St. Helena. Open daily, 10am– 5pm. 707.963.5783.
Clos Pegase Winery (WC) Practically an art museum. A 2,800-square-foot “cave theater” plays frequent host to parties and more. Tasting flight of four wines, red and white, $10. 1060 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga. Open daily, 10:30am–5pm. 800.366.8583.
Constant (WC) Boutique winery specializing
outpost of art and wine housed in the century-old Christian Brother’s winery. Cab is the signature varietal. 4411 Redwood Road, Napa. Open daily, 10am–4pm. 707.255.1144.
Rubicon Estate Despite the celebrity hype, the wine is award-winning. 1991 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford. Open daily, 10am–5pm. 800.782.4226.
St. Supéry Expect to find the tasting room crowded with a harrassed staff, but St. Supéry features an interesting art gallery with changing exhibitions. 8440 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford. Open daily, 10am– 5pm. 800.942.0809.
Schramsberg (WC) Sparkling wine at its best. The “tasting room” is a branch of the cave illuminated with standing candelabras. 1400 Schramsberg Road, Calistoga. By appointment. 707.942.4558.
Trefethen Winery Some critics claim Trefethen’s heyday was in the ’60s, but the winery proves them wrong with dependable, delicious wines. Trefethen is one of the oldest wineries in Napa. 1160 Oak Knoll Ave., Napa. Open daily, 11:30am–4:30pm. 707.255.7700.
Vincent Arroyo Winery Small, tasting room is essentially a barn with a table near some barrels, but very friendly, with good wines. 2361 Greenwood Ave., Calistoga. Open daily, 10am– 4:30pm. 707.942.6995.
Raymond Vineyards
W
hen Burgundy wine scion Jean-Charles Boisset bought De Loach Vineyards, he scarcely added a French accent to that name. With Buena Vista in the portfolio, he only plans to restore that historic cellar. But at Raymond Vineyards, a steady Napa Cab producer since the 1970s, he’s gone all-out. A cursory glance at the grounds, the glitz and the choice of activities that comprise the “Raymond Vineyards Experience” might prompt observers to confirm that old saw about Napa being a “wine Disneyland.” But no, that does not quite capture it at all. This is JeanCharles Land.
An overgrown 1950s ranch house, Raymond looks sedate enough on the outside. The grounds have been transformed into a “Theater of Nature,” where visitors may tour (with the aid of an iPod app) a demonstration biodynamic garden complete with herbs, vines, compost and animals. Chickens scratch around in their coop; goats thoughtfully munch hay. Inside, a left turn leads to the conservative main tasting room, while a right turn leads to the “Corridor of the Senses,” where a “pleasure pole” represents wine textures—velvet, fur, rubber—and a series of glass pots offer up a panoply of aromas. A wine library displays past vintages; wine seminars are held in the cool, gray Rutherford Room. Further on, the members-only Red Room is a dimly lit speakeasy decked out in red velvet, with leopard-print carpet. Out back, the surreal “outdoor living room” is furnished with white, Louis XV–style chairs. Extravagant? We’re not done yet. Beyond gold curtains, the JCB Room is outfitted with gold bricks, plush sofas and vintage Playboy magazines, while a replica stuffed leopard snarls in the corner. If this seems over-the-top, our host points out the faux gold-plated lamp in the shape of an AK-47. Ah-ha moment: Boisset’s personal touch is not merely lavish; there’s an abundant—if unironic and exuberant—sense of humor here. Just want to taste some Napa Cab? Welcome to the Crystal Cellar. Down a stainless-steel-sheathed hallway, the bar is located within a tank room. Lit in red and blue, with mannequins camping on the catwalks, it’s a clublike scene. Chandeliers and crystal doodads abound, and “everything here,” our host explains, “is for sale as well.” Over there, Boisset himself, wearing his trademarked gold smoking jacket, is leading a group in a song. After that, he bounds across the room to talk with a few ladies at the bar, ending their visit with an expansive gesture of his arms, declaring, “Life is but a moment of pleasure,” or words to that effect—it sounds better with a French accent. Raymond Vineyards, 849 Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena. Daily, 10am to 4pm. Tasting fees vary. 707.963.3141. —James Knight