Small Napa Wineries to Visit

My wife and I will be traveling to Napa for our third time in April. We’ve decided we like, for the most part, the smaller more intimate wine tastings. Some of my favorite wines are Mike Smith wines (myriad, quivet, etc.) Rivers-Marie, and O’Shaughnessy. We did a tasting with Mike already but wanted to see peoples’ opinions on what other wineries they would suggest. We’ve already visited in the past:

Girard, Cosentino, Duckhorn, Conn Creek, Chimney Rock, Artesa, BV, Opus, Pine Ridge, Frank Family, Caymus, Larkmead, EMH, Cade, Red Cap, O’Shaughnessy, Alpha Omega, met with Mike Smith, and Seavey.

Also, before people say it, yes I used the search function but it’s only pulling up the actual post and not threads.

Thanks!

Vine Hill Ranch- Not sure if you have to be on the list to visit but he wines are incredible and Bruce is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.

Continuum- Fantastic views and of course the wine is excellent.

Blankiet- The wines have always been great but super excited to see what Graeme has done with them since the unfortunate passing of Denis Malbec

Kapcsandy- An absolutely phenomenal lineup of wines and if you get a chance to meet Lou or Louis Jr they are a real treat to speak with and hear their story

Spire Collection- The estate manager Ryan is a great guy and a wonderful variety of wines with a fantastic view. The portfolio includes everything from Zena Crown Oregon Pinot to all the Napa wines including La Jota, Capture, Anakota, Gallerie etc.

Had a really nice visit to Kelly Fleming wines in Calistoga last year. And very nice wines too.

Always have to shout out for Board (and my) favorite Lagier Meredith for a private visit. Awesome folks and wines.

Get in touch with Merril Lindquist who is on this board. She owns EMH Vineyards and does a small, intimate tasting at her dining room table with a nice view of the vines. Highly recommended.

Define small…?

If you are there on a Thurs- Sunday, maybe Robert Craig up on Howell Mountain? Also Outpost and Black Sears up there, way off the beaten path; it is beautiful as well as great wine. I am going to Treebottom on Howell Mtn in April- really small, 2013 is their 2nd vintage…from the established family Henry Bros ranch.

Over on the other side, up Spring Mtn, Keenan, Barnett. On the Valley floor, surprised you didn’t mention MacDonald. Over by Seavey is Anderson’s Conn Valley- highly recommended ( by me, haha).

I am sure you will get lots more help here

Bob, thanks for the suggestion. We met with Merrill a few years ago and I agree it was a great experience. She is a wonderful person and the wines are great as well!

Jim, Anderson’s Conn Valley is certainly on my shortlist as is Robert Craig, Outpost, and MacDonald. I just wanted to see if 1) my thoughts were in line with recommendations and 2) are there places I haven’t thought of.

Small is a relative term. I don’t mind a bigger winery if the wines are good and they have nice people. Jean from Alpha Omega set us up with a wonderful tasting. I was planning on meeting up with him this trip but he will be out of town unfortunately.

I know you said Napa but someone always has to drift. Seriously, if you want intimate and don’t mind leaving Napa both Calluna and Hobo are great. Just know that Hobo isn’t scenic since they operate out of a warehouse in Santa Rosa.

I’ve enjoyed Delectus in the past. Typically big tannic wines that are built for the long haul. VIP tasting gets you 1:1 attention in a private room, great experience. The winery was recently sold to a larger group, so I don’t know how this will affect the tasting experience or the style of the wines going forward, since the fruit will come from a different place now.

Seconding Keenan - friendly and informal - they even let me taste the juice from the cold soaking 2017 grapes the last time I was up there. Lovely dog too

Viader is nice and peaceful as well

Stony Hill. One of the true classic California wineries. Has been around making wonderful wines forever.

For “something different” try Quixote. Built by a rather eccentric gentleman, (check out the architecture) and they focus on Stags Leap Petite Sirah. Aaron Pott makes the wines. Really enjoyed a visit there in fall 2016. In fact, Aaron was in the cellar moving his giant clay amphorae around. He makes his own wines there too (although we did not taste those).

Visit School House Winery for a fabulous Pinot and Syrah blend that are among the coolest weather and most elegant wines being made in the Napa Valley.

Highly recommend going over to Sebastopol for a day to taste with likes of Kutch, Lynmar, Scherrer and others. We’ve done this twice now after going for over a dozen years to Napa and it has added a whole new world of wines and wineries and styles to explore and learn on our trips. Downside: I find myself buying from SO many wineries now…

You should definitely try out Tamber Bey. We visited there in January. They built the winery and tasting room on an old horse farm outside of Calistoga. Their vineyards are actually not on-site (I believe they are in Oakville and Yountville), but all of the production/wine-making/barrel storage is in Calistoga. It’s a beautiful and tranquil setting, as they now use the property for rescue horses. So it’s kind of unique in terms of Napa wineries. Their wines are really good as well. We tasted a few Red blends, their Oakville Cab, and their Chard and Sauvignon Blanc, and they weren’t stingy with their pours like some of the wineries in Napa. The indoor tasting room is cozy, and they also have an outdoor area with tables, lounge chairs, etc, so it never feels commercial. Based on your question, I think you would like it.

Few others we enjoy: Hourglass, Sherman Family, Diamond Creek, Cornell Vineyards.

OP has been been there, done that.

Is Scarecrow a possibility?

For a “small” winery, check out Tres Sabores. We enjoyed the zin, petite sirah, and por que no. Even enjoyed por que no at Topolobampo in Chicago.

Marston is a great visit.

Check out Madrigal Family Winery. Odds are Chris Madrigal will take you around and pour some back vintages, tell the whole history of his family owning the winery, and post up on the back porch overlooking Calistoga. Killer wines for a great price!

If you do anything on Spring Mountain, be sure to take the short drive over the top and hit Fisher on the back (Sonoma) side of the mountain. It’s close, family run, beautiful, and wines are excellent. We had a great experience there.