If you love Schramsberg, I highly recommend their fine champagne and cheese pairing tasting. You taste some unique champagnes, the tour is fun, and the wines you drink are their best. The cheeses that were matched were wonderful (to the point that I’ve begun sourcing at least one in Dallas on a regular basis). Do it at 10:00. Nice brunchy feel and really fun.
Walk next door and visit Frog’s Leap Winery. Tried and true right in the middle of Rutherford. Cabernet, Petite Syrah and Zin should please your wife if she like oaky wine.
Del Dotto if you haven’t been there. Their tour is pricey but pretty good imo. You taste many of the wines in French and American oak. Pretty cool to compare the differences.
We recently did the cave tour and tasting at Schramsberg and thought it was just ok at best. Mending Wall was very good. They are not oak bombs but they are big wines.
Abreu (one of the best Cabernets out there hands down but not oak bomb)
Bevan Cellars- a must do
Del dotto- a must do one time
Tor Kenward
Realm Cellars
Vice Versa
Carter Cellars
Keplinger is worth stopping by downtown Napa for their Rhone wines (and their Cabernet is killer)
Theorem Vineyards up in Calistoga/Diamond Mountain. 10mins north of Schramsberg. TRB made wine. Only a couple vintages in. These are spectacular wines (Diamond Mtn single vineyard Cabernet, Moon Mtn Sauv Blanc, Diamond Mtn merlot in barrel), with not only beautiful views at the winery, but fantastic people. If you contact them, ask for Isaac.
One winery recco? I can do that. Hmm. An easy appointment and big oaky cabs - Mending Wall and only taste the Tournahu, but taste the petite sirah since you’re there.