To kick off day two of my birthday weekend in Calistoga, my wife and I decided to visit Romeo…read moreVineyards and Cellars. Romeo holds a special place in our hearts because we visited them a little over seven years ago. During that experience (which you can read about in my previous review - if interested), my wife and I had a grand experience with former Business Manager Emma, who administered the delicious tastings. Fast forward to the present, we looked forward to enjoying a glass of their finest red before finding lunch. Upon entering the walkway, we were enthusiastically greeted by an employee named John who quickly ushered us to a vacant table for two. My wife had a slight reaction to the beautiful flowers that were in full bloom. Out of the kindness of his heart, John provided my wife with a bottle of Pure Leaf tea that calmed her allergies. We told John that we were interested in enjoying a glass of red, in which he quickly ran off and returned with a bottle of 2009 Eugenia Cabernet Sauvignon. Upon doing the swirl and sniff test (sounds dirty doesn't it?), I knew that we were in for a treat. Since we were both in dire need of a meal, we sadly could not continue the party. However, we will make a return visit in the near future to enjoy a full tasting experience!

Unique, intimate and one of the best wine tasting experience I have ever had. This a small winery…read moretasting room with high quality vintage wines. We first tried the wine at a restaurant in San Diego and we absolutely loved it, we drank all their available bottles throughout the year and we had to come visit the winery in Napa! John provided us with the best service creating a memorable experience for us, we had so much fun! We will for sure come back every year because of all the great time we had. Thank you John! N & T

Such a fun stop at Maria Concetto Winery in Calistoga! Between the beautiful wines and RobinoVino,…read moretheir robot bartender, this was definitely not your typical Napa Valley tasting experience. Watching a robot serve your wine might just make that glass taste a little more fun. A unique, playful stop to add to your Calistoga wine weekend! #MariaConcetto #RobinoVino #Calistoga #NapaValley #WineCountry

A truly unique experience at Maria Concetto Winery Tasting Room in Calistoga…read more Greg and Maria are the perfect hosts, making every guest feel genuinely welcome. The wines are exceptional, and the experience is unlike any other: a one-of-a-kind robot sommelier serves your wine while adding a touch of fun and innovation to the tasting. If you're visiting Napa Valley, this is an experience you won't want to miss. Salute!

I came with a few friends to shop and were enticed to do some wine tasting. We bought a bottle and…read morethey kept it cold in the fridge while we shopped and drank some wine. We also got a frose to sip on and enjoyed their whole experience. All of us bought some jewelry and cute items. The staff were so friendly and welcoming. We ended up returning at the end of the day to have some more wine and snacks. The onion dip was unreal, it was so flavorful and a great snack! We really enjoyed our time shopping and sipping!

I love the stuff here. The sales staff is very helpful. While I didn't come for the wine, they…read morehave quite a few great clothing options, very stylish and good quality at reasonable prices for the area. A must-visit boutique if you are in the area and want to do some shopping.

Had the most unique wine taste experience here at Tank Garage Winery! Not only was the setting so…read morefun, the wines were one of a kind. Holly provided excellent service and made out visit feel very special. I can't wait to come back!

Tank Garage is such a fun and whimsical hidden gem! Their labels are works of art in themselves,…read moreand the wines are delicious, approachable, and so much fun to discover. We loved Pizza Joint so much that we bought three bottles! Head Over Heels, a unique Gamay-Pinot blend, was perfect for the hot weather yesterday, and Peep Show was another great choice for poolside sipping. Dirty Looks was a smooth and unexpectedly delicious find as well. We loved them all and purchased 7 bottles they were all so great! Will was such a great host--he really knows how to explain the wines while adding color and personality to the stories behind them. He made the tasting even more enjoyable! We've now been to both their Paso Robles and Calistoga locations, and both are super cool, with incredibly fun decor and settings. Tank Garage is definitely worth a visit if you're looking for something a little different, playful, and delicious!

This winery is a absolute gem!…read more The day is getting later as we arrive in Calistoga. We wonder if we will have a chance to have a wine tasting. I find Olabisi (meaning; joy multiplied). I call the winery and set up a private tasting. Within 20 minutes the owner, Ted Osborne, warmly greets us and opens the door to this delightful tasting room. We are comfortably seated as he pours his Rose, Rose Syrah, and a beautiful crisp Sauvignon Blanc. The conversation is jovial and informative. We agree that it would be a shame to not drink a wine or rum found in a 300 yr old pirate ship, on the bottom of the ocean no matter if it is questionable. We laugh, he produces a wine called Black Pearl! True story!! It was great! We tried great great wines here. What a treat! Bought wines from Howell Mountain region. Amaze. Also a 2014 Cab Sav for our Christmas table, which is the highest honor I can bestow on a bottle of wine. Can't wait to return!

We were camping at the nearby state park and were looking for a place that was open for wine…read moretasting and picked this one. It was around 5pm on a Thursday and we were the only ones around. The tasting cost $40 for 6 pours, starting with a rose and ending with a Cabernet Sauvignon. I am not very fond of reds but all the ones that were on the tasting menu that day were very good. The rose was my favorite. I was talking to the owner and he mentioned that he prefers to be out making wine instead of pouring and I can see that. Also, the pours were very tiny. There was not much information shared about the wine etc, he left the bottle with the information side turned towards you to read up on your own. The place itself is beautiful and it used to be a hardware store. It's right next to the city hall and across the street from the police station. There is street parking as well as a public parking lot next to the police station. The place is dog friendly and the owner bought out a bowl of water for my baby. I didn't buy anything but I would visit again.

After a long day floating down Russian River, my friend and I were wandering around to take…read moreadvantage of being in the area. Very impulsively, we decided to pull over while passing Lola. They were already closed for the day, but Jarred was kind enough to let us have a seat in the patio and a few sips. He was incredible, and gave us a lovely experience for the few moments we spent there. I would use the word "cozy" to describe this location -- perfect for couples or groups to enjoy. It's got a very homey and intimate vibe, which I have to say I sometimes prefer to the large mansion/castle wineries. I definitely would love to return for the full tasting, although the detour was enough for me to purchase a bottle of their Rosé, and my friend was very close to buying the Muscat, both of which I recommend.

Had a wonderful experience tasting wines here. The selections were unique, and the service was…read morewarm, attentive, and genuinely friendly. We happened to be the only couple visiting that day, which made the whole experience feel incredibly personal and special. They even took a Polaroid photo of us--a thoughtful touch that made the visit feel even more memorable. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a distinctive and one-of-a-kind wine-tasting experience in Napa.

BIRTHDAY FIRST WINERY VISIT…read more The first time I went for a wine tasting menu was four years ago with a group of hip hop dancers. We visited two wineries in Sonoma. Four years later my sister and her husband organized two wine tasting menus at two wineries in Napa for my birthday. There was a group of relatives that went we us. I am the oldest of all the group as I turned 50. Some say I age as good as wine. There is a saying the longer the wine ages the better it is. Well I found that was partly true when I went to this winery. Two weeks ago Saturday the first winery we visited was Vincent Arroyo Family Winery. The host was Ted. He was very insightful during the wine tasting and tour of the winery. The wine tasting menu was unique as each person only had two glasses. I didn't know how many types of wine we would drink as there's no tasting menu. The first glass we had was a Chardonnay. It was crisp and clean. The second glass was the Sangiovese. It had a smooth taste. I mentioned about the two glasses. Ted stated if you don't like the wine dump it in the grey bucket. I enjoyed my first two glasses of wine. After each glass I put the last drops of each wine in the grey bucket. The third glass was the Zinfandel. The fourth glass was Tempranillo, which is a wine well known in Spain. Ted provided an insight of this wine as it is not well known in Napa, but the Tempranillo is produced here as a tribute to the Spanish heritage of the family of this winery. This wine has a light taste that doesn't mask the flavor of the food you eat. What I enjoyed about Ted is his insights. I mentioned about the longer the wine ages the better. Ted stated if you buy a bottle of wine it has a limit of ten years before the wine goes bad. He explained the reason why Cabernet Sauvignon is popular in Napa because land is expensive you need a wine that helps pay off the land. He provided a tour of the winery where he showed the process of harvesting the grapes, distilling the alcohol, and aging of the wine in the French oak barrels. After the tour we when back to the wine tasting room to taste two types of Cabernet Sauvignon - one darker color with the other clearer color. After tasting the two Cabernet Sauvignons I tasted the Petite Syrah from the Rattlesnake Acres of the winery. Of all the wines I tasted the Petite Syrah was my favorite. Petite Syrah is the wine this winery is known for. I got the Petite Syrah Rattlesnake Acres bottle for my birthday. I mentioned about the Rattlesnake Acres. On that property there are vineyards about 70 years old. So maybe it is not how old the wine is but how old the vineyard that results in a tasty wine. Overall I had eight glasses of wine at Vincent Arroyo Family Winery. I can see myself coming back to this winery again to purchase the Tempranillo and/or Cabernet Sauvignon from the Rattlesnake Acres. The first winery visit of the day was a great way to celebrate my birthday.

Every wine I try here is delicious in its own special way! I have been coming here off and on for…read moreover 15 years and every time I say I need to visit them more regularly. Today's tasting favorites were green and black label petite syrah (I can't remember and my dog is sleeping on my lap and I can't move LOL). I am also a fan of merlot which I have had theirs in past visits. Though we didn't taste any today, I bought some because I know it's going to be delicious! I hate that movie Sideways because of what they did to merlot! I also got some Entrada which they're discontinuing:( but I loved from past visits. I am definitely going to visit more often; at least once a year!

we were staying in Calistoga for the night and came across this cute little place on our way to our…read morehotel. It was absolutely adorable once I got inside. Super clean and water in the space was amazing. I got the sparkling wine to drink, which was incredibly smooth and delicious. Christian was incredibly friendly. He spent so much time really telling me about the region and a little bit about the fires that occurred a few years ago. He was incredibly knowledgeable not only about the wines, but also the area which I truly appreciate it as a tourist.

Lawers Estates is located in the heart of Calistoga, CA, so it's easy to find, and if you're…read morestaying near the town, walking to Lawers Estates should only take a few minutes. We didn't have a reservation for the wine tasting, but we walked in and got a few seats. Lawer Estates is a relatively small winery, but they had the best red wines I've ever had. Most of the seating was around the bar, with one section in the back with a large table and a couple of chairs. My only recommendation would be to add a few more cozy chairs as options for those that don't want to sit at a bar. The prices were in line with where they should be, and the service was top-notch. If you are in the area and looking for a romantic winery in Calistoga, I recommend stopping in. Overall, I would come back. Thank you for the fantastic experience!

Stone throw from downtown Calistoga, River Marie tasting room is contemporary and intimate to taste…read morethe single-vineyard bottlings of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon that Rivers-Marie began crafting since 2002. We have been purchasing River Marie for many years:hands down on quality to value ratio as Thomas Rivers Brown would say: "we don't pay big bucks for the winemaker!". Advance reservation required, and it is worth your time!

Appointment Only -…read more Rivers Marie is a brand named after middle names of Mr. Thomas Rivers Brown and his partner Genevieve Marie Welsh. It's not uncommon the wines are consistently sold out on the release day, and go thru legit site auction on K&L Wines if we want to get library vintages. I hope it's enough to convince how hard you should try to try a bottle of Rivers Marie if you haven't done so, and perhaps get onto the mailing list. Following other footsteps of cult wines that Mr. Brown oversee as winemaker (Schrader, Outpost, just name a few), Rivers Marie and Aston Estate are going to best represent his vision and legacy (in my humble opinion), also perhaps with more emphasis on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals (although not necessarily true as we were able to barrel taste the new Cab and loved it). Having said that, it was quite an experience that the tasting room was generously made available to my visit. Frank, after we finally met in person, we found that we were from the same school! Well, just a decade apart (lol). My friends and I are all very grateful of Frank's hospitality and share his wealth of knowledge. The tasting room really show me about how much the brand cares about blend in into nature, community involvement, and finally, the wines, each one are so expressive to its terroir in which is why the wines are so difficult to get in the market. Once again, many thanks for having us!