Amazing & serene grounds for a private wine tasting & tour. We checked in at the gate on the steep hill, which was an adventure in itself as it's a narrow road with no barriers on the edge! There was another gate that opened automatically once we were in the first gate. We had a Tour & Tasting with Bouchon Bakery Lunch reservation for a group of 5. It was an interesting drive up the mountain where the road was windy & the elevation at 1500 ft. above sea level. You're surrounded by scenic rolling hills & vineyards. The interior is very clean, with a modern and sophisticated aesthetic. Definitely Zen-like with wood & cool tones as the color palette. Miki, our host greeted us and offered a dry, sparkling Rosé. Mr. Kenzo bought the 4000 acres I believe in the late 1980s & hired a couple of seasoned, renowned winemaker & manager. We finished our Sparkling Rosé and walked around the grounds as Miki, gave us the tour & history of the vineyard, how it developed & Mr. Kenzo's vision. This was his hobby as Cap Con was his main business enterprise. Fast forward to today & his wines are exported to Japan & offered in his restaurants as well as restaurants in Hawaii. All wines are only sold either onsite, exported or in restaurants. As we walked around the vineyards, Miki explained the type of grapes that are grown in this higher, cooler elevation vs. down in the valley. The vineyards are so peaceful, beautifully manicured and with the backdrop of the hills & mountains, it's just spectacular. After assisting us with photographs in the vineyards, we walked to the Stainless Steel wine barrels housed in another building. They were empty as harvest season is around September and I believe the process happens within about 2 weeks. Miki explained the temperature, yeast & sugar characteristics that create the alcohol. We then walked to the caves that housed the wooden barrels of pressed wine. She told us 80% of the wines are sold in the Japan market. A limited amount of reservations are available per day. The room where we had the tastings & lunch was divine & peaceful with the view of the trees & vineyards. Once inside & seated at our table, we could taste the freshness. After a couple of tastings, we were served our sandwich options. I ordered a Pretzel Pastrami from Bouchon Bakery which had Pastrami, sauerkraut, Emmantaler cheese, house-made dill pickles, Russian dressing on a Viennois Pretzel Hoagie which was soft and paired well with the red wines. It was a perfect time of the year to be up there as temperatures were in the low 80s. After lunch, a couple of people in our party purchased some bottles of wine. I definitely recommend this special winery as it was wonderful for all the senses with our most hospitable & personable host, Miki! A limited amount of reservations are available per day. No children are allowed as it is a 21+ age requirement. No pets except for animals that fall within the ADA guidelines are allowed. read more

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Capcom wine! Kenzo was my very first wine tasting experiencing in Napa. A group of 5 of us went here for an afternoon tasting and we were seated outdoors. Getting here was really beautiful as well - so much greenery and it was just a perfect sight to see. We were welcomed with a rose, and for being a person not too into most rose wines, this one was pretty good. We were shown our table outside and our wines were already prepared for us in its respective glasses. We were given some information about the wines and preferred order of drinking them. Good mix of a white and a few reds. They said we can walk around as well, so we did so, but we didn't get a tour of the various rooms and whatnot. Unsure if that was part of another package, but a couple people in our group mentioned they got the tour around last time they were here. We chilled and sipped our wine and enjoyed our breadsticks. They didn't have other food options unfortunately - just the bread sticks. The rindo (their signature red wine) was one of my fave and I ordered some of that. Pricey, but premium and so good. We also tried their dessert wine, and it was one of the best dessert wines I've tasted (I usually don't like them at all, but could drink this one!). Highly recommend for the atmosphere. Everything was designed so well here! read more

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Peaceful and breathtaking are the first words that come to mind after visiting. Lovely estate with beautiful architecture and no detail left undone. Had a lovely tour and tasting experience. While they are not well known for their sparkling wine, they were my favorite! Our guide was knowledgeable and courteous. read more

This was a 5 star experience. I don't give out five stars lightly. The rating is all due to the best host at the best estate, Christian Fortier @ Kenzo! Christian was the best person to educate us on everything about the history of the owners, to the 4,000 acre estate, to wine production, to flavor notes, and food pairing. From beginning to end everything was superb! They start you off with a fresh crisp Rose (Yui) as you tour the estate. As you enter the cave, I love soaking in the angel share (evaporated wine). We got a chance to smell the devil's share (remaining wine soaked into barrels) and even brand new medium oak barrels. After all the wine tours we've been on, we still learned some new things from Christian. He explained how they use different varieties of yeast (brought out at diff temps) to bring out different flavor notes in the wine. He also explained certain familiar flavor compounds such as vanilla can be found in different foods or developed in different ways. The wine flight was superb as you can imagine. Beautiful property, beautiful day, beautiful-jack of all trades-highly experienced- host, sublime wine. 10/10! Pro tip: Allow 3 hours for a very luxurious experience. read more

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Beautiful winery and exclusive to reservations. Unique sparkling sauvignons that I've never tried, and a great story and history from the founder of Capcom. The winery is impeccable and the service and history lesson provided by Christian was A+. Great experience here trying the grapes, smelling the barrels, and learning more. Will bring friends back here! read more

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I almost didn't want to write a review about Kenzo because it feels like a hidden gem & an absolute must for Napa! Key differentiators for me vs. our other experiences (which were just as lovely but this was next level): *The drive up to the estate is soo picturesque. You arrive at a gate where they buzz you in & then it's 1.5 mile drive through their vineyards, estate until you reach the tasting room area. The tasting room building was designed by the same folks behind Restoration Hardware Yountville's amazing space (Howard Backen). *There are only 5-6 groups at once AT MOST. It felt like a private tasting because even though there was one other party, we basically only saw them when were in the parking area out front. The spaces is designed accordingly and the tours are conducted in a fashion that it feels super luxe and private! -- So, I first tried Kenzo's Yui (rosé) almost 10 years ago at Disney California Adventure's Food & Wine Festival. It was a lovely rosé tasting and Kenzo's stood out among all the other rosés! Also, Kenzo Estate wines are not sold in retail. 80% of the wine is sent to Japan then the remaining is to high end restaurants, etc. So, this made it a no brainer for me to stop by on our first ever trip to Napa! More about Kenzo -- the founder/CEO also founded Capcom (Street Fighter, Mega man, etc). He originally bought this land back in 1990 to start a Capcom theme park, but I'm SO GLAD he didn't because again - the estate is breathtaking! Our guide, Riley, was awesome! Super personable, knowledgeable and generally like being guided by a friend. We left with a bottle - surprisingly not the Yui this time for me. Like other reviews said, no reception BUT they do have Guest WiFi now! Make advanced reservations via Tock. read more

Our host was incredibly knowledgeable and welcoming. Provided a lot of detail on the history of the estate as well as winemaking in general. The experience is quite private, which is nice. The wines themselves also exceeded expectations, overall well worth the price. read more

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A pleasant and educational experience. Our group of 12 took a tour of the Kenzo estate with our knowledgeable guide and sommelier Christian. We learned about the history of the estate and the types of wines they produce. Christian taught us that everyone has a unique background with scents and flavors. And that smelling a wine brings memories that are different from person to person, equal in validity. It was an enjoyable experience that was topped off with a 5 course wine tasting and a lovely tuna sandwich that was delicious. I'm a fan of the Sauvignon blanc white wine which I ended up buying a bottle for $80 when we left. read more

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I was really excited to come try the wines, after hearing how their wines are supplied to Thomas Keller, and the Sauvignon Blanc was well mentioned. The owner also owns Capcom (fun fact). It was a beautiful ride to the estate property- it felt like a private experience, not too crowded at the winery. I enjoyed the tour, seeing behind the scenes is always a treat. read more

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This is the most beautiful winery I've ever visited! It's absolutely breathtaking and I can't think of a prettier place- from the interior to the exterior. It's got that minimalist Japanese feel for the decor and the outside is immense. The wines here are exclusive- you can only buy them at the winery, and I believe the rest are shipped to Japan. The young man giving us the tour was amazing! He is very knowledgeable about wine, friendly and asks you questions to stay engaged and make sure you are learning. He is open minded to everyone- whether it's your first wine tour or your tenth, you won't feel out of place. The whole tour lasts about 40-45 minutes and you go all over the winery including from the vineyard, to the mini factory where the wine is produced to the barrel room where the wine is stored. The wines tasted divine and must say the dessert wine is chef's kiss! I do have to say their wines are on the expensive side. Make sure to cop a bottle, you cannot find their wines anywhere else. Beware, no reception here but be sure to enjoy the nature! read more

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One of the more beautiful and serene wineries in Napa as it is located high up in the mountain. We received great service and were given a beautiful private tasting room with majestic views. I fully understand why my wife was so insistent on coming back to this winery a second time when there are so many others out there we have yet to try! Good thing Kenzo made all that money from Capcom and Street Fighter to build such a wonderful facility and winery! Our guide gave us a thorough history lesson on the winery and gave a wonderful tour of the wine making process and cave. We love the wine here especially the Rindo and my wallet became a lot lighter as my wife went a little overboard with wine buying... read more

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Amazing wine, beautiful vineyard. Get the tasting and try all the lines from kenzo. I love this place and would come back whenever I'm in napa!!! You can find kenzo at some Japanese restaurants in hawaii, that's how I knew about this line of wine. read more

Sublime. Loved everything about the experience at Kenzo Estates. First things first. Upon arrival, glass of rosé was waiting for me and my group. The property was huge and charming, the food was simple but delicious and wine was amazing! We bought the Tour & Tasting with Bouchon Plate, it was fantastic and worth the price. This included an elegant paired luncheon plate and tour of the vineyard and bonus was the wine cellar tour. The whole experience was lovely, had a memorable time. read more

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We booked a tour and tasting for a 10am slot. We were greeted with wine and a tour. It was a bit chilly but gave the whole vineyard a spooky look. I loved it. The tasting was educational and the wine was great. Loved that they showed us equipment used when picking grapes and explained how it is utilized. You are only able to buy the wines directly from them as most of it gets shipped to Japan! I loved the wine. read more

Kenzo Estate - View from tasting room - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

A beautiful estate winery indeed, with 4,000 acres of land CapCom CEO purchased back in 1990, developed 5% of that land to vineyards. With the success Mr. Kenzo San has and the money they invested heavily to build a state of the art winery. Hired the best team that they could of viticulturist David Abreu & the fame iconic winemaker Heidi Barrett (Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle Vineyards, Paradigm Winery, Grace Family Vineyards, Amuse Bouche, Lamborn Family, Showket Vineyards, Revana Family Vineyards, Vineyard 29 and Fantesca, and a lot more)! With the resources and the powerful team they have, Kenzo Winery delivers some of the best abs elegant wines out there, for a price of course. Reasonable tasting fees for just tasting or tour, you can surely relax and e joy the experience. Note: Give yourself at least 30 minutes to drive to the estate from downtown Napa. You get the gate, they buzz you in, you will still need to drive another 1.5 miles to the tasting room. If the regular tasting, they allow 45 mins only, so go for the tour, 1.5 hrs it's worth it! This is a high end winery, everything is meticulously plan out, structure, very business-like... So it can be too organized or corporate-feel for some people, IMO. So if you enjoy kind of hole on the wall, or enjoy rustic kind of places, or want to support smaller struggling rising wineries, this is NOT your place. Keep that in mind. Napa Valley is big enough with over 500 wineries... A little bit for everyone tastes! Get your camera ready, it's a really beautiful estate! read more

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This place is awesome! They have awesome wines and driving to get this place is so breathtaking and fun. Service that provided was very professional and great! This is hidden gem. Highly recommended. read more

Kenzo Estate - Patio! Great service! - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

Let me start off by saying the staff here was very nice. We had a 1pm tasting and a we were late. Called to let kenzo know of the delay and they were very understanding. We also had a tasting soon after so we couldn't fully experience the winery, but the estate is big and the drive in makes you feel like you are in a national park. Will come back to fully appreciate the ambiance and have time to enjoy the wine and the history. read more

Exceptional Private Tour & Wine Tasting. Kenzo is the founder of Capcom (think Street Fighter). The tours have been limited to 3 groups each time due to pandemic. Masks are required during tour. We wore our face shields on top of that. Tasting was outdoor. Very safe and distanced. Aaron booked our reservation and also led our private tour. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. He let us decide if we wanted him to introduce all wine at once so that he can leave us alone during tasting (while still checking on us occasionally). It felt safer that way. He would suggest a dish pairing with each of the wine we were tasting. All their wines were amazing. Yui and Muku were some of my favorites. Tour was $80 per person. Our tour was at 2pm (booked a month prior). Went to their kaiseki restaurant for dinner the same night. Temperature checked upon check-in. read more

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A must place to visit if you're in Napa for wine tasting. Make a reservation, friendly atmosphere and different wine. Very unique! Don't want to spoil what you can taste or learn about this winery. Its a little pricy all worth your time, experience and love the place. read more

Beyond anything I could imagine, the property is so expansive and beautiful. The service was extraordinary the vineyard ambassador was so knowledgeable. The tour of the cave was very nice but the tasting was awesome. I will say definitely one of the best cabernet varietal ever produced in the world. This is a must if you Come to Napa read more

Kenzo Estate - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

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The estate is enormous and beautiful!!! As a gaymer, I totally geeked out over the fact that the owner was the founder of Capcom The wine educator was knowledgeable and had us try a few things that was not on the tasting menu (always a plus... who would say no to more splashes of wine?!?". Will definitely come here again. read more

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It was such a pleasant experience! Unlike other wineries, Kenzo only cater to one group of clients at a time. It was quiet and enjoyable. All the wine we've tasted was very good, I could taste the elegance and uniqueness of each wine. The Japanese lady that was helping us (I forgot her name) was really nice and knowledgable. The stories she's shared were interesting. Kenzo is now my favorite winery in Napa. read more

Kenzo Estate - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

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Beautiful winery and great wines. Nice to just sit back and relax on a trip to Napa.

One of the best wineries I have been to in all of Napa Valley. Owned by the founder of Capcom video games, Kenzo Tsujimoto. Real estate is amazing and one of the biggest in Napa. Wine one of the best i have had. Ambiance is amazing. Set up is next level. The guy that Gave us a tour of the property very very nice and courteous. Love this winery. We will definitely be back next year. read more

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Truly stunning. Christian and the entire Kenzo team help create a spectacular vineyard experience, and collection of wine.

The tastings here were pricey and disappointing. The area around kenzo is very beautiful and it was nice taking pictures there but otherwise, I was not very happy with my experience here. You are allowed 1 tasting exemption per 4 people. The wine just didn't taste very good though perhaps it is to someone's taste. The vibe inside is expensive and empty; the outdoor seating seemed nicer. The servers were respectful but didn't feel very warm/friendly. read more

Kenzo Estate - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

We had an amazing tasting experience at Kenzo with our host Juan. The place is gorgeous. Juan took the time to explain harvest, sorting, blending and other winemaking process. We saw the machines used in the process and French oak barrels in the cave. We enjoyed all the wines and especially love asatsuyu and Rindo red wine. We'll gladly come back when we are visiting Napa next time. read more

As a kid I played my fair share of Capcom games. One Kenzo Tsujimoto is the billionaire chairman of Capcom. I love wine, and it seems so does he. So he drops $100 million to create a 70 acre winery in the 4000 acre plt of land he bought in the early 90s in the hills of Napa. 4000 acres is like 3 times the size of Central Park in NYC so ponder that. To tell you how serious he is about wine, he's hired Heidi Barrett as winemaker, David Abreu as the vineyard manager, and Thomas Keller to do food pairings. That's some serious firepower. Combine that with the focused Japanese mindset and a beautiful estate with the latest technologies in wine making and you have the potential for an excellent product. Note that I didn't give this five stars as the wines are still quite young. They have a lot of potential especially in the price range that they've been set at. Now for casual wine drinkers it's still higher than your average wine but in the spectrum of wine, especially in the bordeaux game, they're not that pricey. The Atsasuyu Sauvignon Blanc, RIndo/Murasaki blends are immediately drinkable though the reds could stand to be decanted a good amount before consumption. I would say the same for the Ai cabernet which could use some time to develop too, but if you were to drink now, decant like the others and drink with food. I highly look forward to what this vineyard produces as it is off to good start for being so young has so much growth that is still possible. read more

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This is one of my top wine experiences in the Napa area. The property is beautiful and pretty big, and the drive to the winery was pleasant. No 4G signal but they have wifi at the winery. This winery is appointment only, and the tasting was done privately. My group was greeted and seated at a private table with the tastings, breadsticks, and bottles already set up. Neat presentation. The host will explain the history of the company and talk about each wine. The quality of the wine is better than the other wineries I have been to with similar price points. I also like that they also offer half bottle options. This winery is a bit out of the way, but well worth the trip. Some wineries offer a relaxing environment or great tour, but offer a just-okay tasting. You get both here! A bit of background on my preference, I don't care for zinfandel or syrah or chardonnay. I don't like that spicy or oak taste. Flavors were softer here. I liked their Cabernet franc and white blend. But I enjoyed all their tastings. $40 for either 4 or 5 samples (not sure if the last one was included initially) read more

Kenzo Estate - Today's flight $40 - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California

Out of the 5 wine tastings I had on a recent trip to Napa, the one at Kenzo Estate was my very fave. When you arrive at the gate, you'll use the call box to have them let you in. It is a beautiful, but windey road through the estate to the winery. We arrived early to our Flight of Four ($40 -flight of 4 one ounce tastings) and our guide was super accommodating and prepared to start right away. He was young, but so knowledgeable and his passion and love for wine really made our experience excellent. I fell in love with the asatsuyu, the only white wine from Kenzo Estate, and the Murasaki - a merlot-influenced Bordeaux blend. For the Murasaki, I wasn't prepared to spend $250 on a bottle of wine so I took home the half bottle to savor for a special occasion. Currently, they don't have any retail outlets besides their online store. The wines are served in restaurants in Hawaii so I am looking forward to ordering a glass at my next dinner. If we weren't already late to our next tour, I would have loved to stay much longer and walk the grounds. On our way down, we spotted two deer! Tours are by appointment only and minors are not allowed. read more

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Fantastic location and views; Professional, enthusiastic and welcoming staff; Great wines! read more

Kenzo Estate was at the top of my list of wineries we had to visit after having a memorable bottle of their Rindo a few years back. My interest only grew knowing that Kenzo Estate was owned by Kenzo Tsujimoto, the founder of Capcom. It was obvious to me that he spared no expense in building Kenzo Estate into the most beautiful estate in Napa Valley, backing up the style with serious substance in hiring Heidi Barrett and David Abreu to make his wines and manage his vineyards. Tours and tastings were done by reservation only, so we planned much of our Napa trip around a stop at Kenzo Estate. Getting to Kenzo Estate meant driving up a winding road to the gate of the estate. Once at the gate, we were let in remotely and then had a five-minute drive through a beautiful wooded area that opened up onto a beautiful view of vineyards covering the slopes of the valley until we finally arrived at the tasting room and winemaking facilities. We were immediately met at the door by Brooke, who was our personable host for our tasting. We had the flight of four tastings ($50), which consisted of four 1-oz pours of the 2014 Asatsuyu sauvignon blanc, 2013 Asuka cabernet franc, 2013 Rindo red blend, and 2012 Ai cabernet sauvignon. Brooke was very knowledgeable about the winery and its wines, providing us an enjoyable, personal, premium tasting experience. I enjoyed being able to taste great wines in a beautiful setting. I enjoyed learning about Kenzo Estate's other wines of which I was not familiar. It's not for everyone. The price for a tasting or tour certainly wasn't cheap. However, for me, Kenzo Estate was worth every penny. read more

One of my top tasting experiences so far. I was in awe of the exquisite property and delighted by the exceptionally crafted wines. Our young, polished host was nothing but accommodating and knowledgeable. Unfortunately, we were irked that he was practically never an arm's length away. Please allow your guests to have some private time! Our tour consisted of frolicking in their vineyard, visiting the fermentation buildings, and a seated tasting at their patio. Out of our flight of four (2 ounce tastings), my favorite glass was of the bold, Ai. + No minors and pets allowed read more

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I absolutely love the property and the wines here. Warning - some of the following adjectives and descriptions may come off as pretentious but hard to find other words to describe my experience. The decor blends elements of California furniture and materials with a European vibe for the landscaping and Japanese aesthetics in the decor. While sitting outdoors for our wine tasting, we were able to view a hawk and other birds flying over the property. The wines all have very unique characters but done in a subtle and elegant style. This was the first time that I remember seeing concrete tanks in addition to the typical oak barrels and steel tanks. Little details have been thought through for the tasting room - like warm shawls for the ladies while sitting outside in the cold and luxurious Milton Brown soap and lotion in the restrooms. Our guide was very knowledgeable without coming off as condescending if we asked stupid questions. The downside is that the price tag for this five star experience is a bit steep. Wines are super premium priced. read more

This place is a gem! Both of the time that we went for wine tasting, Aaron was there. During the first time, we got seated in an exclusive room and he gave us a tour of the entire vineyard. He explained their wine process, background of the CEO, and who Heidi was. I love how their rose (yui) and savignon blanc taste. It has a light fruitiness to it without being too powerful. It was so good that we went back again for the thanksgiving holidays to buy more wine. Make sure you make a reservation ahead of time if you are planning to visit. read more

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This is one serious winery, located slightly off the beaten path, at the top of a mountain with serious acreage. The drive from the front gates to the actual winery itself takes you over a bridge, past a lake, to another gate, etc. It's pretty extreme. I'd hate to be the maintenance guy. There's a lot of stuff to take care of, and I bet the nearest Home Depot is 3 zip codes away. But anyways. So this winery is the master plan of Mr. Tsujimoto of Capcom fame, and it shows. The construction style in Napa is generally either castle, or rustic farmhouse. This is the latter, very well executed, with a touch of Asian minimalism. The guided tour includes a walk through the cave and winemaking facility. Then, our group had our tasting in a private room with lunch from Bouchon. The private room was fantastic, with views of olive trees and the winery. This was definitely not your typical "swirl/taste/dump" tasting experience, it was very relaxing and enjoyable. OK, how about the wine? Well...the vines are young so while they are well made and complex, it's not 2005 first-growth Bordeaux. But with some big names on board, I suspect their offerings will improve as the vines establish. I could see myself coming every year on a nice day, just to relax, eat, drink, and enjoy the sun. read more

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This was the first "appointment only" vineyard we visited and I am very happy it was at Kenzo Estate. We tasted five of their wines - Rindo, Ai, Asatsuyu, Murasaki, and a Rose (I forget the name) and they were all delicious. The host was very attentive and taught us a lot about the estate and answered all the questions we had in great detail. In addition to the great wine and great host, the experience was definitely elevated by the fact that visits are restricted to appointment only which means it doesn't get nearly as crowded as some of other vineyards in the area. We only did the wine tasting and missed out on the tour but will definitely make our way back the next time we are in Napa to get the full experience. read more

We visited here before for tour and tasting and enjoyed the experience. We came for the release party but I'm very disappointed. The wines tastings are fine but the sushi are "food court" quality. They're better off sticking with the tasting bites. My friend and sister went on their tour and both said it was very disappointing. I bought more Asuka and Rindo but I doubt I will come back for another event or buy wines in the future. read more

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Four things to sum up Kenzo Estate Winery: 1) This place is owned by the CEO of Capcom. That's pretty cool. 2) The estate is beautiful and probably the largest winery in Napa. The views can be quite exhilarating. 3) It'll take quite a car-trek up a mountain to your gated destination. 4) The tasting, quite frankly, is a little overpriced. The wines they sell is way overpriced. read more

What a hidden secret. The estate is beautiful. All their wine offerings were fantastic. read more

Kenzo Estate - Private tasting room. - Wineries Near Me - Napa, California