What an Amazing place to taste wines! Laura, Michael, and Hershey were fantastic and a Great story how they reunited after years. The service was like we had know them for years. Clean and very comfortable place to enjoy tasting. read more

Laura Michael Wines - Hershey - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

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We stop by Laura Michael every-time we are in Calistoga (probably for the last 7 years). This time we were hosted by Diane and Michael. In the past it has usually been Laura. Laura and Michael are wonderful. They make the wine, run the business and are very knowledgeable. We enjoyed the tasting and had a good time talking to them about their wines and the wine industry. I always walk away learning something new. My favorite this time was the Cabernet Sauvignon, but I've also purchased the Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. The sweet wine was very good and had a hint of mint/eucalyptus which was different. I highly recommend visiting. read more

Popped into Laura Micheal winery on a whim after a tasting at Chateau Montelena. They were kind enough to accomodate us last minute. You can book reservations online in advance, but you can also call for availability same day. Much like the other reviews say it is a very small tasting venue. There are tables on the patio that you sit at as a group with other customers. Our tasting expert was very knowledgeable and took us on a tour to the vineyard and where they make the wine. I definitely recommend the Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir if you visit. read more

This is a small family owned winery. Reminds me of going to your grandparents house for some homemade wine. There is not much of tasting room. Probably only enough room for a couple of people. So most likely you will choose to sit on the small patio. The host sits with you the entire time which sometimes can be awkward read more

Fun little stop near my favorite wine club in Calistoga. Laura is the all hands on deck wine-maker and lives on the property. There is a really cute story about how her husband came to help her on the property (I will let her tell it). The tasting is 3 for $10 or 5 for $15. The place is small - but there is an outside patio (also small) Wines were all great, we bought 2 bottles. read more

A very cute, very intimate winery experience. We were greeted by three dogs and led into the tasting room, which we shared with another party. About halfway through the tasting, michael came by and shared with us his wine thoughts + stories!! he is such a wonderful & down to earth human who clearly loves wine - kind of reminded us of dennis quaid from parent trap LOL. We loved our experience here & ended up buying one of their red blends. read more

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Laura and Michael will take time to talk to you about their wine or wine in general. Very friendly place and at 30.00 for tasting, it's a relative bargain. Oh and the wine is very good. read more

Every wine lover has a favorite winery. And said wine lovers are very vocal and protective of their favorites. I too am a lover and am passionate about my favorite. I have been a fan of Laura Zahtila's tasting room for nearly a decade. Now you want to know why right? 1. Excellent world class wine at an affordable price. Any wine maker can produce a great bottle of wine and slap a $100 price tag on the bottle, but why pay a hundred bucks for something when you get a wine of similar quality for half the price? 2. Tasting room experience. There is a good chance if you stop in that your wine will be poured by the owner who can describe in detail what you're drinking and educate you wine and wine making. They are also super friendly and casual and will make you feel at ease. Even if you know nothing about wine, you will have a fantastic time. Which wines here are my favorites? Now that is one tough question, but I do have one. But I'll get to that later. Zahtila focuses primarily on reds, but there are a few gems here that you should not over look. If you are into Rosé, then be sure to taste Michael's Muse. This wine is a real winner, drier than most yet still has plenty of fruit and can stand up to hearty meal or you can choose to drink it on a warm afternoon. At one time I hated Port/fortified wine until one day I tried "Laura's Theme" and have since been turned. This wine is not a raisny, sweet syrupy mix that most people think of when Port comes to mind. This is a rich, inky complex serious fortified wine. There is always a bottle (or two) at our house these days (side note, if you love Laura's Theme you will also love the Port at Vincet Arroryo Winery just around the corner). Chardonnay haters can calm down, the chardonnay here is a 5 star champion. This wine is the complete opposite of what most California chardonnay, this chardonnay is much drier and reminds me more of a French wine than California.... Think Sauginon Blanc with a backbone. As I mentioned, the focus here is on red wine specifically on cabernet and zinfandel. They are particular on where they source their grapes and at first sip it shows. The three cabernets currently offered are big structured wines. The Barlow Vineyards cabernet is currently my favorite cab. This wine is HUGE! It's an excellent food wine, and is a no miss crowd pleaser. They also make two zinfandels and both are excellent. The Dry Creek zin is exactly would you expect, a nice balanced fruit forward wine that would be a hit at any gathering. But now for my personal favorite....drum roll please..... Oat Hill Estate Zinfandel. The grapes are grown on property along side a small hill side that faces the warmth of the Napa sun. This wine reminds more of a cabernet than a zinfandel. It's bigger in structure and a lot more earth than fruit. Drink this wine with a steak! And if you are looking for Oat Hill grapes anywhere else, forget about it! This is the only winery where you can find it. The winery itself is small, no grand castles or lavish fountains here. Zahtila Vineyards is just a nice friendly property that will make every visitor feel at home. read more

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We were hosted by Laura on a Saturday morning about a year ago. The winery is nestled back on the hillside in the north eastern corner of Calistoga. Our group was able to taste lots of varietals from various vintages. Overall the experience was good. Laura was accommodating, attentive and she knows her wines. We also met her husband and I found both of them delightful. In terms of her wines, they were bold, expressive and in my opinion, they are/were great quality and their price points are reasonable ($18 - $100). My favorites were her 2008 Sonoma Dry Creek Zinfandel and her 2008 Calistoga Cab. Both were fantastic! TIPS: I'd call ahead and schedule an appointment. Don't make it your last stop of the day - make it your first. As the day goes on our palates are completely overwhelmed with wine and everything starts to taste the same. Make it your first stop so that you really able to appreciate all the characteristics that the wine has to offer. Don't expect some huge walmart sized tasting venue. Their winery is small and quaint and focuses you on their wine, not the gaudiness that some wineries have to offer. read more

After being blown away by the Zin at the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition at Fort Mason, I got the business card for Zahtila Winery and made a point to visit when I had a friend in town wanting to go to Napa. We arrived in Calistoga on the same day as a wine & mud festival of sorts (?) and had a great afternoon in town before making our way to Zahtila, just less than a mile outside of Calistoga. We were greeted by a super-mellow dog in the parking lot, and went on in to the tasting room, where there was only us and a couple. Love it. No crowds, no chaos, just chill, relaxation while enjoying wine. The gentleman behind the counter offered us two wines to try in each group - explaining that one was more expensive than the other. The goal was to understand our palette, and of course I gravitated towards the more expensive wine every time... why! :) So, of course, I walk away with the more expensive bottle of Zin and a smile on my face. (In case you're wondering, it's the Oat Hill Estate 2005.) We enjoyed talking to the gent behind the counter, we had a super mellow, relaxing experience, and I'd definitely go back to this place. Basically it feels like a Sonoma County winery in Napa. read more

Pulled up into the driveway and was greeted by two dogs that were not afraid of cars at all and so it was difficult to park (our group of 10 loves dogs so we didn't have a problem - it was a nice welcome) For the tasting - we had reservations for 10. When we arrived, we found out that the table would not fit all 10 of us (which is cool because it's a small business). As a solution - we merged two tables together and seated 8 or 9 (what i didn't understand was that why the owners didn't do this prior to our arrival because we had reservations). In terms of the wine - I wasn't very impressed with the taste or all the settlements at the bottom of each pour (I have never had wine before w so much stuff at the bottom of the glass). But despite my review - wine is different to everyone. It doesn't matter what I like it's what you like. I am all about supporting small businesses so give it a shot. The other reviews seemed okay. read more

I love this winery! Laura and Michael are so kind, friendly and warm. Love the dogs, Rocky is a sweetheart.

We decided to stop in to Zahtila Vineyards which is on the Silverado Trail. Upon first impression, were not expecting much more than a sweet tasting. We were pleasantly surprised with what we encountered... We were greeted by a sweet black lab, who actually escorted my husband and I up to the tasting room. We were not sure which way to go, but this pup walked with us the whole way up. We rang the buzzer for service. The tasting room was quaint, and secluded. We met with a nice lady, whom we later discovered was the owner. She did not try to dazzle us with a long story or over indulge us in details. She simply wanted to showcase her wine. Since it was my husbands first time, I tried to get him a bit of education on wine in general and Laura seemed comfortable taking her time with us and offering tips and information. Zahtila is primarily a red winery, Cabs and Zins seem to be the specialty. I was thoroughly impressed with what we tasted, as was my first time wine drinker hubby. All mostly mature wines, made with 5-15 year old grapes. All with wonderful flavors. Laura's theme was my hubbys fave, and I'll admit, definitely worth every dollar spent. read more

Laura Michael Wines - 2000 Zin - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

Laura and Michael Wines is a MUST visit! I was visiting Napa for the first time. This wasn't just any ordinary first time trip to Napa Valley. I had an engagement ring in my pocket with plans to propose. As I was researching wineries in Napa, I came across an incredible stroke of coincidence. My name is Michael and my now fiance's name is Laura. Could this be any more PERFECT. I called the winery, Laura answered. I told her my plan to propose on her property and she was so supportive! Laura and her husband Michael, opened early for us and even offered to take a video while I proposed. We arrived at the winery and her two super friendly dogs trotted down the hill and escorted us up. Everything was perfect. Laura and Michael couldn't be more friendly and accommodating. The wine is the best I had the entire week in Napa. The property is beautiful and everything went off without a hitch. Even when we were having trouble getting an Uber, Laura offered to give us a ride to our next destination. I left Laura and Michael Winery with a fiance, several cases of wine and with a desire to visit this incredible winery every chance I get. This review is well overdue. Make sure you come to Michael and Laura Wines!!! read more

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When we first pulled into Laura Michael Wines, I knew that I had been here before but didn't recognize the name. Then, once we got here, it hit me. This used to be Zahtila. This was the winery where the dog came down the end of the drive and ushered us up to go tasting (we wouldn't have known that there was a winery there otherwise as someone had recently hit their road sign). The last time I was here, I got an excellent dessert wine. Michael was very accommodating to our group of seven. He was very friendly, doing an excellent job of presenting the wines to us. Laura was very kind in giving us some persimmons to have from their tree as well. For me, the standouts were the two different Zins, very different but both very complex in flavor. Of course, the red dessert wine was excellent. I'm definitely coming back here sometime soon! read more

I haven't been to the vineyards since last year but a friend of mine opened an 04 Cab from the Beckstoffer vineyard and it again reminded me of why we drove all the way to Calistoga to get a couple of bottles that had sold out elsewhere- the wine is fantastic! Chocolate-y, dark cherry, yummmmmm! And ditto what Anne says;-) read more

A family-owned winery in Calistoga, we had a great time at the tasting. Formerly Zahtila wines, they are now Laura Michael wines, so make sure you're looking for the Laura Michael sign and not Zahtila (otherwise you'll bike past it like I did...). If you get a chance, ask why they are now Laura Michael; it's a sweet story. :) Upon our arrival, we were greeted by Laura and Michael's VERY friendly assistant, Rocki. Rocki is their black lab puppy that they adopted, and she is absolutely the sweetest. Even if you don't like and/or are scared of dogs, please don't let her scare you! The tasting was a great experience, and they have some pretty spectacular Cabernets (the 08 being my favorite). Laura and Michael even stopped by the tasting to say hi, and also said goodbye to us as we were leaving. One of our favorites on the Calistoga wine trail, we'll definitely be back! p.s. Even though they are technically appointment-only, they were open to us when we stopped by on a Monday. Apparently there are some laws requiring some wineries to be appointment-only, so it might be a good idea to call ahead of time just in case. read more

Now this is my kind of tasting experience--being greeted by the sweet old winery dog in the parking lot, getting to the meet the winemaker who just happens to be the first and perhaps still the only women-owned operation in Napa Valley, and getting a de-facto private tasting with Jeff who allowed us to do side-by-side comparison of their Zins and Cabs. (If you are learning as you drink, surely you are growing as many brain cells as you're killing off?) Don't telll anyone, but I actually like a Chardonnay or two (my grandmothers would be so pleased!), and Laura Zahtila's is one of these exceptions--it is interesting and delicious and I think we got a case of it, so if you don't believe me, come on over for a glass! The Zins are also award-winning and outstanding. read more

Zahtila is always a pleasure to visit. Met Jeff for the first time, and he did blind comparison tastings for us, which was fun. Noticed that Laura's name is now prominently on the label. Why not tout the fact that you're a woman in a man's world?! Go and buy as many bottles of Zahtila zin or cab as you can afford. And, pet the sweaty things! On another note... Last time we saw Zoe the lab, she was a chub, and had a sign on her that read, "don't feed the dog." Whatever diet she's on, works. She's looking great now. My husband laughs that I notice these things. I'm such a crazy dog lady. read more

Even though this seemed like one of the smaller wineries up around Napa Valley, I feel like anyone who hasn't gone here yet is missing something significant in their wine tasting experience. My girlfriend and my wine tasting experience was led by Carmen, and I don't think she could have made our experience any better than it already was. As we weren't by any means mature wine tasters, she brought us into the world of red wines, letting us really taste the wines and describe them, relating both the wine's history and the wine's flavors to us as we drank. We must have stayed there for around an hour, and throughout the entire time, Carmen was just an overall lovely person to talk to. She's charming, funny and the combination of her and wines made our experience one of our most memorable stops in Napa. Definitely stop by - you won't be disappointed! read more

Zahitla was a wonderful find during our last trip to wine country. After a disappointing trip to a well-known vineyard, we intentionally sought out some smaller boutique-style vineyards. That is how we happened upon Zahtila. Zahtila is owned by a husband and wife, Michael and Laura. Michael tends the vines and Laura is the winemaker. When my boyfriend and I got there, there was no one else in the tasting room so we have a wonderful conversation with Michael as he offered up an excellent tasting of what Zahtila had to offer. This is a red wine operation, and they offer cabernets and zinfandels. I don't think we had a single thing we didn't like. However, the real treasure is their zinfandel. They make a 100% Zin, not diluted by any other varietal. It is FANTASTIC. If you find yourself in Calistoga, I highly recommend a visit to Zahtila. read more

This place took us last minute during New Year's Eve and showed us a great time. We came in and hour before they closed and the host treated us to 8 wines plus one reserved Cabernet. The price was super cheap for the amount and quality plus the extra we got. Our host was super friendly and talked with us the whole time. I would recommend anyone in the area looking for a nice home style winery to come visit here ! read more

Nice guy running the tasting room. ADORABLE DOG. Good location if you are staying in calistoga. you do have to pay for tastings..but that's okay. If you go to thier website you can print off a coupon for a free one if you buy a bottle. The guy was nice enough to let us have 3 free tastings for the 3 of us but we bought 5 bottles....my friend bought most of them. I give 2 stars because: 1. the tasting room was small and intimate but it had a bit of a gift shop feel..do i really need to look at xmas ornaments while tasting wine? 2. I just didn't like the wine. After doing a lot of tasting, i realize i like really buttery chards--which aren't currently in vouge i guess. I also don't think i really like cabs..so maybe this place just isn't for me. all i know is we didn't like it. My friend thought she did..but after trying a few more places, she wished she had saved her $$ and bought wines at subsequent places we went. However, this place dosen't totally suck...after driving all the way down teh silverado trail until cutting over in napa, there are WAY shittier places to taste...at least this place is personal. if i could do half stars it gets 2.5 read more

Had a really wonderful time talking with Laura, the owner, about her experiences making wine in Napa. She patiently indulged my girlfriend and me with plenty of information about the winemaking process and components of wine's flavor which we appreciated as we are still getting our wine sea legs (especially my girlfriend.) To the wine: her Zins are awesome! Everything's a little pricey for me (although certainly not unreasonable by Napa standards,) and if I had some extra $ lying around I'd definitely pick up some of her Zinfandel. All told, I love the attention to detail, the focused passion of Laura's operation and work, and the tasty wines. Curious to return in 5-10 years and see how Zahtila continues to grow! read more

Easy going relaxing winery with delicious wine. The owners are the farmers, wine makers and the ones pouring for you in the tasting room. We stayed here for about an hour enjoying the wine, weather and chatting with the owners. It's not crowded like a lot of other places. You get a lot of bang for your buck with this tasting. $10 for 5 or $15 for 7. They have a couple of very nice high quality Cabs to taste for an additional $10. read more

Arrived in Calistoga ready to unwind, and just needed some chilled wines to accompany us poolside. We met Laura late Thurs. afternoon, enjoyed a full tasting menu, and like other reviewers, the Chardonnay and Rose were the standouts! I am predominantly a red wine aficionado, so these 2 picks were refreshing and lit up my tastebuds. The Rose is seriously perfect chilled on a typically warm SF late summer day - in the park or wherever! Ended up becoming a wine club member, I enjoyed her wines so much. At $18 a bottle for the Rose, can't beat it...another excuse to return earlier to Calistoga. Seriously check it out on the wine trail, sooo good... And her dog Rocky is SUCH a sweetheart. Love Dog Friendly :D read more

This was our last stop on our wine tour and we were very thankful that we stopped in at Zahtila ~~ the owner is changing the name to Laura Michael Winery, so at some time in the future you may be looking for that. I instantly liked it because Laura used to live in Phoenix and went to ASU ~ a fellow Sun Devil. She even had Sparky sitting on the shelf behind the counter. After a long day of wine tasting pretty much everything is starting to taste the same, so we ended up only buying one bottle; however, we will would consider a wine club membership. We'll return to this winery when we are in the area again! read more

All the below reviews talk about the quality of the wine & the welcoming nature at the winery. Having been to the winery, I will agree with both of those. (It was on our honeymoon in 2007). I recently ordered a 1.5 magnum of Zahtila Zin for my wedding anniversery. I made the order on-line & wanted to confirm shipping time (which I didn't see on the order page). I called the winery & Laura herself answered. She had my order already "in the queue" & relayed expected delivery time. She followed up with an email so I could track my package via FedEx. The wine showed up on time & much to my surprise she had signed the bottle & wrote "Happy Anniversary" on it. That very easy step in the right direction for customer service was very appreciated. It's clear Laura cares about her patrons. I'll buy her wine again & will certainly visit when I'm back in wine country! read more

I love that every other review mentions the greetings by the dogs at this place. It was the first thing to draw us in as well. We came in without a reservation, which is not preferred, but we were welcomed anyway. I'll give you the ending first: four of eight of us walked out of here as a member of their wine club. Complete win. The tasting room was so much fun and even though we were all wine novices, we were treated as if our silly descriptions were valid and appreciated. We enjoyed talking about the wine, the history behind the winery and just have a grand time in the tasting room.... as it should be!! They are known for their Zins, but the Cab was wonderful as well. Seems like this hubby & wife team have it down. Highly recommended and will definitely be back for future events there (as well as awaiting my future shipments!). read more

I love this quaint little winery. The service was very friendly and the wine was superb. I was the only one in the winery and Jeff conducted a blind tasting. Very hospitable, and very fun. ****Highly recommended! read more

Delicious fabulous wines! Beautiful tasting room with friendly, fun & knowledgeable staff who were more than happy to discuss their wines & answer all of my questions! Didn't try a single wine that I did not like! They prefer reservations but gladly took us without one. read more

Very cool venue to visit in Calistoga. We were greeted by Zoe the dog in the parking lot, in the rain, and she led us up the path and showed us where to go. She is a local star after having appeared in the book "Wine Dogs." The wines are all very good, I like the Chard that they only oak for three months. They also like to do a double blind to allow you to taste the differences between styles of the same varietal... very cool. Small and cozy, not good for large groups but very intimate - and the guy that poured us was very smart and learned us good... Auf. read more

Wonderful tasting with Laura. "Takes a lot of beer to make great wine!" Great wines, lovely host. We loaded up on the cabs. read more

Laura Michael Wines - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

We tried this winery on the recommendation of someone at Arroyo winery, since they supposedly had great Zins. Right on! The wines are very good, but are slightly pricey to buy - definitely worth the tasting fee. All the wines I loved were above the $50 a bottle range, and for all the wines out there, I just can't justify paying that price for one bottle. The nice thing is that you aren't really pressured to buy since there is a $10 tasting fee each. The wines are good though, so I can see why the price. There was no one in the tasting room when we went, so we had a great conversation with Laura, who is the wine maker. She has learned everything from scratch, and is very passionate about what she does. I was kind of hoping for a tour of the winery, but since she outsources most of her grapes, there isn't a lot to see on the property. I would definitely recommend going there in the summer as she has a nice little patio and picnic area that would be amazing to sit with a glass of wine and some nibbles. read more

If you are looking for a local and friendly place this is it! Michael was so educational and made us feel at home. Wine was delicious, definitely our favorite winery. read more

Laura Michael Wines - Wine tasting - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

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Fun and welcoming winery experience. I learned so much from Michael and appreciate his sense of humor, expertise and passion for making wine. The wines are obviously made with love, so my husband and I bought a bottle!! Thanks, Michael!! read more

100% worth setting up an appointment and going while you're in the Napa Valley area. The wines are fantastic and you can tell this place is a labour of love and joy. We definitely plan on returning if we're in the area or ordering online if we run out! read more

You owe it to yourself to seek out Laura Michael Wines if you appreciate excellent zinfandels and cabs. They're great, vintage to vintage, especially their Bentley cab. Laura and hubby Michael are gracious hosts and great vintners. Corporate giants take note, the wine tasting experience here is how Napa ought to be: laid back, informative, friendly, unpretentious. Dog lovers will enjoy the winery labs, one of which likes to chew flaps on the wine cartons. They aren't my favorite aspect of LM since a door on my 4Runner bears permanent scratches from an over-friendly dog. The chardonnays and pinots are less stellar than the zins and cabs, and if you love dessert wines their Laura's Theme dessert red will find its way home with you. My opinion is based on 26+ years of wine tasting including most of Napa and Sonoma. LM stands with the best of them over all and you'll be glad you paid them a visit. read more

From the way you get greeted by the super friendly dogs to the low key, welcoming atmosphere and great wines, this is a must stop in Calistoga. We got to chat with the owner and the whole experience was great. read more

Didn't get a chance to taste, owner rudely told my wife and I we needed reservations, when she could have made room for us to have a lovely time. Not very hospitable place, such a shame. read more