The CIA is such a wonderful place to celebrate food and wine in Napa. We did a four day Italian…read morecooking Bootcamp and it was an incredible experience. Chef Avia took us on a daily journey through Italy through food, and we made so many amazing recipes. We loved learning all kinds of tips and tricks and celebrating not just Italy, but all the wonderful bounty of the CIA garden. I don't think I've ever eaten so well! Our culinary coordinator Michelle was so helpful getting us our ingredients and keeping us on track all day. And Lupe took great care of us when it was time to eat, drink and celebrate our creations! As part of our class we got to eat together at the Grove and it was incredible. All the dishes were spectacular but in particular the Lions Mane mushroom was unforgettable. We all kept asking ourselves if it was steak. The building itself is so beautiful with an outside lawn/amphitheater, huge well-equipped kitchens, and a great little shop. We had fun looking at all the collections of kitchen equipment too. Any time you visit Downtown Napa the CIA is worth a stop!

RESTAURANT (The Grove)-- Lunch was fantastic!…read moreSat outside under the Olive Tree canopy : ) Peaceful Service was perfect. Salads, starters, and main dishes were great. Smoked fish Benedict :0 Wine selection was a bit limited and they were out of our preferred wine : ( Also....walkaround the garden and go upstairs to see the old kitchen ware!!!

An Unforgettable Bouchaine Experience!…read more My three girlfriends and I had the most amazing tasting experience at Bouchaine Vineyards. From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed and truly special. Our wine educator, Rob Fischer, was absolutely wonderful. He was warm, knowledgeable, funny and genuinely passionate about Bouchaine. He shared the winery's rich history in such an engaging way and made our tasting feel personal rather than rehearsed. Rob was a huge part of what made our visit so memorable. We especially loved learning that Bouchaine is the oldest continuously operating winery in Carneros and sits along the southern edge of Napa Valley, overlooking the beautiful vineyards near San Pablo Bay. We were also impressed to learn about the remarkable women helping lead the winery: proprietor and president Tatiana Copeland and president and winemaker Chris Kajani. The setting is gorgeous. We relaxed on the beautiful patio, surrounded by vineyards, and enjoyed the peaceful Carneros scenery while tasting some exceptional wines. It feels tucked away from the busier parts of Napa Valley, which makes the experience even more special. Rob also told us about the new wine cave currently being built into the hillside. It sounds incredible, and we are already looking forward to returning when it is finished! Bouchaine offers everything you hope for in a Napa Valley tasting: excellent wine, fascinating history, beautiful surroundings and personal hospitality. Thank you, Rob, for making four girlfriends feel so special. We will definitely be back!

ChatGPT recommended Bouchaine Vineyards based on my preference for a slower, quieter tasting…read moreexperience surrounded by vineyards and gardens--and it was exactly right. The entire experience was stellar, beginning with a welcome glass of Vin Gris, which counts as one of the five wines in the tasting. We settled into comfortable, spacious semicircular couches with panoramic views overlooking the vineyards, gardens, and mountains beyond. What truly elevated our visit was Dulce, our hostess, who has more than 20 years of wine experience. She described each wine with such knowledge and detail that we were able to choose wines we genuinely enjoyed. But it was more than expertise. She shared her knowledge and passion so freely and with such heart that she made the afternoon feel special. Dulce is truly a gift to Bouchaine. The hospitality began even before we arrived. When we realized we didn't need as much time between wineries, we called and asked whether we could move our 3:30 tasting to 2:30. They accommodated us with grace. We ended up staying more than 2 1/2 hours and never once felt hurried. I especially appreciated the generous spacing between the seating areas, which gave each group privacy and made the tasting feel peaceful rather than crowded. The grounds were lovely, with purple agapanthus and black-eyed Susans blooming against the vineyards and mountains. Even the modern wood architecture--from the tasting room and offices to the beautifully designed bathroom--made us feel as though we were somewhere thoughtfully created and genuinely special. Every member of the staff we encountered was warm and welcoming. Some wineries you visit once because you're curious to experience them. Bouchaine is the kind of place I would return to simply because of how wonderful it felt to be there. Although I would definitely be getting the Gewurztraminer, Merlot, and Pinot Noirs again too.

This is a long overdue shout-out to Claire at TWF! I emailed…read moreher several weeks ago looking for Anarchist 2015 - I had enjoyed too many bottles of it and was out. They had the 2018 so I ordered a couple of those and the rosé to be shipped to my address. Without getting into many details about three shipping errors (all due to the third party logistics co.), Claire was INCREDIBLY helpful and kind over email - and even offered to drive to my home and personally deliver the order. Eventually we received the correct order and things sorted out . Looking forward to enjoying a tasting in-person soon! PS - both the anarchist rosé (called Rosé Against the Machine) and white blend are DELICIOUS.

Had the chance to do some barrel tasting here and tasting a vertical vintage with the head wine…read moremaker and wine owner. It was a blast - we learned a TON about wine and enjoyed some absolutely delicious wine. If you're into making your own wine, definitely check out The Wine Foundry. They have top notch facilities for making wine and the head wine maker is a pro. Thanks for a great afternoon -- we really appreciated the time and experience!

We love this place. Great atmosphere, super friendly staff (and owner) and welcomes dogs. Doesn't…read moreget much better in my book!

Walking in, the place is very appealing. That's all that positive that I have. We sat at the bar…read more I wanted to like this place when my friend invited me out for wine. However, I do not. They have 2 types of service options, if you decided to enjoy wine in their establishment. You can either order a $20 wine flight (Which comes with 3 glasses) or buy a bottle and they will uncork for you to enjoy there. They had about 1 to 2 options for 4 wine type of choices located on a card. We went with the flight. I had questions because I am a Cab and Malbec girl and in their Reds area, nothing adds even close to it. When the male employee spoke to me, he had a bit of sarcasm coming off. I didn't understand why because my questions were valid. He was short with his answers as if he did not want to talk to me. After this, he poured our drinks. I questioned the amount because it was very very very little bit. When I spoke with that same guy, he stated "What you expect..a whole glass of wine at $20 for 3?" I told him that I expected a little more love half a glass. He was like "It says on the card that it is 2.5 oz". I looked at the card because I knew that was nowhere on there. So I informed him that the size was not in the card and that is something that they should put because what we received was not worth $20 and that we could have purchased a bottle. That's how they get people. That flight is a total rip off!! Also, he put the drinks all on front of us, but did not tell us which was which, who's was for who nor personally give it to us. There were no little signs to inform us of what we were drinking. We had to ask him because he had walked off. He came over and was confused as you which was which as well. We received no water and we weren't even asked. Both employees were consumed with another person who was there (Business) and wine tasting and talking that we just weren't that relevant to ensure that our needs were fully met. Wine tasting: All 3 of the wines I had was disgusting. The one of the Reds that I had, stated it was bold. It was not. I had a Bubble (Orange) and it was horrible. Like all of them were cheap wines with no real packed flavor. The female employee or owner (I'm unsure) asked ONLY my friend what she thought of the wine. She never bothered to ask me which was really unprofessional. Neither of them ever introduced themselves or gave their names although we indicated that this was our 1st visit. Not very personable. This was a total waste of money and time for an experience. Wet had to go and find another place to get an enjoyable experience at.

Many choices of great wines with good prices. I attended wine tasting and education sessions today…read more They also provided nice snacks during the sessions.

Another great evening at the SF Wine School. The Swiss wine and Raclette tasting was fun,…read moreinformative and tasty. The featured distributor was great. Loving these events, a great place to sip wine, learn and have fun. I'll be back!

An incredible wine training experience in Napa Valley, exploring the fascinating world of American…read morewines, their unique characteristics, and the stories behind some of the most prestigious wineries. It was a wonderful opportunity to deepen my knowledge, discover exceptional wines, and gain a better understanding of what makes Napa Valley so special. A truly inspiring and educational experience!

We worked with Nilu to host a wine tasting and education session for our company retirement party,…read moreand it was a hit! She is extremely responsive, detail oriented, and knowledgeable. Not to mention incredibly warm and accommodating. I know very little about wine, and she guided me through every step, including what wines to order and how to store them. She even got beautiful charms for the wine glasses and ice on the day of the party to make sure that everything went smoothly. I also learned so much about the different types of wine and my own preferences during the education session. All in all, loved working with Nilu and would highly recommend her services!

With my sister back in town, my mom booked a mooncake workshop class for us to have some mother…read moredaughter time!! Miggi was such a friendly and welcoming teacher- and the workshop was easy to follow. I'm going to be keeping track of her next classes to learn the next one!! We also learned how to make black pepper pork buns, which was our lunch :D

A fun, interactive, and incredibly well done "Travel Around the World" Smart Cooking and Wine…read morePairing Event. My team and I had an amazing experience at Miggi's Kitchen. We learned to cook with the Thermomix while working in teams at different stations, preparing dishes from around the world. It was hands-on, interactive, and a lot of fun - every dish turned out delicious. Miggi is a fantastic teacher: clear, detailed, confident, and incredibly knowledgeable. She explains techniques in a way that's easy to understand, and we all walked away genuinely better cooks. We also paired the experience with wine tasting and learned how to taste and appreciate wine properly, which made the evening even more memorable. On top of that, Miggi's fun, warm personality really brings the whole experience together. My office team loved it and is still talking about it. Highly recommend for team events or anyone looking for a unique, engaging culinary experience.

Elissa is a wonderful and knowledgeable host, and her sessions are custom-fit to each group, making…read morefor an engaging, comfortable, and fun setting. I learned a great deal and was impressed by Elissa's ability to meander back and forth between a well-structured lesson and the many questions and side-stories from the group. Highly recommend any and all of her offerings!

The food and wine pairing class was fantastic! Elissa did a great job of explaining the basics and…read morethen creating a hands-on experience for our group to taste and experiment! It was a really fun class for the whole group, and Elissa balanced encouraging us to have fun as a group along with providing an education. She was an incredible host and we all learned something and had a ton of fun. I'm looking forward to doing more classes with WineSkipping in the future!

Saturday night vibes in here are great! It is casual and lively, yet surprisingly calm and…read morerelaxing. The space itself is incredibly spacious with beautiful decor. The whole experience from the moment you enter the door with the hostess to the whole dinner with the server was very easy-going. Just what I was looking for. Even though they specialize in wines and alcohol, the place had many kids and even had a baby changing table in the bathroom! The menu is pretty straightforward and everything we got was delicious. Can't really go wrong here. Honestly the food is probably just a 4 but the overall experience is closer to a 5!

Devils eggs were extremely creamy. Fried chicken burger was crispy and equally juicy on the inside…read morewith a healthy serving of greens. Smash burger was physically smaller than the fried chicken burger, but double the substance. Had half and was feeling already stuffed in the best way possible. Lunch menu was condensed, not sure what the dinner menu looks like. A bit further away the downtown MB area, but is a great getaway lunch spot. Saw tons of corporates coming in for a nice glass of wine and healthy chatter. Service was fast and inside is clean. Has a bit of a farmstead vibe with tons of wines to taste!

We had a great experience with Platypus Wine Tours on our visit to Napa. Army was a wonderful…read moreguide, a lot of fun and gave us some neat history about the area and wine-making process. After picking everyone up, our group went to Saddleback Cellars. This was a great vineyard to visit - we were seated right next to the beautiful fields and enjoyed sipping our wine while walking right next to the growing grapes! The lady working there was friendly and it was really nice learning more about the history of their vineyard. They've won several awards, and we could see why! These were some delicious wines. Next, we made our way to Merryvale Vineyards where we also stopped to have our boxed lunch. Their inside space was gorgeous and it was interesting learning about the barrel aging process. We enjoyed our tasting here too! We finished up at Backstage which was one of the highlights of the day - the wines we tasted were excellent and the seating area is just gorgeous, overlooking their beautiful vineyards. We decided to buy a bottle here and enjoyed it later during our trip. Platypus was a great choice for our tour - when I was searching for tour options online it was affordable for our group, had great reviews and I can see why! Army was excellent, I loved that they picked you up and dropped you back to your hotel, and the reduced rates for the tastings helped a lot too! On my next Napa visit I would definitely book with them again.

We've done a total of five Platypus Wine Tours -- four in Napa and one in Sonoma -- and have had a…read moregood experience overall. Some tours have been truly exceptional, while others have been more average. The guides have all been good, although some definitely stand out more than others. Ultimately, though, the biggest factor in the experience is the wineries you visit and how generous they are with their pours. You'll quickly learn what a "revisit" means on these tours. Most wineries are happy to pour you another taste, but some are surprisingly stingy and seem more interested in selling bottles than providing a memorable tasting experience. Some will happily pour their most expensive wines, while others will talk about those wines without actually letting you taste them unless you're willing to buy a bottle. Honestly, that's disappointing, especially when you're there to experience and learn about the wine. That said, Platypus itself is fantastic. The shuttles are spacious, the groups are small, and the overall experience is a great way to explore wine country without the hassle of driving between wineries. My biggest recommendation: tell your tour guide upfront that you want fun, welcoming wineries that are generous with their pours. The right winery selection can take an already good tour and make it an outstanding one. We'll absolutely consider booking with Platypus again!