It’s no secret that I love wine. So much of wine, in my opinion, is the experience around it: where it’s consumed, who it’s consumed with, and what it means. Napa Valley has been the center of all wine culture in the United States since the late 60s/early 70s and has defined what it means to be a wine consumer in the United States.
Napa has had its fair share of commercialization, bachelorette party takeovers, and mass wine production, but an undercurrent is slowing down and returning to the Napa of yesteryear.
I spend a lot of time in the valley and love it dearly. All players are welcome and are part of the fantastic community there, but here are some of my favorites.
P.S. If you visit these locations in the next few months, please respond to this email, and I will hook you up :).
Cuvaison is one of my favorite places in the world. I work as their culinary advisor, so it should be no surprise that this is a favorite. Regardless of my bias, it is undoubtedly the most beautiful tasting room in the valley. Boathouse (waterfront) tastings are coming soon. Above is a picture of me and winemaker Steve Rogstad.
Ashes & Diamonds has a funky, very Palm Springs-meets-Napa vibe with midcentury modern architecture and coloring. It offers great food offerings, including cheese plates, pop-up dinners, and movie nights. Their Cab Franc Rosé tastes like gummy bears - it’s epic.
Scribe is a member’s only tasting room (hint, hint, you know one) rich in history and invested in pushing wine boundaries in the valley. The Hacienda and surrounding property used to be a turkey farm before. As an alternative to the traditional tasting, sit along the hillside for a more relaxed sip-and-hang.
Honorable mentions (but not to be overlooked!) are Domaine Carneros with badass female CEO and friend Remi Cohen (best during off-peak hours), PlumpJack, Cakebread (one of the oldest in the valley and a sentimental favorite of my family), and Frog’s Leap.
There is a high concentration of big, heavy-hitting Cab producers in the area, such as Quintessa, Spring Mountain, Gargiulo, Turnbull, and Rutherford Hill, if you’re into that thing. It's just not my jam!
Tasting Room at Cuvaison
View from the hillside at Scribe.
Cheeseboard at Ashes & Diamonds.
This makes me miss living in NorCal! Great recs, Ashton. Thanks for the nostalgia!