Napa Valley, California
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St. Helena Wine & WineriesSt. Helena doesn't just have wineries, it is wineries. It's really the winemaking heart of the valley. Wineries like Beringer, Martini and Charles Krug have been around forever, and scores of people associated with those wineries have gone out over the years to create wineries of their own. If you're interested in California wines, this town is a must-see place. |
Ballentine Vineyards and Winery
2820 North St Helena Highway
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.7919
Open Wednesday through Saturday for tasting. The present winery was founded in 1995 but the Ballentine Winery goes back to 1933 and owners Van and Betty Ballentine's grapegrowing roots in the Napa Valley go back to the early 1900s. Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah.
Beringer Vineyards
1000 Pratt Avenue
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.4812
The historic Rhine House—symbol of Beringer Vineyards. (Photo courtesy of the winery.)
Built in 1876, the winery has been operating continuously ever since. It is now owned by Foster's Group, known for Australia's Foster's Beer. The famous "Rhine House" contains the visitors' center. This classic Napa Valley winery is a good place to stop for photographs.
The winery has been offering tours since 1934, so they've got it down right. The $5 tour includes tasting and a trip inside their hand-dug wine caves. The gardens are so beautiful that they're worth the trip on their own. Beringer produces more than 14 different varietals.
Charbay Winery and Distillery
Spring Mountain Road
St. Helena CA 94574
800.634.7845
Charbay is owned by the Karakasevic family, whose master distillers have been making distilled spirits for twelve generations (the thirteenth generation is apprenticing). Miles Karakasevic and his son Marko oversee the very limited production at Charbay, while Miles' wife Susan handles marketing and daughter Lara helps out in all areas. Visits are by appointment only.
Charbay produces limited release wines and fortified wines at its Napa Valley facility, and spirits at its other facility in Mendocino County. Charbay spirits include fresh fruit vodkas (Meyer Lemon, Key Lime, Blood Orange and Ruby Red Grapefruit), a clear vodka that will produce a truly memorable martini, a black walnut liqueur, an apple brandy, a pastis and an extremely limited amount of absolutely amazing, and expensive, whiskey.
Wines include a special port (blended from Cabernet and Sirah, and five unique brandies); a white port of Chardonnay, Sauvignon and brandy; their dessert wine; and a number of Cabernet Sauvignons.
If you want to experience the finest beverages available, and are willing to pay an appropriate amount for a handcrafted, unique product of the very highest quality, you owe it to yourself to pay a visit to Charbay. State law prohibits tasting of spirits at the winery, but you can taste and purchase their Cabernets, ports (classical and white) and Charbay dessert wine during your visit.
This is a friendly, dedicated family producing unforgettable products. Needless to say, we highly recommend a visit to the "Still on the Hill".
Charles Krug Winery
2800 St. Helena Highway
St. Helena CA 94574
707.967.2201
Open daily for tasting and tours. Founded in 1861, Krug is the oldest operating winery in the Napa Valley. It's the long-time location of a number of musical and theatrical events. The owners, the Peter Mondavi family (Peter's brother, Robert, founded Robert Mondavi Winery), have over 800 acres of grapes in the Napa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc.
Corison Winery
987 St. Helena Highway
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.0826
Tours and tastings by appointment. Cathy Corison produces a limited amount of highly-regarded Cabernet Sauvignon.
Dean and DeLuca
607 South St. Helena Highway
St. Helena CA 94574
707.967.9980
The famous New York delicatessen is now in the Napa Valley. It's not a coincidence that the owner also lives in the valley. A vast selection of deli foods, cheeses, kitchenware, and a multitude of jars and cans of exotic foods, sauces, condiments and other goodies. And, of course, lots and lots of outstanding wines.
Flora Springs Tasting Room
677 St. Helena Highway
St. Helena CA 94574
707.967.8032
While the actual winery is on nearby Zinfandel Lane, the Komes-Garvey family has a convenient tasting room on Highway 29 at the south end of St. Helena, right next to Dean and Deluca. The wines are excellent and very highly regarded. The tasting room selection includes all current vintages as well as some special wines available only here. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese.
Folie à Deux
3070 North St. Helena Highway
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.1160 800.473.4454
Open daily for tasting; tours by appointment. Founded in 1981 by Larry and Evelyn Dizmang, psychiatric medicine professionals whose colleagues suggested the name. It means "two people sharing the same delusional idea". The fantasy, however, was a success. Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot, Chenin Blanc, Sparkling Wrotham Pinot.
Franciscan Oakville Estate
1178 Galleron Road
(Highway 29 at Galleron one mile north of Rutherford)
St. Helena, CA 94574
707.963.7111 800.529.9463
Tasting fee refundable with purchase. Franciscan has been making wine in the valley for over 25 years. Its dramatically renovated visitor center also offers special tastings at an additional charge. They include blending your own Bordeaux-style wine, and sensory evaluation training where Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Meritage.
Freemark Abbey
3022 St. Helena Highway North
St. Helena CA 94574
800.963.9698
Open daily for tasting; tours by appointment. Freemark Abbey was founded in 1939 by three men, portions of whose names were combined to create the winery name. The winery, and the site, had been home to two previous wineries. From 1898 to the onset of Prohibition in 1919 it had been Lombarda Cellars. Originally it had been Tychson Cellars, founded in 1886 by Josephine Marlin Tychson, the first woman to build and operate a winery in California. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier, Chardonnay, White Riesling, late harvest Johannisberg Riesling.
Hall
401 St. Helena Highway South
St. Helena CA 94574
707.967.2620
Open daily for tasting. On the former site of Edgewood Estate and the even earlier St. Helena Co-Op. Owned by Kathryn and Craig Hall of Kathryn Hall Vineyards (www.kathrynhallvineyards.com). Cabernet Sauvignon.
Heitz Cellars
Sales/Tasting Room
436 St. Helena Highway South
St. Helena CA 94574
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Winery
500 Taplin Road
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.3542
The sales room on Highway 29 is open daily for tasting. Tours of the winery are by appointment. Founded in 1961 by Joe and Alice Heitz, who produced one of the very first "cult" wines—"Martha's Vineyard"—long before the term "cult wine" was every coined. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grignolino, Zinfandel, Rosé, Port.
Louis M. Martini Winery
254 South St. Helena Highway (Highway 29)
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.2736 800.321.9463
Open daily for tours and complimentary tasting; charge for reserve wines.
In operation since 1933, it was the oldest family-owned winery in the valley until it was purchased by Gallo in fall of 2002. (Well, Gallo is family-owned too, but it's hardly a warm and fuzzy little wine operation.) Great tour guides. Nice picnic facilities. Cult wineries come and go, but Martini stands out as a fine winery that dependably turns out excellent wines at fair prices. A favorite of ours. Martini produces more than 20 different varietals.
Markham Vineyards
2812 North St. Helena Highway
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.5292
Open daily for tasting. Tours by appointment only for trade and corporate groups. Originally founded in 1874 as Laurent Winery, reborn in 1977 as Markham. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay.
Merryvale Vineyards
1000 Main St. (Highway 29)
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.7777 800.326.6069
Winery is south of the bridge leading into the heart of downtown St. Helena and within walking distance from town.
A highlight of the Merryvale tour is the barrel room.
In addition to its normal tours and tasting, Merryvale offers Saturday Morning Seminars that focus on wine and its essential components: sugar, alcohol, acid and tannin. Merryvale wines are tasted in conjunction with these basic ingredients to demonstrate how they blend together to create balance in wines. But, more important, you'll have a chance to map your own palate and find out about your likes and dislikes. You'll find this an entertaining and educational experience.
Merryvale is located in the first winery building constructed after Prohibition. It opened in 1933 as a wine co-op known as Sunny St. Helena Winery, founded by a number of well-known winemakers who each eventually started his own winery.
Seminars are held from 10:30 a.m. until noon every Saturday. The fee is $10.00 per person. Reservations are required. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Muscat de Frontignan.
Milat Vineyards
1091 St. Helena Highway
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.0758 800.54.MILAT
Open daily for tasting. All wines are estate grown. Guest rooms available on winery property. Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc.
Napa Valley Wine Hardware
659 Main St.
St. Helena CA 94574
707.967.5503 866.611.WINE
The best source in the valley for wine racks, and wine storage equipment. Also lots of wine books and accessories.
Napa Valley Wine Library
St. Helena Public Library
1492 Library Lane
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.5145
A vast collection of books, magazines, interviews, clippings and other materials devoted to enology, viticulture and wine lore, with a focus on the Napa Valley.
Prager Ports and Wines
1281 Lewelling
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.7678
Between Sutter Home Winery and Harvest Inn. Tasting fee redeemable toward wine purchase.
A small, family-owned winery whose ports and wines are sold only at the winery. Prager also has a two-suite B & B, one suite over the winery, the other in the vineyards.
Raymond Vineyard & Cellar
849 Zinfandel Lane
St. Helena CA 94574
800.525.2659
Open daily for tasting; tours by appointment. Founded in 1971 by the Raymond Family. The father, Roy Sr., had entered the wine industry as a cellar worker at Beringer Brothers Winery in 1933. The woman he eventually married, Martha Jane Beringer, was the granddaughter and grandniece of the founders of that winery. The family is now on its fifth generation as Napa Valley winemakers. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel.
Salvestrin Estate Vineyard & Winery
397 Main Street
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.5105
Tours and tastings by appointment. The family has been growing grapes in the Napa Valley for 70 years. Guest rooms available at the family bed and breakfast inn on the property. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese.
St. Clement Vineyards
2867 St. Helena Highway
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.7221 800.331.8266
Open daily for tasting; tours by appointment. Tasting room is in a 19th Century Victorian. Owned by Australia's Foster's Brewing Company. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay.
St. Helena Wine Center
1321 Main Street
St. Helena Ca 94574
707.963.1313 800.331.1311
Located in an historic stone building that was formerly a bank (the vault is definitely more interesting now than when it had just money in it). Offers a large selection of Napa Valley and other California wines, as well as an outstanding selection of ports and spirits.
St. Helena Wine Merchants
699 S. Helena Highway
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.7888 800.729.9463
Located on the west side of Highway 29 just south of Dean and Deluca and St. Helena
Wine shop specializing in hard-to-find, allocated and small production Napa Valley wines. Hundreds of wines from California and elsewhere.
Spring Mountain Vineyard
2805 Spring Mountain Road. St. Helena
707.967.4188
www.springmountainvineyard.com
Tours (by appointment only and there is a charge) of the 1885 estate include winery, vineyards, gardens, caves and tasting in the Miravalle Victorian, a familiar sight for fans of the former TV series Falcon Crest, that ran from 1981 to 1990. The winery produces Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon.
Stony Hill Vineyard
3331 North St. Helena Highway, St. Helena
707.963.2636
The first still-in-operation winery built after Prohibition in the Napa Valley, opening in 1952. Visits by appointment only. Stony Hill was the first "cult" winery in the valley and its wines are available only to the members of their small mailing list. The winery produces Chardonnay, White Riesling and Gewürztraminer.
Sutter Home Winery/Trinchero Family Estates
277 St. Helena Highway South (Highway 29)
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.3104
Open daily for complimentary tasting.
At south end of St. Helena on west side of Highway 29 (across from Louis Martini Winery). Approximately 3.5 miles north of Rutherford.
The House of White Zin. Originally a small family winery, their invention of White Zinfandel made them a fortune. If you've ever enjoyed a glass of White Zin, you owe it to yourself to stop by Sutter Home, have another and thank the Trinchero (it's pronounced with a hard sound—"Trin-ker'-o") Family for all their work.
Yes, there is a "Red Zin," and has been for many years In fact, that's what true Zinfandel is. Zinfandel is not a white grape, it's red. (Of course red wines actually come from black grapes and real white wines come from green grapes, but that's another story.) White Zinfandel is made by removing the wine from contact with the grape skins very early in the fermentation process, so that very little color is extracted. The result is a whitish wine that's usually served cold and is definitely very popular. Sutter Home produces more than 13 different varietals.
V. Sattui Winery
1111 White Lane
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.7774 Fax: 707.963.4324
Open daily for self-guided tours and complimentary tasting.
Just 1 1/2 miles south of St. Helena along the east side of Highway 29 across from the Beacon gas station. To avoid a parking ticket, park in the winery parking lot, not on White Lane.
Picnickers enjoy lunch—and wine—at V. Sattui. (Photo courtesy of the winery.)
Some wineries used to mumble about Sattui being a retail shop rather than a winery (overlooking how many things they sell in their own retail shops). The reality is that Darryl Sattui does a very good job at both winemaking and retailing. Visitors love it. The award-winning wine is excellent and complimentary. (And it's not available anywhere but the winery.) The gourmet deli offers over 200 different cheeses. And visitors can enjoy lunch in the two-acre shaded picnic area. Highly recommended. Sattui produces more than 15 different wines.
Whitehall Lane Winery
1563 St. Helena Highway
St Helena CA 94574
707.963.9454 800.963.9454
Open daily for tasting. Founded in 1979, owned today by the Leonardini family. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay.
If you'd like to sample wines from a variety of wineries, but your visiting time is limited, consider wine bars. Wine bars offer you the opportunity to taste wines from a number of wineries at a single location.
In the past year, the number of wine tasting bars in the Napa Valley has greatly increased. There is a fee for sampling the wines, but the wine bars are convenient and they also give you a chance to try hard-to-find, limited-production wines.
A Dozen Vintners
3000 St. Helena Highway (at Lodi Lane)
707.967.0666
Winetasting, sales and delicatessen with outdoor tables overlooking vineyards. The tasting bar features such Napa Valley wines as Adams Ridge, Destino, Eagle and Rose, Fife, Howell Mountain, Livingston-Moffett, Reverie, and Von Strasser.
Cantinetta Delicatessen and Wine Bar
1050 Charter Oak Avenue
St. Helena CA 94574
707.963.8888
www.travignerestaurant.com/cantinetta.html
Located at Tra Vigne restaurant, Cantinetta offers more than 50 wines by the glass. Hard-to-find cult wines are available for tasting at considerably higher prices.
