I did take note of the Riedel wine glasses used for sampling the reds. I always appreciate when wineries respect their product enough to serve it in an appropriate glass.
St. Supéry Vineyards and Winery
8440 St. Helena Hwy.
Rutherford CA 94573
(800) 942-0809
Rombauer
This is probably my most favorite chardonnay and a few of their reds top my list. The view from this winery is picturesque. The tasting room sits atop a hill along the Silverado Trail in Calistoga. It has all of the elements I consider when reviewing and recommending a wine tasting room experience. The Rombauer staff has always been friendly and has even allowed us to bring our well behaved dog inside the tasting room early on in the day when there hasn’t been a crowd.
The tasting room is somewhat small and does need to be expanded to handle the increasing amount of loyal fans of both their chardonnay and red wines. The room is decorated in a lot of memorabilia which includes pictures of celebrities and references to Braniff Airlines.
Wine tasting is free at Rombauer; however if you like what you’ve tasted…proper etiquette is to at least leave with a bottle of it if it’s within your budget. The Chardonnay is around $30 bottle and their Reds are a little bit more than that. While somewhat pricey for the average wine drinker, all have an exceptional price point and are a good value. I don’t imagine these prices will stay put for long though as each year they seem be advancing due to the popularity of the label.
The Rombauer Winery
3522 Silverado Trail
St. Helena, CA
(707) 963-5170
The Tasting Room is open daily 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tours by appointment
Prager Winery & Port Works
If you’re not looking, you’ll never find Prager Ports off of Hwy.29. Perhaps some good directions or a rainbow will lead you to this pot of gold. One could label this winery as old and funky. The tasting room is lined with signed dollars and world currency from visitors that obviously have left as happy campers. Notably the tasting room has the wineries first official website. This site won’t be found on the internet, there’s just an old window covered with spider webs in the middle of the tasting room.
Typically present pouring and speaking with guests are the 3 generations of winemakers. Prager has amazing ports that often will change flavors in your mouth. I would suggest visiting this place as a group versus couple. It appears that the staff is more engaging and open to stories if they have an audience. I felt a little awkward visiting as a couple due to the lack of an actual bar to belly up to.
We’ve been able to bring in Sophie our well behaved k-9 wine tasting companion. She’s a great icebreaker at most wineries, especially this quiet older and eclectic one. It’s a definite must stop if you’re into great Ports. Prager is also dog friendly, but they prefer you make it one of your first stops, because they get too busy in the afternoon to have dogs in the tasting room.
Prager Winery and Port Works
1281 Lewelling in St. Helena, CA (Off Hwy.29 across from Louis Martini Winery) (707) 963-PORT
The Tasting Room is open daily 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Duckhorn
This is a must stop if you’re into full bodied Cab’s; however, you’ll have to make a reservation because tasting is by appointment only. Duckhorn’s St. Helena tasting room is located in an old Victorian style ranch house surrounded by beautiful vineyards. Unique to most other wineries, you’re greeted by a hostess and seated at a table. The Hostess provided us with a choice of either sitting at a tall table with a view or low table with more comfortable seats. We chose comfortable seats in the midst of a modern tasting room with a very tall angled ceiling surrounding a wine bar in the center of room.
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