Appointment-Making Tips, Suggested Wineries and Etiquette
With our first Napa Valley trip of 2013 just six weeks away, it’s nearly time to begin my favorite part of the planning process; coordinating our wine tasting itinerary. Everyone has their own way of going about this, but I thought I’d share some of our tips and tricks to help guide your future travels.
Considerations for Napa Wine Tasting Appointments
Several factors can influence appointments, including party size and availability of openings or hours at each winery. Due to local regulations, some wineries require advance appointments while others welcome visitors any time. Additionally, it’s important to consider the location of your accommodations, dinner reservations and travel times in-between. Napa Valley is approximately 30 miles from end-to-end and traffic can cause delays in some spots. Lastly, you may wish to balance a mix of large, well-known wineries with some of the smaller, lower-production tasting rooms. By now, your head may be spinning, but don’t worry – with these tips, you’ll be able to enjoy a stress-free visit to Napa Valley.
- Aim for three-to-four tastings per day, including two previously booked appointments and two or more at the spots that allow walk-ins. We usually schedule the first for 11:00 a.m. and the second for 2:00 or 3:00 p.m., which leaves plenty of time for lunch, travel times and pop-in tastings. We always keep a folding map in the car that lists winery hours and phone numbers to help us make decisions about where to go on the fly.
- As a best practice, we budget an hour for each tasting, unless we learn otherwise that it might take longer at the time of booking. Some tastings include tours or more formal, guided food and wine pairings, which take more time.
- Be mindful of the type of tasting you’re scheduling – bar versus group sit down versus tour, etc. We try to limit to one or two cave/vineyard tours per trip because they can take up to two hours.
- Concentrate tastings in a specific appellation each day (e.g. Calistoga, St. Helena or any of the mountains), which can help with the travel time concern. If you have wiggle room, you can stop somewhere en route to your first appointment or on the way to dinner.
- Take the Silverado Trail instead of Highway 29, which is a bit faster.
- Read some of the tasting itinerary recommendations and winery ratings outlined by our friends on BarlinWine.com.
Napa Wine Tasting Suggestions
There are a handful of wineries we always recommend to friends and family when they ask for suggestions on where to taste. Check out my 
previous post on What to Do in Napa Valley for some of these, including:
- Larkmead Vineyards (Calistoga) – This is our favorite spot! You really can’t beat the friendliness of the staff, the beautiful, relaxing tasting room and superb wines. It’s the total package.
- James Cole (Oak Knoll) – One of the newer kids on the block, they offer common Napa Valley varietals, as well as some not-so-traditional options. We really like their Malbec. The owner has a nice collection of vintage motor bikes, pin ball machines and a Corvette inside.
- Pride Mountain, Schweiger, Smith-Madrone (Spring Mountain) – If you’re open to committing a day to tasting up Spring Mountain, you’ll really enjoy the wines and views from these spots. You could definitely swing three tastings up there – but make sure you pack a picnic lunch and water. The drive is about 20 minutes to the top.
- Viader, Ladera or CADE (Howell Mountain) – Similar to Spring Mountain, Howell is home to many of Napa Valley’s best wineries. The drive is about half as long and less winding.
- Caldwell (Coombsville) – Coombsville is one of the lesser-visited appellations in Napa Valley, which we finally visited for the first time a year or two ago. If you go, buckle in for one of the most extensive tastings you’ll experience. We were fortunate to meet and taste with John Caldwell himself – one of the Valley legends.
Ask your hotel concierge if they have connections or tasting vouchers. Some websites also offer discount coupons.
Napa Wine Tasting Etiquette
- If you’re running late or plan to skip a tasting, give the winery a courtesy heads up. They may be waiting for you to begin a group tasting or could welcome others who wish to get in at the last minute.
- If you’re tasting at the bar of a crowded winery, step back to enjoy your wine allowing others to refill their glasses.
- Don’t be afraid to share tastings and use the dump/spit bucket to help pace yourself through the day. I’ve observed some fellow tasters dozing off at a table with a winery owner. I’m sure they’re used to it, but none of us would like people passing out in front of us at our places of work!
- Let your wine educator know your next appointment (you don’t have to say where, unless you want to) so they can help keep you on track timing-wise.
- It’s ok to ask where your wine educator might suggest tasting next. They may call to coordinate a tasting for you or recommend a new favorite winery you haven’t previously heard of.
- You can purchase wine to bring to dinner that night, so long as it’s not already available on the restaurant’s wine list.
Most important, relax and enjoy yourself!
