Bouchaine Vineyards is located in the beautiful backroads of the Carneros wine region in Napa County. This is a good choice for a tasting room especially if one is attempting to escape the massive weekend crowds that flock to the Napa Valley during the peak months. There are two ways to get to Bouchaine but if you want some breathtaking views of the vineyards of Carneros we suggest you turn west on Duhig Road from the Carneros Highway, Highway 12/121. Duhig Road and Highway 121 is where you enter to the Domaine Carneros chateau. Drive two miles on Duhig Road and turn left at Las Amigas and then drive one mile to Buchli Station Road. Bouchaine sits on the southern tip of the Carneros region very near to where the Napa River empties into San Pablo Bay. Drive slowly and absorb the beauty of this wonderful wine country.
Be sure to pack a picnic lunch because you will be hard pressed to find a picnic spot in wine country that is much lovelier. There is a deck and grassy area with tables where visitors can enjoy lunch. The picnic area faces their beautiful Pinot Noir vineyards and Bouchaine has several wonderful lunch wines to accompany a gourmet lunch. These wines include a Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and a very delicious Rose of Syrah.
The staff in the tasting room is all very affable and extremely knowledgeable. You can tell that they enjoy their jobs. Bouchaine has the right strategy as far as the tasting fee. It is $5, which is reasonable, and the tasting fee can be applied to the purchase of the wine. Not all the wines are available for tasting but enough to satisfy a visitor. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are their flagship wines and estate grown in their Carneros vineyards. These wines are wonderful but our favorite of the tasting was the Rose of Syrah.
The Good: The staff, the picnic area, a wonderful atmosphere
The Bad: At some point, one has to pack up and go home.