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What will it cost to taste wine in the Napa Valley in 2018?

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Napa Valley tasting room fee index

Beringer has several levels of tasting wine ranging in price from $25 to $100

  • The Napa Valley is one of the hottest wine travel destinations in the world
  • Tasting wine at a Napa Valley winery varies from $20 to $100, depending upon the level of tastings
  • Many Napa Valley wineries require an appointment for tasting wines

This is the fifth year in succession that we have tracked Napa Valley tasting room fees. This is an unscientific study with a small sample of wineries. The intent is to give wine country travelers an idea of what it costs to taste wine in the Napa Valley. A trip to the Napa Valley is expensive these days. With the economy booming, Napa Valley is a fashionable getaway and a paradise for folks with plenty of splurge money.  For the Napa Valley Tasting Room Index, we have chosen the same set of wineries as last year. These are wineries on Highway 29 that are accessible and popular with tourists. The cost of the tasting is for the bottom-tier level of tasting. Many wineries have several levels of tastings of all types. Be aware that most wineries require an appointment for the top tier and exclusive wine tasting experiences.  Tasting room fees can change from one month to the next. These prices are as of March 2018.

Napa Valley Tasting Room Index 2018 – Tasting Room Fees

These wine tasting fees represent the entry-level wine tasting.

  • Alpha Omega – $50 for two reds and two whites*
  • Beaulieu Vineyards –  $30 for four wines
  • Beringer Wines – $25*
  • Grgich Hills – $25 for five wines*
  • Louis Martini – $25 for four wines*
  • Peju Province – $40 for four wines
  • Provenance –  $30 for five wines
  • Pestoni Family Estate – $20 for four wines*
  • Sequoia Grove – $25 for four wines
  • Whitehall Lane – $25 for four wines*

The Napa Valley Tasting Room Index for 2018 is an average of $29. This compares to the 2017 rate of $27.50.

More on Tasting Wines in the Napa Valley

* No increase over the previous year’s tasting room fee.

Do You Know Napa Valley’s Big Three?

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napa valley wine facts

Welcome to the world-famous Napa Valley.

Napa Valley’s Big Three – Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon

If you travel to the Napa Valley or consume Napa Valley wines, here is what you should know about Napa Valley’s “Big Three.”  We attended a wine tasting of the “Big Three” at the Castello di Amorosa winery in their beautiful Great Hall. We tasted three Chardonnay wines, two Merlots, and four Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The occasion was part of the Wine Bloggers Conference held in November in Santa Rosa. Let us begin with Chardonnay. Do you have your glass of Chardonnay in hand?

Napa Valley Chardonnay

Chardonnay accounts for 6,397 acres of vineyards in the Napa Valley. Chardonnay represents 15% of the vineyard acres in the Napa Valley.  The average price per ton of Chardonnay grapes is $2,952.  Among the “Big Three,” Chardonnay offers the winemaker the most flexibility in creating a wide range of flavor profiles. It can be produced in stainless steel, neutral oak barrels, and French or American oak. There are also different winemaking treatments, such as battonage and malolactic fermentation. The result is Chardonnay wine that can range in character from light and fruity to robust, with creamy butter and big oak flavors. Chardonnay tends to love cool climates and the Carneros region fits that environment.  Hillside regions also offer cool climates, and many flavorful Chardonnays come from the hillside vineyards on Spring Mountain. One interesting idea is to try Chardonnay at the two extremes. Hendry Winery in the Napa Valley makes an unoaked Chardonnay. It is fermented and aged in stainless steel and not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation. Compare it to the Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay. This wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in barrel and spends nine months aging in American and French oak. The two wines show the versatility of Napa Valley Chardonnay.

Napa Valley Merlot

Merlot became one of the best-selling wines in the early 2000’s. It was a favorite wine among party goers and wines by the glass at bars and restaurants. Merlot’s popularity changed in a heartbeat in 2004. The cult movie Sideways arrived in the theaters. The main character in Sideways, Miles, cast Merlot as a trendy wine not worth tasting. Sales plummeted. Merlot is on the rise again. Just this past month, the Wine Spectator named a Napa Valley Merlot as the number one wine on their list of Top 100 Wines of 2017. It is the 2014 Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard. That wine sold out shortly after the Wine Spectator’s announcement of the number one wine. Today there are 4,707 acres of Merlot planted in the Napa Valley, fetching an average price of $3000 per ton. Merlot is a grape that grows well in many climates but it particularly likes climates with cooler temperatures like Carneros, Oak Knoll and mountain hillsides. In contrast to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot tends to be a softer and not as intense wine. Both are Bordeaux wines, Merlot being the grape of choice in the Right Bank of Bordeaux.

Merlot nearing harvest in the Napa Valley

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is the King of all grapes grown in the Napa Valley. Many Napa Valley vineyards have been ripped out and replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon. Vineyard acres of Cabernet amount to 20,342 (45% of the vineyard acreage) in the Napa Valley. The average price per ton is $6,289. This represents 64% of the total value of grapes in the Napa Valley. There are several “Cult Cabernet” producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. The price for these wines can be astronomical. Screaming Eagle, Harlan, and Bryant Family Vineyard are examples of highly sought-after Cabs selling at high prices. These wineries have a waiting list to get on the buying list. But there are affordable Cabs in the Napa Valley, and excellent Cabernets can be purchased for under $20. Black Stallion and Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet are two examples.

 

More information on the wines of the Napa Valley

Next time you head for your Napa Valley wine country getaway you will be armed with this knowledge and information about the “Big Three.” Enjoy and discover these famous wines of the Napa Valley. Try these links for helpful information.

Napa Valley Open for Business

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V. Sattui Winery under blue skies on Friday, October 20, 2017

Napa Valley is open for business and needs your support

The Wine Country Fires took their toll on thousands of homeowners and other industries. There are 42 reported deaths from the fires. Several wineries suffered significant damage, but the majority are up and running. The entire community of Napa Valley needs your support. Without tourism, the economic losses will increase even as the fires become contained.  Head to the Napa Valley and enjoy the chance to help support wine country and all its workers.

Do you know Coombsville and Caldwell Vineyards?

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Caldwell winery

Fantastic views on the way to Caldwell

Coombsville, Caldwell Vineyards, and the Legendary John Caldwell

Napa Valley travelers, take heed: Don’t miss out on the Coombsville AVA and its wineries.  The Coombsville AVA is just east of the town of Napa at the foot of the Vaca Mountains. It is part of the Napa Valley, but easy to miss because it is far from Highway 29 where most visitors start their wine tasting journey.  We picked up Coombsville Road just off the Silverado Trail in the town of Napa. We had been to parts of Coombsville previously, but this was mostly new territory for us.  We headed up scenic backroads in Coombsville to the Caldwell Winery. The beauty is spectacular.

Caldwell has to be one of the more interesting and unique wineries in Coombsville as well as the entire Napa Valley. John Caldwell purchased the land in 1974, hoping to make a bundle on sub-dividing the area for housing. When the County nixed the idea, John decided to become a vineyard farmer and set out to make wine. Not just any wine, but great wine! For that, he needed the best Bordeaux grapes money could buy. The only problem: none of the grapes were available here in California. Off John went to Bordeaux and ended up smuggling some 6000 cuttings of Bordeaux varietals into the US. It is best that you hear the full saga of the smuggling adventure with your cave tour and tasting at Caldwell Vineyards. Bryan Toy usually hosts guests and spins a fascinating tale of John Caldwell’s smuggling escapade.

 

Not only do you need the best grapes for making great wine, but you need the right barrels. When John Caldwell visited Bordeaux, he was inspired by the nuances in Grand Cru wines. These characteristics came from the aging barrel. And so John Caldwell sought out his own Cooper and aging barrels made specifically for his wines. Ramiro Herrera, a Master Cooper, makes the barrels in France and ships them to the Caldwell Winery. Ramiro can manufacture 300 barrels a year. To our knowledge, no other winery in the Napa Valley has its own personal Master Cooper.

We were treated to some delicious and fantastic-tasting wines. This is the same tour and tasting that regular visitors to Caldwell receive. The current fee is $65 per person and well worth the price.  The wines vary at each tasting. They are selected from twenty-one different labels produced. Have you tried Tannat or Carmenere? That is what is so unique about Coombsville. The soil, climate, and terrain enable many different wine varieties to flourish in Coombsville.

Caldwell produces 5000 cases a year. The wines are not distributed, sold at wine shops or available at restaurants. The wines are sold to wine club members, online or at the winery. Check the Caldwell Website to book a wine tasting.  Check the informative Coombsville Wine Association Website to learn more about the AVA and to see what other wineries are ideal for your wine tasting adventures in Coombsille.

What you need to know about staying in Napa

Materra Cunat on Big Ranch Road

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Materra Cunat – high tech and Merlot

Are you looking for a winery off the beaten path in the Napa Valley? Try the Materra Cunat Family Vineyards on Big Ranch Road. Big Ranch Road is located in the Oak Knoll AVA, a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley. Big Ranch is close to the downtown area of Napa where there are plenty of excellent lodging and dining choices.  Also on quiet Big Ranch Road, you will find Robert Biale Vineyards, Andretti Winery, and Corley Family Vineyards. Spend the day wine tasting on Big Ranch Road. Think quiet, peaceful and good wines.

Lucky us, we received an invitation to take a tour and tasting at Materra Cunat Family Winery. We were greeted and hosted by Neena Cunat Heitz and later joined by winemaker Bruce Regalia.

The Materra Cunat Tour

2007 is the first vintage of Materra Cunat wines, but the ultra high-tech winery was not opened until 2015. The wine had been made elsewhere until the winery and tasting room facility could be completed. Among the many state-of-the-art features: Each fermenting tank has a mini computer, so that temperature and humidity can be controlled.  The control system is linked to the cellar master’s smartphone app. The app allows the cellar master to control the tanks 24/7 from any location.  It also alerts the smartphone of any problems. Very cool! There are new open-top fermenting tanks with a new style automatic punch-down mechanism. These tanks simulate the same action as a person doing the punch down, but save time and energy and are more efficient. A third cool feature is found in the barrel room. A curtain can be drawn across the barrel room which somehow allows the room to be two different temperatures. Take the tour and see many more interesting modern wine making features.

The Tasting

We tasted in the white wines: Sauvignon Blanc,  Viognier, and the Chardonnay from Oak Knoll. We tasted the three reds in the above photo, plus a fantastic Cunat Reserve wine. Where the Oak Knoll vineyards are located at Materra, the climate is cooler than the rest of the Napa Valley as it extends to the north. The cooler climate and the soil type make perfect growing conditions for the Merlot grape. Merlot takes a back seat to Cabernet Sauvignon in the Napa Valley, but not at Materra Cunat. Merlot is their flagship grape, but we must say that the Sauvignon Blanc and the Viognier we tried were also delicious. I cannot think of any other winery in the Napa Valley that produces a Viognier from the Napa Valley AVA.

If you go, you will need an appointment. There are three tasting levels: Daily tasting, a Tour and Tasting, and a Reserve Library Tasting.  The Library room is a kick. The floor is clear glass so that visitors can get a clear view of the Materra Cunat soil.

Materra Cunat winery

With Neena Cunat Heitz and Bruce Ragalia

 

 

 

 

 

Zuzu in Napa – Tapas, Tapas, Tapas

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Zuzu on 829 Main Street in Napa

Zuzu at 829 Main Street in Napa

Zuzu – fine dining for less than $100

Ask a Napa resident or a Napa seasoned tourist where to dine, and surely Zuzu will be on the list of recommended restaurants. From the outside, it may not look like much, but the food is authentic Spanish Tapas. Tapas are small plates of delicious flavored foods that include seafood, cheese, meats and veggies. When we lodge in Napa, we are sure to have dinner at Zuzu at least one night. Not only is the food terrific, but you can also dine easily for under $100 a couple, and that includes a bottle of wine. All the ingredients are from local artisans and purveyors of fine food. Fresh food is the operative word at Zuzu. The restaurant does not take reservations so you may have to wait for a table, but it will be well worth it. For two people, order four tapas. We shared the Queso Frito, the Tortilla Español, a Paella for one, and the Monterey Squid and Morcilla Sausage a la Plancha. The wine list prices are reasonable and corkage is $15. How often does a Napa Valley restaurant charge $15 for corkage? Not often. Zuzu is a very down-to-earth restaurant, and it has the look and feel of a Tapas bar in Madrid, Spain. Warning, not for the swanky!

Monterey Squid
Paella
Tortilla Español
Queso Frito

More on staying in old town Napa

The old downtown of Napa is changing. New lodging and dining establishments have brought a thriving tourist community to the area. Several exciting wine bars and tasting rooms are within easy walking distance of lodging. The old Copia building is now an extension of the Culinary Institute of America. A restaurant, a store and wine tasting classes are available to the public. The Oxbow Public Market is not to be missed. You will find Napa an excellent wine country destination.

Bragg Vineyards – Back to the Basics in Calistoga

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Bob Bragg

Vintner Bob Bragg – relaxed in his Calistoga home

Bragg Vineyards in Calistoga –  family owned, small and hidden

There are said to be more than 400 “Brick and Mortar” wineries in the Napa Valley. For such a small wine region, the distance from one end of the Valley to the other is 27 miles, that is an enormous density of wineries. Many tourists drive along Highway 29 and choose a winery to visit by whatever catches their eye.  In most cases, one can expect the same in each of these tasting rooms: crowds, merchandise for sale, and a well-rehearsed spiel about the wines. Chances are the experience will be fun and enjoyable but nothing like the old days of the Napa Valley. This is where Bragg Vineyards comes into play. Bob and Anna Marie Bragg are the owners of Bragg Vineyards in Calistoga. Bob does it all as far as producing the wines. He tends to his 4.5 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and makes the wine. Anna Marie helps with tastings and PR activities. Wine production is a mere 150 cases of wine, a far cry from the average Napa Valley Winery. If you visit, you’ll be treated to Anna Marie’s original art work and her flair for decorating.

The Bragg Vineyards Story

Bob Bragg was a successful trial attorney in San Francisco.  He found visiting the Napa Valley was the best way to reduce the stresses of the courtroom. He and his law partner began looking for a Napa Valley retreat home and purchased this Calistoga property in 1995. Fifteen acres were planted with vines. Later Bob and his partner divided the property, with Bob holding 4.5 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. These grapes were sold to the nearby Chateau Montelena winery. After retiring from his law practice, Bob began to learn both viticultural and enology. In addition to taking classes at a Napa J.C., Bob had plenty of friendly instruction from the many contacts he made at Chateau Montelena and other Calistoga wineries. In 2008 Bob went full tilt into winery business, launching his first vintage.

Bragg Vineyards produces two 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines each year, one from Padre’s Vineyard and the other from Mario’s Vineyard. The wines are aged one year longer than most premium Napa Valley Cabernets. Bob’s 2014 Cab is still in the barrel. He will bottle it in a few weeks. Age time in the bottle will be eight months to a year before the wine is released and sold. The result is a softer Cab, with a balance of tannins and acidity. These are very nice, food-friendly Cabernets. The Bragg Vineyards Cabs sell between $70 and $85. Similarly produced Cabs in the area sell for more than $100. If you are a cult Cab collector, put a visit to Bragg Vineyards on your list.

Just about all farming and wine making is done solely by Bob. He does bring in a few helpers to prune, thin and help with the harvest. The only thing that is not done at the Bragg Vineyards winery is the bottling. For that aspect, Bob transports his barrels over to winery with a bottling line, and that makes for a smooth and easy bottling process for the Bragg Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. Many wineries use the term “Hand Crafted,” but in the case of Bragg Vineyards, that term is an exact description.

 

Visit

Plan well in advance to book an appointment at Bragg Vineyards. Bob and Anna Marie have a home in San Francisco but spend most of the Spring to Fall months at the Calistoga home. There are also many excellent wineries in Calistoga worth visiting. We have outlined those in our Calistoga Wine Trail.

How much are tasting fees in the Napa Valley in 2017

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Beringer Brothers

A basic walk-in tasting at Beringer Wines is $25 per person

What it will cost you to taste wine in the Napa Valley in 2017

In short, prepare for tasting fee sticker shock. This is our fourth year of tracking tasting room fees in the Napa Valley. We base it on the same wineries each year and an entry level tasting. Most wineries have multiple options for tasting wines. For this index we stick to the basic fee one pays to pop into a tasting room without a reservation.  All of these tasting rooms are along Highway 29 and are visible from the road.  This is an entirely unscientific collection of data, but it does give visitors an idea of the cost of tasting wine in the Napa Valley.

Napa Valley Tasting Room Index 2017

These wine tasting fees represent the entry level wine tasting.

  • Alpha Omega – $50 for two reds and two whites
  • Beaulieu Vineyards –  $25 for four wines
  • Beringer Wines – $25
  • Grgich Hills – $25 for five wines
  • Louis Martini – $25 for four red wines
  • Peju Province – $35
  • Provenance –  $25 for four red wines
  • Pestoni Family Estate -$20
  • Sequoia Grove – $20
  • Whitehall Lane – $25 for four wines

The Napa Valley Tasting Room Index for 2017 is an average of $27.50, as compared to $23 for 2016. The latest inflation rate for the United States is 1.3% for  2016. Our Napa Valley Tasting Room Index rose 19.5% this past year, well above our national inflation rate.  If you are planning a Napa Valley wine country getaway you can figure what you need to budget for tasting rooms based on the average amount of $27.50 for a basic tasting.

December in Wine Country – Plan it Now

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winecountry-december

Take a hike in the vineyard in December in wine country.

Why December in wine country is a great time – be different, be bold

Every December we take off to wine country to take the time to rejuvenate the spirit and enjoy the beauty of wine country. December is a fantastic time to explore your favorite wine country destination. Be different, be bold, and plan a trip to the wine country this December.

December in wine country

Quiet life among the vines

Here is why December in wine country is a very good time:

  • Visiting the wine country in December is like going to a different place. If you have only seen wine country in full vineyard bloom, December brings an entirely different look and feel to it. The bare vines have a beauty all their own.
  • There is no “hustle and bustle;” there is a sense of calmness to the wine country that does not exist during the tourist season.
  • More of the local community is out and about, and they have a whole different perspective on wine country life.
  • The mustard plant is blooming here and there between the vineyard rows. Mustard usually hits a peak about 30 days after the first good rainfall. We have had that, so this should be a great mustard viewing season.
  • The most obvious, there are no crowds in tasting rooms, restaurants, and the boutique shops. It is like the “Old Days” before wine country travel became chic.
  • Because fewer people visit the wine country at this time of the year, you’re likely to find bargains in lodging and dining.
  • Shopping the wine country towns like Sonoma, Healdsburg, and St. Helena is relaxed.
  • Hiking is better in December. Take time to smell the air and the leaves.

Other useful information

sonoma valley winter

A look at Sonoma Valley in early December

About Tamber Bey Vineyards

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Tamber Bay in Calistoga

Tamber Bay in Calistoga

This is a guest post submitted by Tamber Bey Vineyards. The winery is located in Calistoga in the Napa Valley wine country. The Tamber Bey Video was produced by Metrics Cosmetics.

About Tamber Bey Vineyards

Tamber Bey Vineyards of Napa Valley, California, embodies the philosophy that great winemaking begins in the vineyard. Owners Barry and Jennifer Waitte founded Tamber Bey Vineyards in 1999, when they purchased a 60-acre vineyard in the Yountville Appellation. They named the property the Deux Chevaux Vineyard to pay homage to Tamber Bey’s namesake, Barry’s first two Arabian horses, Tamborina and Beyamo. “Deux Chevaux” is French for “two horses.” The Waittes own a second vineyard property in nearby Oakville, from which is made their flagship Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon.

“We pride ourselves on producing extraordinary wines from estate-grown grapes and carefully sourced fruit,” says Barry Waitte. “Our portfolio includes distinct single-vineyard, single-varietal wines that reflect this philosophy.”

Barry’s love of wine country began when he was a child. Born and raised in the Bay Area, his parents would spend time every summer in Napa Valley. Barry has fond childhood memories of the wineries of the 1960s. As a young professional, he began collecting fine wines from Bordeaux. When he decided to start his own wine business, Napa Valley was the obvious choice for location.

Tamber Bey wines are produced by Winemaker Frederic Delivert at the Sundance Ranch, a world-class equestrian facility in Calistoga that is home to the winery, tasting room, and the Waittes’ Arabian endurance horses. These horses compete in races covering 50 to 100 miles. Both Barry and Jennifer compete in endurance racing, and Jennifer is the horses’ trainer. Barry is the 2016 National Heavyweight Champion, 50-mile distance, and Jennifer is the 2016 Reserve National Featherweight Champion, 100-mile distance.

A visit to the Tamber Bey winery is like nothing else in Napa Valley. The tasting room is located in the original barn clubhouse designed by renowned architect Howard Backen. The 16-stall barn surrounds the courtyard, where guests can taste wine, mingle with the horses, and enjoy stunning views of Mount St. Helena and the Palisades. Everything about the property and experience reflects the Waittes’ love of horses and wine.

Tamber Bey’s current releases include award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Bordeaux-style red blends. For more information about Tamber Bey, or to schedule a visit to the winery and ranch, go to www.tamberbey.com.

Tamber Bey from Metric Cosmetics on Vimeo.

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