The Tasting Room Only Winery – What Do You Miss?

Storefront Tasting Room or a Real Winery

I’m totally amazed at the number of tasting-room-only wineries that have set up shop in the Napa Valley. I’m not talking about a wine bar, but a tasting room where visitors can come in and taste small amounts of wine just as you would at a real winery. In the business areas of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga there are numerous storefront tasting rooms. Most represent one winery, but a handful will serve wines from several wineries.

For the visitor the advantage to visit tasting rooms in town is convenience. The visitor can walk and visit several tasting rooms within a relatively short distance and not have to drive. Why not walk out of your hotel or B&B and spend the day leisurely strolling along without worrying about who will be the designated driver or about paying all that cash to hire a limo.

If you decide to visit tasting rooms in Napa Valley town centers, what do you miss? Well, first and foremost, the incredible beauty of the Napa Valley. Driving from Napa to Calistoga at any time of the year is not to be missed. The hills and vineyards are special and give peace of mind and tranquility. The majority of visitors that come to the Napa Valley want to get the sense and feel of a real winery. We love to walk or picnic in the vineyards. We want the chance to smell fermenting wine, catch a peak of a bottling line, or walk through a room full of oak barrels, or even get the opportunity to taste a barrel sample or meet the winemaker. Don’t miss out on all this, as an old friend of mine used to say, “Be there or be square.” The working winery in the Napa Valley is the place to be.

Resources for the wine country traveler

• Napa Valley Wine Routes
• Napa Valley Planning Guide
• Best time of the year to visit wine country
• Which wine country region to visit – Pros & Cons