Free wine tastings in Napa Valley
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Free Wine in Wine Country
By Mark Ashley, Senior Free Wine Correspondent
See his travel blog, Upgrade: travel better
Napa Valley isn’t Sonoma.
This doesn’t just apply to the wines, but to their business practices. While Sonoma is the land of free wine, and it would take a week to cover all the great wineries that serve it up without asking for a penny, Napa is mostly business. Most of the wineries in Sonoma County still pour their wines for free (though this is starting to change). The norm in Napa is to pay for the privilege.
The majority of Napa wineries will charge tasting fees that range from $3 to $12 for the standard tastings. Reserve or library edition wines will cost you more.
But have no fear! I’ve assembled a list of 25 wineries that will pour their wine for free. Things change, of course, so please bear in mind that I’m writing this in July 2003. If you have additional wineries in Napa to add, or if some of my information needs updating, drop me a line.
Some general advice: If you can, go on weekdays. The folks doing the pouring seem to be more generous when there aren’t as many tourists around.
Also, even though free is free, and free wine is fantastic, you should probably indulge in a few select wineries that charge a tasting fee, especially if you’re itching to try their wine.
Plus, some wineries offer other perks, such as the Hess Collection Winery, which stands at the low end of the price range ($3) for a tasting of 3 current releases, but offers an extensive art gallery with free admission. (It may not be wine, but it’s free!).
Finally, check the NapaValley.com website for promotional goodies and coupons before you go. You can click HERE
for the full list of comp stuff. Some wineries, such as Luna,
offer a coupon for free reserve tastings (with the purchase of a regular tasting).
Happy Tastings!
—————
|
Acacia Winery (Carneros Ballentine Vineyards Bayview Bouchaine Vineyards (Carneros) |
1075 Buchli Station Rd.
Napa, CA 94559
(707)
252-9065 or (800) 654-9463
info@bouchaine.com
Daily, 10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Tours by appointment only, tastings don’t require an appointment. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Cain Vineyard and Winery
3800 Langtry Rd.
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707)
963-1616
winery@cainfive.com
Tastings are offered twice a week by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Otherwise closed to the
public. Call or e-mail them to find out the dates and times, and to make your
reservation. Cain serves Bordeaux style blends - 3 reds, 1 white - with names
like Cain Five (mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot), Cain Cuvee (mostly Cabernet
Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc), and Cain Musqué (Musqué clone Sauvignon
Blanc).
Caymus Vineyards
8700 Conn Creek Rd.
Rutherford, CA 94573
(707) 967-3010
Tastings are
free, but by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Be sure to call at least a week or two in advance.
Cabernet Sauvignon.
Chateau Potelle Winery
3875 Mt. Veeder Road
Napa, California 94558
(707) 255-9440
info@chateaupotelle.com
Daily, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Hours are shorter in the winter months; pouring
both Napa and Paso Robles vintages. Try the Zinfandel VGS.
Folie
a Deux Winery
3070 North St. Helena Highway
St. Helena, CA 94574
(800) 473-4454 or 707-963-1160
tasting@folieadeux.com
Daily, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Free tastings ONLY from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
Here’s the place to start your pre-lunch tastings… If you arrive before noon,
the tastings are free. After 12:00, you’ll have to shell out $5. The frugal taster
arrives early! Tastings don’t require an appointment, but you’ll need one for
cellar tours and the possibility of barrel tastings. Notable offerings include
their "Menage a Trois" blends and zinfandels.
Frank Family
Vineyard
1091 Larkmead Lane
Calistoga CA 94515
(800) 574-9463 or
(707) 942-0859
Tastings don’t require an appointment but if you want a tour,
you’ll need to call ahead. Tasting room Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Tours Mon.-Fri.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sparkling wines, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel.
Frog’s Leap
Winery
8815 Conn Creek Rd.
Rutherford, CA 94573
(800) 959-4704
or (707) 963-4704
ribbit@frogsleap.com
Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Tastings available ONLY at the conclusion
of a tour, and tours are by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Call or e-mail to make your appointment.
Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, and "Leapfrogmilch"…
a white blend. I hope the wine is better than the pun.
Graeser
Winery
255 Petrified Forest Rd.
Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 942-4437
richard@graeserwinery.com
Daily,
10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Bordeaux style wines from the Diamond Mountain District.
Tours possible; call ahead if you have a group. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc,
Merlot, red table wine.
Heitz
Cellars
436 St. Helena Highway South
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707)
963-3542
Daily, 11:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
This is one of the wineries where
I would gladly pay money to taste their offerings. But it’s free! The Heitz Cabernet
Sauvignons are legendary, though you probably won’t get to sample their Martha’s
Vineyard Cab. The tasting room is separate from the winery itself. In addition
to Cabernet, they offer Chardonnay, Grignolino, Zinfandel, and a port.
Koves-Newlan Winery
5225 Solano Avenue
Napa, California 94558
(707) 257-2399
hospitality@kovesnewlanwine.com
Daily, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
While Koves-Newlan charges for their tastings
($5 for 3 tastings or $7 for 4 tastings with a commemorative glass to keep) you
can get FREE tastings of ALL their wines by clicking HERE,
printing out the page, and bringing it with you to the winery. (It says you can
just say you saw it on the internet, but better to have a hard copy just in case…
But tell them you saw their winery listed on Dr. Vino.net!) Chardonnay, Pinot
Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet.
Louis
M. Martini Winery
254 S. St. Helena Hwy.
St. Helena, CA 94574
(800) 321-9463 or (707) 963-2736
info@louismartini.com
Daily, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Free tastings of current releases, $5 each for
reserve tastings. Tours are free, no appointment required. Especially the Italian
varietals such as Barbera and Sangiovese, but plenty of wines to choose from.
Mayacamas Vineyards
1155 Lokoya Road
Napa CA 94558
(707) 224-4030
mayacama@napanet.net
Tastings and tours are available free Monday through Friday by APPOINTMENT ONLY.
Small production (total of about 5000 cases) of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and
Chardonnay, some Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.
Nichelini
Winery
2950 Sage Canyon Rd.
St Helena, CA 94574
707-963-0717
nichwine@nicheliniwinery.com
Saturday-Sunday 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday-Friday by appointment
Call or
write if you want a free tasting and tour during the week, or if you have more
than 10 people coming on a weekend. You can even play bocce after you picnic.
Cabernet, Zinfandel, Riesling.
Raymond
Vineyard
849 Zinfandel Ln.
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-3141
director@raymondwine.com
Daily,
10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Current releases are free, library/reserve selections
"for a modest fee." (Tasting fee for groups over 25.) BUT: If you click
HERE, print
out the page and bring it to the winery, you’ll get a FREE library selection!
Tours offered by appointment in the mornings only. Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel,
Merlot, Chardonnay.
Robert Keenan Winery
3660 Spring Mountain Rd.
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-9177
rkw@robertkeenanwinery.com
Free tour and tasting by APPOINTMENT ONLY, call ahead. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot.
Rombauer Vineyards
3522 Silverado Trail
St. Helena, CA 94574
(800)
622-2206 or (707) 963-5170
Free tour and tasting by APPOINTMENT ONLY, call
ahead. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot.
Round
Hill Vineyards
1680 Silverado Trail
Rutherford, CA 94574
(707)
968-3200
Free tasting by APPOINTMENT ONLY, no tours. Producers of the Round
Hill, Rutherford Ranch, and Van Asperen wines. Chadonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet
Sauvignon.
St. Supéry
Vineyard and Winery
8440 St. Helena Hwy.
Rutherford, CA 94573
(800) 942-0809 or (707) 963-4507
divinecab@stsupery.com
Daily, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
It’s only free if you download this COUPON [no
longer valid], print it out, and bring it with you. Otherwise, you’ll pay $5 for
a tour and tasting. However, they’ll give you a pass which you can bring back
anytime, so you only pay the tasting fee once, ever. The coupon is good for up
to 6 people. Reserve tastings will cost you extra — $5 for 3 tastings on weekdays,
$10 for 4 tastings on weekends. Cabernet Sauvignon is the big one here, plus Chardonnay,
Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc.
Sutter
Home Winery
277 St. Helena Hwy (Hwy. 29) South
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-3104
info@sutterhome.com
Daily, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Complimentary tastings of Sutter Home and M. Trinchero
wines. Be prepared for a corporate experience from the folks who invented white zinfandel…
V. Sattui Winery
1111 White Lane
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-7774
info@vsattui.com
Daily, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m in winter)
Free tasting of 8 different V. Sattui wines, plus a cheese/deli plate to nibble on. Tours are self-guided. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot…
Vigil Vineyards
3340 Hwy. 128
Calistoga, CA 94515
(800) 948-4445 or (707) 942-2900
vigilwine@aol.com
Daily, 10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Definitely call ahead to make sure they’re open, but reservations shouldn’t be necessary. Some of Vigil’s production is organic. Carignane, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon.
Vincent Arroyo Winery
2361 Greenwood Avenue
Calistoga, CA 94515
(707)
942-6995
info@vincentarroyowinery.com
Tasting and tours by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Proprietary blends (such as the Melange, based primarily on Gamay) or Joy’s Choice (Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec), plus Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah.
One of the "seven best wine blogs." 
One of the three best wine blogs
On March 28th, 2007 at 8:18 am ,Dr. Vino wrote:
I just transferred this page over with my new URL. The page was written in 2003 so please contact the winery first to make sure that they are still doing the free tastings as policies may have changed.
There is also the ability to post a comment on this list now so if you see something out of date, just post here and I will edit the page as necessary. Thanks for your feedback — and happy travels!
On April 27th, 2007 at 1:42 pm ,Dr Vino’s wine blog » Blog Archive » Travel tips for Napa wrote:
[...] do have a few tips for the frugal epicurean (included this now dated list of free wine tastings in the valley), but not many. Some things that leap to [...]
On July 25th, 2007 at 11:35 pm ,Nicole Burnett wrote:
fyi: v. sattui no longer offers free tasting
On September 12th, 2007 at 9:41 am ,Karyl Oules wrote:
9/10: V. Sattui still has free tasting…they will mention charging but just tell the server that you can’t find your coupon….we and several others around us said and received wonderful treatment….
On September 24th, 2007 at 1:16 pm ,DH wrote:
Heitz Cellars is clearly a place to go if you plan to buy their wine. Going there with the intention to sample free wine is not a good idea. Its a small and almost private setting, which makes you feel kinda obliged to buy the wine, after you taste it.
On May 1st, 2008 at 10:21 pm ,Kyle A. wrote:
V. Sattui - $5 for tasting of 6 wines (didn’t know about a coupon); Louis M. Martini - $10 for tasting of 3 wines; Folie a Deux - $10 for tasting of 4 wines; Raymond $10 for tasting of 4 wines. After having to pay at every winery we stopped at, I finally asked a server (at Martini) why such a change in the five years since this list was first published. She explained that the tourists that were coming up and just getting drunk for free had become such a nuisance that almost all of the wineries now charged to keep that element away. The drunks weren’t there to buy anyway, so it was self-preservation to deter them from even showing up. The wineries figure that whatever they lost in sales they are making up for in tasting fees and having a better atmosphere for the serious consumers to find something they’ll purchase. I still had a great day (6 wineries in 6 hours), but be prepared to spend some cash, TNSTAAFL.