Four Midsize to Large Wineries of Napa Valley that Deliver Quality Tasting Experiences

There are around 1,700 registered wineries with the Alcoholic Beverage Control of California in the Napa Balley with around 500 that have tasting rooms where you can taste and learn about the wines they make.  The Napa Valley is 30 miles and length and only 5 miles wide, so when you think about the concentration of wineries to visit, Napa is pretty amazing.  At the same time, it can be overwhelming if you are trying to make decisions about where to go on your next trip to wine country.

During our recent trip to Napa we experienced seven unique wineries that provided amazing experiences.  Each and everyone one of these wineries provided exceptional customer service during their tasting experience and had amazing wines.  We experienced everything from the high commercialized Castello di Amorosa to the ultra-focused on sustainability Frogs Leap, to the specialized Promise Winery.

At each of the wineries, we learned a lot from each of our hosts, and amazingly enough, they really were not repetitive in the information to share.  It really highlighted how much there is to know and understand about winemaking and the farming that goes into the grapes.  Napa is amazingly beautiful because of the vast vineyards that are surrounding the wineries. It was interesting to know that many of the acres of vines are owned by independent farmers that are growing to sell to the wineries.

This was our first trip to Napa valley so we learned a lot during our visit, but we had three amazing days learning about the vineyards and much more.  Here are the wineries we visited with a brief description of each.  Watch for more detailed posts on each of the wineries to learn more about what they offer.  I will rank these based on our experience into two categories based on their size.  To my knowledge, we only visited one winery that would be considered large so they will be split into Mid Size and Boutique.

1. Frogs Leap Winery

8815 Conn Creek Rd., Rutherford, CA
(707) 963-4704
Website: Frogsleap.com
Reservation Needed: Yes (as of June 2021)
Tasting Cost: $45.00

Wines: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Valdiguie, Zinfandel

Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Wines Tasted: 4 plus one extra
Wines: 4.5



The people at Frog's Leap are passionate about their wines while they are still on the fine.  They believe that you grow fine wine not just make it and focus lots of attention on being a fully organic vineyard that turns their grapes into great tasting wines.  Frogs Leap believes in the principles of dry farming so while each vine will produce less, the grapes that they produce will be richer in flavors and more concentrated than grapes that are heavily irrigated.



They have multiple styles of tasting options depending on what you are looking for.  For our tasing we had a wonderful table on the wrap-around porch of the main house that serves as their offices and tasting area.  Our host was passionate and sociable and provided some great information about their farming practices.  He also got to know us and was easy to have a conversation with.  Sitting on the porch was amazing, overlooking their vegetable gardens and the vineyards behind them.

2. B Cellars

703 Oakvillle Cross Rd. Napa Ca
(707) 709-8787
Website: Bcellars
Reservation Needed: Yes (as of June 2021)
Tasting Cost: $95.00

Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon

Service: 4
Atmosphere: 4.6
Wines Tasted: 4 (2 additional upon request)
Wines: 4.5


B Cellars makes it to number two on our list of mid-size to large wineries in the Napa Valley because of the food pairings that they offer as a part of your tasting and tour.  Like other wineries, there are multiple levels of tasting options including the tour option which we took.  When you arrive at B Cellars you are welcomed in the parking lot and as you walk up to the tasting room your host is waiting for you with your first taster on a tray ready to go.


The tour provides helpful information about their process including farming, harvesting and processing, and aging. B Cellars has a large wine cave which was part of the tour option, although you do not get to see a lot of it.



The patio where the tastings are done is a relaxing setting and the chef combines delicious bites to be paired with your wines.  It is fun to see how certain foods will enhance the flavor of the wine.  The hosts are very intentive and informative and it was overall a very nice experience.  

3.Castello di Amorosa 

4045 St Helena Hwy., Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 967-6722
Reservation Needed: Yes (as of June 2021)
Tasting Cost: $65 Diamond Estate Tour & Reserve Wine Tasting

Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanco, Vermentino. Gewurztraminer, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rose, Sweet Wines

Service: 4 (Tour size was large for the individual cost)
Atmosphere: 4.2
Wines Tasted: 6
Wines: 4



Castello di Amorosa was the largest of the wineries that we visited and is located on the north end of Napa Valley.  The sprawling property is home to a detailed replica of a castle including the mote with a draw bridge, dungeon, and an impressive great hall and church inside the castle.  They offered a variety of different tasting options and we took the tour to see the property and to see the wine caves.  The castle has a lot of attention to detail to it including representation of building styles from different periods and is a massive building.  Touched by the wildfires of 2020, they lost one of the buildings that had their shipping and wine collection in it.



At he end of the tour we came to the wine tasting area and got to try a wide variety of different wines including some sweet and desert wines as well.  There is a discount for bottles purchased at the end of the tour so you can get some of your tasting fee back this way.  There is a very nice gift shop here as well with a variety of items for your home, wine drinking or food items.  


The grounds here are picturesque and worth some extra time for walking around.  We started out wine tasting and tour at 10 o'clock and it was a full morning activity.  Lots of fun and very unique.
 

4. Raumbauer

3522 Silverado Trail N.; St Helena, CA
(866) 280-2582
Reservation Needed: Yes (as of June 2021)
Tasting Cost: $20.00

Wines: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Barbera, Port

Service: 3.5
Atmosphere:3.5
Wines Tasted: 7
Wines: 3.5

Raumbauer winery is best known for their Chardonay which can be found in stores around the country.  Their blue and yellow labels are recognizable and sell their brand.  The winery is located up on a hill just above the Silverado Trail which you take north and south through Napa Valley.  When you arrive you are taken into the tasting room, which is a series of stand up bars where your host will introduce you to their wines.  We were lucky and had a nice view out the window, but it not quite the same as some of our more intimate tasting experiences.  Our host was very knowledgable and fun to learn from.  We got to try a wide variety of their wines and enjoyed the grounds.


This would be a great place to bring a picnic and enjoy your lunch with a bottle of wine that you purchase.  There are tables throughout the grounds which are nicely landscaped and cared for.  The wine cave was closed when we visited, but the hobit like door was neat and a fun photo opportunity.  There are many flowers and fauna planted in the gardens so taking some time to enjoy them is recommended.



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