From wine and beer to brandy, in-person tasting is back in full force across Napa Valley. On our recent foray to Wine Country, we found three new and unique, stand-out tasting experiences that offer something for everyone, from brandy lovers to donkey devotees and potato chip fans.
Shadowbox Cellars
Justin Preiser came to winemaking from the sales and production side, after stints at several wineries in Napa Valley and as founding executive editor of The Preiser Key, a wine magazine. His wines are acid-driven and meant to be paired with food, as demonstrated by the gourmet lattice-cut potato chip pairing he leads at his tiny tasting room in downtown Napa.
Pre-COVID, Shadowbox was a speakeasy-style tasting room with no signage and only a red door that those in the know entered via code. Since 2020, however, Preiser has offered tastings of his extremely limited-production wines — his 2013 Chardonnay yielded just 44 cases — alfresco, in one of downtown Napa’s first tasting room parklets.
Preiser makes cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, pinot noir and rosé, and sources the majority of his fruit from small, prized vineyards in the Oak Knoll and Stag’s Leap districts of Napa Valley, in addition to Sonoma’s Carneros region. And he guided us through the whole lineup while editing his magazine on deadline (impressive, indeed).
The sips: The Salt & Acid tasting ($55) featured five wines, with a crisp 2017 Rosé of Pinot Noir the youngest in the bunch. The 2013 46th Leaf Reserve Chardonnay — yes, made from 46-year-old vines — had delicious, full flavors, made all the richer with Smoked Gouda chips. And the opulent, yet restrained, 2015 Grigsby Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon had a finish that seemed to go on and on. Those accompanying Dry Aged Rib-eye chips? C’mon.
Details: Flights start at $35. Open by appointment 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Tuesday at 1201 First St. (entrance on Coombs Street) in Napa; www.shadowboxcellars.com.
Oasis by Hoopes Family Vineyard
Membership has its privileges — like drinking Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon ($125) while visiting with Jack E. O’Asses, a rescued wild donkey — at this outdoor experience in Yountville.
Last summer, second-generation proprietor Lindsay Hoopes transformed the family’s 12-acre plot into a stylish alfresco salon to better enjoy the surroundings, which include the estate vineyard, gardens and animal rescue sanctuary.
You can sip inside the midcentury modern tasting room, too, but it’s very close to the bustling kitchen. The best spots to taste through the winery’s cabernets, chardonnays, syrah, merlot and rosé are on the shaded deck or near the gardens, where an Airstream, patio misters and a sign that says “I swear to drunk I’m not God” keep things cool. You’ll also be closer to the goats, pigs and chickens that call Oasis home.
And while you don’t need to be a member to visit, be aware that fees add up quickly — the table fee recently rose from $50 per adult per hour to $100 for 90 minutes — and that tastings are done via bottle service (starting at $30) or mini bottles (4 for $85). That said, they start you off with a complimentary taste, and you can ask to taste any other current release for free.
The sips: We loved the 2016 Hoopes Rosé, a bright yet creamy pink made from estate vines. The 2015 Sophie’s Block Syrah was also a stunner, its dark fruit notes pairing beautifully with the dynamite cheese board ($75). With a baguette, three artisanal cheeses, two jams, dehydrated fruits, Marcona almonds and Castelvetrano olives, it’s lunch for two or three.
Details: Non-member prices vary (annual membership starts at $1,200). If you’re bringing kids, there’s a child fee ($20), which includes a goodie bag. Appointments recommended. Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily at 6204 Washington St. in Napa; www.hoopesvineyard.com
California Brandy House
Open since November, this handsome downtown Napa tasting room — with its tufted sofas, wood paneling and wall carvings in the shape of alembic stills — is the first dedicated to premium California brandies. And while the steady stream of 40-and-under visitors says a lot about the trend in brown spirits, it’s also a result of California Brandy House’s laid-back and education-driven approach.
Owned by E&J Gallo Winery, the California Brandy House pours two brands, Argonaut and Germain-Robin. Saunter up to the bar and a knowledgable leather-aproned staffer will lead you through one of three flights, as well as a thorough history of California brandies and distillation practices (barrel aging, the difference between alembic and Coffey stills, or the fact that Cali brandies are made from a variety of wine grapes). What better place to call home than Napa?
The sips: Beginners should opt for the California flight ($15), a selection of five brandies including the warm, vanilla-like Argonaut’s Saloon Strength, bottled at 91 proof and developed for bartenders, and the silky-smooth Germain-Robin XO, made predominantly from pinot noir grapes.
Details: Flights start at $15. Open noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday at 1300 First St. in Napa; www.californiabrandyhouse.com.
