When I began planning our weekend in Napa, I wanted to be sure to hit a variety of wineries that would make it fun for everyone in the group. We ended up visiting four wineries, but the top three included Sterling Vineyards, Peju Province Winery and Mumm Napa.
Sterling Vineyards
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This was our second visit to Sterling and our first stop of the day. Even though the previous day was so windy they had to close the gondola rides up to the top, it was perfect weather when we visited.
Sterling sits at the top of the hillside, which makes for gorgeous views of nearby vineyards and the Spanish-style estate. The cost includes a gondola ride up to the winery, Sterling wines to taste and a self-guided tour through the barrel rooms, out to the balcony overlooking the valley and ending in the tasting room.
What I like about Sterling is that you can take the tour at your own pace, stay in each of the areas as long as you like and the balcony makes for a perfect backdrop to snap some photos.
The great: the spectacular views; visiting Sterling is an experience that any Napa goer should visit at least once
The good: the self-guided tour lets you go at your own pace through the complex process of wine making
The could have been better: the price; for the price, you get a lot – wine tasting, gondola ride up the hillside, a tour and a great view, but compared to other wineries, it’s a little pricey
Peju Province Winery
Peju is a smaller, family-owned winery, but I think that’s what makes it such a nice place to visit.
When you first walk in, you enter their shop where they open up their mustards and chocolate sauces for tasting. We ended up liking their Raspberry Cabernet Fudge so much that we bought a jar, took it home and have used it to top vanilla bean ice cream.
We must have arrived during their busy time of day because the shop was packed with shoppers and people waiting for a tasting. Because of the short wait, they came out with a free sample of one of their rose wines, which was a nice surprise.
During the wine tasting, we got to taste five or six Peju wines. The tasting expert was so interactive with the group, letting my husband Alex taste the difference between two of their zinfandel wines. Alex liked one of them enough to buy a bottle of their 2004 Estate Bottled Zinfandel – our first bottle of wine purchased in Napa!
The great: lots of tastes for a reasonable price; there were so many tastings, it was hard to keep up with the group
The good: the grounds; with a fountain in the front and statues through the property, it was gorgeous
The could-have-been-better: the size; part of its charm is its smallness, but the entrance was a little crowded
Mumm Napa
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This was our last stop of the day and worth the wait.
Known for their sparkling wines, Mumm Napa offers about a dozen bubblies. Having never been there, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. As you walked up to the front, it had more of barn-like look than a winery, which added to its charm. But inside, the glass walls of the tasting room offered a beautiful view of their vineyard.
Our Scottish wine expert was not only so funny and personable, but she told us that buying two bottles of champagne would save us some money instead of each of us purchasing individual tastings. She told that her now American winemaking husband was the reason for her making the move to the states and we could tell she loved her job.
After a quick tasting, we opted for two sparkling wines. One of them was like nothing I’ve never had – Sparking Pinot Noir, a sparkling red wine.
We got to Mumm shortly before their closing, and were one of the last groups to leave, but it was a nice way to end our wine tasting tour.
The great: our wine expert not only knew her sparkling wines, but was entertaining and honest about what would be the best deal
The good: trying something new; their Sparkling Pinot Noir was not only a gorgeous red color, it tasted refreshing
The could-have-been-better: more time; this was mostly our fault as we got to Mumm near closing time
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