By: Kirsten Mickelwait for Visit Napa Valley
Sure, you can hire a car and explore those out-of-the-way wineries along the back roads. But why spend half your day on the road when there are so many excellent tasting rooms within an easy walk? Here are a few of the most accessible urban wineries and tasting rooms you can get to on foot, depending on the town you’re in.
Napa
Alpha Omega Collective – Enjoy terroir-driven wines offered in flights, by the glass and bottle service in an inviting setting inside a perfectly-situated historic building at the corner of First and Randolph streets, across from the Archer Hotel.
Walt Wines – A brand new tasting room in the heart of Napa. Located in the Oxbow district, this hip, new tasting room is packed full of awesome.
Mark Herold Wines – This is another Oxbow neighbor, a colorful and funky tasting bar featuring great Cabernets and other varietals.
Back Room Wines – This is a great one-stop shop if you’d like to taste a variety of different labels.
Bounty Hunter – Another fantastic spot for sampling a wide range of labels. This place offers more than 400 top-shelf wines, with 40 wines poured by the glass. Great barbecue, too!
Yountville
Atelier by JCB – An over-the top tasting experience in a flamboyant venue that also sells jewelry, candles, perfumes, and merchandise by Baccarat.
Priest Ranch – Taste its current releases with an artisanal cheese or chocolate pairing.
Stewart Cellars – A gorgeous stone complex featuring the Tasting Hall and NOMAD Heritage Library with a beautiful courtyard for lingering.
Jessup Cellars – The Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir you’ll taste here are available only at the tasting room, in select restaurants, and online.
St. Helena
The Saint – Classic meets edgy at The Saint, an 1890's bank turned loungy wine bar in downtown St. Helena that features a repertoire of delicious cult and boutique wines from around the world.
Orin Swift Cellars – This venue, right in the center of St. Helena’s shopping mecca, offers meticulously crafted wines of many varietals — perhaps the only thing more gorgeous than the wines are the labels.
Clif Family Tasting Room – Clif Family combines a love of wines with a love of cycling. They also produce an extensive line of condiments and other foods. The casual back patio is often the site for live music and the Bruschetteria, its own food truck.
Calistoga
Olabisi Wines – This charming tasting room is just off the main drag of Lincoln Avenue and features limited production of Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, and Chardonnay.
August Briggs Winery – A wide rotating selection is served at this intimate tasting room right on Lincoln Avenue — several full-bodied reds as well as Chardonnays, Pinot Blanc, and Rosé.
Tank Garage Winery – Right on the main highway of 128, this fun and funky spot is a former 1930s-era gas station and pours “one-off,” uniquely crafted wines.
