Raise a Glass: Three Napa Valley Tastings Worth the Trip
It’s easy for Orinda residents to take the Napa Valley for granted. It’s just up the road, always there and always an option. But the visitors who fly in from all over the world to experience Napa’s beauty and its by-product are a reminder that this region is more than a bucolic neighbor.
It’s one of the world’s greatest wine regions, and how lucky are we that it is but a mere one-hour drive away. Whether you are a wine-tasting regular, or a fair-weather imbiber, here are three exceptional wine-tasting experiences (beyond a pour and a bread stick) to entice you up to the Silverado Trail and Highway 29.
Lewis Cellars: The Art of Taste
Lewis Cellars has been making bold Napa Valley wines for more than three decades, but its newly unveiled tasting room provides a reintroduction. Formerly the Robert Sinskey Winery property, the space has been transformed into a theatrical playground with leopard print textiles and 15 original and surreal works by mixed-media artist Zachary Scott. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors open to sweeping views of the Mayacamas Mountains. At sunset, the room glows.
Tasting experiences run the gamut, but the one really worth a visit is The Art of Taste, a five-course wine pairing dinner held on select Friday evenings ($350). It’s equal parts dinner party and masterclass. A small number of guests are assigned seats, served by a professional team and joined throughout the evening by winemaker Jordan Jeffries and members of his crew, who rotate tables with each course.
A recent menu included Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, a River Dog Farm Grilled Chicory Salad, George Bank Maine Scallop, Bellwether Farm Ricotta Gnudi, and – thanks to a seamless kitchen accommodation – Schmitz Ranch Wagyu New York to replace my duck aversion.
Each course arrived with one of Lewis Cellars’ standout wines: big, structured reds and Chardonnays. Michelin-starred Executive Chef Rachel Haggstrom and Estate Chef Christophe Gerard lead the culinary program. With this tasting experience, Lewis Cellars is not playing it safe, and that’s the point.
Opus One: Art of the Table
Opus One needs little introduction. Since Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild formalized their partnership in 1978, the winery has set the standard for Napa’s top tier. The limestone estate that rose from Oakville soil in 1991 remains one of the valley’s most impressive buildings.
The winery offers three tasting experiences, but Art of the Table ($650 per person) is in a category of its own. The private 2.5-hour experience begins with a behind-the-scenes tour before settling into a four-course menu led by Executive Chef Sean Koenig. Ingredients are seasonal, some grown and foraged on the estate. Even the bread is made with wild yeast from the vineyards.
A recent menu opened with a 2021 Robert Mondavi Block Fumé Blanc alongside a pork terrine with confit rabbit and mustard béchamel. A 2012 Opus One followed, paired with sautéed skate wing and black truffle.
The main course – prime beef with a bone marrow croquette – arrived with three vintages of Opus One: 2012, 2019 and 2022 side by side, an opportunity to watch how each growing season shapes the same wine differently.
Pastry Chef Daniela Sanchez closed the afternoon with a pinecone bavarois of pine nut praline and dark cocoa crumble that was as sculptural as it was delicious. And bonus: guests depart with a curated takeaway.
Sequoia Grove: A Taste for Cabernet
Beneath the actual sequoias in Rutherford, Sequoia Grove takes a more relaxed approach, but don’t mistake the casual tone for a lack of seriousness. Winery Chef Bryce Palmer has a Michelin-starred background and a clear philosophy: take guests somewhere unexpected, pair what they’ve been told won’t work and make it better than what they expected.
A Taste for Cabernet ($175 per person) is the full expression of that idea. The multi-course pairing experience showcases reserve-level reds, including the flagship Cambium, offered as part of a rare vertical tasting through dishes engineered to reveal something new in each wine.
One recent standout: Cavatelli Succotash, a riff on a Southern staple made with smoked Brentwood corn, black pepper pancetta and house-made pasta. Cold-smoking the corn and layering in smoky paprika builds the umami depth needed to hold up to Cabernet’s tannins. It works.
Three wineries, three very different experiences. What they share is a commitment to going well beyond the basic tasting room pour. Next time you find yourself putting off a Napa trip for another weekend, remember: people cross oceans for what’s an hour up the road.
Guests enjoy The Art of Taste experience at Lewis Cellars, where bold wines, immersive design and a multi-course pairing dinner come together against sweeping views of the Mayacamas Mountains.
