San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Enjoy a glass of vino with no reservations
Most Napa Valley wineries now require appointments, but these great spots still welcome walk-ins
Longtime Bay Area wine lovers may recall the days when you could drive up to Napa on a Saturday, pull off at any winery and enjoy a wine tasting. Unfortunately, spontaneity is a rare privilege these days. The vast majority of wineries in Napa Valley now require reservations — a policy sometimes dictated by the business’ permit, sometimes simply by high demand. Even more Napa wineries went by-appointment-only after the pandemic began, and most stuck with it.
But there are still wineries in Napa that welcome walk-ins. You just have to know where to look.
That’s where we come in: We’ve culled through the valley’s wineries that are friendly to last-minute travelers and selected our favorites, a mix of urban tasting rooms and vineyard-adjacent estates.
We narrowed this list to wineries where you’d have a very good chance of getting in on a Saturday, which tends to be the busiest day of the week in Napa. (Many other tasting rooms, not listed here, can usually accommodate walk-ins on weekdays.) It’s worth noting, however, that even these noreservation spots can reach capacity on high-traffic days. To ensure your best chance of getting a tasting, you may want to aim to arrive first thing in the morning, often around 10 a.m., or toward the end of the day, closer to 3:30 p.m. — E.M.
Alpha Omega Winery
The Alpha Omega terrace, complete with its signature shooting fountains, is one of the most popular and tranquil outdoor venues for wine tasting in Napa Valley. This means it can get quite busy — typically peaking around midday on a Saturday — but the St. Helena winery said it still does its best to welcome all guests with a tasting. (It may, however, be inside at the bar.) Like many Napa wineries, Alpha Omega specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties; choose from three flight options ($75-$125) that focus on current releases, library vintages and single-vineyard productions. If the estate is too busy to serve you, there’s a second option: Alpha Omega’s sleek downtown Napa tasting room, which stays open until 7 p.m. and also offers wines from the owner’s two other estates in San Luis Obispo and Spain. — J.L.
Tasting fee $75. 1155 Mee Ln., St. Helena. 707-963-9999 or aowinery.com
Benevolent Neglect Wines
Wine industry folks like to hang out at this downtown Napa tasting room, which offers mainly guided tastings but also, on some evenings, casual bythe-glass service. The wines are eclectic, made from grape varieties that you won’t often see in Napa (like Counoise and Vermentino), and as the winery’s name suggests, they’re made with a minimal-intervention philosophy. Vinyl records are always playing, and you can even bring your own if you want. While it’s well worth blocking out some time in your day here for a tasting, Benevolent Neglect is also a great choice for when you have a spare hour to kill before dinner. — E.M.
Tasting fee $35. 1417 2nd St., Napa. 707-241-3463 or bnwines.com
Beringer Vineyards
One of Napa Valley’s oldest wineries — founded in 1876 — Beringer is a historic treasure, notched in the National Register of Historic Places. The property itself feels like something out of a fairy tale, with vigorous gardens surrounding a 19thcentury mansion, called the Rhine House. While most of the winery’s tasting experiences (like a cave tour) require reservations, last-minute visitors can show up for its Sip & Stroll option ($20), which allows you to choose a glass of wine and wander around the expansive property at your leisure. If you’re looking for in-depth wine education, that won’t be your best bet, but it’s a great idea for those who want a little peace and quiet in a beautiful setting. — E.M.
Tasting fee $20. 2000 Main St., St. Helena. 707-257-5771 or beringer.com
Bouchaine Vineyards
On weekends, this scenic estate in Carneros can get busy, and it may not be possible for walk-ins to snag a spot in the winery’s recently renovated terrace area ($75), which is really the showstopper here. But spontaneous visitors can usually still be seated in the original tasting room or the garden, where Bouchaine offers a more casual tasting flight ($40) of four wines. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the main events here, as at many wineries in the bay-adjacent Carneros area, though Bouchaine also makes delectable rosé, Pinot Gris and Pinot Meunier, a lightbodied red that’s similar to Pinot Noir. — E.M.
Tasting fee $40. 1075 Buchli Station Rd., Napa. 707-252-9065 or bouchaine.com
Brendel Wines
Brendel is a new wine brand built on the foundations of historic wine brands. Founded by Lawrence Wine Estates, the fast-growing company that has bought up legacy Napa wineries, including Heitz Cellar, Stony Hill Vineyards and Burgess Cellars, Brendel uses fruit from the other Lawrenceowned wineries. Think of it as an opportunity to taste a wide swath of high-quality, organic vineyards from across Napa Valley — and at reasonable prices. Brendel’s downtown Napa tasting room is stylish and youthful, feeling more like a hip wine bar than a traditional tasting room. Order by the glass, bottle or flight — and whatever you do, don’t miss the Young Leon Frizzante Rosé, made from Grignolino, the quirky Italian red grape that was a mainstay for many years at Heitz Cellar. — E.M.
Tasting fee $30. 1227 First St., Napa. 707-963-8774 or brendel wines.com
Charles Krug Winery
This historic Napa Valley estate, founded in 1861, accepts walk-ins for tasting flights ($50) when there’s room. But if it’s too busy, visitors won’t be turned away: They can still order a wide variety of wines by the glass or bottle to enjoy in a less official format. Pick up some cheese, charcuterie and
pizza ($25) — including soppressata, wild mushroom and caramelized onions or The Special featuring truffle oil and serrano ham — to create an impromptu picnic from Charles Krug’s cafe, Cucina di Rosa. — J.L.
Tasting fee $50. 2800 Main St., St. Helena. 707-967-2229 or charleskrug.com
Clif Family Winery
Clif Family Winery, from the founders of Clif Bar, is a great stopover for an impromptu wine lunch. Located just south of downtown St. Helena, Clif has a dedicated food truck that serves seasonal bruschettas — perhaps with smoked salmon, smashed avocado, jalapeño and crème fraiche — salads and fun sides, including polenta tots and tempura fava beans. Walkins can order food with a glass or bottle of wine to enjoy inside Clif ’s tasting room, at the bar or on its front piazza. On slower days, guests can snag a more formal tasting without a reservation, too; The Italian-inspired Regufio Flight ($50, available Monday-Friday) pairs a small selection of artisanal foods alongside Clif ’s wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and rosé. — J.L.
Tasting fee $50. 709 Main St., St. Helena. 707-968-0625 or cliffamily.com
Frog’s Leap Winery
At this winery in Rutherford, the commitment to organic farming is on full display, thanks to the extensive gardens surrounding the farmhouselike tasting room. The Frog’s Leap wines are also top-notch, on the more restrained and refreshing side for Napa Valley, and it produces some of the region’s best Zinfandel. Walkins have the best chance of snagging a table during the summer months, now that Frog’s Leap has reopened its Garden Bar, where it holds a tasting of four wines ($40) in a covered arbor outdoors. (Due to its permit, Frog’s Leap will still require you to make a reservation — but you can make it on the spot when you show up.) — E.M.
Tasting fee $40. 8815 Conn Creek Rd., Rutherford. 707-9634704 or frogsleap.com
Hall Wines
Wine merges with modern art at Hall Wines in St. Helena, where your best bet as a walkin is the Art of Cabernet experience ($60). This classic standing bar tasting of four wines is hosted inside a glass-walled, vineyard-view space that feels like a contemporary art gallery. If you’re lucky, there will be room to hop on a tour ($75); conducted daily on the hour,
this comprehensive overview of Hall’s historic estate, grounds and winery concludes with a seated tasting of some of Hall’s most premium reds in an intimate salon. And if the winery happens to be especially busy upon your arrival, you can always purchase a glass of wine and stroll the property on a self-guided sculpture art tour. On weekends, we suggest getting there early — Hall opens at 10 a.m. — to guarantee your pick of offerings. — J.L.
Tasting fee $60. 401 St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena. 707-967-2626 or hallwines.com
Louis M. Martini Winery
Cabernet Sauvignon icon Louis M. Martini was one of the first in the region to open after Prohibition was repealed. It underwent a flashy renovation in 2019 and now offers a wide range of experiences, like an epic $325 food and wine pairing in an underground cellar and an old-fashioned bar tasting. Spontaneous visitors (in groups of up to six) can drop in for the St. Helena winery’s traditional Crown Bar Tasting ($50). Belly up to a luxurious bar that peers into the barrel room, sample Martini’s estate olive oil, and work your way through a flight featuring three $90 reds and a rosé. The building’s interior is massive with towering ceilings, so it never feels overcrowded. — J.L.
Tasting fee $50. 254 St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena. 707-968-3362 or louismartini.com
Mayacamas Vineyards
Mayacamas Vineyards is a storied Napa Valley winery, whose vineyard high on Mount Veeder has been turning out rugged, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignons for more than a century. (LeBron James is famously a fan.) Collectors may want to visit the mountain vineyard, which costs $125 and requires a reservation. But the rest of us can enjoy these excellent wines at Mayacamas’ satellite tasting room in downtown Napa, where a flight costs a very reasonable $35. (That usually includes a taste of the winery’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, which sells for $150 a bottle.) If you want to geek out, ask about the trove of older bottles that are kept in stock here — the Mayacamas wines, including Chardonnay, are delectable with a little age on them. — E.M.
Tasting fee $35. 1256 First St., Napa. 707-294-1433 or mayacamas.com
Merryvale Vineyards
This stalwart St. Helena winery holds tastings both in an indoor bar and on a spacious
outdoor patio. Weather permitting, opt for the patio — there’s sometimes even live music. A tasting of Merryvale’s current releases provides a nice snapshot of Napa Valley’s standard bearers: juicy Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, bright and refreshing Chardonnay. Tastings feel unhurried, with a host guiding you through each wine one by one. Walk-in visitors can choose either the Signature Tasting ($50) or the Reserve Tasting ($70), which includes more limited-edition and singlevineyard wines. — E.M.
Tasting fee $50. 1000 Main St., St. Helena. 707-963-2225 or
merryvale.com
Peju Winery
While driving down Napa’s Highway 29, it’s hard to miss this quintessential Wine Country estate and its dramatic entrance of sycamore trees, which locals lovingly refer to as “the Dr. Seuss trees.” Stand-up tastings ($40) on Peju’s opulent granite floors are usually available to walk-ins — sometimes with a short wait — and a seated tasting ($60) may be on offer, too. Taste through Peju’s most popular wines of the moment, which might include its noted 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet
Sauvignon and a rare white-and-red blend that’s best served chilled. On the rare occasion that the winery can’t accommodate last-minute guests, you can at least peruse the property’s gardens and art gallery with a glass of wine in hand. Peju is one of few in the area that stays open until 6 p.m., making it a great last stop of the day. — J.L.
Tasting fee $40. 8466 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford. 707-9633600 or peju.com
RD Winery
Napa’s first Vietnamese winery is in an unconventional location: tucked away in a warehouse district at the intersection of two major highways. It’s also several miles south of what many consider Napa’s gateway to the region’s wineries and is therefore bypassed by most tourists. But this makes RD a great first or last stop on a Wine Country day trip from the Bay Area, and one of Napa’s most walk-in friendly wineries. Few have discovered its calm and charming setting next to Asianinspired gardens — the highway noise is surprisingly muted — and tastings (from $30) feature a handful of unusual grape varieties, like Malvasia Bianca, Gruner Veltliner and Riesling. Add on food pairings, like pork bao, spring rolls and a crudités platter with miso-garlic hummus. — J.L.
Tasting fee $30. 3 Executive Way, Napa. 707-259-9446 or rdwinery.com
Rutherford Hill Winery
Set above the Auberge du Soleil resort and Michelinstarred restaurant, Rutherford Hill is one of the region’s most beautiful properties due to its unique architecture, gardens and panoramic view of Napa Valley. Swing by for a tasting of new releases ($60), which can take place at the indoor bar or on the patio. If the winery is booked up for tastings that day, you can still order a bottle, head to the oak-shaded picnic grove and enjoy the views for $30 per person. You can also bring picnic provisions for noshing; for that, we recommend stopping at the Oakville Grocery. — J.L.
Tasting fee $60. 200 Rutherford Hill Rd., Rutherford. 707-963-1871 or rutherfordhill.com
Stewart Cellars
This elegant, stone-walled tasting room in downtown Yountville is a convenient stop before lunch or dinner at one of the town’s hot spots, like the recently revamped Ciccio or chef Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc. Open for spontaneous drop-ins, Stewart Cellars pours tasting
flights ($40) inside a soothing, European-inspired tasting hall or in a sunny courtyard. This family-owned winery sources from some of the most soughtafter vineyard sites in Sonoma and Napa for a diverse portfolio that includes rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and more. Pick up some tasty macarons on your way out at Madeleine’s, located on the Stewart Cellars campus. — J.L.
Tasting fee $40. 6752 Washington St., Yountville. 707-963-9160 or stewartcellars.com
V. Sattui Winery
This is one of the most popular destinations in Napa Valley, perennially swarmed with thirsty visitors. Snobs might call it a tourist trap, but V. Sattui deserves credit for remaining one of the most accessible wineries in the valley, always welcoming walk-ins and providing novice-friendly service. At least 25% of the space at the St. Helena winery is reserved for folks who didn’t make an appointment, and even if the tasting room is busy, customers can always buy some wine, cheese and charcuterie at the on-site deli for a picnic. As at its sister winery, the medieval Tuscan-theme Castello di Amorosa, tasters can choose five wines from a long list. There’s a wide range of styles, from offdry Riesling and fizzy Moscato to rich Chardonnay and fullbodied Cabernet Sauvignon. For those who like their wines sweet, V. Sattui has one of the largest portfolios of dessert wine in Napa Valley. — E.M.
Tasting fee $45. 1111 White Ln., St. Helena. 707-963-7774 or vsattui.com
ZD Wines
Despite its 50-year history and prime placement on Napa’s Silverado Trail, ZD has managed to fly under the radar. What drivers can’t see from the highway is ZD’s epic vineyardview terrace, a panoramic perch for sipping the winery’s signature Chardonnay and elegant reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. The winery can typically accommodate walk-ins for a sit-down tasting ($50), which includes a brief tour of its recently-renovated tasting room and the option to add a cheese plate, smoked salmon rillettes or chocolate pairing for an extra cost. — J.L.
Tasting fee $50. 8383 Silverado Trail, Napa. 707-963-5188 or zdwines.com
Reach Esther Mobley: emobley@sfchronicle.com. Reach Jess Lander: jess.lander@ sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @jesslander