Are Napa Valley prices killing goose that laid the golden egg?

We remember a time not that long ago when California wineries welcomed you with open arms — no charge for a tasting, maybe even a second pour with the hopes you will buy a bottle to go. That Napa Valley train has left the station. Tastings now cost you significant money and you need an invitation just to open the door.

If you are planning to return to California soon, be prepared for a lot of changes in the tasting rooms. According to the wellrespected annual “Direct to

Consumer Report” from the Silicon Valley Bank, Napa Valley producers are charging an average of $81 for a basic-level tasting — up $21 from last year. A flight of premium wines will easily exceed $100 for one person.

If you decide to buy a bottle at a Napa Valley winery, be aware that the average price is $108 — a new threshold for Golden State producers — up $17 from 2022.

The price of vineyards and grapes continues to rise in the nation’s most respected wine region where consumers wait for years to buy some of the most sought-after wines that cost $300-$500 a bottle.

Furthermore, it is more difficult to walk into a tasting room without a reservation, so planning your visit well ahead of time is essential. According to the SVB report, nearly 60% require reservations — a relatively new concept that started after wineries reopened their doors following the stateordered closure from the COVID pandemic. Before the pandemic, just 17% of producers required reservations.

Other wine growing regions are not quite as demanding or costly. The average bottle price in Sonoma County is $57 a bottle

and the average price of a base-level tasting is $38.

Not surprisingly, the number of visitors to Napa wineries is down 19% since 2018, but it appears visitors are slowly coming back in increased numbers. Sonoma, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara, however, experienced a decline in visitors from 2021 to 2022.

Has Napa Valley killed the goose that laid the golden egg in the Golden State? Tasting room numbers seem to indicate a reluctance to pay lofty prices just to taste a wine, not to mention buy a bottle.

But experts say there is an abundance of affluent consumers seeking pent-up wine tasting experiences without traveling overseas. The average sales deal in a Napa Valley tasting room is $488!

Also down is the number of people who order wines on line — a bonanza for producers during the covid pandemic. While direct sales fell in volume, the average price of shipped wine rose 2.3% since 2021. The sweet spot for directto-consumer sales is a whopping $70 to $90.

We have heard from readers seeking value wines, but in general they are not coming from Napa Valley any more. Paso Robles and Mendocino, for instance, are still good for less expensive wines but even those sell for more than $20 a bottle — a threshold few consumers want to cross for a daily wine.

Perhaps the best deal is coming from Viriginia, a region getting more respect every year. An average tasting there is just $18 a person and the average cost of a Virginian wine is an affordable $32. The vineyards in Old Dominion are just as remarkable.

Appassionata Vineyards

We recently discovered Willamette Valley wine producer Appassionata Vineyards. Predictably for Oregon, it produces a pinot noir but surprisingly it also crafts a world-class riesling.

This is probably because Ernest Loosen, owner of the Germany’s worldrenowned Dr. Loosen winery and producer of some of Germany’s finest riesling wines, is involved in this project.

The European influence includes extended aging and oak barrels that Loosen applies in Germany.

We first tasted the

Appassionata Vineyards Riesling GG Chehalem Mountains 2017 ($50).

Loosen believes in extended aging and delivers here. A very big, impressive riesling, the wine delivers deep baked apple and complex mineral notes in an amazingly delicious package. The GG refers to “Grosses Gewachs” which in Germany means wines of the finest quality and fermented in a dry style.

The Appassionata Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Allegro 2019 ($95) is a very big style pinot noir that can stand up to any food. Deep rich black cherry and plum elements with a hint of dried cherry as well. Amazingly good and delicious.

Wine picks Tournon Mathilda Victoria Shiraz ($21):

Another brilliant venture by Michel Chapoutier, Domaine Tournon is located in Victoria on the southeastern side of Australia. Organically farmed and in diverse soils, the shiraz has all the markings of this gifted winemaker. Lively black fruit aromas lead off the rich and supple fruit character.

C.K. Mondavi Family Select California Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($16):

With several of the fourthgeneration family members steering this historic property, the products are always solid but not necessarily from specific vineyards. Mondavi draws grapes for this wine from Lodi, Yolo and Napa Valley. A good value and very approachable, it is juicy with ripe plum and cherry notes with a hint of vanilla.

Bouchaine Estate Chardonnay 2019 ($36):

This buttery and delicious chardonnay shows off nectarine and stone-fruit flavors with hints of lime and lemon curd.

Chronic Cellars Sir Real

Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($17): The petite sirah and syrah that is blended into this Paso Robles wines give it considerable dimension with a riper character and smoothness. Plum and dark cherry notes with a hint of cocoa and tobacco.

Truth Myth Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($24): Ripe dark red fruit flavors with a hint of pepper and dark chocolate.

Chronic Cellars Paso Robles Suite Petite 2021 ($17):

Ripe blackberry and blueberry flavors with a dose of dark chocolate and spice. Big and bold for current drinking, this is a fun wine.

Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr have been writing a weekly, syndicated wine column since 1985. See their blog at moreaboutwine. com. They can be reached at marq1948@gmail.com.