5 Great Downtown Napa Tasting Rooms

Wine tasting is as ancient a practice as wine production and has long been an expert trade that is now enjoyed recreationally. At one of the many downtown Napa tasting rooms, visitors enjoy the privilege of partaking in this ritual, examining and evaluating wines based on their sensory effects. While sommeliers and buyers will employ complex terminology in their analytical process, wine appreciators frequent these elegant watering holes to taste for personal appreciation and perhaps learn some more of the analytical skills.

If you’re heading to one of the downtown Napa tasting rooms this breakdown of the tasting stages will help you appreciate the process:

1. Appearance – color, opacity, etc.
2. In the glass is the aroma of the wine.
3. In the mouth is the sensation of the wine.
4. The finish is the wine’s aftertaste.

Here are 5 downtown Napa tasting rooms worth visiting:

1. The Napa General Store is a favorite destination in Napa for breakfast, lunch and their exclusive wine tasting bar. Their chic decor, delicious food, and hand-picked wine selection promise the best locally-made products that Napa Valley has to offer. Their wine tasting bar features an ever-changing selection of artisan wines from throughout the Napa Valley. Many of the wines they carry are from vintages that produced only 40 cases and are rarely found outside Northern California. Wine tasting and sales hours are from 11:30 AM to 5:30 PM daily, and tastings cost $20 for two people.
2. Another of the favorite downtown Napa tasting rooms is the St. Clair Brown Winery. This small-batch winery works in a confined downtown space creating no more than 200 cases of each wine they produce. Working with several independent growers through Napa Valley, winemaker Elaine St. Clair continues producing wonderful, unique wines with thirty years of experience behind her. Enjoy their garden eatery where you’ll be surrounded by the very produce you’re eating. Whether you’re looking for a bite to eat, to taste their microbrewed beers, or just a flight of their delicious wines, this makes for a wonderful tasting experience in the city.
3. The Bounty Hunter Wine Bar features 40 wines available by the glass, as well as traditional tasting flights and their popular Smokin’ BBQ. Head over and peruse their eighteen-page wine list for a fun evening out on the town.
4. The award-winning Carpe Diem Wine Bar is another great place to spend an evening drinking wine alongside cheese and charcuterie plates featuring locally cured and cultured treats.
5. At 1313 Main Street in downtown Napa you will enjoy wine as it serves its original purpose – to compliment food. Whether you just want a few little bites while tasting different wines or to indulge in the chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings, you’ll love both the combinations of food and wine at 1313 Main.

If you’re looking to extend your knowledge of Napa Valley wines then come visit the area and check out these great downtown Napa tasting rooms. For the most convenient trip be sure to book a room at the elegant Churchill Hill Manor, located just blocks away from these fine establishments.