Dutch Henry (4.25)



Open 10:00-5:00

Appt required? No

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2011

Directions:


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Tasting:
As you drive north on the Silverado Trail, look for the large barn-like structure on your right -- that's Dutch Henry! Park in the gravel lot, and as you exit your vehicle, don't be surprised to be greeted by one of the Airedale terriers that live at the winery. If you choose to have lunch on the grounds at one of the olive tree-shaded picnic tables, you can guarantee a furry friend will stop by to help you with your meal.

Dutch Henry is a small, family-owned and operated winery. The make the standards: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet, and most recently a Zinfandel, and they do most of them quite well. Tastings take place among the barrels inside the wine production facility (the aforementioned "barn") and typically feature samples of all available varietals.

The atmosphere at Dutch Henry is laid back. The tasting bottles sit open atop an overturned wine barrel and campy pictures of the family in western wear adorn the walls. The staff is friendly, production is small, and you can enjoy tasting and purchasing wine that is not widely distributed. This is the type of small winery that is happy to have you there and happy to share some of what they do with people who can appreciate their wine. Occasionally you may have the opportunity to taste something from the barrel, and usually the staff will pour anything within reason (if you ask nicely!). While all of their wine over the years has not been quite as excellent as some of their neighbors, I can always count on everything to be better than average and one or two of the wines to be excellent.



Recommended wine: The Pinot Noir is definitely Dutch Henry's finest and most consistent wine. The Cabernet has at times been pretty good, as has the Argos, but outside of the excellent Pinot, it typically depends on the visit.

Ratings (out of 5):


WINE
4.00
TASTING ROOM
4.50

ATMOSPHERE
4.25
VALUE
4.25

OVERALL
4.25

Zahtila Vineyards (4.56)



Open 10:00-5:00

Appt required? Yes

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2009

Directions:


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Tasting:
I've been to Zahtila a few times to taste, and every trip has always been rewarding. The tasting room is cozy and located well north, near the junction of the Silverado Trail with Hwy 29. Picnic tables are available for lunch or relaxation if you so desire.

Zahtila specializes in Zinfandel and Cabernet, and they do both well. On our most recent visit, our tasting room host made things even more interesting for our group: we did blind tastings. Zahtila produces both a Dry Creek Zinfandel and a Napa Zinfandel. Our host doubled up our glassware and had us try these side-by-side without revealing which wine was which. While both zins were solid, I especially liked the Oat Hill Napa Valley Zinfandel.

We followed that up with a similar exercise for Cabernet. Three more glasses, and three cabs to try -- a 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet, a 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet, and their flagship Cabernet, the Beckstoffer Vineyards Georges III 2005 Cabernet. We could see how their NV cab aged, and we could compare their standard cab with their single vineyard specialty.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable experience. They advertise that there's a $10 tasting fee, but I've never been charged. Good people, good wine, and a recommended stop.

Recommended wine: The Oat Hill Napa Valley Zinfandel is excellent. Both cabs are also above average.

Ratings (out of 5):



WINE
4.25
TASTING ROOM
4.50

ATMOSPHERE
5.00
VALUE
4.50

OVERALL
4.56

The Sonoma Map



Key:

4.51-5.00:       4.01-4.50:       3.51-4.00:       3.50 or less:


Visited (No Review Yet):             Planned Future Visit:


Fine Dining:             Casual Dining:             Lodging:





The blog is a little narrow to get the full benefit of the map, and so I recommend viewing the full size map here

Looking for a printable map to take with you? Feeling lucky and want to try something not yet reviewed on Vinetours? Sonoma.com hosts a map that presents a solid layout of many of the main wineries. You can download a copy here. Enjoy!

The Napa Map



Key:

4.51-5.00:       4.01-4.50:       3.51-4.00:       3.50 or less:


Visited (No Review Yet):             Planned Future Visit:


Fine Dining:             Casual Dining:             Lodging:



The blog is a little narrow to get the full benefit of the map, and so I recommend viewing the full size map here

Looking for a printable map to take with you? Feeling lucky and want to try something not yet reviewed on BarlinWine.com? NapaValley.com hosts a map that presents a solid layout of many of the main wineries. You can download a copy here. Enjoy!

Hope & Grace (4.69)





Open 10:30-5:30, Mon-Sat; 10:30-4:30 on Sunday

Appt required? No

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2013

Directions
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Tasting:
An unplanned visit to the Hope & Grace tasting room found it's way onto our schedule during a recent trip to Napa Valley. After breezing through our planned afternoon, we found ourselves with about an hour to kill before an appointment at Bell Winery. While intending to pass the time window shopping in Yountville, I happened upon a window that especially interested me -- a tasting room window! My generous wife reluctantly allowed me to "shop" inside, but neither of us imagined that it would be our best new find of the trip.

The Hope & Grace tasting room is a small space situated in the Edward James Courtyard on Washington Street in the quaint town of Yountville. Winemaker Charles Hendricks is well known in Napa Valley, with stints at Viader, Paoletti, and Regusci, among others. But along the way he decided to open up his own winery, named (as so many wineries seem to be) after his daughters. He currently continues to assist some wineries in a consulting role, but he is focusing his attention now on Hope & Grace.

The tasting room is interesting. Half mini art gallery, half tasting bar, the room seems to be slightly confused with its identity. But the staff is friendly, every wine is fair game, Romeo the dog is awesome, and the wines are excellent. We sampled everything that Hope & Grace produces, including the Charles Hendricks Reserve Cab, and there wasn't a bad wine in the bunch. Hope and Grace makes a Chardonnay, 2 Pinot Noirs, an outstanding Malbec, a Napa Valley Cabernet, and the aforementioned Reserve Cabernet.

The tasting experience was straightforward and enjoyable (and free). We were able to taste both the 2006 and the 2007 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir, the excellent Malbec, and the 2 outstanding Cabs. Overall, the only wine that I don't remember with "taste lust" is the Chardonnay, but I think it's likely because the reds were just so good.

There's nothing particularly fancy about the tasting room or location (although the art does make it interesting) -- this stop is all about the wine. While Hope & Grace wines ran on the pricey side (the reds start at $45 and go up from there), I felt the quality justified the price tag.

Highly recommended stop to sample some wines you may otherwise not have encountered.


Recommended wine: The Santa Lucia Pinot was outstanding (I preferred the 2007 to the 2006, but only slightly), the Malbec is one of the best I've had from California, and the Cabernet was very good. The Hendricks was excellent, but the price tag (over $100, I believe) probably wasn't justified.

Ratings (out of 5):


WINE
5.00
TASTING ROOM
4.50

ATMOSPHERE
5.00
VALUE
4.25

OVERALL
4.69