Open 10:00am-5:00pm
Appt required? Yes
Last barlinwine.com visit: 2010
Tasting:
Having discovered Orin Swift's The Prisoner a number of years ago as a delicious, affordable go-to wine, I had a visit to taste with this winery on my list for some time. Winemaker Dave Phinney loves blending and tinkering with wine, and the result has been a number of interesting blends that he's created over the years.
Orin Swift conducts tastings from their offices in downtown St. Helena. This may be the most casual, laid-back tasting experience you will have in Napa Valley. Visitors to these appointment only tastings first must find the offices. Appropriately, they are located in the same building as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (look for the IOOF sign). Dave and company are a slightly different breed.
Tastings are conducted at a single large slate-topped table. We grabbed a seat on one of the six available stools and proceeded to sample 4 wines: Veladora, Saldo, The Prisoner, and Papillon. Veladora is Dave Phinney's venture into white wine. Primarily Sauvignon Blanc (with a little Semillon and Muscat thrown in), Veladora is a smooth, solid expression of this varietal. We followed that with a taste of Saldo, Phinney's take on Zinfandel. I didn't love this wine, but it certainly had an interesting label. We initially thought that it was just a tasting room unlabeled bottle, but when we were told that the red tape label with the white punch out letters we saw was the same we'd see on every bottle, I was amused and my wife was VERY excited (she's obsessed with her label maker at home).
After that, we moved to the two most recognized Orin Swift wines, The Prisoner and Papillon. The Prisoner is a wine I've had many times before. Primarily Zinfandel, with around 20% Cabernet blended in, I've always regarded this wine as a tremendous value. In recent years, the price has started to creep up closer to where it belongs (in the mid-$30 range), but I still think it's a solid buy at that price point. We finished with a sampling the 2007 Papillon. Made up of 90% Cabernet, the '07 was delicious and frankly made The Prisoner taste somewhat average by comparison.
Overall, this was a quiet, interesting, low pressure stop in high pressure Napa Valley, and recommended for anyone who's interested in trying some slightly different approaches to wines in a relaxed environment.
Having discovered Orin Swift's The Prisoner a number of years ago as a delicious, affordable go-to wine, I had a visit to taste with this winery on my list for some time. Winemaker Dave Phinney loves blending and tinkering with wine, and the result has been a number of interesting blends that he's created over the years.
Orin Swift conducts tastings from their offices in downtown St. Helena. This may be the most casual, laid-back tasting experience you will have in Napa Valley. Visitors to these appointment only tastings first must find the offices. Appropriately, they are located in the same building as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (look for the IOOF sign). Dave and company are a slightly different breed.
Tastings are conducted at a single large slate-topped table. We grabbed a seat on one of the six available stools and proceeded to sample 4 wines: Veladora, Saldo, The Prisoner, and Papillon. Veladora is Dave Phinney's venture into white wine. Primarily Sauvignon Blanc (with a little Semillon and Muscat thrown in), Veladora is a smooth, solid expression of this varietal. We followed that with a taste of Saldo, Phinney's take on Zinfandel. I didn't love this wine, but it certainly had an interesting label. We initially thought that it was just a tasting room unlabeled bottle, but when we were told that the red tape label with the white punch out letters we saw was the same we'd see on every bottle, I was amused and my wife was VERY excited (she's obsessed with her label maker at home).
After that, we moved to the two most recognized Orin Swift wines, The Prisoner and Papillon. The Prisoner is a wine I've had many times before. Primarily Zinfandel, with around 20% Cabernet blended in, I've always regarded this wine as a tremendous value. In recent years, the price has started to creep up closer to where it belongs (in the mid-$30 range), but I still think it's a solid buy at that price point. We finished with a sampling the 2007 Papillon. Made up of 90% Cabernet, the '07 was delicious and frankly made The Prisoner taste somewhat average by comparison. Overall, this was a quiet, interesting, low pressure stop in high pressure Napa Valley, and recommended for anyone who's interested in trying some slightly different approaches to wines in a relaxed environment.
Recommended wine:The 2007 Papillon was excellent. I'd recommend trying Veladora at least once to see if it suits your style, and at $35 or under I think that The Prisoner is still a good bargain.
Ratings (out of 5):
 WINE | 4.00 |  TASTING ROOM | 3.75 |
 ATMOSPHERE | 4.25 |  VALUE | 4.50 |
 OVERALL | 4.13 | ||
