Chiarello Family Vineyard Tasting Salon

6525 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599

Website: http://www.chiarellovineyards.com/

In addition to my infatuation with learning about wine, one of my guilty pleasures is watching food shows.  I will tune into any food competition on TV.  I get excited about meeting a celebrity chef like someone would meeting a movie star.  One of my favorite memories of Napa Valley is getting to meet celebrity chef Michael Chiarello at his restaurant Bottega and taking home a signed copy of his cookbook.  I actually didn’t stop into his tasting room until a later visit.

Chiarello Family Vineyards Tasting Salon is located in downtown Yountville across the way from Bottega restaurant.  It is located inside the historic V Marketplace which is a specialty mall that includes Napa gifts, art galleries, wine and culinary delights.  Michael Chiarello seems to have it all going for him.  He’s been a chef and restauranteur for 25 years.  During that time he has developed over 10 restaurants, written 8 cookbooks, hosted cooking shows on PBS and Food Network and appeared as a contestant on Top Chef, Next Iron Chef, and Iron Chef America.  Somehow he also finds the time to run his small farm and family vineyard in St. Helena.  He has partnered with acclaimed winemaker Thomas Brown to produce limited production wines from 100-year old vines on his property.  He practices sustainable farming and focuses on wines that pair well with his food style.

The tasting salon is like a rustic boutique.  The ambiance is very casual.  In the center of the salon is several tables where guest can relax.  On each table is a simple vase with flowers.  On the side walls there are shelves lined with oils, food items, cookbooks, and other culinary gifts.  One section of the wall is lined with wine bottles.  Straight ahead from the entrance toward the back of the room is a small bar that 3-4 people can stand around.  Behind the bar are curtains hanging down from the ceiling and large vine stalks as decoration. 

I sampled five of the wines, including Chiara Bianco White, Rosé of Zinfandel, Giana Zinfandel, Bambino e Mamma Cabernet Sauvignon, and Roux Old Vine Petite Sirah.  The white wine is made from Italian varietals Ribolla Gialla and Tocai Firulano and has a light peachy flavor.  I was delighted by the red wines.  The Cabernet Sauvignon was dark ruby with a flavor of rich plums, cherries, and nice brightness.  It was my favorite of the tasting!  The Old Vine Petite Sirah was a close second.  This is not a wine for the light hearted. It has an inky color, made from 120-year-old vines, with good tannin structure and a mouth full of blackberries and blueberries. 

If you are looking for a true culinary experience, I’d recommend building in some time in your schedule to visit V Marketplace, stop in for a tasting at the salon, and wrap up with a fabulous dinner at Bottega.  Be aware that the Marketplace closes down at 5:30 p.m. and the salon at 6 p.m. There are several other tasting rooms in the downtown Yountville area if you want to make an afternoon of it.