Alpha Omega Winery

1155 Mee Ln, St Helena, CA 94574

Website: http://www.aowinery.com/

Alpha Omega is one of the more modern wineries located off of Highway 29 in Rutherford. The winery is a contemporary farm-style building with a large farmer’s porch entrance and beautiful outdoor terrace. Owners Robin and Michelle Baggett purchased the former Esquisse Winery in 2006 and remodeled it. Robin is an entrepreneur who produced grapes of his own for several decades before buying the winery. After purchasing the winery, they hired a young, Swiss winemaker named Jean Hoefliger from Newton Vineyard. They also signed on the world famous wine consultant Michel Rolland as Hoefliger’s mentor. The two men worked together previously at Newton Vineyard. Some of Rolland’s other clients include cult wineries Screaming Eagle, Bryant, Harlan and Dalla Valle, just to name a few.

The tasting room at Alpha Omega

I sort of stumbled upon this winery during one of my visits to Napa. My husband and I were traveling between Cakebread Cellars and Raymond Vineyards and had some extra time before our next reservation, so we decided to try out a new winery. The first thing I noticed when we pulled into the parking lot was the large fountain and reflection pond. It was almost a contrast to the farm-style building where the tasting room resides. However, the interior tasting room was very modern and classy looking. The room is covered in light wood paneling. There is a large rectangular bar in the center of the room with wood paneled sides and a white marble countertop. The lighting above the bar gave a feeling of being in a lodge. To the left of the bar were windows looking out onto the outdoor terrace and seating area right next to the pond and fountain. These windows brought lots of sunlight into the tasting room. There were also some private seating areas separated from the main tasting area by large wooden, sliding farm doors.

Our server was a nice, down to earth guy but he made some comments during the tasting about some of the nearby wineries that made him come across as a bit arrogant. Granted, Alpha Omega did have an elegant air to it and the wines were very nice. I thought the 2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay, 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 Beckstoffer Georges III Napa Valley, 2010 Beckstoffer To Kalon South Blocks Napa Valley, and Stagecoach Napa Valley were all complex, exceptional wines. However, all of the wines on the tasting menu, with the exception of the Rosé, were very pricey. The Beckstoffer and Stagecoach wines are not typically part of the tasting menu but our server let us sample some because I think he was hoping we’d purchase it. Each bottle goes for around $150 and they are only sold in packs of three. I opted to take home the much less expensive Rosé and Chardonnay instead.

Alpha Omega’s outdoor patio

Besides having a nice tasting room and lovely wines, the outdoor terrace and fountain are also a reason to visit this winery. There is lots of seating on the terrace. Part of the seating area is beneath an awning extending from the side of the tasting room. The other portion of seating between the awning and pond is shaded by trees. It’s a relaxing setting despite the fact that the winery is not far off of busy Highway 29.

The fountains at Alpha Omega