Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

Sequoia Grove

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Sequoia Grove Winery

Sequoia Grove Winery

8338 Saint Helena Hwy, Napa, CA 94558

Website: http://www.sequoiagrove.com/

Sequoia Grove gets its name from the towering trees surrounding the winery.  The winery is not actually situated in a Sequoia grove.  It’s located in Rutherford off of Highway 29, but there are a few Sequoia trees that tower over the winery.  My husband and I passed between two Sequoias as we entered the doors to the tasting room. 

 

Sequoia Grove Tasting Room

Sequoia Grove Tasting Room

The tasting room looks like a mountain lodge made of all natural wood.  The tasting bar is carved from a single piece of wood.  Two large wooden casks called puncheons flank each side of the entryway.  Each puncheon was made in France and assembled at the winery.  A skylight provides natural light to the tasting room.  It was created after a Sequoia tree fell on the roof during a lighting storm.  The skylight came in very handy while I was visiting because there was an unexpected power outage but the natural light allowed us to continue our tasting.

 

Large puncheons in the Sequoia Grove tasting room

Large puncheons in the Sequoia Grove tasting room

Behind the tasting bar, the wall is covered by a large wooden rack filled with bottles of wine, and on the top shelf are displayed the largest wine bottles I have ever seen.  The centerpiece is a super-sized bottle called a Goliath that is equivalent to 36 bottles of wine.  It is impressive to see. 

I greatly enjoyed my time at Sequoia Grove.  Despite the fact that we walked in during a power outage, our server was very gracious.  After pouring a couple of wines for us and listening to how we described them, she realized that we knew a little about wine and offered to do a blind tasting for us.  It was the first time I did a blind tasting and I had a fun time trying to guess each type of wine.  She even poured us a few extra wines that weren’t listed on the tasting menu and then told us we didn’t have to pay for the tasting.  This is definitely a place that I plan to return to because of the friendly staff and laid back atmosphere.  The wines were also very good.

Napa Cellars

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Napa Cellars

Napa Cellars

7481 St Helena Hwy, Napa, CA 94558

Website: http://napacellars.com/

Napa Cellars tasting room is located in the Oakville section off Highway 29.  This is a small tasting room that serves wines from both Napa Cellars and Folie à Deux.  The tasting room is located inside of a small dome-shaped building.  There is a pathway to left of the tasting room that leads to a picnic area in the back.  There’s a little fountain out front.  I felt this place had more of a fun, social atmosphere and is probably not the best option for true wine enthusiasts.  Most of the wines they were pouring when I visited are widely distributed in my area, so it was a bit of a disappointment to me that I wasn’t able to sample something I hadn’t tried before. 

The tasting bar inside the tasting room is in the center of the room.  There are gifts and wine along the walls of room.  We had an Australian guy for our server and he was talking about moving to Colorado to do some snowboarding.  We had already tried some of the wines before visiting.  I stopped in mostly because I was curious if they would be serving anything I couldn’t find back home.  The tasting menu was pretty basic.  On the plus side, the wines are very reasonably priced between $10 to $32.  There is a nice little hang-out area outside.  I’d say that this may be good for a quick stop with friends at the end of day.  It is open a little later than the majority of other tasting rooms.   For me, it’s another tasting room to check off my list but not one I’d go back to. 

Arrowood Vineyards

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Arrowood Vineyards

Arrowood Vineyards

14347 Hwy 12, Glen Ellen, CA 95442

Website: http://www.arrowoodvineyards.com/

Arrowood Winery is located in lower Sonoma off Sonoma Highway 12 in Glen Ellen.  It is right behind Imagery Winery.  The winery actually looks like someone’s home from the exterior with gray siding and white trim. There is a huge veranda that wraps around the front.  To get to the tasting room there is little bit of a hike up the walkway and steps to the entrance.  As you follow the pathway you will pass by some vines and beautiful roses and greenery. 

Arrowood Tasting Room

Arrowood Tasting Room

Inside the tasting room has a modern lodge feel with polished wood floors, cream colored walls, a fireplace and comfy leather armchairs.  There are a couple of candle chandeliers hanging from ceiling.  The tasting bar has a dark wood frame with a marble countertop and it is situated in front of a large window looking out toward the vineyard.  The area is very spacious and can accommodate 8 to 10 people comfortably at the tasting bar.There is also a private tasting room upstairs with a long wood table that can seat 10.  It resembles a dining room and has an open railing looking down over the tasting room below. 

 

Arrowood's Private Tasting Room

Arrowood’s Private Tasting Room

When we arrived we were given the option to do a tasting at the bar inside or go outside on the veranda.  It was a beautiful day and the veranda was very inviting.  There were a number of benches and tables for couples and small groups.  We grabbed a high top table looking out toward Sonoma Highway.  We had a very pretty view of the vines straight ahead and could see the mountains in the distance.  I really loved getting to sit on the huge veranda taking in the surroundings. 

Arrowood produces 100% Sonoma wines.  Their signature wine is Cabernet Sauvignon which they make from different vineyards in Knights Valley, Alexander Valley, and Sonoma Valley.  This winery was founded in 1986.  It has been a part of Jackson Family Wines since 2006.  They also produce other varietals like Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec, and a Proprietary Red Blend.  There are a few different tasting options available aside from the traditional tasting that my husband and I tried.  The options include a private tasting where guests can sample limited release and library wines, or guests can select a cheese and wine pairing.

To sum up my experience, I liked the casual atmosphere and roominess of the winery.  I also felt the wines were casual, easy drinking but still high quality.  I enjoyed the Merlot and Justi Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon the best from my tasting experience.

The view from Arrowood

The view from Arrowood