Domaine Chandon

1 California Dr, Yountville, CA 94599

Website: http://www.chandon.com/

Domaine Chandon was founded in Napa Valley in 1973. It is owned by the famous French champagne house Moët & Chandon. The winery has been using the méthode champenoise to make sparkling wine with California grapes since it opened its doors. Chandon also offers three types of still wines – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier – which are traditional grapes for making champagne in France.

Fountain and pond at entrance to Domaine Chandon

Walkway to Domaine Chandon

The architecture drew me in from the parking lot. To get to the winery, visitors walk across a small bridge with a pond and fountain on one side, and a stone mushroom field on the other. Once across the bridge, there is a large trellis that leads to the front doors of the building.

Inside the doors is a wine shop. Along the way to the Tasting Room, there is a huge wall of wine bottles right across from the stairs leading up to the tasting area.

This tasting room is more like a lounge rather than just a tasting bar found at most other wineries. Guests have the option to step right up to the bar for a tasting, sit at a cocktail table, or go out on the terrace to sample wines by the glass, flight, or bottle. There is a nice view of the property and art exhibits. They also offer an appetizer and sandwich menu to go along with the wine tasting.  There are a few tour options for those who want a more about how the sparkling wine is made.  Check their website for details.

This tends to be a popular stop for tourists and can get rather busy in the tasting room. The first time I visited was in February and the tasting room was not overly busy. I thought this was a nice stop at the end of day because the sparkling wine was refreshing and cleansed my palate from a full day of wine tasting. Our server was able to give us one-on-one attention. On my second visit in May, the tasting room was full and it was like pushing through a crowd at a night club to get to the bar. Everyone was crowded in together and the servers had little time to explain each wine, never mind answer questions. Despite the crowds, I really enjoyed both the sparkling and still wines and would return to the winery during the off season when it is likely to be less busy.