3522 Silverado Trail North, St. Helena, CA 94574

Website: http://www.rombauer.com/

Rombauer Winery is tucked away in the norther part of St. Helena off the Silverado Trail. Former airline pilot Koerner Rombauer and his wife Joan started making wines in 1980. They established the winery in 1982. It is still owned and operated by Koerner and his son and daughter. I was encouraged to visit this winery by a friend of my sister whose uncle is a distributor for the winery. He promised to “hook us up” with a nice tasting when we visited. I was aware of the Rombauer wines because I had tasted them at local wine tasting events. They are most well known for their Chardonnay. I’m always looking for new experiences and certainly wouldn’t pass up an offer for a special tasting.

I have some mixed feelings about my experience at this winery. My first impression is that this winery is a little out dated and could use some modern touches. To me their wine label isn’t all that eye catching. It looks old fashioned like a monogram you might find on a letter or a check. In addition, the tasting room felt dated with the peach colored wallpaper covered in vines on the back wall and the tan carpet. I was trying not to be too critical considering that we had a connection who set us up for the tasting. Based on how he hyped it up, I was expecting to get a tour of the winery along with our tasting but unfortunately we didn’t get a tour. However, the tasting room manager came out to say a quick hello and gave us a free tasting. I definitely won’t complain about that!

On the plus side, this winery is located atop a tree covered knoll with some great views of the valley. They have a huge porch on the side of the winery where guests can sit and take in the gorgeous views of the Mayacamas Mountains. In addition, there is a garden and various pieces of artwork strewn about the property. The artwork is very eclectic. We saw a metal Pegasus sculpture and a couple of colorfully painted cows.

Guests are welcome to stroll the gardens or hang out at the picnic table at their own leisure. We visited when the winery first opened in the morning and it was very quiet. We were told that during the peak times of the day the winery can get crowded. The tasting room is a little snug with three tasting counters that each fit about 4 people comfortably at a time.

Another plus is the wines. I had sampled their widely distributed Classic wines before, but I wasn’t aware that they have quite a few other Proprietor wines that are limited production and made from single vineyards. I sampled a couple Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays, and Zinfandels. I enjoyed the Carneros Chardonnay and the Proprietor Selection Chardonnay the best, but I also enjoyed the other wines I tried. I was very pleasantly surprised by the wines overall.

Even though our experience didn’t turn out the way I expected, I do appreciate this winery for its quality wines and scenic views.