As per usual when traveling with my friend Cheralynn, our plans to visit Napa came into discussion less than 24 hours before the trip. As per usual when traveling with my friend Cheralynn, we killed it.
It took only a few minutes of searching for deals on Groupon and sorting through reviews and locations on Google Maps to devise a comprehensive three-stop wine tasting tour — for under $30 a person. And of course, what is a DIY tour without a little DIY competition? That’s why we developed our very own scoring model to determine which of our three stops offers the best wine tasting experience overall.
The Itinerary
Whoever sits in the passenger seat of Cheralynn’s car during a road trip bears the responsibility of calling places and planning the day — this is why I always volunteer to drive. After several calls with very kind people, our day was set:
1. Heitz Wine Cellar
Free tasting, choose two wines from a list of three
2. Rutherford Ranch Winery
$35 chocolate and wine pairing for two, four wines and four pieces of chocolate
3. Sutter Home Family Vineyards:
$5 tasting for premium wines, five wines with a few snacks
The Scoring
After passionate discourse over several glasses of wine, we concluded there are four criteria that determine the quality of a wine tasting: the venue’s wedding worthiness, the wine’s tastiness, the overall learning experience, and the bang for our buck.
The three wineries we visited scored all over the scale:
| Heitz Wine Cellar | Rutherford Ranch | Sutter Home | |
| Wedding Worthiness |
5 |
4 |
1 |
| Wine Tastiness |
5 |
5 |
2 |
| Learning Experience |
1 |
5 |
3 |
| Bang for Buck |
3 |
4 |
3 |
| Bonus |
/ |
4 |
3 |
| FINAL SCORE |
3.5/5 |
4.4/5 | 2.4/5 |
The Breakdown
Heitz Wine Cellar
Free tasting, choose two wines from a list of three
This first spot was magical. While the staff was rather unbothered by our presence, the two wines we tasted were absolutely delectable. And the views of the vineyard with the Northern California mountains in the background made the whole experience breathtaking. The lady pouring our wine didn’t care enough to give us any significant background into the wines we were tasting, so we read their descriptions on the menu and left the rest to our imaginations. Overall, this was definitely a stop worth making.
Rutherford Ranch Winery
$35 chocolate and wine pairing for two, four wines and four pieces of chocolate
This was undoubtedly the winner. For starters, we found a deal Groupon, so for only $35, the two of us got to taste four delicious wines paired with four chocolates that were specifically crafted for each wine. While the view from the tasting room is not quite as breathtaking as it is at Heitz, Rutherford Ranch has several venues that look ideal for weddings — we weighed those into its final score. Plus, our insightful sommelier gave us a bonus round of Cabernet Sauvignon, so it’s no surprise this was our favorite stop on the tour.
Sutter Home Family Vineyards:
$5 tasting for premium wines, five wines with a few snacks
Coming from a non-wine-connoisseur like myself, this might sound slightly unfounded, but the experience at Sutter Home Winery was just a step above the taste of its most popular wines — just “meh.” Not remarkable, simply acceptable. The free tasting includes all the brands we knew and loved as college students, so we opted for the $5 premium wine tasting. The “better” wines were okay, but we got good insight into their origins, which, along with the delicious snacks available for sampling, brought this place’s final score slightly above zero.
Reflections
We strongly recommend not leaving your planning to the very last minute. Get on Groupon and on Google Maps and start looking for deals to redeem and brainstorming for wineries to visit. But even with our last minute planning, we were still able to visit three wineries for under $30 each.
Paying full price for wine tastings can hurt any budget, but you don’t have to hurt your wallet to live it up in Napa. You’re guaranteed to have a good time even if you get there with no plans — there are plenty of wineries with free tastings all over town. Be sure to bring good food and better snacks for a full day of activities, and don’t forget to make time for sightseeing stops through the vineyards and around downtown. Happy wining!
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