Duckhorn Winery

When two friends from college told me they wanted to go wine tasting in Napa, I was elated! I love taking people to my happy place and sharing my love of wine. To get a sense of where I should take them, I asked a few questions: Have you been wine tasting before? What wines do you like? What wines do you dislike? Is there something in particular you want to experience? Both trended towards reds over white, dry over sweet, and wines made in the French style.

I decided to start them off at Duckhorn Winery. Duckhorn was started by the Duckhorn family in 1976 and you’re likely to find at least a few of their wines in your local Safeway, particularly their Merlot for which they are known.

This was the perfect first stop. We got to enjoy the beautiful spring morning sitting on the porch complete with snuggly cat. We also got to sample several more than the four wines that were included in the $40 tasting fee including a rosé, sauvignon blanc, and a Bordeaux blend. Being able to taste two different Merlots and two different Cabs side-by-side also allowed me to lean the conversation towards the importance of terroir.

Each “party” was sat at separate tables, which can be good or bad. You get to talk amongst yourselves but you also don’t get to share your opinions with anyone else. I did LOVE that each of the wines they poured had it’s own information card. It meant that the pourer could walk away and tend to other groups and I wouldn’t be left wondering what the blend was or how long a wine was in oak. The only thing I could have asked for is a place on each card to write our personal tasting notes and for the whole tasting to proceed a little faster. We were there for almost two hours and didn’t have any time to revisit, purchase bottles, explore the wine club, or shop.