Round Pond Estate

Phew. This pandemic is exhausting! We got Delta in August and then we chickened out of Carbernet Season due to omicron. But the weather is beautiful, we’re boosted, and it felt like it was time to get back to doing tastings!

Round Pond Estate is in Rutherford, CA in Napa Valley. The grounds are gorgeous complete with a palm tree-lined driveway and ivy-covered tasting room. We sat out on the deck with views of vineyards as far as the eye could see. Temperatures were in the mid-90s but the deck was covered and they had plenty of fans, which made it reasonable.

There are several tasting options but I chose the lunch (aka “Il Pranzo”) It’s $225 a person but includes a four-course meal with wine pairing. This is an experience I really loved in Australia and wish we had more of here in the states. And Chef Fernando Arias could accommodate my celiac disease. Huzzah!

We actually ended up trying 5 wines: a Chardonnay (that I couldn’t find on their website), the 2021 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, the 2019 Left Bank blend, the 2019 Louis Bovet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and the NV Angelica White Port. All the wines we tried were entirely quaffable but we didn’t feel inspired to buy any bottles.

In addition to Husband and myself, we were joined by two other couples at a large communal table. Being introverts, this isn’t our first choice when it comes to dining, but we were seated far enough apart that it was possible to have a conversation with the person opposite you or join in the larger table discussion.

Overall I’d say it’s worth a stop, but won’t go on our list of top wineries.

p.s. Does anyone else find it odd that we’re drinking French-inspired wines but lunch is in Italian?