Calistoga Cellars opened its tasting room in late 2007 on main street Calistoga. This is only one of two winery tasting rooms in Calistoga that we are aware of. Their first commercial vintage was in 1998. Their former location is now Envy Winery; after they sold that winery, part of that original property was retained by the owners - including a nice house which was featured in "Nine Months" a romantic comedy featuring Hugh Grant. They own two Napa vineyards, one on Tubbs Lane in the far northern part of the valley and one off of Ehlers Lane, just north of the town of St. Helena.
While all their grapes are grown mostly in the Calistoga/St. Helena area - they make their wine outside of Napa Valley which has some inherent cost savings which are passed onto their customers in the very affordable pricing. The new tasting room gives them a nice presence in the often touristed area of downtown Calistoga. It is much bigger than it initially looks - it is long and rectangular and extends all the way through the building to a very nice outdoor patio in the back. The patio has a very European feel and other than hot summer afternoons is a pleasant place to relax.
The tasting bar is modern and chic with nice artwork in the main hallway which is for sale and rotates about every 2 months. In the summertime there is often live music during Saturday and Sunday afternoons. They typically have a nice balance of white and red wines available for tasting. We tried a 2006 Sauvignon Blanc; this wine only sees tank aging (no oak) and is crisp with a lively palate full of citrus, grapefruit and pear characteristics. The 2006 Chardonnay on the other hand is all fermented and aged in Oak. If you like a Chardonnay that undergoes full ML, is buttery and creamy, with nuances of some oak, this is the Chardonnay for you! Their 2005 Zinfandel is sourced from Pope Valley. This is a real crowd pleaser. Its not overly fruity, or jammy. Its what we call a more "muted" Zinfandel. Thats not to say the fruit flavors are lost in this wine -it has nice cherry and currant notes.
The 2005 Merlot is a big wine - the Cabernet Sauvignon helps give it a very nice backbone. If you get a chance, try their Reserve Cabernet. It won double gold medal at a large tasting competition in San Francisco, for a wine of this caliber, it is decently priced by Napa standards. A highlight is their Port made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes - several sips of this will only leave you craving more! Good balance between alcohol and sweetness and additionally it is one of the most affordable ports you will find in the Napa Valley. Visit: www.calistogacellars.com
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Open to Public: Yes
Appointments: Yes
Regular Tours: No
Hours: Closed Mon-Thurs, Open 12-5pm Fri-Sun in Winter - Call for Summer Hours
Phone: 963-7422
Address: 1371 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga
 Winery Photos Winery Website
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