I took my customer from Korea here as I brought him a bottle when I visited him in Korea years ago. He loved the petite Syrah so he wanted to visit this winery during his time here. I was a little disappointed that August sold his winery but it is still open as an employee owned company. He used to have a beautiful winery that I enjoyed when I was in his wine club and now it is just a smaller wine tasting store on the main street in Calistoga. We tried the various cabs and petite Syrah's and we liked the 2010 over the 2009 petite Syrah. I bought him 6 bottles of the 2010 which needed some time to age but still better than the 2009. They were nice enough to give us some free Styrofoam containers so my customer could take them back on the plane with him. read more

John didn't have any sweet wines for me but he did have full-bodied wines for Nancy. John recommends I check out Moldonado, his neighbor who has sweet wines. He also has lots of free coupons for tastings at Twomey, Louis M Martini, Cliff Family Winery, Pina Napa Valley, and Envy Wines. By the way, John has an excellent sense of humor. read more

Second location on my wine tasting journey! The tasting room is a small shop in the downtown area of the city. Not at a winery. The staff was very friendly and nice. The wine was very tasty. I enjoyed myself. It is a great stop if this is on your route, read more

This is one of many small family run vinyards in the Napa Valley, but unlike some of their competitors, August Briggs is worth checking out. They have a surprising variety of wines for such a small vinyard, and none of them are bad. My personal favorite though, and the reason I will go back is for their Chardonay. It is surprisingly fruity and mellow but not sweet, with only the slightest hint of oak. Tasting prices are reasonable, as are most of the wine prices. Try it, you won't be sorry. read more

Excellent wines. It's a family run winery and I've been visiting since before their tasting room moved from the Silverado Trail to its current location in the town of Calistoga. Back when it was on the Silverado Trail, one of the Briggs winemakers (I believe he was August's son) always used to take us into the barrel room for sample tastings. He was obviously proud of his wines, but also very humble. Pinot Meunier is one of my favorite varietals and it's rarely made as a single varietal wine. August Briggs' Pinot Meunier is soft & velvety and it always sells out quickly. Luckily, I was able to secure a few bottles yesterday when we stopped in for a wine tasting. Whenever I open up any bottle of August Briggs wine at home, I am always impressed. When all the wines are delicious, you can't go wrong. read more

Will never return to this winery. Worst customer service I have ever seen. I stopped by here a few months ago and bought some bottles of wine and when I returned home and opened one for dinner it was extremely corked. I went back a few days later with the cork and was told by the wine maker that there was nothing they could do. He went out of his way to call me a liar and say that the cork could have come from anywhere even though it clearly had their label on it. Most wineries would accept without question that the wine was corked even without the bottle in hand. Since I happen to work in the wine industry I am extremely sensitive to TCA. Obviously in this tasting room the customer is never right. Needless to say I will never recommend anyone to go here. read more

Delicious wines and great people at this place! Definitely a must visit. I liked their unique wines and the owner was so informative about the area. Went back the next day to buy more wine! read more

What a wonderful place! We got there a few minutes before they closed. We felt bad because we just weren't paying attention until after we were there, but they stayed open for even more people coming in. They were so nice a knowledgeable. We learned a lot about with from Matthew. He said he normally works upstairs, but the regular pour-er was busy. He used to own his own wine shop and was just giving us lots of great information. We only tasted reds because it was BBQ month. All wines that go great with BBQ. Consequently, they had the Charbono open for tasting. They normally never have this for tasting. It is fabulous. I guess they don't need to have it tasted because it is always gone. He also showed us a trick that he said to not-try-at-home. After he opened a new bottle, he covered the glass and shook it like crazy. Instantly aerates the wine. Don't have to let it sit out for a few hours. I'm not trying it myself. I like my carpet the nice beige color it is. The tastings are free. Just like everyone says. They just know that once you taste the wine, you will love it so much that you will buy. And we did. And joined the club. Yeah. It's THAT good! read more

Check out the White House certificate on the wall, and the Jeff Gordon endorsement. George Bush and Jeff Gordon approved. You scared off yet? Don't be. This place is friendly, inexpensive for Napa (free tastings), and unpretentious. It has a good location on the Silverado Trail just south of Downtown Calistoga...across the street from some of the best views in town. This is the spot in the road where tourists and locals alike stop for pictures. read more

Free tasting! Patient, kind and funny staff make you feel welcome. The small family atmosphere is very appealing and nice to see in the largely corporate Napa Valley. The Chardonnay was light and great. I found the reds a bit stringent but would be great if you gave them some time. read more

The staff were friendly and we enjoyed the barrel tasting and little tour, plus you can't go wrong with a free tasting. It was probably the worst wine we had over a long weekend though, so only 3 stars rather than 4 stars. Loved the barrel room scented candles though! read more

Wines were okay. Guy was nice. He didn't go out of our way to tell us anything about the wine. The tasting room was small but kinda sterile. I love the beautiful labels on these bottles and we bough a bottle of the wine as the prces were more than fair..however, it just wasn't a wow factor on the wine or the information or the tasting room. BUT it gets way higher marks then a lot of places we went and it was a free tasting. Also, they actually treated you with respect unlike a lot of places in napa....this is worth a stop in. For the price, you'll like the wine well enough. read more

The skinny: Lots of fun. Knowledgeable staff. Free tasting. We came here on the Saturday of President's Day weekend based on a recommendation from our B&B. If you are looking for extravagant facilities with amazing picnic grounds, manicured English gardens, and a gift shop draped with silly T-shirts "You had me at Merlot" - go somewhere else. If you are serious about finding a boutique winery, this place is really worth checking out. This is a small family-owned facility with great wine. August Briggs only produces 600 to 900 cases of wine per varietal. Aaron poured for us and was cool enough to give us an impromptu tour of their wine making equipment. As an added treat, we got to taste wine from a barrel that was just about to go to bottling. Everyone's taste pallet is different. For me, their wine was great. read more

August Briggs was recommended by Scarlett of Scarlett's Country Inn (see my review). Overall a great small family run winery that was very welcoming to my wife and I. We stopped in for a tasting on Valentine's day and our pourer did a great job of explaining the wines, as well as the different methods they use for aging the different varietals. He asked what type we liked the most and even though they didn't have any Petite Syrah available to taste in the tasting room, he took is into the barrel storage area and we sampled some out of a couple different barrels. Great small winery, great people working there! read more

I used to be a member of their wine club, and very much enjoyed my visit to their old tasting room on Silverado Trail. They took us back and let us taste from the barrels and were informative and passionate. I am underwhelmed by their new tasting room. Tasting Fee: Free; 4 total wines tasted Ambiance: -small tasting room but nice and new -great snacks Service: -Friendly Wine: $30-$50 Well crafted wine, but moderately pricey and not widely distributed. I did walk away with a bottle of their Cab (which is saying a lot because cabs might be my least favorite grape). I likely would not return. read more

Mmm... Charbono! We had the opportunity to do a barrel tasting of this varietal in their tasting room a few years ago, and it was awesome! The price-point was very reasonable, so we purchased several bottles, and became instant fans. Their Cabs. are top shelf. I had to secretly sneak back after a tasting to purchase one (it was around $80.) It was Delicious! (my wife forgave me after a few glasses. :) The nose alone knocked my socks off. If you are a fan of BIG, jammy, well-balanced Napa reds, you will love their wines. Friendly service and generous pours keep us coming back. read more

August Briggs - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

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What a delightful stop! While touring my mom around Calistoga, we happened upon August Briggs. We enjoyed a full 6-pour tasting with Bobbie, whose sincere feedback was wonderful and welcome. All the wines were delicious, and we ended up taking home a bottle of rosé. Highly recommend the tasting, the fee of which is waived with the purchase of a bottle. Thanks especially to Bobbie, who was a joy. We will be back! read more

We really liked all the wines here and joined the wine club. The Syrah was my favorite but we loved everything we tasted.

Great wine! Been to their tasting wine twice. First time came back with our one and only club membership. What's cool is if you buy a bottle your tasting is free. So we had two tastings and bought two bottles to take home for $40 each, a lot of the tastings are $40 in Napa alone! And the wine is the best and the guy pouring was so well educated and passionate. He wasn't just spewing out the lines he was given he really loves wine. read more

I've been here twice now and can solidly say that I'm not entirely sure I would go again. The first time was with a groupon and we had great service, the wine was good. We bought a bottle of Chardonnay - definitely worth a visit for. I'm not normally a Chardonnay person but this was pretty close to perfect. The prices were alright, could be a little lower, since the tasting fee is fairly high for the quantity of wines available to taste. Its not some place I would recommend to others, but I wouldn't object to going there if someone else really wanted to. read more

This was one of my favorite stops in Calistoga! There was so much to do on Lincoln Ave but I am so happy I made the choice to stop in. The tasting room is cute and welcoming. Bobbie was very friendly and a great conversationist! She poured our tastings and even offered one of the wines we were interested in that wasn't on the menu. We made an appointment for our visit and the tasting fee was waived with a bottle purchase. You won't be disappointed in any of these wines! read more

August Briggs - All 3 we're delicious! And look how gorgeous the bottles are! - Wineries Near Me - Calistoga, California

Incredible winery, delicious drinks. Bobbie and Matt are so knowledgeable and personable, they'll make your Calistoga experience one youll never forget! Matt has been in the industry forever and will treat you right. read more

My husband and I got free wine tasting to August Briggs from our Groupon staying at the Inn across the street. I have to say we really enjoyed the wines here. The Pinot and Syrah were very good and priced very reasonably. The girl working there was very friendly and very helpful she even gave us a couple of tips for around town and the area as well as a little history on the wines of calistoga and napa. We had a blast and could have stayed their tasting all night long. We will be back here for sure! read more

It's the greatest tasting remember nice people and cozy and not expensive and they explain everything to you I really like this place

Went here after lunch on a Wednesday, had the tasting room to ourselves. Dean was very informative and we enjoyed talking to him. Delicious wines at a good price. Walked out of there with three Zinfandel's :) read more

I was really looking forward to visiting August Briggs based on the location, yelp reviews and more inexpensive tastings around this area. Four of us had a groupon for Calistoga Inn and here. Four were just paying the tasting fee directly. The minute we walked in they were obviously surprised to see us and were visibly put off that we didn't have a reservation. This place is one of many on this strip in Calistoga, people walking up and down the street doing tastings was happening everywhere - we didn't make reservations for the place before it, nor any of the places we visited after it, never was an issue till August Briggs. And the kicker: This place was completely EMPTY. They let us know they were waiting for someone, so we offered to come back later at a better time; at that point they backtracked and said it would be no problem. I could have let this go, even though it was awkward for all, because they were going to accommodate us, however it got worse. We did different tastings, $5 and $10 for four tastings, and the woman's attitude was just off, we were a bother to her, no way around it. It's like being on a date with someone who is looking over your shoulder the entire time! Also, some of the pours were less than a sip, it was strange, she was distracted maybe? No idea, but I don't know how you could pour LESS into a glass. I can't even tell you if I liked the wines because I was so uncomfortable and really, will less than a sip in my glass it was really hard to know. I think they felt they could treat us this way due to having a groupon. How can you offer your business in a groupon deal, make customers feel uncomfortable when it's used? That's unfortunate, but exactly how they made me feel. We didn't linger and when we left, the place was still completely empty. read more

This winery is unique in the sense that it is owned entirely by a small group of people that work it every day. And, the wine is good. Going here and talking to people like Matt is like going back in time to old Napa wine country. Simple tastings are free, and their tasting fee for pinots are waived if you buy -- they are happy to take you to the barrels and pour you a sample from the drums that are about to be bottled. It's moving its tasting room into town, I hope it can maintain its organic and straightforward approach there as well. read more

Wines are fine to good...nothing is EXCEPTIONAL....Collette, one of the co-owner, is very sweet and helpful. We would come back!

We have been members here since 2004 and love every wine they make! There are very few wineries where you can say every bottle they make is good but this is one of them! Super friendly owners, great location right on The Main Street in Calistoga. Petit Verdot and the Charbobo are both fantastic! read more

This was a great tasting room. We had the pleasure of tasting with one of the winemakers. We loved the wine they make.

As a first time wine taster my experience was more than I could've imagined and that was all thanks to Debbie. I'm confident in expanding my palette and knowledge because of her. My boyfriend and I had come here because of our groupon voucher at the Calistoga inn and debs gave us the ins and outs of where to eat and her personal favorite wineries in the area so we received a balanced scope of tourist/ local attractions. We definitely have to visit again. read more

This place is fabulous. I always end up stopping here on my way home from Harbin. They are incredibly friendly and every time I go they end up taking me to the barrel room for barrel tastings. The tasting is free and the pinot noir is unparalled. The wine is also unavailable anywhere so you have to buy it here. read more

My friends love this winery so much that we went twice. The first time we did the tasting (free!) and the second time we brought a few more friends with us and had a tour of the back with a barrel tasting too. They even let us schedule it for a Saturday afternoon. It was really fun to do the tour and to find out about how wine is made/aged/bottled and to taste it at its different stages of fermentation. I would definitely go back here if I make it out to Napa again. read more

I have had reasonably priced good Pinot Noir from this winery in the past, but I was disappointed on this visit. Only one pinot to taste. The 2014 Two Moon Vineyard Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon was pretty good for $55 a bottle. Tasting fee was waived with a purchase of one bottle. Not a very big tasting room, but they made room for my group, which was nice. read more

I really like August Briggs. The 2002 Monte Rosso Cab was possibly the best of the appelation that year. The 2003 is also tasting pretty good. AB also makes a syrah, petite syrah, a couple pinots, chardonnay, and zinfandel. The zinfandel used to be a blend of 30, 60, and 100 year old vines, but the older vines died and now they add 10% petite syrah instead. AB is one of the few places in Napa that doesn't charge for tasting and Bob will usually give you a barrel tasting if you ask nicely. read more

We entered and there was a pleasant lady behind the counter. We wanted to taste some wines and told her we were celebrating an anniversary and looking to add a new wine to our favorite list. She pored little tiny drops. Seriously? anyway I didn't like that. We bought a bottle of wine but after getting a bigger taste we didn't like it. read more

This was a winery that a friend recommended we stop at during our trip to the valley last weekend. We saw it as a quick "extra" stop because we were in the neighborhood already. We ended up liking it so much that we joined their wine club! As other reviewers have noted, this winery is completely free of the Napa Snob Factor. They couldn't be more down to earth, funny, and friendly. They also happen to know a great deal about the wine they're pouring and are happy to answer questions. This is one off the few places I've been to in Napa/Sonoma where I literally liked EVERY wine they poured. I'm typically not a fan of Chardonnay but their version is very fruit forward and balanced, not overly oaked, and we loved it. The reds are also excellent. It's totally worth the drive to get up there. Enjoy! read more

This place is awesome... Our host. Matt, was very personable and knowledgeable... Yay-----finally found a great collection of Pinot Noir. And we were invited back to see bottling of one of their 2010 products. Very interesting. Got a free taste direct from the 'tap'. You NASCAR fans should know this is the winery that produces Jeff Gordon's label. The owner A. Briggs was out there working his arse off with the rest of his small and all very friendly staff. Free tastings here...but I opted to pay the $5 for the all Pinot Noir tasting. Yum.... A must visit...!!! read more

A true gem! How could we not stop by this place considering we have the same last name?! We visited the tasting room last summer during a family reunion trip and were lucky enough to visit when they did a southbay event as well. Matt and his staff are so welcoming and you can tell they love what they do. The Chardonnay is our favorite, but the reds are delicious too! read more

CHARBONO wine .... First time trying this type of wine and it's amazing ... My absolute favorite ... Enjoy ...