Spent a gorgeous evening in Oakville (Napa Valley) surrounded by historic vineyards at a Cocktail Mixology Class, hosted by California Tastings. This class was hands-on, full of history, flavor chemistry, lore, education, seductiveness, artistry, and SO much fun. I have to give a special shoutout to bartender/owner, Nilu, who's truly a top-shelf instructor. She's a charming, humble expert and an engaging story-teller, who catered to everyone's needs. I highly recommend this "experience" to any cocktail enthusiast wanting to learn the technique of a bartender's flair. Ideal for birthday parties, anniversaries, team building, holiday parties and the like. Cheers! If it were even possible, I would rate this experience as a 6! read more

I took Nilu's wine tasting 101 class virtually. First of all, I highly recommend this to you and your friends as a fun SIP activity! Nilu is awesome at communicating prior to the class (i.e. type of wines that will be tasted, calendar invites, exciting email with class details). During the class you NEVER feel like there's a silly question. Nilu highly encouraged everyone to give their best guesses to her questions which added to the group fun. We plan to take the class again when Nilu opens back up for in person sessions! Overall highly impressed with the experience and learnings that were conveyed virtually, I can imagine it gets even better next time :) read more

This is such a fun, classy, and easy-to-understand way to learn about wine. I never cared to learn about wine because it seemed so very overwhelming. However, Nilu educates you with simple conversation and without making you feel intimidated or embarrassed for not knowing even the simplest of things. She is so kind and fun to talk to. Her experience is unmatched. Her knowledge is incredible and her aura lights up the room. I will follow her wherever she goes and have a new passion for wine Im sharing a photo of antique wine barrels we got to ssee on a wine tasting and education tour with Nilu at the Sugar Loaf Wine Co in Santa Rosa read more

I took Nilu's Virtual Wine 101 class this past weekend and I enjoyed every bit of it! I didn't know a virtual class could have been so fun! Her class is great for wine lovers regardless of knowledge level, but it's especially helpful for those who are newbies to the wine world. Nilu does an excellent job teaching about the types of wine, food pairings and wine etiquette. Her class was in depth, yet easy to follow. Nilu creates a fun, upbeat environment where everyone feels at ease. The class is great for a romantic couples date, or a fun activity with a group of friends. Take her Wine 101 class and thank me later!! read more

I took the Intro to Wine Class with Nilu and absolutely loved it. She really made the class fun and easy to follow, but taught me so much in just the first session. As a young woman in the wine industry, I had no idea where to begin to learn more about the history of wine, the wine making process, different varietals, wine tasting etiquette and more. I'm so thankful for California Tastings and really recommend for anyone who wants to become more knowledgable about wine. My friends and I did this class together and we will definitely be back for more. Support this small business! read more

I cannot recommend Nilu enough as your go-to-wine expert. I took Nilu's Virtual Intro To Wine Class over the weekend and not only was it incredibly fun, but I learned SO much. Growing up in Sonoma County and as an avid wine drinker, I had no idea how little I actually know about my favorite beverage. Nilu was professional, informative, entertaining, and made the complexities of the industry approachable and inviting. Thank you, Nilu for making me a much more confident wine drinker! I can't wait to impress my friends and family with fun wine facts at our next gathering. read more

Nilu was fabulous! I attended a cocktail mixology class with a group of girlfriends. She gave an amazing presentation that was interactive and informative. I think it was one of the best experiences I've had in Napa Valley. She brought all of the tools needed to make the perfect cocktails. I'm a cocktail girl but I have to say her recipes and blends made my favorite drinks even better! I learned a lot and had the best time. She's so personable and we all laughed the entire afternoon away. I would highly recommend California Tastings! read more

A great introduction to wine for someone who doesn't know where to start. If you're wondering where to begin so you can appreciate wine more this is it. Nilu is fun, lighthearted, and knowledgeable, her familiarity with different wines made her able to even able to tell me how some of my wines would taste before I even opened them! Did the class over zoom which covers all the basic terms with a bit of production background, had some stories, some history, and we tasted along the way. Looking forward to the next time read more

My husband and I wanted to do a wine 101 class and Nilu was just perfect for that. She is kind, respectful, patient, and an excellent teacher. It is clear that she loves what she does. Through her class, we were able to understand more about what we like and dislike in wines, and about different grapes and regions. We sure felt more confident going to wine-tasting rooms after meeting Nilu. I totally recommend it and if I'm in Napa again I'll surely book another class. Thank you so much Nilu. Hope to see you again. read more

Nilu is amazing!! Good knowledge, good wine and all for a good cause!! I took the Into to Wine class with some friends over zoom and it was awesome. Such a great way to connect and engage with something we all love -- WINE! Nilu made it so fun. She knows her stuff and I learned some great facts from her class that now make me feel like a wine connoisseur. If you're looking for a fun way to get together with some friends Nilu is the woman to call. Highly recommend to any wine lover. read more

I just took the California Tastings Intro to Wine course over zoom with 4 of my friends and we had such a great time! Nilu is extremely passionate about wine and it shows in her course. It was extremely informative and will teach you some guaranteed talking points next time your enjoying a glass of wine with well versed wine drinkers. Would absolutely 110% recommend it to anyone who wants to sharpen their game while enjoying some delicious wine with a group of friends! read more

I took the intro to wine class and enjoyed the class from start to end! A fun flowing conversation about different aspects of the wine industry. I found it to be a more relax learning experience to do so with a great group of people with similar or different questions of wine making or selling. Nilu coordinated the flow of the class perfectly and her welcoming approach made everyone feel more than comfortable to share a thought. read more

I took the intro to wine class with Nilu over the weekend and loved it. I would highly recommend if you are not to familiar or just want to learn more about the process and wine industry. She did a great job keeping the class entertaining and knowledgeable plus was super easy to follow. After finishing the class I learned new and old material but overall felt more comfortable for the future when approaching and talking wine! read more

Recently attended a Cocktail Mixology class led by Nilu. It was such a great event. Nilu is personable, knowledgeable and all around fun! She chose 3 cocktails to prepare. This was an interactive experience and we all had our own jiggers, shakers and lovely stemware. She gave us detailed instruction with very interesting background information. The cocktails were absolutely delicious. I highly recommend. read more

California Tasting was a pleasure to work with.They were able to coordinate and recommend many of our entertainment needs during out stay in Sonoma County. We visited a few wineries which also offered wine-pairing and blind tasting. Our experience with Nilu was fun, she is very knowledgeable about wine and our weekend getaway was very enjoyable and we will be returning customers for sure. Mahin Hajishari read more

Attended my very first mixology class taught by Nilu. It was a small and intimate group of girls. Vodka was the staring role. We all had our cocktail making tools provided by California Tastings. We made Cosmopolitans, Lemon Drops and Espresso Chocolate Martini. Nilu was very knowledgeable and made the whole experience fun. I can't wait to book California Tastings again. read more

Excellent service from Nilu! She was quick to reply to my emails and texts, giving me confidence that my corporate event would run smoothly. She had wonderful recommendations that were customized to suite the event that I was planning. I will highly recommend her services. She will deliver and will not disappoint! Pam Eisenbath read more

California tastings is amazing! I took the intro to wine course the other day over zoom with a few friends and we had the best time! Nilu was so informative and helpful during the entire course. It was overall a great experience and I highly recommend it! Definitely feel more confident the next time I go wine tasting! read more

I took the intro to wine course with Nilu and it was such a blast! She really breaks down the basics of wine tasting so that you get a true understanding of the craft. 100 percent recommend to anyone that has been wanting to learn more about wine tasting and wants to have some fun in the process! read more