I took the online WSET Level 1 Award in Wines class with Napa Valley Wine Academy earlier this year…read moreand really enjoyed it. My instructor was awesome and the online learning platform was surprisingly user friendly. I learned a ton (maybe too much -- now my friends don't want to drink wine with me because I can't help but start dropping wine facts)! The class consisted of several self-paced modules (written content, a few self-check quizzes, videos, etc.), and three Zoom class sessions with group tastings that were recorded in the event you could not attend. I took the WSET Level 1 exam immediately after the course ended and it felt like a piece of cake (passed with no issues!) after making my way through all of Napa Valley Wine Academy's content. If you're looking to get a great foundation in wines and preparation for the exam, I definitely recommend Napa Valley Wine Academy's courses, but if you are looking for something more interactive to build community, I would not recommend the online courses -- nobody in my class used the discussion feature and I did not connect with a single classmate. I really enjoyed Level 1 and would have already signed up for Level 2 if it weren't so expensive....hopefully one of these days!

I've taken 3 courses with Napa Wine Valley Academy; two virtual and one in person. Each course was…read morewell attended, the instructors were fantastic and knowledgeable, and the course work was easy to follow. Would definitely recommend to others.

Had the chance to do some barrel tasting here and tasting a vertical vintage with the head wine…read moremaker and wine owner. It was a blast - we learned a TON about wine and enjoyed some absolutely delicious wine. If you're into making your own wine, definitely check out The Wine Foundry. They have top notch facilities for making wine and the head wine maker is a pro. Thanks for a great afternoon -- we really appreciated the time and experience!

Located in an industrial park in Napa is the Wine Foundry. We initially heard of the Wine Foundry…read morefrom the Yelp Elite Crusher Games, which was a fun event that took place this past September. It's right next-door to Humanitas, another great winery, this area makes a great wine hopping day. We were big fans of the wine, so we decided to partake in a wine tasting in their tasting room. The flights were very delicious, Flight of 4 Wines, $25; that were waived with a 2 bottle purchase. We bought 4 bottles for our home collection. Our favorites and choices that day were the Cabernet Sauvignon, the Proprietary Red Blend, 2015 Rosé Against the Machine and the 2015 "The Anarchist" Proprietary. I do love their offerings and sales, check out their page for deals up to 50% off.

RESTAURANT (The Grove)-- Lunch was fantastic!…read moreSat outside under the Olive Tree canopy : ) Peaceful Service was perfect. Salads, starters, and main dishes were great. Smoked fish Benedict :0 Wine selection was a bit limited and they were out of our preferred wine : ( Also....walkaround the garden and go upstairs to see the old kitchen ware!!!

Came here for the black food and wine event and it is a very nice venue!! It's very modern and…read moreupscale! A very large spacious venue that has a nice outside lawn to dance and have vendors. It's two stories with an outside patio. It has a lot of space inside to even dance inside. I will come back here if they have more events out here in Napa. Very nice beautiful venue! The parking can be bad but it's alot of street parking and valet. -Marshay D.

Wonderful tasting room in downtown Napa. It's a small and personable brand. The wines are fabulous…read moreand they have a great variety. Shamus did our tasting and was lovely. The brand is so approachable for new and seasoned wine drinkers alike.

Take you time and relax here. The view is nice and you can ppl watch. Wines are very nice and…read moretasty. If the owner is here, take advantage talking to him.

Many choices of great wines with good prices. I attended wine tasting and education sessions today…read more They also provided nice snacks during the sessions.

Another great evening at the SF Wine School. The Swiss wine and Raclette tasting was fun,…read moreinformative and tasty. The featured distributor was great. Loving these events, a great place to sip wine, learn and have fun. I'll be back!

An Unforgettable Bouchaine Experience!…read more My three girlfriends and I had the most amazing tasting experience at Bouchaine Vineyards. From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed and truly special. Our wine educator, Rob Fischer, was absolutely wonderful. He was warm, knowledgeable, funny and genuinely passionate about Bouchaine. He shared the winery's rich history in such an engaging way and made our tasting feel personal rather than rehearsed. Rob was a huge part of what made our visit so memorable. We especially loved learning that Bouchaine is the oldest continuously operating winery in Carneros and sits along the southern edge of Napa Valley, overlooking the beautiful vineyards near San Pablo Bay. We were also impressed to learn about the remarkable women helping lead the winery: proprietor and president Tatiana Copeland and president and winemaker Chris Kajani. The setting is gorgeous. We relaxed on the beautiful patio, surrounded by vineyards, and enjoyed the peaceful Carneros scenery while tasting some exceptional wines. It feels tucked away from the busier parts of Napa Valley, which makes the experience even more special. Rob also told us about the new wine cave currently being built into the hillside. It sounds incredible, and we are already looking forward to returning when it is finished! Bouchaine offers everything you hope for in a Napa Valley tasting: excellent wine, fascinating history, beautiful surroundings and personal hospitality. Thank you, Rob, for making four girlfriends feel so special. We will definitely be back!

ChatGPT recommended Bouchaine Vineyards based on my preference for a slower, quieter tasting…read moreexperience surrounded by vineyards and gardens--and it was exactly right. The entire experience was stellar, beginning with a welcome glass of Vin Gris, which counts as one of the five wines in the tasting. We settled into comfortable, spacious semicircular couches with panoramic views overlooking the vineyards, gardens, and mountains beyond. What truly elevated our visit was Dulce, our hostess, who has more than 20 years of wine experience. She described each wine with such knowledge and detail that we were able to choose wines we genuinely enjoyed. But it was more than expertise. She shared her knowledge and passion so freely and with such heart that she made the afternoon feel special. Dulce is truly a gift to Bouchaine. The hospitality began even before we arrived. When we realized we didn't need as much time between wineries, we called and asked whether we could move our 3:30 tasting to 2:30. They accommodated us with grace. We ended up staying more than 2 1/2 hours and never once felt hurried. I especially appreciated the generous spacing between the seating areas, which gave each group privacy and made the tasting feel peaceful rather than crowded. The grounds were lovely, with purple agapanthus and black-eyed Susans blooming against the vineyards and mountains. Even the modern wood architecture--from the tasting room and offices to the beautifully designed bathroom--made us feel as though we were somewhere thoughtfully created and genuinely special. Every member of the staff we encountered was warm and welcoming. Some wineries you visit once because you're curious to experience them. Bouchaine is the kind of place I would return to simply because of how wonderful it felt to be there. Although I would definitely be getting the Gewurztraminer, Merlot, and Pinot Noirs again too.

Elissa is a wonderful and knowledgeable host, and her sessions are custom-fit to each group, making…read morefor an engaging, comfortable, and fun setting. I learned a great deal and was impressed by Elissa's ability to meander back and forth between a well-structured lesson and the many questions and side-stories from the group. Highly recommend any and all of her offerings!

The food and wine pairing class was fantastic! Elissa did a great job of explaining the basics and…read morethen creating a hands-on experience for our group to taste and experiment! It was a really fun class for the whole group, and Elissa balanced encouraging us to have fun as a group along with providing an education. She was an incredible host and we all learned something and had a ton of fun. I'm looking forward to doing more classes with WineSkipping in the future!

whewww, what an experience! I had the pleasure of visiting Scribe as one of my gal pals is a member…read morehere. What a standout winery! It's members only (plus entourage) and we were able to enjoy a bites pairing with our wine tasting on their hacienda. Upon checking in, we were given a complimentary "splash" (it was more than that) of their rosé of pinot noir, then shown to our table. The grounds are gorgeous- it feels very secluded and the design and layout was spectacular. We were served by Fran, who was so knowledgeable and had some super cool tattoos that my friends and I were in awe of. We tried the sylvaner, chardonnay, syrah, and pinot noir. The light bites were delicious as well and were filling for our group of 5! They brought out a salad with rosemary roasted almonds, anchovy vinaigrette, fried olives, blistered shishito peppers, green beans and gigante beans, and toast with roasted tomatoes, dill, basil, and a cheese(?). Everything was so fresh and such a delicious pairing with our drinks. We also got a splash of their vermuth at the end. We were told that Scribe acquired some of the property next door so they'll be focusing on estate wine creation. This was such a delightful experience and I'd love to return to check out the small shop they have onsite (it was closed when we visited). Thanks Scribe!

I can honestly say this was probably the BEST winery experience I've had in wine country. I've done…read morea few wine tastings around the area and nothing compared to this! My girls and I went for my best friend's birthday and we honestly had such a wonderful time. When you call and inquire they tell you that non-members can only book on weekdays, so my girls and I made a reservation on a Friday. You pay up front for the total amount of people, which also includes tax and service tip, so when you arrive on the day of your reservation, no payment whatsoever is needed! It was $85, and with tax and service fee it came out to $111 each. When my girls and I arrived, we were greeted by a host named, Justin. She was immensely warm and inviting, basically sunshine in a person, and made us feel so welcome and comfortable!! She poured us a welcome glass of rose, and my girls and I were able to walk around the property (which was truly stunning) with our glasses. When we were seated, we were served rosemary almonds, and our server came up and introduced the history of the venue, as well as the menu, and wine. The menu was set, and it was absolutely incredible. This was the first time I felt as though this experience included an actual MEAL rather than an array of small bites or a small charcuterie platter: 1. fried olives 2. tomatoes and cucumbers with whipped feta (MY FAVORITE) 3. Prosciutto, melon and basil 4. Braised butterbeans with SCRIBE olive oil 5. House-made flatbread (so delicious) The wine was amazing, of course. We received about 4 glasses of 3 oz pours, which was enough for us. The Chardonnay was definitely my favorite. If you're ever in the Sonoma area, I HIGHLY recommend making a reservation you honestly WILL NOT REGRET IT.

This place gives off cozy and relaxing vibes! Small winery with plenty of tables to sit around to…read moresip and dine. Winery is more of a casual and less uppity-feel compared to surrounding wineries in the area. Came here for a tasting with a few friends. We ordered a charcuterie plate and some bites to share. Family oriented and pet-friendly winery with a small play area for the kids. Parking lot is kinda small, had to park across at some other event that was going on.

Great spot in Sonoma for an afternoon with kids. Service was impeccable, wines were decent and food…read morepairings were delicious. They have a slide and cornhole for kids to stay busy. Low key awesome spot.

We stopped by Buena Vista Winery for a glass of wine on a Saturday afternoon and enjoyed sitting…read moreoutside in the beautiful courtyard. The property is lovely, and the historic Champagne Cellars are definitely worth exploring. What really stood out, though, was the exceptional customer service. I accidentally left my jacket behind--a simple jacket, but one with tremendous sentimental value. KC More-Johnson from Guest Services responded within the hour, worked with the tasting room team to locate it, and even arranged to have it shipped back to me so I wouldn't have to drive back to Sonoma. KC went above and beyond to help. Her kindness, prompt communication, and genuine care meant so much to me. We'll definitely be back!

09/10/26 UPDATE ~ No one has attempted to contacted me. I can only assume this is how the winery…read moremakes themselves look like they are proactive on Yelp!!! I went with high expectations for an amazing and beautiful experience. I seen the winery on the segment for Sonoma on Channel 2. I was sadly disappointed with everything except the grounds. Which were beautiful and very welcoming. Our server was a young lady that had not much of a personality and lack of enthusiasm for the wine or the winery. The wine was ok. We did notice that unlike other wineries, there was no talk of joining their membership. Not sure that was their policy or the server's lack of participation. No need to go back! I strongly suggest that you find another spot.