Had a tour at Charbay Winery & Distillery. It's in St. Helena on Spring Mtn Rd, it's a windy road and you need to have reservations to go there. We did the tasting, reg price $20pp. You can taste these things: Green Tea Aperitif 2010 Chardonnay, St. Helena 2007 Syrah, Lake County Pomegranate Dessert Wine Still House Port 2006 Wines were tasty, hubby bought 3 bottles. They have Meyer Lemon Trees & Buddha's Hand Trees, so cool. read more

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This is THE most interesting Spring Mountain place we have ever visited. John took care of us, is part of the extended Karaksavic Charbay family, and spend over a decade in South Africa in the wine business. He is quite knowledgeable and really helps you get into the whole 'distillery thing'. The only legal 'still' in Wine Country. We learned a lot about the 13 generations of distillers (the newly minted 14th generation Miles too), the distillery process, saw two 'at scale' and one mid-range, and one 'tiny still' machinery and the amazing innovations that have set the 'distilled' world on fire. Who thought that whiskey, brandy, vodka, green-tea aperitifs from Napa Valley could make such an impact? Their new R5 Whiskey is distilled from Racer 5 beer from Bear Republic Brewery (this 'beer' stock is quite an innovation'). They only pour/serve 24% alcohol or less (wines, ports and Green Tea aperitif), (one exception - they 'sell brandy'. We had two very nice ports - the Distillers' port (plural possesive) is quite nice. This is a MUST see place during your Napa Valley trip. read more

Charbay Winery & Distillery - Wineries Near Me - St. Helena, California

The tasting session at Charbay was the highlight of my Napa trip. Charbay's many unique, wildly varying offerings were all outstanding. As others have said, it's a real shame they can't sample or sell their spirits. (I regret not ordering a bottle of R5 when I had the opportunity.) It's hard to pick a favorite, but the Green Tea apertif was so uniquely refreshing that I'd recommend anyone who makes the journey up to Charbay bring at least one bottle home with them. John was a fantastic host and is equally knowledgeable, passionate and entertaining. I've been singing their praises for weeks and look forward to going back next time I'm in the area. read more

Charbay Winery & Distillery - Wineries Near Me - St. Helena, California

There was a short program on TV about the distillery last year, so I made a point to find out more about the place in person. They boast a long lineage of Yugoslavian distillers in the family and I never pass up an opportunity to take in some Balkan culture (food/alcohol). While visiting my mother in Sacramento, I called and made an appointment for my friend and I to tour the winery; however, things got a bit mixed up, so we weren't able to take the walking tour and ended up just doing the tasting. The family doesn't grow its own fruit, so I can't imagine the tour would have made that much of a difference. But it would still have been nice. Mark, a family friend and worker, took us on a flavor adventure of wine and aperitifs. Like most wineries, if you make an alcohol purchase then the tasting fee is waived. I ended up with a bottle of the Charbay charbay (chardonnay/brandy), the green tea aperitif, two low-ball glasses and a wine bottle travel protector. Mark also informed us of a local winery open house, so we were able to visit another nearby vineyard, taste their wine and food, and get complimentary souvenir glasses. We would have had no idea what all was in the area without his help. My only complaint is that you cannot buy the vodka (which they seem to be the most famous for) directly from the winery. According to some CA laws that I'm not familiar with, they cannot let you taste the vodka or purchase it there; however, you can find the vodka at Sunshine Foods, in St. Helena. If you go to Charbay's website then you can also figure out if a place near you carries their products. Your local alcohol supplier might also be able to place an order for you if they don't already have it. If you are coming on the main road from the East then be careful. It is easy to pass. The distillery is set back and the sign is more easily read from the other direction. read more

This is our favorite winery in the world. We go as often as we can to visit and catch up on whatever new releases are coming out. They are friendly, know all about the process and really help you understand the wines and how they are made. We bought a bottle of the aperitif to take with us on our pick nick -it was perfect! Charbay is one of the smallest wineries in the valley, so this isn't going to be your run of the mill mega-corporate tasting. We've always set it up ahead of time and had great experiences! read more

Charbay's a fun visit if you're doing Spring Mountain wine tastings. It definitely has a different configuration of wines than most on the mountain -- lots of aperitifs (in my last tasting we had some green tea-like goodness and pomegranate port). The aperitifs are especially alcoholic; my tasting party was a bit silly by the time we left. The winery itself is quite pleasant to look at, and the guide was pleasant. What's not to like? read more

Pros: 03 Cabernet is awesome. Quiet place, not crowded and a really friend staff. And they have two nice winery dogs that are really friendly. Cons: Far from the strip, so I wouldn't recommend this place if you're on a time crunch and are trying to visit a lot of wineries. Three bottle minimum purchase for the tasting fee to be waived. Overall: Cool place to visit if you have time to spare. read more

We came across Charbay during our Platypus winery tour and it was an absolutely fantastic place to visit, and our favorite stop by far. The staff was extremely nice and explained the process of making their hard liquor as well as their wine. The wines were tasty and the liquor was fantastic. There was an easy, go with the flow feeling of the tasting and a great welcoming feeling of being among friends. Their winery dog was a great addition as well, as he was super sweet and added to the ambiance. We will definitely be back when we go through Napa again! read more

That family is of champions of dedication and quality. Their success is well deserved.

We went to several great wineries while we were in Napa and Sonoma, but Charbay was by far our favorite. John spent about an hour and a half walking us through the intricacies of many different types of wines, aperitifs, and ports. Our favorites were the green tea aperitif, the pomegranate dessert wine, and the ports, but they were all great. It's too bad that state law doesn't allow us to buy or sample some of the many spirits they make in their "still on the hill," but that didn't stop us from finding them at local stores. We love the blood orange vodka and the R5 whiskey (made from Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA). Definitely worth a your time to stop by. read more

Don't miss it! John really welcomed us, from offering to take a photo when we first arrived to telling us about the family history of the distillery/winery, and with a generous pour. The green tea aperitif was delicious, they sold out of bottles but offered to email us when they were back in. The pomegranate wine mixed amazingly well with champagne. It truly was a breath of fresh air from the over commercialized and/or stuffy tasting rooms. It would have been nice to try their liquors, but can't blame them for California laws... read more

I'm not really a wine person. I drink it, but I find a lot I don't like. Having said that I was really surprised that I loved everything I tasted at Charbay. Six of us went up after New Years and sampled some of the best wine any of us have ever come across, and that is true of those in the party who do a lot of wine tasting. We got to meet the 13th generation distiller, and the presentation was informative and fun. My favorites were the Pomegranate Desert wine, Chardonnay, 2003 Cab and both Ports were wonderful. BTW, I found out Charbay is available at BevMo, go check it out. Thanks Charbay for the experience. read more

This is not your typical winery it is more of a distillery than a winery. The tasting was very personal (Mark who works there and my party of 3), Mark did a great job of providing information about winery/distillery and the spring mountain area. Do note that spring mountain road is very slow, it is a tight and winding road so while you are only 4 miles away you are also driving about 15-20 mph. Also Google maps has two addresses for them, make sure you get the right one. The ports are great, plus they make their own brandies to put in the ports. They have some very intresting green tea and pomegranate mixers. Due to CA law we could not try the Vodkas but I had some afterwards and just loved it. read more

You know whats better than Charbay Vodka? Free Charbay Vodka! They came out to a Yelp event in Sacramento, and the Charbay was a flowin! Ultimately I ended up breaking a finger that night, and although the injury may have been induced in part by the vodka, it totally kept the pain at bay! So no hard feelings Charbay, and thanks for the memories! Next time I'm in town, I'll be stopping in! read more

Came here a few days ago because our driver found out that I am a huge whiskey fan! &I thank him for that! Such an amazing experience! I absolutely loved it. the staff was extremely knowledgeable and very friendly! I tried the green tie, loved it! Their port was also so good! so good that we bought a bottle of the green tea and a bottle of their port. we also bought the whiskey peanut butter brittle :) hehe. It's a pretty small place and the vineyard is pretty high up and located on swirly roads so I would 1. call ahead so they know you're coming 2. GET A DD! I would of given this place 5 stars if they would start letting the public sample racer 5 whiskey! yes, racer 5! Did I forget to mention that charbay also makes Racer 5 beer?! Wish I lived closer so I could be here all the time! read more

Charbay Winery & Distillery - Wineries Near Me - St. Helena, California

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Charby is a special place- Make a reservation and trek up Spring Mountain road and check this place out. Very cool that it is one of the only distillery's in Napa. Great tasting room- very friendly staff, great locale- excellent wine and spirits- this is the important part- they prepare their spirit tastings with hand of Buddha lemons which they grow right outside- very cool. I am a huge fan of this spot. read more

Loved this tasting room and distillery! John was so friendly and welcoming. Great to see the distilling process and learn about the family history. We also couldn't leave without a bottle of the green tea aperitif !! read more

Charbay Winery & Distillery - A must buy bottle!! - Wineries Near Me - St. Helena, California

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John was fantastic and I can't wait to come back! Very knowledgeable and he informs you of how everything is done. We fell in love with the port! I highly suggest making this a stop on your vacation! read more

Charbay Winery & Distillery - our flight menu! - Wineries Near Me - St. Helena, California

Love love love charbay! My friend and I recently visiting and were welcomed by our gracious host John by name. Not only is this small family owned winery beautiful and intimate but the wines and spirits were absolutely delicious. My friend left with a bottle of their green tea aperitif which we were shown makes a wonderful cocktail mixed with lemon sparking water and zest from one of their Budda's hand lemons. I left with a bottle of their 2005 Cabernet which is knock your socks of good! I can not reccomend this place enough! I will be ordering from them in the future. We had a wonderful time. Thank you! read more

I had the pleasure to visit Charbay this weekend, and must say it was the highlight of our tour. The great thing about Charbay is their uniqueness. Nowhere in the Valley can you taste such interesting and original wines and wine-based liquors. My Green Tea aperitif was amazing and I was absolutely floored by the creativity and attention to detail. The tasting room is very relaxed and the drive up to it is picturesque. I highly recommend a stop at Charbay! read more

John was a fantastic host to our party of 18! He was incredibly knowledgable and welcoming upon our visit and made us feel right at home :) We will definitely be stopping by again! Thanks! read more

ho. ly. cow. cheese plate. had to get that out of the way. now, you have to make a reservation, and i believe it's about $20 or $25 a person for a tasting (the cheese alone is worth that.) and the woman (Ms. Charbay) was so friendly, even though we changed our reservation time from 1:00 to 2:00... and then arrived around 3:15. then the fun begins. we tasted out of barrels, with this fancy device that gets wine out of barrels (i could play with this magical wine-getter all day), we tasted several different years and varietals and such, and also a little taste of a brandy they had just distilled that morning (v. delish. and i am a girl who likes drinks that can be described as "limey" or "bubbly") add the tips we got regarding what to do if ever pulled over after drinking, and it was a rockin' good time. but bring a DD. cops in this area are hot to pull over anyone who looks overly happy. but apparently, just say you don't drink. and then stop talking. read more

Pronounce the name like you have had a few :) Sharbay. Tasty, smooth and refreshing, plain or flavored. The Key Lime is awesome in Cosmos or Bloody Mary's. read more

Up on the mysterious Spring Mountain resides one of our favorite wineries. They are extremely helpful in selecting the perfect libation for your next occasion. Their expertise also goes beyond world of wines to the realms of ports, plain and flavor infused vodkas (Green Tea!), whiskey, some wonderful aperitifs, and their newest, Tequila Blanca (Ayayay!). read more

Me and a friend went for the first time and the experience was wonderful. Our host John was beyond exceptional. He was very friendly, fun and knowledgeable. The wine was delicious. Definitely worth the drive! read more

I was a little disappointed by the wines and the fact that you can't taste the liquors they distill. The green tea aperitif was delightful and the staff was really sweet and friendly. The setting is gorgeous. read more

What a great place to visit. A really different experience from anything else in Napa. Worth the drive, might want to hit up some other places while you are already up the mountain. Green Tea was amazing, Ports are great as well. Got to check it you! read more

We have been there twice and been delighted each time. Low key well informed taster each time. You get greeted first by their delightful dogs and then someone who has no pretenses and great enthusiasm. I am going to join the still wine club, in part because they make a killer cab, and in part because my wife will not drink any other port in the world now. You will not have a better experience, taste better distilled products or many better wines for the price. The road up is a great Porsche drive. read more

Had a great time visiting, very laid back atmosphere. The pomegranate desert wine is really unique, so is the green tea aperitif. We had plenty to taste and a lot of good conversation. This was definitely in our top three in our visit to Napa. read more

While I wasn't wild about the wines, ports or apertifs, this review is more about the customer service of the tasting room staff. I am a tasting room manager for a winery, and I let the staff person know who I was when I came in. The staff apparenly didn't make the connection that tasting rooms make referrals to other wineries as their guests ask opinions and advise on where for different tasting experiences. Unfortunately, I cannot honestly recommend this winery to anyone, because of the totally disconnected and rude treatment I and my Canadian friends received by the staff person running the tasting room on 8/8/09. Here's what happened: My group arrived at the winery about 3 PM, after driving the windy, slow road to get to this winery. When we found the gates closed, (and the sign on the call box said to push the button), we called the tasting room from the callbox. The other side said that they were they were slammed and that I should leave and go to another winery down the road and try again in 30 minutes. We drove all this way, towards the end of the day to come to this winery and had no interest in any others on the road (which were few and far between) so we were persistant and said we would not mind waiting in the tasting room until space freed up. So he let us in. Upon reaching the tasting room we find the place overflowing with drunk tasters (two party buses that had about twenty 20-somethings and free-flowing liquor (not your typical tasting or tasters)). Intermixed with this group were two or three small groups of tasters trying to enjoy their tasting experience, but clearly frustrated with the noisy party group and the level of attention being paid by the single staff person working the room. After about 30 minutes in the tasting room, the staff person finally acknowledges us and allows us to approach the bar, pours a very skimpy pour, even for tastings, and provides no information as to what we are drinking. Having observed his mediocre service to others (except the party group), I noted that this was an even skimpier pour and less information than he had given prior tasters. We nurse this 1 tablespoon pour for about 10 minutes before he returns with the second pour on the list, another skimpy pour. By this time we had been there for about 40 minutes and the party group had started to move back to their buses. I noted that very few purchases were made by this group (if any). As it had appeard to finally slow down in the tasting room, I thought we were going to be able to start enjoying the tasting as it should be, but apparently the staff is slow to recover from being slammed. So when I asked a question about where the vodka distillery was for their business, I am rather rudely told that the staff is too busy to provide education and that if i want to ask questions I should come back on another day or email or call, just don't ask any questions. He then said that he was sure I understood, fair enough and a tip of the head implying discussion was done. The odd thing is that this took a lot more energy to shut me down than it would have taken to answer my one question and by this time there were only two other small tasting groups in the tasting room and they were asking questions and getting productive answers. I let it go and continued tasting the third taste received in about 20 minutes after tasting had commenced and in a weak moment asked one more question - What varietal do they use to make their grappa? In response to this I was told,"I don't have time for education, just basic tasting. If you want to ask questions you need to come back some other day or contact the winery. I don't have time to talk to you right now". A simple "I don't know" or some other response would have taken less energy. Having been shut down again, I was through with my tasting. Unfortunately, I had three guests with me who had come down from Canada with the goal of having a Napa Valley experience. While they enjoyed some of the wine, this was not a high point of our day. read more

As if Spring Mountain isn't enough of a 'secret' ...Charbay, the Still on the Hill, is beyond a diamond in the rough. The place might be a be a bit rustic, but the various elixirs that emerge sparkle like snow in the sun! No, you can't purchase the clear, clean Vodkas. The Tahitian Vanilla Bean Rum can be hard to find and don't even think of landing a bottle of the most elusive and exquisite Whiskey in the world. Yet, that adds to the mystic and the fun of seeing which sparkler you could land on. The tastings vary with who is there and what is current or actually available. Their wine is amazing. The stories are magnificent. And, I even enjoy the ride up the hill... just not too late. Reminds me of the Santa Cruz mountains with lush greenery and woods. Absolutely refreshing from the flat Napa Valley, which of course we would never complain about... YET, if you are looking for entirely different treat than "the usual".. call ahead to Charbay and see what unfolds. Oh, P.S.....The Green Tea appertif is my favorite. And, if your lucky enough to find their most recent release...Charbay Tequila you will never go back to regular old Patron. read more

best port every! my friend and i got a bottle of their reserve port. this was our first stop so we only got one bottle. we really liked their chardonnay and oakville cabernet but decided to get no more than 1 bottle per winery ... so we had to be satisfied with our one bottle of port. my friend had been to napa several times and never went back to the same winery, but we both decided that this was a place that we have to return to. read more

AMAZING! Do it. Seriously. There is no way you won't go away buying something. It was kind of nice to have a break from wine after wine. This place serves an aperitif and some cocktails with the different liquors they distill there. And the place is kind of remote, so relaxing. read more

Wow! Absolutely grrrreat! I am duuhhrunk. Seriously, great service, intimate setting, so relaxing, so amazing. Complete one-on-one service. The host was so entertaining and easygoing! Thank you, Charbay. I am a FAN, now! Well worth the drive waaaay up the mountain away from the crowds. read more

Quite possibly the most engaging, interesting, and delicious tasting experience to date! John walked us through a tantalizing experience that started with a green tea aperitif, moved through several big wines, and finished with an array of desert wines and the most amazing ports I've ever tasted. Charbay is an absolute must! This is the best of the Napa/Sonoma wine scene. read more

What an experience, this is one of the best tasting room experiences that I have ever had. I have visited the Napa Valley many times but had never ventured up Spring Mountain, a friend of mine recommended that I try Charbay as they make Wine, Port, and Dessert wines but also make a range of Vodka, Rum, Whiskey and Tequila. So, as a good tourist I called ahead and an appointment for the next day, I was greeted by Mark (tasting room/retail manager); he kept the introduction brief as he likes to get wine into each customers hand with in 10 minutes of being on the property ( I wish all wineries would follow that lead). Mark showed us all 11 wines, ports, dessert wines and aperitifs; he kept the pours small but let us know that we can "revisit" anything we tasted ( which we all appreciated as 11 wines is alot to taste). As good tourist we had booked an appointment two days before so Mark was able to spend time with us and answer all the questions we had about wine making and more importantly distilling. I was impressed with everything that Miles and Marko (father and son team) have made, the range of products, how well balanced and full of flavor each product was. If you want the most unique tasting from one wine making / distilling family in the world, come to Charbay read more

What a welcome! John greeted us, offered to take a picture of us, then proceeded to tell us about the still on the hill. We had a lovely tasting. I learned so much about the distilling process. The ports Charbay had to offer were fabulous. If you are looking for something different, then a stop at Charbay is a must. read more

Everything they make is absolutely incredible, and going to the tasting room on the top of Spring Mountain is a total treat. This is the way Napa is supposed to be - off the beaten path with a line up of gems from traditional Napa Cabernet's to luscious ports, to the best whiskey I've ever had. I've been to the winery twice and, depending on the day, have enjoyed getting to spend quality time with their tasting room manager, Mark (truly a lovely guy) as well as various family members. If you're smart, you'll call ahead and make an appointment so that the staff (this is a small family business) will be prepared and able to give you the full VIP treatment and personal time. No doubt this is one of my favorite stops in Napa - not to be missed. read more