If you can only visit a few of wineries in Napa, this needs to be on your list. It's worth the drive up the mountain: the wines are delicious, the art collection is awesome, and the staff that was there when we visited were all friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming. Even the grounds are unique and beautiful -- heaven for the photographer or the social media junkie! read more

Hess Collection is off the beaten path but well worth the detour! [www.hesscollection.com]. This is more than just a winery. Fine dining and an art gallery await the palette conscious visitor. Make an appointment to sit at the Chef's table and be pampered by fine cuisine and elegant artsy atmosphere. The Hess Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Artezin Zinfandel are just a few of the fine vintages that will find here. read more

I'm not sure if there are a whole lot of other places I'd like to take a 'walk in the park' than the garden they have here. It's seriously unfair that most of the stuff you do here is free. If you're in Napa, take the curvy road to get here and enjoy yourself. read more

Hess Persson Estates - Museums Near Me - Napa, California

Impressive castle-like winery hidden away in the hills. Beautiful location and really deep-flavored wines. Definitely one of the bigger distributors (Hess is national) and they have a wine 'museum' and education courses. Worth a visit although I'm not sure I'd go back, considering there's so many options. The trademark of Hess wines are that they receive some of the most rainfall in the area (check out their maps/illustrations/diagrams/explanations inside), which leads to really ripe fruit and in turn deep intense wines. It was a bit too much for my tastes though, honestly. I thought the wines weren't really interesting or 'complex' because the strength makes it one dimensional. But everyone has different tastes! They're still really well made though. My only complaint is that it didn't feel like the trip up the receptionless mountain was particularly special (in terms of wine). Still, lovely place. Great outdoor seating and really relaxing. The staff were really friendly but I would recommend making reservations because even though they have way more than enough space they seem surprised if you don't have a reservation (and then seat you without any issue). If anything, I was under the impression that the big wineries are where you can just walk in without issue compared to smaller places. If I had more time and got the full experience here with a tour/tasting/course maybe my experience would have been more memorable; my fault I guess? read more

The drive in was pretty but the roads were winding. The directions provided on the website made it easy to get there. When we arrived in the visitor center, we were greeted by the tour guide (we hadn't planned on it, be arrived just in time for the 2:30pm tour). She gave us a sample of their 07" Chardonnay (not sure from which lot) which was on sale for $10 (and it should always be, bleh.) The "50-minute" tour consisted of walking a few feet out to the vineyard, looking at one vine, then walking back inside to watch a 15-minute video then downstairs into the cellar. I didn't time it, but I'm sure the tour didn't last 50-minutes and the only worthy part of it was going into the cellar to see the barrels, which you can do anyway. I'm glad it was free. The wine tasting bar had a menu which you could choose 4 for $10. Overall, it was an ok-experience. read more

Just a quick review since I need to add this to a list I'm compiling for a visiting friend of wineries I'd suggest checking out that aren't so mainstream. Primarily I'd say check out Hess b/c they have a sweet ass art gallery and nice wines. Definitely a gorgeous spot if you wanna stay off the main strip of wineries! read more

My first wine tasting at a winery! The service was great and the venue was beautiful. We even got to try a few complimentary wines to go with our tasting. My favorite was the cab (the more expensive one). The person serving us suggested that we try it, rather strategically because she knew it was amazing and that we wanted to buy it... and my mom ended up buying a bottle. She also bought a wine that the server called a "turkey wine" because it was a super light red, kind of like a pinot noir. That and the cab were definitely my favorites! They also have a fun store to walk around in that has all sorts of wine gadgets and collectors items. We went on a rainy sunday so it wasn't too crowded. It's also in a pretty isolated area (even moreso than typical Napa vineyards) so be prepared to drive down a bumpy-ish winding road to get to your wine! read more

Hess is a little out of the way from the Silverado Trail and perched on the side of the hills. The drive up to the winery looked like it came out of a novel - old beautiful tree lined roads, mist coming from the mountain, and a quiet area of the Napa. Hess Collection is a modern museum. It was a surprise to me but a delightful one. The tasting room offered some of the best wines I've tried in Napa. We were a group of 8 and were greeted with friendly accommodating staff (we also had 2 babies and a toddler). I'd like to come back in the summer to enjoy the private gardens and gorgeous hillside views. read more

We like Hess wines and were excited to visit. This was our first visit to Napa and first wine tasting. We couldn't have asked for a better introduction. We scheduled our visit on a Tuesday...no crowds which was awesome. Sue at the desk was very friendly and accomodating. We wandered through the art collection before heading into the tasting room. Jan was very knowledgeable and friendly. Grounds were beautiful. This was one of our favorite wineries that we visited. Can't wait to go back. Tasting fees are waived if join wine club. Art gallery access was free. Jan recommended Don Giovanni's for lunch...it was wonderful. From start to finish...a lovely experience. read more

Hess Persson Estates - Hess Collection Winery - Museums Near Me - Napa, California

Hess reminded me of a garden. I had their red wine sampler for $10, three flavors. Man, I had high hopes but was disappointed with all the red wines. There wasn't one that spoke to me or gave that full body I'm looking for. I still think A. Rafanelli has the best red wine. Their cheese platter was really good, it came with blue cheese, gouda, and three cream something. I loved the gouda and three cream cheese, had so much flavor. The gouda was harder in texture but you can taste how it aged. As for the three cream cheese, it was soft and just melts in your mouth. The dessert wine was way too sweet, it was around $50. Umm not for me. Omg you must purchase the Chardonnay wine brittle, napa cake panfonte, and white truffles!!! (5 stars). Basically all the samples they left out :-). The brittle was so different compared to others I have tasted, yummy!!! The napa cake was just perfection, great with dessert wine. Lastly, the white truffles were amazing. It really just melted in my mouth!!! It was dark chocolate and the filling was so light. You can have a couple and want more. I would purchase it individually because it was cheaper, weird how that works. It was $1.30 each, but if you by it in a box it was $9.95 for 4. I think the math was a little bit off for whomever marked the price, wow another $4 or so for just the packaging. Well not worth it! read more

One of my favorite wineries so far! My friends and I booked this place as the first stop to our wine-filled day. We had signed up for a complimentary tour and it was a nice introduction before the actual drinking started. Once we got to the actual drinking, the staff were super friendly and encouraging. The guy that was helping a couple of my friends out as well as me encouraged us to try and guess the flavor of the wine, whether it was woody or sweet, etc. We did end up buying a bottle that day, the German wine, and it was absolutely delicious. Will definitely come back! The service, prices, and the wine variety are definitely great here! read more

They have good wines and really cool museum which you can go and see for free. I highly recommend this place to be part your NAPA valley wine tour. read more

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We came here over the weekend and had a great experience! We enjoyed three great reds from the Hess collection and a Charbono from the Artezin brand. We were really impressed with the latter and picked up a bottle to go. I appreciated the fact that we could select our own varietals to taste instead of a predetermined selection as is common at other places. There is also a museum with some very interesting art work. Overall a pleasant time with a knowledgeable and friendly woman behind the counter. read more

O My Goodness!! This place is phenomenal! It was the first winery we went to when we arrived in Napa. The concierge at the Marriott recommended it and we were not disappointed!! The small block petite sirah was FANTASTIC!!! They have an art gallery attached which, if you like art.... LOL The employees were a bit standoffish at first but once we started talking and signed up for the wine club they came around.... And that is why they are getting 4 stars :/ But if you're looking for a good wine and a beautiful winery... Go to Hess! read more

Waste of time. Called ahead and specifically asked about service and was basically lied to. I wanted garden/outdoor service and was specifically told that it was common/possible and that we could buy picnic food and other goodies while there. Granted it was sprinkling but there was definitely no outside service. The service was on the third floor past headless "art" bodies and in a basically open room with a bar and a few tables. Not only was this not even close to what I was told but there was no table service if you wanted to sit down at the few tables either. I was extremely disappointed. I understand that they are renovating due to earthquake damage (which was why I called to ask about service) but this was the worst tasting experience I've ever had. The wines were nothing special either. I will not be going back, nor will I advise anyone to visit. Pros: the drive there is pretty and the gentleman in the front was pleasant Cons: everything else read more

Fabulous experience. Cindy was our guide and she did an amazing job, this was my 3rd time to the winery and each time the experience has gotten better. On this trip we did the Elevated Tasting and tour. The wine was good, must try The Lion and they now have a sparkling. read more

Hess is one of our favorite experiences in Napa. You can go for an elevated tasting and get a tour of the winery. It also has a beautiful art collection as well! It's a bit off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. Their wines (I am mainly a red wine drinker) are fantastic. Make sure you ask for the Auction Lot 11. It's one of my favorites and affordable! Beautiful views and great service. Also really like Erin but she only works on Sundays! read more

We had a wonderful experience today, spent the entire afternoon at Hess. The first hour was exploring the outside garden and then the second floor art collection. Intermission was a fabulous tasting of their delicious wines, and then the final hour was spent watching a short movie about the estate and enjoying the third floor art gallery. It wasn't just a wine tasting, but more of a Napa experience!!!!! read more

We went to a few wineries on a day-trip to Napa, and Hess definitely was our favorite stop! The staff here is wonderful, and it is far enough from the main road that it wasn't too crowded, even on a sunny, 75 degree weekend afternoon. The tour was not only free, but they were able to accommodate our group of 5 without a reservation, which many wineries in the area don't do. The tour was a great mix of Napa and Hess history, as well as winemaking processes. There is a beautiful (and free!) art gallery, and the buildings' contrasting architecture and beautiful garden is reason enough to come here. But by far the best part of our experience was Erin, our sommelier. The tasting we chose included four wines, and she ended up giving us six, including a couple small-batch wines that weren't on the regular tasting menu. She was super sweet and enthusiastic, without being overbearing at all. The five of us are hardly wine connoisseurs, and Erin answered our questions and gave us great recommendations based on our vague descriptions of what we like/don't like. She definitely was the highlight of our visit, and I would go back just to hang out with her again!! read more

I had the opportunity to spend time at the Hess collection, The grounds and the museum were amazing. The wine that was served was that consistent for a $20 tasting, the grapes tasted as the grapes should, The down side is the winery is a little off the beaten path, if you are looking for. Knock-down lights out wine drinking experience you might want to look a diffrent place, but if you enjoy art and great atmosphere Hess will not disappoint. read more

Darlene was very professional and helpful. She answered all our questions and we all had a grand experience at Hess. Keep up the good work!

This place is a hidden gem off of Redwood Road, which is a beautiful drive! The property is beautiful and the wines are great and reasonably priced. They have a large modern art collection that you can leisurely enjoy while you sober up before you hit your next stop! The Chardonnay Peanut Brittle is AMAZING! I bought it as a gift with a bottle of Chardonnay, but ended up eating the whole bag myself! Whoops! Note to self....buy 2 next time! read more

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Highly recommended. Our guide was extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the winery and it's history. He sat with us during our wine tasting and cheese pairing to answer all of our questions and tell us about the different wines. In addition to the glass of sparkling wine provided at the beginning of our tour and the four wines chosen for the tasting, he had us taste three additional wines that he thought we would like based on what we told him about our wine preferences. He then gave us a guided tour of the art museum. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. read more

This winery has delicious wines and lots of interesting things that come with their tastings (tour, art gallery), but they also are all about hospitality! They allowed us to add a couple of people to our reservation at the last minute, and even changed our personalized welcome menu at the last minute too! Edgar was very knowledgeable and a great guide. 5 stars! read more

Points for a stunning building in a secluded feeling area. The wine is good but the whole art display left me thinking this place could have been SO much better. Points taken off for the art and overall design of this place. You are greeted by a kid who asks you if you have a reservation (for a tasting?), this person seemed to care less about our experience even though he is the first person you see. To get to the tasting you have to take an elevator up to the third floor, past some art that is neither appropriate or fitting. For example, there is a "art piece" on display on the third floor, it's a unloaded AK47 with a scope looking down to the people below. WTF? Poor taste, bad choice, the rest of the art is similarly unfitting. The tasting room is not well thought out. A humongous room that has been sectioned off with folding tables held up by wine barrels. The area to taste the wine is much to cramped compared with the overall size of the room. Inconsiderate vacationers will be brushing elbows with you. Terrible design, so much wasted space. Could have saved money from all the "art" to build an actual bar! My favorite part about visiting the Hess collection was walking back to my car. Never again. read more

This place is off the beaten path on a nice curvy road. Recommend taking the back road heading south from Napa for a nice country drive. The grounds are old world and earthy. Lots of greenery and nice overgrown vines. While the outside is rustic, the inside appears very modern. We enjoyed a nice tasting courtesy of Old World B & B, then opted for the $5 "The Lion" tasting. All of the wines were nice and balances. Of course that evil little Lion got my friend's and my attention, so with wifey approval we each forked out the big bucks for a bottle. Our server was prior military, so he shared some great stories with us (currently active duty). Facility features a 3-story art gallery. None of it was to my personal liking, as it was too abstract and modern. But, certainly somebody likes that stuff. OVERALL: Very good. Recommended. read more

The koi pond is gorgeous :) The wine was forgettable : | The art was kinda spooky :/ read more

The outside of this winery is beautiful! Definitely take some time to take pictures outside near their pond. Art gallery is a bit weird and strange. There was some "sea rocks" or whatever they called in all over the floor at a certain part of the museum, looked like dung to me. But what do I know..I guess art is art... Wine tasting is ok. You can taste 4 wines for $10. I should have gone for the dessert wine tasting for only $5. I sipped from my friends and it tasted delicious. The person who helped us with our wine tasting was soo slow. She was being all fidgety with the cash register, don't know what the heck she was doing , but I hope she had fun. She sure caused a wait! :( read more

As far as free tours go, this one was really dry and boring, but the tour guide was really nice. Really a great art gallery at this place with some interesting pieces. It's nice for those who don't want to drink too much to have something to look at. I really don't know anything about wine, but the sampling seems like a pretty good deal. The server was really nice and helpful in answering all our questions. I would go back again! read more

I loved the wines, my family loved the wines. I loved the drive out, my family- did not love my driving. I loved the art, my family loved the art. I was a little turned off by the 'souvinere shop' but my family loved that. All in all its is definitely a place worth checking out. read more

We went to The Hess with our three kids in the afternoon and were not greeted very friendly. Even though there were 2 hours left till closing it felt like we were prolonging their workday. According to their website they are family friendly but certainly didn't make us feel too welcome. When I asked if they had something for kids to drink (something fun and bubbly) while parents sip wine, the lady simply said "sorry, just water". Needless to say, we didn't even stay for wine tasting and never bought wine. The art exhibit was good and interesting but we actually had come for the the wine experience. read more

I think this is a must-visit winery! The contemporary art collection is fabulous and free. The wines are delicious and reasonably priced. We decided to join their club (at no cost), which, at minimum, is buying two bottles of pre-selected wine now, two in two months, and then we can cancel. It makes the tastings free, and you get 20% discount on all their prices, which at that point represents a good value. Driving up to pick up our next shipment is just a good excuse to come to Napa and bring some friends (who will now get a free tasting as well). Finally, our server, Nancy, was the most informative we had this day. She was good at determining which wines we might like to taste, both from our stated preferences, and reactions to the wines we tried. Looking forward to going back! read more

The staff here is super friendly and will explain things if you haven't been wine tasting before. The art collection is a great mix of modern and contemporary abstract art in a beautiful building. read more

Came here last year in July with my boyfriend for their wine & bbq event for members only. His dad was a member of the winery. It was a great experience. My boyfriend got drunk, and at that time I wasn't that into wine much cause it was really new to me. We looked a the artwork afterwards which was funny cause my boyfriend was being all goofy bc of the drunkiness. The food was good - bbq stuff & cheeses. Tried all the diff wines. Nice location. the building with the green plants clinging on the walls. Good time :) read more

how much wine can one really drink in one day on a day trip from SF! Well, for this gal with Asian flush and super low tolerance, Hess is a nice stop between all the tasting rooms. It's an art gallery -- with some wine. Great venue for photos and eye candy. read more

This was our least favorite winery on the trip. Of course the vineyard and winery is beautiful. They all are. But, the tasting was rushed and our server was pretentious. Our group didn't even feel like he was ever talking to them. We were able to taste many Hess wines, but you get the feeling that maybe they should just stick to a few varietals and make them great. I was not blown away. Of course I will always love Mount Veeder but this experience was a let down. read more

Took a free tour of the winery and vineyard...very informative and insightful to the history of Hess. Completely fascinating. Tasting was fun. Art gallery so was awesome that we went through it twice. read more

Wow, Hess was another great treasure in Napa. It was a little bit off the beaten path but well worth the visit! We arrived just 15 minutes prior to closing so we didn't get to tour the museum or try the tasting so I headed straight for the wine shop to grab a bottle. I judged solely on the look of the distillery building. Yeah, I know "never judge a book by its cover" but I didn't have any time to smell, sniff, swivel, swallow, taste. One of the staff was SUPER nice enough to let me try all the Cabs that I wanted while I hung out in there. I decided to take home a Hess Collection Mt. Veeder Cab to drink a few years later. Can't wait.. Can't wait.. She even let us tour the place ourselves so I got to see where all the barrels are stored and that was wicked! I hope to come back one day as there's so much history to this place. Oh, and the Chardonnay candle is magnificent! Come over and smell my candle! read more

There were six of us visiting and doing our wine tour adventure. Then about the fourth day, the girls wanted a little break and decided to do some outlet shopping. Then there was three of us. What were we men to do? After talking amongst ourselves for a few minutes and then a coin flip made the final decision, another wine tasting. As we bid the girls a fond farewell for a few hours, we looked through our notes deciding on where to go. We agreed Hess looked like a perfect destination... if only we knew how right we were.... Hess is located way the heck out of winery row. A fair distance from the majority of the other wineries in the area, but it is well worth the trip. We walked in asking about the tasting when we were pointed to the bar off to our left. We walked up and met Bob. He is awesome. Charming. Funny. Personable. And loves to talk about wine, especially Hess's. That's a good thing. We went with the four wines and opted for the $5 upgrade to try the dessert wine. We had about 10 different wines to pick from for our four to try. As we went a long, Bob chatted with us about the health benefits of the wine and then got in to detail about each wine we selected. The flavors, the nose... all in all pretty much most of the wine we tried we really liked. Then as we got to the heavier Cabernets, Bob asked us to try a few others. Wanting us to fully enjoy all that Hess had to offer. Certainly we three enjoyed much of what Hess had to offer as we ended up each purchasing two bottles each, including their awesome but rare dessert wine. There is an art collection to take in either before or after a wine tasting, (there is no liquid of any kind and no photographs allowed in the art gallery). A lot of modern pieces, some really nice, some amazing, some definitely thought provoking, some just not my taste. What was our taste was the great service we got with Bob and the really great wine we got at Hess. Looking forward to recommending this place to some of my clients when they visit Napa in the fall. read more

Hm. Our group wasn't nearly as enamored with Hess as everyone else appears to have been! We visited on a Thursday afternoon in March. For the most part, Napa was pretty quiet, but for some reason, Hess's tasting bar was crawling with folks. We felt a bit rushed and a tad bit neglected. We had 8 in our group but barely had the attention of one person, while a smaller group of 4 next to us appeared to be the sole group being attended to by one of the staff behind the bar. The art was interesting but not really my style, so while it was something nice to do while we were there, it wasn't something I'd seek out. In fact, some of it slightly weirded me out. We also were almost tackled on the way up the stairs since they thought someone in our group still had a glass of wine (which no one did; he'd already left it at the front.) I don't think anyone in our group purchased a bottle of wine, either. Again, not necessarily bad, but ... not our style. Pretty pond out front. read more