Review #400!
We have…read morevisited V Sattui several times over the years, and it was on our itinerary for our current Napa trip, primarily because we wanted to get lunch at their food market.
V Sattui is rather unique among the region's wineries, for several reasons: they have a food market, they allow purchased bottles to be consumed on site, they allow picnicking, and they serve as a wedding venue. This is not easy to achieve in Napa's ridiculously restrictive permitting landscape.
So first, let's talk about the food market, which is one of the main attractions of this place. The cheese shop alone is worth going out of your way for. Almost every type of cheese you can hope to find. Sorry to my idealistic vegan aspirations, but I don't think I'll be giving up cheese anytime soon. They have a deli with sandwiches, pastas and various side dishes, olives, fruits, etc. Come on an empty stomach and be ready to eat well.
When we first arrived at the winery, we were welcomed in by the very nice host, who explained the tasting menu options, if we were interested in a tasting. About 13 wines to choose from, and you get to pick any 5, $45 per tasting. Love the flexibility. Lots of white and rose options, as opposed to many wineries which just pile on the reds. I like a good red, don't get me wrong, usually with a big dinner, but on a hot summer day, I want lighter, refreshing wines. So we were sold, and signed up for an indoor tasting before lunch.
During the couple of years we've been away from Napa, the winery has completely rebuilt their tasting room and store, for both structural and cosmetic reasons. It looks fantastic now, featuring a very attractive, modern circular tasting bar. Would have taken pics, but I try to avoid posting pictures of strangers on the internet, and the tasting room was filled with people.
We grabbed a seat at the bar, and were greeted by our tasting guide, Lucas. Lucas was amazing. Personable, hospitable, and engaging. He made us feel welcome, got to know us, and ensured we had a great time throughout, even though he was serving multiple other customers at the same time. I could never do his job.
I selected all white and rose wines, and RB went with mostly red. My favorites were the off-dry Riesling, and the Sauvignon Blanc. RB's Preston Vineyards cab was also very good, but again, I would need a hearty meal to consume this with. Lucas also treated us to a couple of complimentary pours, and the Madeira was an especially nice treat. We finished up our tasting, bid au revoir to Lucas, and made our way to the deli for lunch.
We were hungry and decided to keep it simple with the essentials - cheese (of course), sweet baguette, and grapes. So many enticing cheeses to choose from, but you can't go wrong with French Brie and medium cheddar, so that's what we opted for. As for the beverage selection, RB's and my wine palates do not always align, but we can usually agree on bubbles, so that's what we did.
Armed with a bottle of Brut cuvée and the aforementioned goodies, we made our way out to the picnic area. It's lovely out there. Many picnic tables, in the shade or in the sun, or you can picnic on the grass.
We found a shaded table in the breeze overlooking Route 29, and settled in for our leisurely lunch.
Terrific experience start to finish, even better than I remember from the past. Make sure you make V Sattui part of your Napa itinerary.