Swanson Vineyards is delightful, and it's in Rutherford.   Try the refreshing rosato and take a stroll inside to the tasting salon which was filled with eclectic, French country, and farmhouse-like furnishings. Check out the patio area to enjoy more vino. From Zin to Cab Sauv, the price points were quite reasonable, as the Swanson Family believes in true quality. You can tell their winemaker makes these robust wines with love and passion.   Last but not least, visit the "Sip Shoppe", what a circus it was LOL!  This is my favorite tasting room, it's festive mardi-gras themed, lively, fun, and magical. Makes me want to head straight to NOLA!  Their exquisite bottle of brandy Angelica is a must-have with grapes from Amador County. Can't wait to come back and be transported to Nawlins-style wine tasting. 'Til we meet again ~ laissez le bon temps rouler & see you on Yelp (SYOY)! read more

I've gone here 3 times already and it's definitely the experience that always brings us back. That, coupled with good wine and great company, solid. The vineyard itself is small but has a cozy atmosphere about them. Fun fact, it is indeed related to the Swanson food brand! The staff is very knowledgeable about the history, the wine, and just anything you want to know about this place. We always reserve the private room tasting as it paired with a small foos note to cleanse your palette. Although a small bite, it is delicious! Hence why I've been back 3 times! I leave with a bottle of wine but my friends always leave with a bottle of Angelica. Which honestly, taste nothing of wine and more like a brandy lol. When your done with your tasting, you can hang out in their cute front deck and order a bottle and enjoy the nice Napa weather. Make sure you come on the weekends, as they have live French music that just absolutely sets the tone. read more

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Love the pop up vineyard location! Server was super friendly and sweet. All the wines were great! read more

Swanson Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Rutherford, California

Super cute winery, the host was so friendly. The family history is very fascinating and I absolutely loved the book created by one of the daughters. It's a very cheeky place, fabulous eccentric decor, I loved it. We were greeted with a small glass of white wine. She showed us the main room and took our picture, then we sat outside. They had blankets which was nice it did get a little cold in the shade. The wines were different and had some unique characteristics during our tasting. She poured some off the menu for us as well. Overall it was a lovely experience, I'd come back again. read more

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I was so delighted to see this beautiful French château, It was not possible to have asked for a more gorgeous day. The lovley Nancy had us start out with a glass of Rosato yummy. Once inside this eclectically designed French style with just a hint of circus lol I loved it. Roy give us a little history of this winery Swanson's, as in frozen dinners, wow I'm utterly fascinated! Roy was fantastic, he was a font of information we learned so much about this gorgeous winery. And that courtyard was absolutely stunning! I tried three wines, Alexis Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot & a Zinfandel all delicious, and of course I leave with a few bottles, oh happy me! The courtyard has some wonderfully cozy seating areas, with the stunning views of the vineyards, I could sit in this beautiful courtyard for hours. And the pièce de résistance! Time for their dessert wine Angelica's WOW omg I loved it so much I bought it, I had to have it!!! Nancy, Roy and Sarah went above and beyond! It was a near perfect day. I'll be back Swanson's you're just too good not to! Cheers my friends SYOY read more

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Swanson Vineyards is off the Saint Helena Highway and tucked in between residential houses. It's a small place, but filled with much charm and fun. Their tastings are by appointment only. Unknowingly, the 9 of us arrived without reservations. But they were so kind to accommodate us. There are two tasting rooms here. First, the Swanson Salon is for formal tastings. This room is simply gorgeous! It has lush orange walls, paintings, chandeliers and much more. Next door is the Sip Shoppe for informal tastings. It is a bright room with long bench-tables. Our tasting was in the Sip Shoppe and prices range from $15-$25. Before beginning our tastings, we were each given a complimentary sample of their Rosato. Delicious! Most of us did the the Bon Vivant tasting which included tastings of their Chardonnay, Petite Sirah, and Sangiovese, a Clarke's Bark bar and a mini cup of sorbet. And I just want to say, I love the presentation. While the wines were good, the Clarke's Bark bar stole the show! They call this their adult chocolate and it is as sinful as it sounds. This dark chocolate bar has merlot soaked toffee and pink Himalayan salt. This combination of sweetness, saltiness, bitterness and crunchiness was indeed naughty and intoxicating. It was such a fun and delectable visit! Thanks Swanson Vineyards! Check out their special occasion wines with labels like "Just Married", "Lucky Night", and "Please Forgive Me". (http://www.swansonvineyards.com/Mix-Match.aspx) read more

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Do try to make Swanson one of your stops on your Napa trip! Unlike most wineries in this area (big production, large estates, quite impersonal and commercial), Swanson is a whole different vibe! This winery is so adorable with many French and New Orleans accents (you'll learn if you ask about the winery history), small and casual and family biz vibes, and staffed by the most wonderful people. My family and I had such a pleasant tasting experience here, and we can't wait to be back. read more

Swanson Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Rutherford, California

Try the salon tasting to experience all Swanson has to offer. In addition to making some really terrific wines, the Salon tasting ($65 per pseron) provides access to wines that are not sold at retail, and in my opinion is worth the price of admission. A maximum of eight guests are seated at a large round table, in the center of a room right out of the parlor of a 19th century European royal castle. This tasting includes several cheeses, crackers and a dollup of caviar on a salty potato chip. A chocolate is also provided for good measure. The artwork in the room is unique and amazing, and this is unlike any otehr tasting setting in the valley. Kate provided a terrific historical and culinary tour, while tasting through the portfolio over a solid hour. If you prefer a lower cost option, Swnason also offers a courtyard tasting - in a beautiful shaded and comfortable area with music and snacks for $35/pp. Put this on your list of have-tos in Napa, and don't forget how good the Swanson Merlot is! read more

Swanson Vineyards - Salon tasting feast - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Rutherford, California

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Sadly, the setup at Girard is nowhere near the experiences they used to offer at their own facility. The elegant salon and the casual sip-shop have been replaced by a sterile looking patio experience with no food pairings. Its the Swanson wines, but a poor replacement for the experience. I hope they are able to return to their previous standard when they get going again in their own facility. read more

Swanson is a boutique winery, although not cheap on the flights, their comfortable patio can be a good long afternoon hang out place. There is also live music on the weekends (at least for summer). The owners are a grey hair couple who used to be in banking business. When they are on site, they walk around and greet each guest. The husband will slow down to chat with you and the wife will come to make sure that our glasses are filled with water. Every time she comes over she says a sincere thank you. We didn't want to try their salon tasting (pricey and needs reservation), but we still went to just check out the place. As we walked in, we were immediately greeted by a staff who was just walking out. He showed us to our courtyard seats and brought us the tasting menus. The seats and table were made from steel buckets and really cute. It's also one of the reason why stayed here for most of the afternoon. The flights are not cheap and Swanson is famous for their dessert wines. So I went for the Night Cap, which composed of two dessert wines, Arsene, which is Petite Sirah in port, and Crepuscule, a late harvest Semillon. The pairing suite came with blue cheese, pistachio nuts and mini Dizzy Lizzy sno-ball that were neatly placed on pieces of sea shells. The dessert wines were good and Crepuscule was excellent. The flight came to be $22. Mine came with the blue cheese missing. After awhile, a staff came over to check on us and once she noticed the mistake, she fixed it right away. The other flight we tried called Bon Vivant, which included three wines, all from Oakville Estate: Chardonnay, Sangiovese and Petite Sirah. The pairing consisted of Clarke's Bark and Mini Dizzy Lizzy sno-ball, for $20. Sangiovese was the best among the three, flavorful, smooth with a balanced body. Although we didn't join the salon tasting, while I used the restroom indoor, I asked if I could peek inside the salon as they were preparing for a group tasting and they generously gave me the permission. I walked in freely, took as many pictures as I wanted and admired all the cute settings that were accomplished by the wife. Their wines, all packaged in beautiful salon style boxes, are in the $50+ price range but labels are cute and interesting. Overall, 5 star for the ambience and servie but minus 1 star for the price. read more

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What a lovely wine tasting experience. Roy was our server and he delighted us with about six different pours as well as a sweet dessert wine to finish our tasting. There were some lovely pairings with the wines including carrot soufflé and some cured meats. There was also a cheese board available! What an amazing winery - we will certainly be back! read more

Swanson Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Rutherford, California

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I really enjoy this winery! I am a member and the quality of the wines is excellent! Rosé, viognier, sauvignon blanc and also the zin and cabs are sooo good! The experience for tasting is wonderful! The staff is super sweet and accommodating. The grounds are beautiful. It's just bliss every time we go there. There's a great option to add a fabulous cheese plate! read more

I heard about the quality of the wines and of how dog-friendly they were, but I was pleased to see that Swanson delivered, and exceeded our expectations. The open, outdoor seating area kept us socially distant and although the tasting (actually reasonable for a premium Napa winery) was $35, we got incredible service and generous pours of exceptional wines. Our host was Kendall, and she was so friendly and knowledgeable. She poured some extra things we were interested in and we joined the club on the spot. I can't wait to go back and to enjoy the world class wines at good prices and to experience the charming property as well. read more

Swanson Vineyards - The Big Top Room - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Rutherford, California

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With each trip up to Wine Country, we try to visit a new winery. A winery that we had on our list for our recent trip was Swanson. The winery is not visible on Highway 29, but is on Manley Lane, a small lane off the main road. The building resembles a French château with a beautiful garden in front. They offer tastings in The Salon or The Sip Shoppe. We wanted the full experience, and reserved the Salon tasting. This Oenophile tasting includes their most exclusive wines from the Secret Stash paired with decadent bites. The tasting is held in the Salon, which is the open foyer of the château. It is a beautiful room with high ceilings, wood paneled doors, fireplace with a large chandelier over the beautiful round inlay table for eight. Our group of four joined a group of four from SoCal to form our party of eight. We hit it off talking about wine and wineries in Napa. Roy was our host for this tasting experience and started us off with a Rosato that was paired with a chip topped with caviar served on a scallop shell. Our tasting included pours of chardonnay, sangiovese, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and finished with Angelica, a sweet dessert wine fortified with brandy. My friend and I enjoy cabernets and requested at taste of their flagship Face cabernet, which was delicious. During the course of these pours, we had nicely presented food pairings and Roy gave us a nice history of Swanson and how the winery came to be. It was nice sit down wine tasting / food paring experience in a beautiful setting. Roy was friendly, personable and did a great job in being the host for our tasting. If you want a wine tasting different than your typical walk-up to a counter, try the Salon Tasting at Swanson Vineyards. read more

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This vineyard was cute and very intimate. Roy was our host and provided very good insight to the wines we were tasting. He alone deserves a 5 star rating. NOW, the reason for the 2 star rating. There was a woman that greeted us that didn't seem like she wanted us there. We had a large party and made them aware of our group size through there website. Her initial response, "we have other reservations, which is why we need to know your parties size" with attitude. We told her we had booked through the website, after which she just turned her nose up. The ladies in our group asked to use the restroom, from which this woman told them where the restroom was and then with attitude again said, "you need to be quiet because we have a private party." At this point we felt she really despised us being there and wanted us out as soon as possible. Our group consisted of a GM for a major hotel chain, who was looking to share business with the winery. Unfortunately, do to the poor hospitality from this particular individual, we decided to take our business else where. Our experience with Roy was pleasant and informative, however, this goes to show how 1 individual can ruin the overall experience. I hope that the winery would look into ensuring that everyone is treated with the same hospitality that Roy provided. read more

I don't think I can do it all justice except to say that we are already looking forward to our next visit to Swanson Vineyards. Recently, we enjoyed a sunny Saturday in a wonderful environment, with remarkable wines and great friends. I wonder how many times we have driven up and down Highway 29 without knowing that a hidden gem such as Swanson Vineyards is nestled on an adjacent country lane. Swanson's Vineyards club setting is a short roll off the the main road, with no flashy signage, so when you get there you will first notice the aire of tranquility. The whole experience was quite dignified. The garden seating, complete with a wood branch teepee for some quiet centering meditation, is an escape from the likes of other corporate wineries out there. The environs are a perfect mix of the casual, comfortable, and a touch of upscale. There were really only two kinds of people there....members, and soon to be members. The wines are at once familiar, yet intriguing. Upon our arrival we were treated to their rich and light-hearted Rosatto. What a delight. We were not surprised to hear that they are nearly sold out. Get some early next release. You'll be glad you did. It has a wonderful European flair. We were guided through the best palette of wines that we have experienced in a while. It was easy to discern the ever-important field work and masterful winery skills that go into their wines. Each was unique and approachable. Our consensus was that, though the wines were ready now, for the coming holidays, they revealed the structure so important for lasting perfection. These wines are certainly made so well that they can only get better with time. My preference, as you've heard here before, are hardy red wines. The matured, mellowed, rich wines that Swanson has carefully cellared for a decade or more are the real jewels, the proof of their winemaking expertise. We easily curated a mixed-case of library wines to take home. Upon opening a 1999 Cabernet, when we got home, we felt like we had travelled through time. We tasted the unmistakable flavors that were woven through the wine when it was made, alongside the wisdom of waiting those twenty years. Impressive. Lastly, I must say, though we already have a cellar with more than a few too many ports, we could not resist Swanson's offering in the dessert wine category. "Angelica", sold in a strikingly beautiful 750 ml decanter, is an investment in many satisfying evenings with friends. It's the perfect ending to some wonderful meal(s). It's actually two of the usual 375ml bottles used for selling most dessert wines. Even some of our friends, who don't necessarily favor port style wines, loved this one. This wine, rich and distinct, would make a perfect gift for some lucky person (hint hint). read more

Had to go back again, this time for the food pairing, & it was terrific. The room for the pairing consists of some elegant pieces but the "pieces" of food pairing served with the vino was even more elgant. The charming Sarah greeted me again & Roy, who originally hailed from St. Augustone Fl., performed the duties of teacher, humorist & all around great guy. Do the food pairing & a pic is woth 1,000 words, so take a peek at pics I posted & you will see why you should do the food pairing. Take it all in. Vino Geno. read more

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Another trip to NAPA!! heehaw ;) of course another birthday to celebrate for the occasion to visit the vineyards of Rutherford. What can I say? Swanson is so peaceful!! it kind of reminded me of a lonely barn house fixed up? LOL but overall A-OK. As for the wine-I'm not big on the RED's but love White. Service was really friendly and the deal with Swanson was 4 free tastings as long as we bought a bottle. My crew ended up buying 8bottles? guess my palate wasn't too good. LOL read more

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Overall (9/10) Wine (9/10) Atmosphere (8/10) This place is just a little slice of wine heaven. I have been to a couple of wineries, but not quite enough to make definitive statements like this is the best place I have been, or it was top 5, but it is an excellent winery. There are only two types of wine, wines you like and wines you don't like. That being said, I like these wines. I am not usually a sweet wine person, but I found myself drooling over some of them. Wines I have tried here. Tardif - Late harvest Chardonnay. RIDICULOUS. Must try/buy Crepuscule - Late harvest Semillon. sweet, but I preferred the tardif. Angelica - What can I say. Its like a port, but better. Have to try it, especially with some dark chocolate. Alexis - Great all around red, nothing super special, but still great. This place is definitely worth the try. I did the Sip shoppe, but if you don't mind spending $60, I would suggest the salon tasting, the room was really nice. Would I come back? YES read more

Swanson Vineyards - Sip shoppe tasting - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Rutherford, California

Arrived at 11AM at the Sippe Shoppe for the first appointment of the day. The weather was perfect, so we grabbed a seat in their outdoor garden that was absolutely adorable. Surrounded by beautiful flowers and an Alice in Wonderland-esque tea party feel, it was a relaxing and cozy start to our Napa day trip. They allow shared tastings, so not everyone in your party is obligated to participate. The bf and I chose The Instant Cellar for $22. The Clarke bar was amazing, and I couldn't help but take one home even if it was a whopping $10. We were in a rush to make it to our next appointment, so we didn't even realize our server failed to bring out our mini dizzy Lizzy sno-ball at the end :( While our server was more than accomodating and friendly, she didn't seem too sure of herself in responding to our questions regarding the tastings. Perhaps she was new, which would explain the forgotten Lizzy sno-balls. Most of their wines were reasonably priced, so we ended up taking home a bottle of their Merlot. Love the design of their sleek bottles and labels! Minus one star for them not waiving the tasting fee with purchase, especially since the tastings are already on the pricey end. Minus half an star for the forgotten Lizzy sno-balls. 3.5 stars. Overall, still an extremely cute boutique winery with lots of character and charm. read more

It was my first time to Swanson Vineyards on Saturday with a group of 6 and a dog. The wine was outstanding and very affordable. We sat outside on their gorgeous patio. Nancy was our wine guide and was absolutely fabulous and so much fun. Swanson Vineyards was by far our favorite winery from the day and we will definitely be back. read more

Great little winery tucked away from the main road! You must make a reservation in order to visit and taste the wines. I am glad we did, it was one of my favorites. I like the fact that it is intimate and you don't have to fight a million people to get up to the tasting area. It was just my husband and I being helped by Dustin. Dustin is great. He is very friendly and know a lot about the wine. It was the least stuffy experience we had all weekend and we loved it. I definitely recommend the Merlot and also you have to get a bar (or three) of the Clarks bark. So yummy! This is a must stop by winery if you are in Napa, but plan ahead in case they are booked! read more

Swanson Vineyards - Wines for purchase - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Rutherford, California

This was a nice change of pace and scenery - a friend set us up with a 10am tasting, which surprisingly came catered with food from girl and the fig. The wines were good. The decor and furniture were different but like a southern creole style done very chic. Sarah was our awesome host and was so down to earth, knowledgeable, and fun. Really enjoyed this vineyard! read more

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This is such an outstanding tasting experience! The salon is absolutely beautiful, the people there are so great, they really go into so much detail and answer every question while you are tasting. It is very high end, but at the same time, has so much personality and is a very friendly atmosphere. The staff really enjoy what they do, and you can tell that from how they represent Swanson. The tasting fee may seem a little high but trust me, its worth it because of the quality of the wine they pour. I love the dogs, too! read more

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Swanson Vineyard has hospitality in spades. They greet you with a glass of wine as you arrive at their tasting salon and continue to treat you like royalty throughout your visit. I have no interest in slide tackling my way through a crowd to get a splash of wine in a tasting room. Swanson is the antitode to the drunken mob scene that Napa Valley can sometimes become during high season. The salon is beautiful and the tasting experience is one of the best the valley has to offer. They served two cheeses with the wine, one was a Mimolette and truly memorable. Tasting is available by appointment only and you have to arrive on time, which can be challenging with 29 traffic, so give yourself enough time to get there. Enjoy! read more

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Such a fun winery! The Swanson's were there when we paid a visit and took the time to come over and speak with us on a more personal level asking where we're from, and what we did to make small talk. A very lovely couple that made you feel at home. They also had a very nice gentleman playing music on a very special instrument (I can't remember the name) in the front garden/patio area. Unfortunately, the overall service (aside from the owners themselves) was just mediocre as were their wines. But it was still a pleasant winery to visit. They also have super cute wine labels (love, just married etc) and really fun wine tumblers (his and hers). Fun place to get wine gifts. And lastly, they have a really good chocolate bar which is what I ended up walking away with. read more

Had the Rosato Wine which was good. I wish we could of stayed longer so I could of tried more of their Wines and given this place more stars based on that. Our server was very friendly and helpful. The place is small, but nice and the scenery was very tranquil. I would definitely come here again. read more

Hurry up and make a reservation! We came here last minute on a Saturday, and they made time for us - even though we only gave them an hour's notice. It felt like a hidden gem tucked back off of the road, so it was peaceful and really cute. Plus excellent and personal service - met us at the door with a glass of rosé. Tasting went through 4 or 5 wines, served with pistachios for snacking and even a chocolate to go with your cab. We left with 4 bottles of wine and our new favorite secret spot. Thanks to Hadley for a fun tasting! We'll be back. read more

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We dropped in fairly last minute for a tasting at Swanson. James helped us and he did a fantastic job taking care of us. Great presentation, like-able and we felt well at home. The wines were great and the ambience just as good. Highly recommend stopping by and tasting here with James. You won't be disappointed! read more

After a not impressive visit to Chandon, Swanson was a great relief. We were greeted by Brian with a tasting of a pinot grigio. Brian was very helpful and super friendly. He was also knowledgeable and explained a lot about all the wines we were tasting. The circus tent room was a lot of fun and we enjoyed sitting out in the courtyard on the first nice day in a long while! I will definitely be returning to this winery. I recommend the pinot grigio and merlot. My only issue is that I wish I had bought more wine while there! read more

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Nancy did an amazing job hosting me and my family on Monday. We had a nice outdoor table which made everyone feel comfortable. The wines were all excellent and I even became a club member. I am looking forward to going back to visit again soon. read more

Not the greatest experience... For now, I will give it 3 stars. It might change if I get another chance to go back. The problem might have been that we got there when they were about to close down. Which was around 4ish. Which was disappointing. It was also the first vineyard we visited. So we didn't really get much attention. Although, the lady that was there was very kind and helpful, the prices was not. We decided to go with 3 wine tasting. A cabernet, merlot, and a dessert wine. Basically it was 2-3 sips for each which cost $20. That was somewhat disappointing. I would not have minded if we got a little more... that the amount we got was somewhat ridiculous. But... the Cabernet was very very tasty. That was probably one of favorites out of all the wines i've tasted that day. But I think it was $75 a bottle. Yikes! =) I am however imagining a really good steak with that Cabernet! read more

Swanson Vineyards - $20 for this?!?! - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Rutherford, California

Newest member of Swanson Vineyards. La Boheme was a fantastic experience and event! You must make it a point to make a reservations and visit this beautiful hidden gem of a tasting room and winery. read more

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If you're looking for a decadent tasting experience in Napa Valley, I'd highly recommend the Salon at Swanson Vineyards. There are three seatings a day--at 10:30, 1, and 3:30--so the reservation is not hard to make, but you do need to book it in advance. I came for the 3:30 tasting during MLK weekend, with Matt B. and Mike K., and we had a grand time. We got the reservation time wrong and showed up early, at 3, and were escorted to the Sip Shoppe. We sidled up to the bar and got a pour of rosato before everyone realized we were at the wrong place, at the wrong time. The mix-up worked in our favor--we got to enjoy an extra pour of wine, on the house, on the lovely outdoor patio, before being led into the Salon for our tasting. Swanson doesn't look like most Napa wineries I've been to, with their subtle stone/brick/wood cottage-among-the-vines tasting rooms. The decor is affirmatively over the top, but it's so well done that its excesses are marvelous in an Alice in Wonderland kind of way. The rooms have palatially high ceilings and colorful walls--red and white candy stripes in the Sip Shoppe, a unique textured orange in the Salon. The focal point of the Salon is an enormous octagonal wood table inlaid with bright slabs of agate. Each tasting accommodates eight guests; there were seven for ours, the three of us and two groups of two. Sommelier Skip greeted all of us as we came in and handed us glasses of Sauvignon Blanc straight away. The group was small enough, and the table round enough, that the tasting was fun and social. We chatted freely with the other guests as we slid into the warmth of deep tipsiness. Skip was a wonderful host, funny and friendly and knowledgeable, with an obvious love for both wine in general and Swanson's in particular. He made the whole experience feel homey and utterly enjoyable. Not that it wouldn't have been enjoyable even with a mediocre host--it was a wine tasting with fancy paired snacks, so not a hard sell, once everyone signs off on that $65-a-head price tag. The tasting lasted about an hour and a half, and encompassed six wines, poured with some liberality. We started with that welcome glass of 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, and then took our seats at the table, which was already furnished with snacks. There was a cheese plate at each setting, with Cabot cheddar, Mimolette, Danish blue, and Bucheron, as well as some wafer crackers. There were also seashells bearing chocolates and potato chips with caviar and creme fraiche. We dispatched with the caviar first, paired with the 2014 Salon Chardonnay--two delicious things that went well together. The cheeses we ate as we pleased throughout the tasting. We moved to red wine with the 2013 Zinfandel and the 2013 Salon Merlot, which paired with that chocolate, a Vosges dark chocolate truffle flavored with curry, cloves, turmeric, and Himalayan sea salt. All of the reds were great (and actually, the whites and rosato too), but the highlight of the wine tasting was the 2012 Face Cabernet Sauvignon. I don't have the most sophisticated palate, and my memory for tasting notes basically nonexistent, but I know I loved this one, in part because I splurged and bought a bottle. We wrapped up the tasting with a pour of the rosato, bringing our Swanson experience full circle. We shipped home a bunch of wine, two Chardonnays (we rarely buy white wine, so we never have enough around, and this one was good), a Merlot, a Zinfandel, and a Face. It was a spendy afternoon--it was also my birthday, and my inhibitions were loose--but I have no regrets. I look forward to opening our Swanson wines, and would definitely go back to the winery on future visits to Napa. read more

Visited Swanson last weekend and it was great! Live music, our host Nancy was great, and the wine was great too. Thanks!

11.06.10 This has GOT to be the cutest winery we have stepped foot in. The Sip Shoppe is essentially an added outdoor, tent-like structure. It feels like you've stepped inside a circus and you're being served by very, very busy workers. Open until 5:00, and tastings start at $15. But you get much more than wine with each tasting. They have an amazing chocolatier, who we can thank for the Clarke's Bark chocolate bars (so good someone in the group bought some to take home). You also end with a refreshing adult sorbet, made with a tinge of bubbly for extra zest. The restrooms are located inside the Swanson Salon, their formal sit-down wine tasting area. This is by appointment only, and it's $60. Love! read more

I called the day of and was able to get a reservation for a party of six. Phew! We were immediately greeted by Ella, who was more than nice. She seated us and we began our peaceful wine tasting. After, once we were finished we wandered off to the shop and purchased the wines that we liked. I wanted to come here to purchase their cute wine bottles with the messages on them, but I wasn't sure how the wine would taste. So Samantha let me have another taste. It wasn't so great, unfortunately, so I didn't purchase their house wine, instead I purchased one from the wine tastings. Samantha was definitely more than accommodating. It all went bad as soon as I had to use the restroom. We went through the back to use the restroom since that was the ONLY way to GET TO the restroom. Once I reached the restroom, this older lady who was rather RUDE asked me if I was using the restroom. Well OBVIOUSLY, my hand was reaching for the door. I replied yes, She then had the nerve to say, well when you're finished exit the way you came in. "WELL OBVIOUSLY I would go back the same way I came." Those were my exact words. Then she had the nerve to say, don't exit through the front, we're having a private wine tasting. Well you rude employee, WE are also paying customers, and we did do a wine tasting, and we also purchased wine from the winery! So do not assume that we are just girls who need to use the restroom. That ruined my ENTIRE EXPERIENCE at this winery, and needless to say, I will NEVER be back. As nice and accommodating as Ella and Samantha were, our experience was ruined right at the very end by an unpleasant older lady. Honig, Pine Ridge, Alpha Omega can ALL PROVIDE MUCH BETTER service. read more

Swanson Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Rutherford, California

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Swanson was our first stop on our first ever trip to Napa Valley... I wish I had known how much better this place was than the other wineries we visited, I probably would have lingered a bit longer, especially at the outdoor areas. The place was chic and really adorbs! Red and white striped, tent-like walls with ornate wine bars, interesting wine display- it had a great graphic quality to it, unlike the other places we visited. (I heard Kate Spade had something to do with it?!) The staff was overly friendly and even gave us a few extra tastings since they knew it was our first time in a winery. The tastings were priced a bit higher than a few other places, but I felt they were willing to explain more and really focus on our experience. We left with the Cab-lovers Merlot, and a few of their "gift bottles" with adorable labels like "Just Married", "Mazel Tov", With Love", etc.- I'm a sucker for a well-designed label! All-in-all, a very nice experience! read more

This was my favorite tasting of the day. First of all, you have to get buzzed into the courtyard, because they only allow one group in at a time. It creates a very intimate experience, something special and different from your average experience standing at a bar with loads of other people. Doesn't hurt that they meet you in the courtyard with a glass of chardonnay! We sat outside because it was a really nice day, but we went inside when we bought wine and it was decorated very nicely. The person that helped us was very sweet and took us through about six different wines, all generous pours. We bought about three bottles, and my only compliant would be that they don't waive the tasting when you buy a bottle. read more

We had a wonderful wine tasting here in Aug 2020. They were really safe with COVID - everything outdoors, masks required, by appointment only to avoid crowds. We actually lucked out and ended up being the only people there and we had this whole gorgeous garden to ourselves for our wine tasting. Very friendly staff, good wine, recommend! read more