Love wine tasting, but hate sorting out the designated driver situation? (…let’s be honest, abstaining from tasty wines while everyone else is getting buzzed is no fun!) Well, say hello to your new dream destination: Downtown Napa.
Downtown Napa is hands-down the most walkable wine destination I’ve visited anywhere in the world. During our recent trip there, Derek and I visited 3 tasting rooms…and didn’t need to drive between any of them. Say whaaaat?!
There are more than 35 tasting rooms and wine bars listed on the Downtown Napa website—far more than you could ever need to have a good time and learn about the region’s award-winning wines.
The biggest downside to visiting Downtown Napa versus the wineries up in the valley is that you don’t get to experience the incredible vineyard scenery. That said, there’s always the option to explore the rest of the valley via the Napa Valley Wine Train, which conveniently departs from Downtown Napa.
No driving + seeing some of Napa’s most iconic wineries + soaking in all the scenery from a historic train sounds like a pretty epic Napa getaway to me!
Even if you do plan to visit the rest of Napa by car, I still think it’s well worth spending a day in Downtown Napa. Compared to the vineyards and wineries up in the valley, the tasting rooms here offered an extremely intimate, personalized, and insightful tasting experience, with a fraction of the crowds.
The three tasting rooms we visited could not have been more different from one another, and yet they all provided the same high-quality tasting experience, allowing us to ask dozens of questions and really dive headfirst into the wine culture.
They also each emphasized the same point over and over: wine is subjective, and that’s exactly what makes it so beautiful. Every person has different likes and dislikes, which means there are no right or wrong beliefs when it comes to wine; the only thing that matters is, “do YOU like this wine, or not?”
For me, the fact that all three tasting rooms honed in on this core belief really demonstrated how much passion and pride goes into their craft.
None of them care about churning out large-production wines with mass market appeal; rather, they’re creating wine they truly love and can stand behind…and the tasting experience they provide 100% reflects those same values.
If you’re looking for the best spots to taste wine in Downtown Napa, I can’t recommend these three tasting rooms highly enough. Cheers!
Alpha Omega Collective
Alpha Omega Collective was our first stop of the day, and it was essentially everything I had dreamed a Downtown Napa tasting room would be. The interior was stunning—all dark wood, stained glass, modern decor and stunning architectural details (if you ever visit, be sure to look up at the ceiling fans…that’s all I’ll say).
Despite its opulent appearance, the vibe is pure coziness. From the moment you sidle up to the historic wooden bar, the staff will make you feel like old friends in town for a visit…while serving up very generous pours and answering all of your questions about the world of wine!
Over the years, I’d had great tastings, good tastings, okay tastings, and downright pitiful tastings—so I can safely say that when it comes to hospitality and customer experience, Alpha Omega is the best of the best.
Ben was extremely thorough and detailed with his answers, and was more than happy to indulge our beginner wine questions. He also shared a lot of neat tips for enhancing our tasting experience, like swirling the glass and covering the top before smelling and tasting it, to release more of the aromas.
We spent close to two hours cozied up inside Alpha Omega, while the December rain poured down on the streets of Downtown Napa. Between the inviting ambience and award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon, I could have easily spent all day here!
Cost: $40/person for the Signature Flight
Wines: Sample the Alpha Omega Collective with four wines (a mix of current red and white releases) from Tolosa, Alpha Omega and Perinet
Address: 1245 1st St, Napa, CA 94559
Hours: 11:00am – 7:00pm, daily
Gamling and McDuck
If you’re looking for a wine label in Downtown Napa that really shakes things up, you must pay a visit to Gamling and McDuck. This wasn’t a tasting room that I originally had on my itinerary; in fact, I imagine it doesn’t appear on most travelers’ itineraries, unless they have insights from a knowledgable local.
It was Ben from Alpha Omega who recommended that we stop by Gamling and McDuck, citing it as a real hidden gem with unique, high quality wines. Yep, I was sold!
Stepping into the tasting room, it’s immediately apparent that Gamling and McDuck and is not like other Downtown Napa winemakers. There’s a mini cinema showing black and white films in the back of the tasting room, and the walls are adorned with comics that Adam (the winemaker and “McDuck” half of the duo) drew himself.
Adam also designed the labels on the bottles, and was the one who led our tasting. In all the tastings I’ve done over the years, this was the first time I ever had the opportunity to taste wine WITH the winemaker!
As Adam pointed out hidden details on the bottles and explained the meaning behind each design decision, I was blown away by the amount of personalization and care that goes into their craft. He also kept us laughing throughout the entire tasting, which was a nice change from many of the stuffy wine tastings I’ve experienced in the past.
Gamling and McDuck is a two-person operation that really focuses on what matters: making wine they love, and sharing it with the world. The fact that they’re not afraid to let their quirky personality shine through is a huge bonus.
Cost: $25/person for a tasting
Wines: Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc
Address: 1420 2nd Street, Napa, CA 94559
Hours: 1:00 – 7:00pm Thursday – Monday
Mayacamas Downtown
Adam from Gamling and McDuck suggested Mayacamas Downtown as one of the next tasting rooms we should visit. So, we took his word for it and headed that way…and it certainly did not disappoint!
The tasting room was beautifully designed, with soaring ceilings, sleek modern details, and all sorts of metallic accent pieces. And I loved how Mayacamas offers seated tastings (rather than at the bar), which always result in a super intimate, one-on-one experience.
In addition to being extremely knowledgable and passionate about the varietals we were tasting, Aaron was clearly an expert in Napa’s overall wine culture and history. We chatted about popular films featuring Napa wineries and destinations, and he gave us the inside scoop on some of the region’s most notable wine figures.
Once again, our experience at Mayacamas reinforced how tasting rooms are different in Downtown Napa versus in the valley; I truly don’t think I’ve ever received such personalized attention and enthusiasm anywhere else.
Cost: $35 for a seated tasting
Wines: Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Address: 1256 1st St, Napa, CA 94559
Hours: 11:00am – 6:00pm, Wednesday – Sunday
Note: My trip was sponsored by Downtown Napa, but this blog post (and my reviews of these specific wineries) is additional content that is not required by that contract. I’m publishing this post because I was truly blown away by the hospitality of these tasting rooms, and want to share my experience. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
Have you ever visited Napa Valley or Downtown Napa? Which wineries or tasting rooms have you visited before? Which of these three tasting rooms in Downtown Napa would you be most interested in visiting?
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