Five Napa Wineries You Should Not Miss (But Most Do)

Anthony Bourdain knows what I'm talking about.  He says to skip the Eiffel Tower when visiting Paris, to not fight the crowds at the Louvre, to take a selfie in front of Notre Dame but not go in. Instead he goes to a bistro, orders wine and cheese and gets into the local scene.

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Tasting wine away from the crowds

That's my advice for Napa and Sonoma. You want to see Mondavi, go to your supermarket shelf. You want a tram ride, go to Disneyland. But if you want good wine, if you want a wine tasting experience that surprises and delights and surpasses all expectations, then you need to follow me.

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No doubt, winery tours are the essential field trip experience for first timers.  But do you really want to walk through the hot vineyards or stare at a stainless steel tank?  No, you came to taste wine and that's why I love Bell Wine Cellar's Grape to Glass Tour, a 90 minute experience that's mainly focused on tasting wine, not looking at it.

There's a bit of vineyard talk, a bit of barrel talk, but mainly it's tasting deep inside the winery and tasting, from sparkling wines to deep Napa cabs. The wines are serious but the tasting experience fun for all levels, it's my favorite tour for first timers and wine lovers.

BELL WINE CELLARS
AVG BOTTLE PRICE:  $60
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:  info@bellwine.com
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
DEAL:  2 for 1 WITH PRIORITY WINE PASS - NORMALLY $50 PER PERSON.

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Canihan Winery near Sonoma

This doesn't look like a winery at all.  There are no big screen TV's, no hostess, there's not a tour bus in sight. Instead of a sign there's a mailbox with the address.  Instead of a tasting room there's a barn. And inside the barn is Bill Canihan, the guy responsible for making some of the best Pinots in all of Napa and Sonoma.

This is no prop, no marketing creation, Canihan is unpretentious and honest, a hard working guy making wine he hopes you will love. It's my latest find, my favorite new "hidden" winery, make reservations and experience Canihan Wines.

CANIHAN WINERY
AVG BOTTLE PRICE:  $50
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:  (415) 990-9270
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
DEAL:  2 FOR 1 WITH PRIORITY WINE PASS (NORMALLY $25 PER PERSON), TASTING FEE TOTALLY WAIVED WITH PURCHASE

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Pity the fools who are lining up to try to get another sip at one of the big mega wineries.  Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards takes you deep into the caves with a small group to sample some of Napa's most exquisite wines.  Barrel tasting, of course, and you can even reserve a spot to do some wine and food pairing with the winemaker.

ANDERSON'S CONN VALLEY
AVG BOTTLE PRICE:  $75
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
DEAL:  2 for 1 CAVE TASTING (NORMALLY $65 PER PERSON) WITH PRIORITY WINE PASS

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Relaxing Dutch Henry in Calistoga

An industrial building for tastings, picnic tables under the trees, bocce ball next to the vineyards, Dutch Henry is a hidden gem in the Calistoga area. Make reservations and you can even taste inside their caves, an incredible experience. Make this your last stop of the day and give yourself enough time to buy a bottle to sip under the trees. Relaxing and fun.

Tip: Bring some cheese and bread for a delightfully low key picnic experience.

DUTCH HENRY WINERY
AVG BOTTLE PRICE:  $50
WALK IN'S OK BUT RESERVATIONS REQUIRED FOR CAVE TASTING
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
DEAL:  2 for 1 WITH PRIORITY WINE PASS

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Food and Wine Pairing at B Cellars

Wine and food pairings taken to the extreme, B Cellars goes beyond the nibble of cheese and expands it into a four course meal.  The four course pairing costs $135 per person but those with lighter appetites (and wallets) can still experience B Cellars with a $60 food pairing experience that takes you through the gardens, caves, and back to a seated table where the chef is preparing tasty bites to go with each wine.  Outstanding experience for those who love food as much as they do wine.

B CELLARS WINERY
AVG BOTTLE PRICE:  $75
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
DEAL:  VIP OAKVILLE TREK TASTING, $300 PER COUPLE INCLUDES TASTING, TOUR, FOOD, PAIRING, AND TWO SIGNED BOTTLES IN WOODEN GIFT BOXES WITH PRIORITY WINE PASS.

Tasting Etiquette
Unlike the big wineries who see thousands of people a day these small boutiques have limited visitors.  Therefore, visit them expecting to buy a bottle or two (or more), of course assuming you like their wine.  If not it's always a nice gesture to tip the person who poured your wine - standard restaurant tipping rules apply so a $50 tasting = $10 tip.

Wine Pass
Get these deals and many others with the annual wine pass.  The Priority Wine Pass is the easiest way to get Napa deals and discounts without jumping through hoops. No tweeting before tasting from a phone app, no searching for an expired coupon, just flash the card or image on your phone and get these and other Napa tasting deals!

Discover Sonoma: Take a Side Trip to Rustic Canihan Winery

Canihan Winery | 1340 Napa Rd, Sonoma, CA 95476 | Appt Only: (415) 990-9270

"Look for the numbers on the mailbox or you'll miss it."

Those instructions were from Bill Canihan Jr, the owner of the family winery with roots that go back to Switzerland where his grandfather was born. Looking for a better life, his grandfathers journey led him to San Francisco where he developed a passion for wine, a love that was handed down to his son-in-law who purchased a farm in Sonoma in 1973.  Fast forward a few years and his grandson, once a successful mortgage broker, is responsible for making some of the best Pinot Noirs and Syrahs you'll ever taste. Seriously good stuff!

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The barn serves as the tasting room at Canihan Winery.

This is the tasting room? I like it!

What's most apparent is the stark contrast of the tasting room to the mega wineries popping up in Napa.  Don't get me wrong, I love Napa and love a grand tasting room as much as the next guy but when you drive down the dusty road and end up at a rickety barn you quickly forget about Persian columns and chrome rabbits.  It's a bit like changing the radio dial from rap to John Denver.  What?  No tram ride?  No gargoyles?  Nope, there's not even a bocce ball court! But there's wine, lots of really great wine.

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Bill Canihan pouring his wines in the barn in Sonoma.

The tasting room is the barn, bottles set up on a rustic table made from Redwood barrel staves that were used to age wine in the '60's and balanced on wine barrels. There was no interior designer here and that's fine with me. Bill pours the wine himself on most days, happily telling you about the awards and humbly describing his wines - mainly pinot noir and syrah's. As an occasional fly buzzed by (it is a barn, after all), it just struck me that this is what wine tasting is all about - wine, people, conversation.

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Bill Canihan waves us into the barn.  Yes, this is where you taste!

And Bill is a super nice guy. There's no pretense, there's no script, he's just pouring wines and sipping them with you like he's known you forever.

The first wine produced at Canihan - a 2003 pinot

Empty bottles from every wine produced line the walls

Canihan Winery's tasting room is as simple as it gets

Love. Canihan Wines.

Stacked along the barn wall were empties, every year and every wine he has produced represented, including the 2003 Pinot that started it all and the 2004 Syrah that won his first set of awards. The wines were beyond excellent, really some of the best I've tasted on this trip. Canihan Winery makes small yield, high quality wines, focused on quality and aimed at the discriminating wine lover. But don't let that scare you off - the tasting experience is fun, friendly, and educational (in a good way). Really, even if you are a newbie to wine tasting this is a great stop.

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Bill Canihan from Canihan Wines

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TIP:  Did you know you can get a two for one tasting at Canihan if you show them your Priority Wine Pass? Get yours today and don't forget to use promo code localwally to get my readers' discount! Just $39.99, it opens up two for one tastings all over Napa and Sonoma.

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Corks hanging from the roof in the barn (Canihan Winery)

So good - the wines are impressive.

Canihan Winery in Sonoma

Not a prop! This is a real farm.

Canihan Winery Sonoma

Beautiful rustic seting

Canihan Winery Sonoma

You will want to taste here!

Canihan Winery

Tractors, chickens, and farmhouse dogs, an authentic experience.

In the end you can't help but buy a few bottles. And that's my wine tasting etiquette tip - while it's certainly OK to not buy at Robert Mondavi or Beringer, when visiting a small winery buying wine at the winery is what keeps them in business. Bottles are in the $50 range, quite reasonable for wines of this caliber and a good choice for bringing home to share with friends. Or bring it to dinner that night. Now that's a good plan! Bill waives the tasting fee with a bottle purchase as if you needed more incentive.

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Canihan Winery in Sonoma - Put it on your bucket list of wineries to visit!

Perhaps one of the best wine tasting experiences you will have.

So when the crowds at the giant mega wineries get you down and you want a wine tasting experience that connects to the winery the way the wines connect to the soil, get off the beaten track and take that short drive to Sonoma. Make your way to Canihan Winery and experience wine tasting where the wine - and the people who made them - are the focus.

CANIHAN WINERY: RESERVATIONS REQUIRED - CALL (415) 990-9270 AND DON'T FORGET TO TELL THEM LOCAL WALLY SENT YOU!

TIP:  The restroom is a porta potty so plan ahead :-)