Napa Wine Tasting on a Budget

Danny and Julie Torres of Long Beach recently took a break from from a family reunion they were attending in Napa to sample boutique Napa Valley wines and explore downtown’s renaissance.

Unlike previous visits to Napa County, the Torres’ wine tasting excursion this time wasn’t Upvalley, long known as the destination for wine tasting.

Instead it was downtown Napa. They purchased a $25 Wine Tasting card, which allows users to sample an assortment of boutique wines for 10 cents at 11 different tasting rooms.

The card can be purchased at the Visitors Center in the Napa Town Center or from various participating tasting rooms. Between 5,000 to 6,000 wine tasting cards are sold yearly, according to Craig Smith, executive director of the Napa Downtown Association.

It was a chance to taste hard-to-find hand-crafted boutique wines.
While the couple’s son and daughter were at their grandmother’s  house in north Napa enjoying a dip in the pool, the parents were sampling chardonnays, cabernet sauvignons and sauvignon blancs.

The couple had only a day to devote to wine tasting. “You really need (more time) to appreciate the total experience,” Julie Torres said.

Her husband agreed, adding that he felt an entire weekend was necessary for sampling the wines.

“This card is something we would share with our friends (living) in San Francisco,” Julie Torres said.

The Torres agreed Mason Cellars on First Street in the Oxbow district was one of their favorites. They purchased a few bottles of the 2005 Mason Reserve Sauvignon Blanc.

The Torres said they enjoyed the fact they were not in a “wine snob” atmosphere.

“Everyone was down to earth,” Danny Torres said. “They were knowledgeable, but not pretentious.”

The couple gave high marks to tasting rooms where the staff talked about their wines and engaged them in conversation.

Megan Mason of Mason Cellars' Oxbow tasting room said they have been on the Napa Downtown Wine Tasting Card for several years — “about four years I believe — ever since we opened our tasting room here.

“I believe it does help direct people to our tasting room and the others in downtown Napa. We do it because it is another way of letting people know about Mason Cellars Oxbow Tasting Room.  We will continue to participate until it proves otherwise,” she added.

Tricia Ellison of Mason said, “You can’t beat the value. It makes it more affordable for people, and it is a great way to learn about wines ... and move forward from there.”

Ellison said the card is great for people in the Bay Area, who can enjoy a day trip and still be home in time for dinner.

“This (card) is nice because it is affordable for everyone,” Ellison said. “And the card is good until the end of the year.”

The Long Beach couple had only enough time to visit about four tasting rooms.

They also gave high marks to in the Oxbow Public Market, where they tasted wine and ordered a pizza.

Ca’ Momi Winery and Enoteca’s marketing manager Edward Stephanick said, “I think the card is a great idea. It’s working for us — bringing people through the door — giving (them) an opportunity to experience authentic Italian food and wines.”

Stephanick said this is Ca’ Momi’s www.camomiwines.com  first time participating on the Napa Downtown Wine Tasting Card.

“We are also expanding our relationship with Craig Smith at the ,” he said. “This is a win-win for everyone — us and the downtown.”

on Second Street is a card participant, but co-owner Stephanie Kendall does not believe it has been advantageous, she said.

“We are more a restaurant than tasting room,” Kendall said. “If we were just a wine tasting room trying to get people in the door to taste wines, it’s probably a good thing ... but not for a restaurant like us.”

Other businesses may be benefiting from the card indirectly: Taking a break from wine tasting, Julie Torres bought a couple of items at on First Street.

Kim Northrop, owner of Betty’s Girl Boutique said she doesn’t feel a “direct impact” on her business.

“I think it would (benefit) restaurants more so. I don’t hear much from customers,” said Northrop.

At on First Street, co-owner Linda Cordair said she doesn’t hear people saying they came in because they were tasting wine downtown. But she said she supports anything that results in more pedestrians.

“It is a collective effort to get repeat and new customers,” Cordair said. “We hope those that use the cards enjoy the wines. It is a great way to introduce the wine tasting experience downtown.”

The Torres paid a visit to in the , where they also went to Kara’s Cupcakes to buy some sweets to take back to the family reunion.

This was the couple’s first visit to the market, and they said they would come back.