Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ditch the car and chill in downtown Napa at this tasting bar, inside a former 19th-century
brothel, representing 20 high-end boutique wineries too small to have their own tasting
rooms.
Twenty Rows
WINERY
11am-5pm Tue-Sat, by appointment Sun & Mon)
Downtown Napa's only working winery crafts light-on-the-palate Cabernet Sauvignon for
just $20 a bottle. Taste in a chilly garage, on plastic furniture, with fun dudes who know
their wines. Good Sauvignon Blanc, too.
Hess Collection
WINERY, GALLERY
gallery free; 10am-5:30pm)
Art lovers: don't miss
Hess Collection
, whose galleries display mixed-media and large-
canvas works, including pieces by Francis Bacon and Louis Soutter. In the cave-like tast-
ing room, find well-known Cabernet and Chardonnay, but also try the Viognier. Hess over-
looks the valley: be prepared to drive a winding road. Reservations recommended. Bottles:
$20 to $60. (NB: Don't confuse Hess Collection with Hess Select, the grocery-store
brand.)
Darioush
WINERY
707-257-2345;
www.darioush.com
;
4240 Silverado Trail, Napa; tasting
$18-40; 10:30am-5pm)
Like a modern-day Persian palace, Darioush ranks high on the fabulosity scale, with
towering columns, Le Corbusier furniture, Persian rugs and travertine walls. Though
known for Cabernet, Darioush also bottles Chardonnay, Merlot and Shiraz, all made with
100% of their respective varietals. Call about wine-and-cheese pairings. Bottles cost $40
to $95.
Regusci
WINERY
