Robert Mondavi Winery: What It's Like to Do a Wine Tasting at America's Best Vineyard - AFAR

"Set just off the St. Helena Highway in Oakville, California, this iconic Napa Valley winery was founded in 1966 by Robert Mondavi and is centered on the historic To Kalon vineyard (first planted in 1868; the name means "the highest beauty"). Celebrated as the symbolic heart of California wine country and ranked 12th in the inaugural World's Best Vineyards list (No. 1 in North America), it helped pioneer the modern winery destination with tours, tastings, restaurants, and art galleries. Visitors pass through a mission-style arch flanked by sculptures (including a Beniamino Bufano bear and a Len Urso copper bust), enjoy views of the To Kalon vines, and can take an Exclusive Cellar Tasting led by a sommelier that moves from massive French oak fermentation tanks into a barrel-filled aging room centered around a St. Francis statue. Tastings highlight a signature fumé blanc aged nine months in French oak with notes of peach and baked pie crust, a 2015 Reserve Pinot Noir paired with Point Reyes Toma, and two standout cabernets—the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve made from estate fruit and a velvety 2014 Stags Leap District Cabernet. Other offerings include a private Four Decades Dinner, an art-walk pairing wine with sculptures by Bufano and Picasso, and an annual summer concert series that benefits local school music programs." - Lyndsey Matthews