Louisa M.
Yelp
I tried a bottle of wine from B Cellars at a wine tasting event in Las Vegas and was very impressed with the quality, so I booked a seated tasting and cheese pairing here when we visited the Napa Valley. We go to Napa about 4 to 5 times per year and it's always exciting to pay a visit to a winery that is new to us. I visited in February of last year and while I wrote this review back then, I'm finally getting around to posting it now.
We arrived for our appointment and were warmly greeted and directed to a seat on the pretty front patio. After a few minutes we were called and given a glass of white wine. We were surprised to be in a group with other people but we went along with it because our host took us inside and up to the open kitchen counter. He started telling us about the winery and handed everyone in the group a delicious looking shrimp. About the time we were getting ready to pop the shrimp into our mouths, host #2 came running up to us and literally grabbed the shrimp out of our hands (I am not exaggerating) and said that we didn't belong in that group and waved us over to another area of the tasting bar!
Now this whole misunderstanding wasn't our fault in the least, and it was a little embarrassing because of the way it was handled. We weren't trying to take a tour where we didn't belong and we certainly weren't trying to scam free appetizers out of the place, but I started to wonder what would've happened if we actually consumed that one shrimp and if we would've been handed a bill for it at the end of our tasting, LOL!
When it was confirmed that we were in the RIGHT place, our seated tasting with cheese pairings began. We had a great view of the open kitchen and watched as the chefs prepared small bites for people who booked the tour (presumably they wouldn't get the shrimp snatched out of their hands).
Our host was professional and prompt, setting up and filling our wine glasses and bringing out our tasty and pretty cheese plates. Our tasting included five current release wines, crispy cracker sticks, cheese with preserves and honey, and a chocolate. He gave just enough guidance for us to try our own way through the wines but we mostly determined our own pairings.
We were both disappointed with all of the wines we were served, and we even asked politely if we could try one or two off the reserve portion of the menu (i.e., the expensive wines that are actually good). We obviously had one of the pricier wines at the wine event in Vegas and since we are serious wine lovers and collectors, we wanted to try some of B Cellars' higher end offerings.
Our request was unequivocally declined with no explanation.
I've been a long time big California Cabernet wine drinker with expensive tastes, I am a wine blogger, I'm currently a member at over a dozen wine clubs in the area (including Odette, Hestan, Paradigm, HALL, Plumpjack, and Vintner's Collective) and as a frequent traveler to wine regions all over the world, this is a misstep I see time and time again -- wineries refuse to put their best foot forward, even when it comes to knowledgeable customers. When a customer expresses interest in a wine, I think a proper response is in order. Decline my request if you must, but at least give me a reason.
I came in for my tasting fully expecting to sign up for the wine club or at least go home with a half dozen bottles, but instead I left empty handed. When we told the host we'd just like to pay for the two (very expensive) tastings, he scoffed a bit but didn't even ask why. Maybe it was clear why we didn't make a purchase -- we weren't "allowed" to taste any of the wine that WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE INTERESTED IN.
The grounds here are beautiful and the showy kitchen area is something all food lovers should see, but I was less than impressed with my overall experience (and the "hospitality") here.