Steph C.
Yelp
I came to Elyse Winery for a leisurely tasting on a recent trip to Napa. I was with a group of six, including one baby, and the winery was able to accommodate us at an outdoor table, in what felt pleasantly like its backyard. This worked out pretty great for us--I liked the interior, too, but it was small and less idyllic than the garden patio on a warm summer day.
We shared two tastings between five adults (including two drivers), and this was a good amount of wine, as we had another stop planned. There were five wines in the tasting, and someone from the winery came out with each bottle to explain what we were drinking--seemed like a lot of work for them, but it was great for us. We tried the 2012 L'Ingenue, the 2012 C'est si Bon, the 2011 Zinfandel, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2010 Jacob Franklin Cabernet Sauvignon. The first three were in the $25-40 range, while the last were $70 and $75 per bottle. I thought the cheaper ones were quite good and well priced, but wasn't super tempted to splurge on the others. I picked up a bottle each of the C'est si Bon and the Zinfandel, which were both excellent. Since two of my friends were Elyse members, I got a 15% discount, and our tasting fees were waived with purchase (three bottles knocked out one fee, and we got six altogether).
My friends' one-year-old daughter also had a great time. She didn't drink any wine, but she was fascinated by the winery's orange cat. All of us had a lovely time at Elyse, and I'd recommend it if you're wine-tasting with children, or just want an easy place to stop off for a nice tasting and some reasonable wine.