Pope Valley Winery

Pope Valley is a beautiful rustic vineyard that sits on the Northern face of Howell Mountain. This was my first time venturing into Howell Mountain, but I was totally invested in having a new wine experience! After 20/25 minutes of a winding 2 lane road at 25 - 40 mph, I finally arrived at the beautiful Pope Valley Vineyards. Founded in 1897 by Ed Haus as Burgundy Winery & Olive Oil Factory, their wine cellar was built into the side of a hill, which makes for a mind blowing experience. The tasting room is on the second floor above the cellar and overlooks their patio area and vineyards. It's a quaint winery, with a warm and cozy tasting room, and an exquisite wine catalog! The Petit Verdot was nothing short of AMAZING. But be sure to add an artisan charcuterie board, you won't be disappointed!

What a hidden gem! Such a great winery with so much history! Here's the catch though - you've got to drive a ways to get there so make it an early tasting but it's worth it once you get there. I felt like we had driven back in time to what Napa valley had been 40 years ago - such a cool experience. Our tasting included a tour of the facility, which was built in the late 1800's. I loved that the tasting room felt so original - not one of the new modern places you see so much of in the area. We enjoyed their wines a lot and ended up purchasing their reserve Sauvignon blanc - and we are red drinkers! Great experience!

We visited Pope Valley Winery on the last day of our trip using the St. Helena Wine Passport. While the drive to the winery was scenic, it was farther out than we realized--about 30-40 minutes from town. Upon arrival, the barn-style setting was charming but very quiet, with few customers. We weren't sure where to go at first, but once we found an employee, she was helpful and started our tour right away. The winery has an old, rustic vibe, which some might find cozy and quaint, but it wasn't quite our style. The tasting room required walking up some very old stairs, and while the space was nicely decorated, the wine tastings were self-serve--you had to walk up to the server for each pour rather than them coming to you. Overall, we didn't have a bad experience, but it wasn't the right fit for us. If you're looking for a quiet, off-the-beaten-path spot with a rustic charm, this could be the perfect place for you. Just be prepared for the drive back--it took us almost an hour to return to Napa.

We had a great time at PVW. We were hosted by Eli as well as the cats Sam & Ed. It takes a while to get our here from Calistoga, St. Helena, or Napa, but it was well worth the trip. I told Eli while we were there that it was super nice to get away from the general pretentiousness of the valley wineries. He was very informative/educational, but not so... icky about it. You get so much fluff and whatnot at a typical wine tasting like that winery is bottling the actual wine that will save the planet from destruction or something. Eli was cool and funny. He asked us questions about our tastes and made some suggestions based on those after our tasting. We had a SUPER laid-back and relaxing time. We wandered around the property. We visited the old olive tree, the vineyards, the old 3-story buildings on the property, and even had a nice little (very short) hike around the land. We did a lot of tastings in various cities and all 4 of us agreed that Eli was the best host we had because he made us feel like family. The farm is really neat and looks like an amazing place to hold a wedding or party. LOVED IT. The wine was delicious and we took a few bottles home with us. If you're a port drinker, they have a Zin Port that my wife (the family port lover) really enjoyed, although it was unlike any port she'd ever had before.

Favorite tasting experience in Napa. Absolutely worth the trip and their wines were all incredible. They made us feel like we were at home and made the experience special.

Wow we love Pope Valley cab! After a tasting a while back we purchased a case of their reserve cab. Well last time we were out we purchased some wine and without naming names it was sub-par. Well this time we brought one of our Pope Valley cab!

We happened to have spare time between the two wineries we had appointments for so we decided to take a chance and stop into Pope Valley Winery. We were greeted by Eli. We tasted in a private cottage with a dining room table. I'm so glad that we decided to stop by. Eli gave us a generous tastings of their wines and then took us on a tour of the property. The tour was a standout for our Sunday wine tastings. We saw the picnic area with cute lights. The actual tasting room that was cozy and then we moved onto the barrel room. Because it was raining we could see and hear the water seeping thru the limestone. Then we went to the barn house and got more history on the winery.

I had a really lovely Saturday afternoon here. We were taking a break from a weekend at Harbin Hot Springs to explore the town of Middletown. This place wasn't on our itinerary but the shop owner at Koontz Mercantile insisted this would be a great place to go, so we took the beautiful winding drive to this idyllic place (about 15-20 minutes from Middletown). We sat under the shade of an ancient majestic oak tree and tasted several wines while enjoying the sunshine, the breeze, and a picnic lunch we had packed. There were other guests, but not many. It was a nice change from other places I've been like Coppola or Castelo d'Amoroso. Our wine tender was so nice and knowledgeable. I'm sorry that I've forgotten her name! There were 2 wine tenders and both helped us at some point, the 2 seemed to be a great team running a well oiled machine. At the end of our tasting we took a tour around the property. It was crazy to learn that this was the oldest winery in the area and many of the original, hand- built buildings were still there -- including the hand dug wine cellar. There's a small creek that runs through the property, under the buildings, which adds to the charm. We had a really nice time here and would definitely go back!

Using our Calistoga wine passport to try the place out. Great everyday drinking type wine. Friendly service. Great outdoor space. But off the beaten path. Nice history. Got to try their port as well and took a tour of the wine cave. Walked away with two bottles of wine.

This is my first time doing the Napa Valley winery. We visited 3 wineries today and this was by far the best vibe of all three. They accommodated all our requests including smoking a cigar while wine tasting. Our host was Eli Moore and he did an outstanding job. This was a great vibe all the way around. I would recommend this winery to anyone visiting for winery needs.

What a beautiful place! Thank you Eli for making our visit so enjoyable. Great wine, excellent service, friendly people. We will be back!

We couldn't have had a better time here. We found this place on a tasting passport and will definitely be back. The service was amazing and so so welcoming. We were hungry by this point on our trip so we were thrilled that they had a cheese and salami plate for $20. Great value, great wines, great experience. Also check out the hub cap "museum" just down the road.

Pope Valley Winery is a gem! We visited Pope Valley because our out-of-town guest wanted to do a wine tour, and we found Pope Valley to be affordable and thought the cave was unique. Instantly after stepping out of our car, you could feel the upbeat energy that this winery has. There's lots of outside seating, games (I remember corn hole and large Jenga), a "petting" area for some of their vines, and clean bathrooms. Kristen was an excellent host. She was extremely knowledgeable and answered all of our questions (which were plentiful, lol). She also gave us a vineyard tour, which was neat! This place has a lot of history and uses a cave to age its wine. All the wines we tasted were delicious, and we'll definitely be bringing more friends here. A couple of things to note: We had a reservation, but it didn't seem too busy. Also, we were running a little late and tried calling to update them, and we could not get through to anyone despite trying several times. Email might be a better way to contact them if needed.

LOVE Pope Valley Wines! Family friendly, great bocce court and corn hole games for the family. Bring your four legged friends, they're always welcome! Family owned, friendly staff, always happy to see you come in. Their newest Port is FANTASTIC!

Amazing winery! We were able to go in March and had a lovely time! I liked their cute little glasses and the grounds were beautiful. Everyone was very friendly. I loved the opportunity to go into the old dug-out cave. They have a "petting" zoo where you are able to look at and touch some vines which is great for both young and old. Their wines were also delicious! We loved the Merlot, Faultline and the dessert wine. So if everything was so great why only four stars? While the little glasses were cute it made it hard to smell the wine, see the color and actually have more than a tiny sip. I appreciate being able to see, swirl and smell and this wasn't possible. Looking forward to our next visit soon!

This place was super fun! I had a group of 14 do a private tasting and we got the entire upstairs of barn. The wine was great and Reanne played great music too! The service was amazing and Reanne even played bocce ball with us. Outside in the courtyard there's bocce ball, giant jenga, yard dice, and lots of seating. It was a super fun tasting

We had a wonderful time visiting Pope Valley Winery. Sam was a fantastic host - warm, friendly and very knowledgeable. The wines were delicious. Very nice grounds. We look forward to going back.

We had the best time at Pope Valley Winery yesterday. Their wines were really fantastic and represented a wide range truly offering something for everyone. We started with 2 Sauvignon Blancs - one with a more expected bright tropical taste (my favorite) and a reserve that had been aged in oak (most Sauvignon Blancs are aged in stainless steel), giving the wine a smoother, rounder mouthfeel and oaker profile, which my boyfriend was into as a Chardonnay drinker. We also loved the Merlot, Sangiovese and the Faultline Red Blend to name a few - and popped a bottle of Brut Rose to walk the grounds. The staff made the day even more special - they couldn't have been friendly or more accommodating - including when we hit a snag getting back as we had been planning to call an Uber but found that there were no cars available anywhere nearby. Eli let us use the landline to call a cab, and offered to drive us to St Helena if the cab service didn't come through. Thankfully, we were able to book a ride back, but he such a gem about my embarrassing lack of forethought. Lastly - the setting. Idyllic. Perfect. The quality of the wines exceed or at minimum stand among the best I've experienced in the Valley (I work in wine, so we're up there a lot tasting rouond), and are made even more enjoyable by the laidback atmosphere and vibe of the venue. We were allowed to bring our own picnic, which is rare but appreciated, the bocce court was open and cornhole was rolled out - they even had a small set of "petting vines" you could walk among. I will absolutely be driving up and down the windy hills and right past the big tourist vineyards to visit again as soon as I can.

Thank you Sam for the amazing tasting! The wines were well balanced and affordable. We can't wait to come back and play bocce ball!

This winery was worth the drive through the curvy roads. This family winery has been around for quite a while. It's apparent during the tasting that they really value keeping it in the family and keeping things as classic as they can be. The wines are incredible and there is a favorite for every type of wine drinker. The wine tasting room is cute and cozy and perfect for tasting the wonderful wines. Outside of the tasting room is the farm and a little picnic area with tables and a bocce court. This winery is a perfect place to bring a picnic to because of the beautiful surroundings and flavorful wines. The tour of the operations is a bit short but unique as it features tour of the hand drilled wine cave and stories of the wine's role in prohibition. I strongly recommend this winery, as it is a bit removed than all of the 'commercial large' wineries in Napa/Sonoma.

I'm so happy Pope Valley was on my list - definitely didn't disappoint! The entire experience was relaxing, educational, fun and delicious. Eli was an amazing server and gave us just the right amount of info and a great tour of the area. Venue is also beautiful. Will definitely go back!

An absolute MUST visit in the Napa Valley for too many reasons. Number one reason, the wine is delicious! Enough said, right!? Here are the other MANY reasons: Sam! Sam is the most wonderful, fun, friendly, lovely, and BEST host at Pope Valley Winery. She makes every visit a memorable one. She shares the history of the winery, makes you feel like family, explains the delicious details of the wine she is pouring, and always has a special treat for my kids. You can picnic on the beautiful grounds. Kid and Dog friendly. Free tours of the Historical Vineyard. Games to play. Great music! Lots of historical artifacts to see. A TRUE Napa Valley Winery experience worth your time. We LOVE this place!!! Thank you Pope Valley Winery for being so awesome.

Pope Valley Winery is a somewhat hidden gem in Napa Valley. It's worth the beautiful drive to find a vineyard that really makes you feel at home. Dylan was very friendly and generous with his time as he showed us around the historic site and shared his extensive knowledge of wines and wine making. It seems like it would also be a great event space, post-covid. I hope to come back again soon!

What a wonderful experience! Lovely setting. Mindy was very helpful and attentive, grade A. We enjoyed the whole experience very much.

This winery was a hidden GEM! My husband's last name is Pope so we decided to check out the winery since it shared his name. We traveled from a larger winery to this small quaint winery and was not disappointed. Helena was a wonderful host telling us the history about the property, winery and all the wines. Our family of 8 (including 3 children ages 3-11) stayed for around 2 hours relaxing outside under the shaded table with snacks and the kids enjoyed playing corn hole. Highly recommend for a relaxing afternoon away from the tourism at other wineries and sampling excellent wines. We purchased 4 bottles and glasses as souvenirs. If we travel to Napa in the future we would definitely swing by again. Thank you Pope Valley Winery and Helena for our wonderful experience!

Enjoyed our visit at Pope Winery. Thanks Prescott and Kenny. Really enjoyed the wines.

Amazing winery to visit and well worth the drive! The wine is excellent, the atmosphere is great, and the staff are welcoming, friendly, and knowledgeable. We even had a personal tour at the end of our tasting (thank you, Prescott for the delightful experience!). I will return to this winery any time I'm in the Napa area! Highly recommend.

Wonder and unique property that produces some really good wine. While the Pope Valley is not its own AVA, the farmers in the valley have been growing grapes for some well known names. Pope Valley Winery's property is a time capsule both in story and the physicality of the property. The wine tasting room, formally a chicken coup is serving up some amazing wines, including a Howell Mountain Cab. It is a nice escape from the crazy Napa floor, and the drive is stunning.

We had a delightful time here at the winery today! Away from all the crowds in Napa/St Helena , it takes about 25-30 mins to reach the place. Lots of picnic tables and wine samples come out in a cute little glasses. My partner loved the sauvignon blanc, it was very light and refreshing, perfect for our lunch picnic and oh yeah you can bring your own food unless they have an event going on. Very old timey vibe and they got some great stories to tell about the winery! Definitely check it out! :)

What a delightful find! This winery is well worth the drive to north Napa! Very interesting history of the property and absolutely relaxing and beautiful outdoor area. It is quiet and not pretentious with great wines! I could drink them all day You won't regret your tasting with the extremely personable staff.

As soon as we arrived we were greeted & introduced to Helena. She expertly guided us through the tastings which were wonderful. The hospitality shown by Helena & other staff members was exceptional & the wines are excellent. We then were treated to a tour. This is a small charming winery in operation since the 1800's. It's a place to relax, picnic & enjoy. Definitely worth the drive.

Such a cute mom-and-pop kind of winery. The tasting room itself is tiny, with 5 seats at the bar. We really enjoyed the wines we tried, especially the Rose and the Port (which paired perfectly with the chocolate!). Once we finished our tasting and bought a couple of bottles, we grabbed a couple glasses of the rose and enjoyed a picnic lunch and some bocce ball! The weather turned on us but we thoroughly enjoyed our time there, and would stop by again if we are in the area. Bonus points for the winery kitty who came by to say hi for a bit!

This hidden gem of a winery boasts a no-frills approach to great wine. Their taste is a bit different -- fruity & light merlots, light cabs, amazing port. The true gem here is Petra. She's a great conversationist and has remembered me and my friends every time we come. I even joined the wine club because of her. Sadly her hours have been cut to one weekend a month and none of the special events. Be certain to call and find out if she's there before you drive all the way up there; it's just not the same without her! Hopefully the owners will realize that many of the members come because of her....

Ok just happen to be driving through the country and stumbled upon the quaint family owned winery. A friend once recommended the port so I purchased it and wasn't disappointed.

I love this place! After having spent a lot of time in the busy part of Napa wine country with my husband, we really wanted a more relaxed and quaint environment in which to enjoy our day together where we could enjoy the beautiful country side, and wine. We figured the way to do this was to drive a little outside the main drag of Napa wine world, and out to places where its not overcrowded and rushed. The Pope Valley is a pretty valley in California, and so naturally we figured that this winery would also be pretty and relaxed. Sure enough, this winery is very relaxed and in a very natural setting, with very nice and knowledgeable staff who let you take your time and enjoy their tastings, which are very reasonably priced. I found the Chenin Blanc to be a wonderful late summer wine, crisp and versatile. I took a little walk around, and it was very nice to hear the sounds of nature, birds, the wind, etc. Having grown a bit tired of the overcrowded downtown Napa scene, this was a big relief to come here and have a day in the outdoors! The drive up here from downtown is easy, and is also a nice drive. If you want, you can take a nice drive from Pope Valley to to the small town of Middletown, where there are also nice wineries. Then you can drive back down to Calistoga, Napa, etc. via the main highway, etc. I can definitely say that this was one of the best experiences on our trip to Napa wine, going to Pope Valley Winery!

A very small family winery. It was 30 min drive from middle of napa, but through mega windy roads that made me feel like I was playing a video game. I had a 2 person tasting groupon for $15 which include 4 tastings, 2 bottles of wine and 2 glasses. The moscato I sampled there was amazing, but that year's vintage wasn't available for sale. I bought two bottles and they were not as good as the ones we sampled. I would probably not return here if there is not a deal available.

My boyfriend planned a little mini vacation for us to Northern California which was my first time going wine tasting. We went to four wineries for tasting and this was by far both of our favorites. We went on Friday Sept. 4th for a wine and cheese plate tasting. Our Host/Tour guide was amazing! We loved that the winery itself was a little off the beaten path and was very relaxed and welcoming. He loved taking a tour and learning the history of the winery that started in the late 1800's. The wine tasted amazing as well and we left with two bottles. This is the only winery out of the ones we tried that I want to go back to next year for our now yearly visit!

I loved how the winery is a traditional winery. Helena was amazing she took her time to show us the barn and how the wine is made. I really recommend this winery if you want to enjoy a peaceful time. The wine is very good.

This was our last stop on our Napa Valley vacation and man are we glad we went. First, the beautiful drive up and around Lake Hennessey was spectacular. And we were rewarded at the end of the drive by a lovely, unpretentious winery with a rich history, welcoming guides and really good wine. They were remodeling the tasting room when we went, but lucky us got to do our tasting in the cave, which was awesome. I'd say this place is the whole package for folks like us ... not wine snobs, but out for a lovely adventure. We were here in February, so no crowds, but I can imagine this place in the summer, with their picnic tables (you can bring your own lunch), bocce balls and the chance to just relax and remember why you started drinking wine. Well done, Pope Valley! Thanks for a memorable visit for me and my son.

It's not just how beautifl is the place but how nice are the people working there. We used a Groupon for wine tasting which included two wine glasses which are really cool. Absolutely recommended,

Hard to find a winery that still remembers what is all about. Great wines and ambiance...so many positive changes and wonderful events...take the time to travel over the hill

This is a bit of a hidden gem. I remember the wine being pretty good - not phenomenal, but definitely good, however I would come here for the setting and ambience alone. It is in a lovely spot, off the beaten path - such a great change of pace from busy Hwy 29 or Silverado Trail. This is a really good stop as part of a scenic circuit of Wooden Valley, Pope Valley, Angwin, and the more rural areas northeast of Napa. Had a great, personalized experience. Definitely worth the drive. There are a few other wineries up that way and you can make it a great picnic day.

What can I say that the other reviews haven't already said? It's an unpretentious winery that makes truly remarkable wines. This place is how Napa was in the 70s before their wine became famous and the excessive amounts of money transformed it into an alcoholic Disneyland. Let's hope Pope Valley is never overtaken by the same inundation though I sense that it's only a matter of time.

What a diamond in the rough! Almost afraid to tell anyone about this gem of a Winery....but...the whole experience was great; from the drive, to the wine, to the hostess Rachel. My husband and I have been tasting wine for 25 years and he's never joined a wine club....he did this time! The Reserved Sauvignon Blanc was the winner by everyone in our group... Played Bocce Ball and had a picnic on the winery grounds; We can't wait to go back for the 'Pig Roast' in October!

Our favorite winery we visited! Beautiful drive up to the winery and extremely friendly staff! Great wines. The drive there was definitely worth it. Nice to get off the beaten path and leave the heavy crowds around Napa.

Quaint winery in the middle of nowhere. Worth the drive on the beautiful but twisting and turning roads. We really enjoyed the relaxed environment and the wine. We bought a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese at Pope Winery. Loved the ambiance with the wood and the tin roof. Very friendly staff made our tasting enjoyable and fun. Some places in Napa take themselves a bit too seriously. Not on the main roads but definitely worth a stop!

I loved getting out of Napa Valley and escaping to this rural winery. The atmosphere is super relaxed and the hostess was really friendly. After doing a tasting, we sat outside and had a picnic. They are dog friendly too and have two sweet pups roaming around. I have never liked ports before but their port is delicious! It is worth the drive from Napa!

This one is WAY out of the way, but a completely unique experience in Napa. The basic tasting was free, and the reserve tasting was $15. The wine was pretty good and the bocce court outside was a nice distraction. The place is like a deserted farm with dogs wandering around and unfinished road through the vineyard. It is NOT fancy, but it is often deserted and gives you the feel that you are in your own country vineyard.

Poorest winery experience Dirty, filthy, dusty and freezing tasting room and winery, obnoxious and loud staff that don't know when to back off and let us taste our wine in peace, which btw taste like cheap grocery store wine!!! There isn't any phone reception or GPS, and the drive to this place is horrendous. I wouldn't recommend going out there, the place is hazardous, there is junk lying out and around the property, I even found a rusty nail on the ground! And stories of rattle snacks from the staff don't encourage me to ever return. I was extremely disappointed.