Vincent Arroyo Family Winery

It was my first wine tasting experience, and it was amazing. Teddy, our host gave us tons of information and showed us around to learn about how the wine is made. The wine selection was top. Probably the best wines that I’ve tried. Thank you so much for the hospitality and excellent experience!

Fantastic!!! Tasting was so varied. If you try the RSA Petit Sarah, your opinion of rattlesnakes may change. Just kidding. Friendly and knowledgeable, this is a vineyard worth visiting. Kudos to David for representing and making our day, as I started, FANTASTIC.

We had the honor of enjoying a wine tasting with Theodore. He went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and shared so much knowledge about the winemaking process at the winery. We truly loved our time there! Highly, highly recommend! Wine is truly splendid!

My partner and I loved our visit to Vincent Arroyo Winery! Teddy (our primary host) and Jeffery were amazing hosts - funny, entertaining, welcoming, and very informational. The wines were excellent, and it was fun to learn about the wine making process, try a grape, and of course try the wonderful selection of wines. The olive oil and balsamic vinegar were also delicious. We’re very grateful to have found this vineyard and highly recommend it.

We came to Calistoga to enjoy The Calistoga Spa. Grateful that we chose this Vineyard and Winery to visit. David and Jeff were so informative on the history of this beautiful Vineyard and Napa Valley. Tge location is beautiful, wine was superb. Thank you for an outstanding experience.

My wife and I stopped in on a whim a 2 weeks ago. We should have had an appointment but they were incredibly kind and helpful. Surroundings were like a place you never want to leave. Will definitely stop back with an appointment next time. There are many nice wineries in the area but this is a diamond in the rough.

Everything was excellent! Wine, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tour guide Jeff; all top notch. The reds were all exceptional.

Such a friendly and welcoming experience. We absolutely loved the resident wine dog, Rosie. She was such a good girl and pleasure to meet. Our tasting hostess was amazing. She gave us a tour of the production and the wines were truly tasty, especially their petite Syrah.

Back again at Vincent Arroyo Family Winery. Special barrel tasting today with friends. Pleasant staff and helpful with any questions/requests. Wines tasted today: 2023 Rosie's Rose 4/5 2024 Chardonnay 4/5 2023 Melange Reserve 4/5 2023 Petite Sirah 5/5 2022 Petite Sirah Winemakers Reserve 5/5 full bodies deliciousness 2022 Moye Boys 50% Cab & 50% Malbec 4/5 2022 Cabernet Winemakers Reserve 4/5 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Rattlesnake Acres 5/5 They also served a variety of fresh baked pizza including meat lovers, margarita, Mediterraneans chorizo. All went well with the wines. Thanks Vincent Arroyo Family Winery for a great barrel tasting event.

Super insightful tour, so shoutout to Teddy for being patient with us. A family farm, so great for learning. The wines are dry wines. For $30, I was able to try 7 different wines and olive oils. Teddy asked us a few questions to figure out what I liked and tried. Since I am younger, I have not tried too many wines and have not fully developed my tannins which make wines bitter/sour, but I learned that this would be better for complementing with proteins and cheese. The winery also has a dog name Rosie, she is super friendly and has a rosè named after her, the drinks tastes delicious. Discussed about how each wine is made, the origin of different wines. If you want a learning experience of how wine gets made and enjoy more dry wine, please go here!

Teddy was simply a delight. Very humorous which made our experience so much fun. Their 1 & only dessert wine is a must! Rosie the Vineyard Pup too cute--Bought us a Rosie Rosé. Loved the quiet, tucked away feel of the winery grounds.

Some of the best Calistoga has to offer. Smaller production, zero fuss winery. The service and tasting is the best value in the Napa valley region. You can't beat the hospitality here. Felt completely at ease just having a glass, tasting through the balsamic and olive oil while hanging with the winery dog!

Wineries in this area are a dime a dozen but if you want an experience where you want to be treated like family, please come here. We came on a Saturday without a reservation and our man, Jeffery, engaged us with such ease and intent-- this will be a winery we come back to every time. Jeffery added a personal touch, it felt familiar and like he knew us and we knew him so well at the end of it. The wines were incredible as well as the balsamic vinegar and olive oil samples were flavorful and a must-purchase. Everyone goes to Napa but only the lucky ones get to experience a winery with 50+ years of history, intentionality, and love. We went to Castello Di Amorosa before but this place took the cake. The hospitality and quality is incomparable. If you're in the area, do check this place out!

I highly recommend this winery if you're into the history of wine as well as the story of Vincent Arroyo. Everyone here is nice and super funny! We had such a great time here tasting all the different wines. We even got to try wine from the barrel, such a fun experience!

We stumbled upon Vincent Arroyo Family Winery just hoping to pick up a few bottles before heading home--and we're so glad we did! It was conveniently located right next to our spa resort so we made a quick detour. As soon as we walked in, we were warmly welcomed by David and Jeffrey. They were both incredibly knowledgeable and took the time to share the history of the winery and the wines they produce. They let us sample a few wines before purchasing, which made the experience feel extra personal and thoughtful (since we showed up without a reservation). The Petit Sirah was absolutely delicious--easily a new favorite. Such a wonderful experience with genuinely friendly service. We're so happy we found this spot! Will definitely come back next time we are in the area

Small family winery with great wines and services. 10/10 would recommend. I've been to many different wine countries, but I never once thought about writing them a review. This is my first winery review, and I definitely have to write about Vincent Arroyo. Atmosphere: small reception area with a table inside of the winery in front of the barrels. There are 4-5 tables outside. All the reserved tasting parties were seated outside. There are some olive oil and balsamic vinegar for tasting and purchase after the wine tasting inside. They were tasty! I would not recommend to drop by without reservation since it's a small place. Service: David provided personable and top notch service. He's very knowledgeable and guided us with our palates. He also gave us a quick wine tour. You normally would need to pay! Wine: we had tasted at least 6-7 wines. It was awesome that we were not restricted to certain wines or number of the glasses we could have. My personal favorite was Melange Blanc. David said this is like a house wine. It sure is a great daily easy house wine. Easy to drink without pairing and great value at $28. Our other favorite was Petite Syrah winemaker's reserve at $55. Loved the strong bold taste that you can still savor after a minute. Overall, we had a great experience spending time with David. We bought a case here and will be back again next time we are in town!

Super easy to find... only a couple miles from the main part of Calistoga. Laid-back winery in Calistoga making some great wine. Around since the early 70s, this winery has loads of history and experience. Folks here are super personable and have all sorts of stories to share... just start talking to them. Loved sitting out in the 'yard' under an umbrella just absorbing the "ambiance". So peaceful... no wonder their grapes turn out such great wines. They specialize in Petite Sirah. If you've never had Petite Sirah or you're like "I don't like Petite Sirah".... go here and try theirs. Probably The Best! It's not a varietal that is super well known nor widely grown, so I highly recommend you visit, taste and learn. They also have other varietals... we really really liked their Malbec and Chardonnay as well! Honestly..... all their wines are quite good. I can't say that about every winery in wine country. Their tasting fee is $30 but they waive that if you buy 3+ bottles. They require reservations but it's super easy to do on-line.

My family and I love this place! The wine is excellent. The people who work here are so nice and helpful. We love coming for the barrel tastings every February, it's a lot of fun to walk around and try the wines straight from the barrel and they also provide snacks

If you're looking for a smaller, more intimate setting for wine tasting but with top notch quality wines, then you must visit here! A wonderful family owned winery. A friend of mine that also owns a winery close in vicinity, told me we had to experience this place- I'm so thankful for that recommendation. Our host was great, shared some fun facts, took us back to look at the tanks to explain more history to us. They utilize dry farming. This was one of the most enjoyable wine tastings I have experienced. The tasting fee is $30, but we ended up buying a case so they waved it but I believe it's waved with a purchase of three bottles or more - trust me you're going to want to purchase their wine. They require reservations. I will say the only draw back was we didn't get our full tasting time bc the people after us showed up quite a bit early, there was only one host, so he was back and forth, but we were fine, laughing, having a good time to ourselves. This place is great, a total gem.

I know this goes against the grain, but the experience just didn't quite work here for us. There's a combined tour and tasting for the very fair price of $30. Walking around while tasting is fine, but there was rarely a discussion of the wine itself until the final couple of pours. Instead, there was a lot of talk about family pets. I understand the significance of them to some of the wine, but I really would have liked to have heard more about the wine than the pets. There was also some discussion of the very cool barrels imported from France (with specific long and lat etched on the covers!), but it wasn't really clear why this mattered or how it affected the wine. We also heard a lot about how great some of the vineyards were, but not as much about what made them great/unique/etc. We may have also gotten unlucky in that the other couple on the tasting seemed to know the family and so it felt a bit like intruding on a meeting between old friends. The pours themselves were generous and it was really cool to get to do comparisons of single-vineyard and more blended takes. We just didn't particularly enjoy the wines here either (we really liked our tastings at other places before and after this visit, so not sure what happened here). I think this would be a good place if you wanted to try a nice variety of wines in an unpretentious atmosphere and hear a lot of family stories.

This was the first visit of our trip visiting the Napa Valley. We had a great time! We were greeted by the sweetest dog Rosie!!! She loves to be pet and for you to feed her crackers! After Rosie, Jim greeted us and he was our host. He's a hoot and you can tell he loves what he does!! He gave us a very cool tour (it was really slow and I think we were the last visitors there for the day). The tastings were...plentiful to say the least. The wines...well they varied. Keep in mind that these were by far the most reasonably priced wines of ANY winery we visited. They have MANY offerings for under $40! Most however weren't wines that my wife or I loved with a couple of exceptions. Their RSA Cab and Petite Sirah were great...as was the port. We bought all three along with some dipping oil and a very good balsamic!! Oh...and don't skip out on the dipping oil!! It's amazing. Overall a very fun visit and a winery we'll be sure to visit again. They have a TON of offerings and you're bound to find at least 1-2 to your liking.

We have done a lot of wine tastings, and this was honestly one of the most enjoyable tastings we have ever done. Ted was so knowledgeable; with so many interesting facts; we actually learned a lot. It was a leisurely tasting with another couple from Toronto out in their rose garden. Tastings were $30, with tasting fee waived with 3 bottle purchase, so we got a bottle of Sangiovese, Estate Petite Syrah and Chardonnay, which were all excellent.

This is a hidden gem. We were able to walk in without an appointment. The vineyard itself is beautiful and unassuming. Jeff was probably the most knowledgeable sommelier I've met, not only was he warm and kind but he made our experience fun. We learned a lot about the history of the Napa Valley and the wines were delicious. Shoutout to Rose the dog, she was lovely!

our wine tour and tasting experience was amazing. The staff was very friendly, even fun, and the wines were delicious. this was the best tasting/tour we've been on...and keep in mind, if you buy three bottles of wine, they waive the tasting fee!

The wine is wonderful and Teddy....amazing! Although there was one employee during the tasting, he was very informative, warm, and welcoming. Arriving during harvest time allows you to see the process of pressing and cleaning. I am a fan of visiting a variety of wineries. This one should be on your list!

Great casual tasting with David in the barnish area ! Wines were excellent will be back!

We love the folks and of course the wine at Arroyo! Family friendly boutique winery with wonderful service.

Awesome family winery. I love that it's still small yet so successful. We've enjoyed our trips here every time. The petit sirah is amazing!

Wow this was my favorite winery of the Napa weekend. I love family wineries, with a more welcoming vibe and super friendly people. Jeff was so knowledgeable, and shared with our group so many cool stories and interesting tid bits about the winery and Napa. We love the intimate vibe. And we got to tour a bit of the outdoor area. The wine overall was good, with their specialty being the petite Syrah. Super cool experience, definitely recommend!

Friends wanted to visit Napa and because this winery is literally at the very end of the road of a long list of other wineries, we decided to start our day with Vincent Arroyo first! Coming here first could have been a good or bad idea. Good because Jeff was such a great host and explained everything about making wine and giving us a tour of the place. He took his time and explained each wine , we had about 6 I think, and was patient and kind to us wine noobs. At the end I bought a port because I am a dessert wine type of gal. Bad because every other winery that we visited afterwards ( and paid for) wasn't as personable. It felt like we were just being shuttled in and out like cows and that it wasn't about the wine, but just companies making money. We went beginning of June 2019 when it was free but I noticed now that it is $20 per person for wine tasting unless your a member. I would go back again because I did enjoy their reds. I also wish I had a chance to try their olive oil! Next time.

Visited the winery yesterday and had a great time with wine tasting and their hospitality. Very easy and straightforward to book a reservation via their website. Upon arrival and parked our car, we were greeted warmly by one of the hosts who was busy pouring wines for other customers in the outdoor seating area. He led us to another host inside the tasting room and I have to say, I have been to Napa and Sonoma many many times and Jeffrey was the top host we have ever met. He was very personable and gave us a ton of information about the wines not only in their vineyard, but also the region and other regions throughout California. We tasted many times and never felt rushed. (We were there for about 1 1/2 hours.) The tasting fee is 20/pp and each tasting will be waived with 3 bottles of purchase. We didn't end up buying anything this time, but without any doubt, we can't wait to return and take our wine lover friends with us. Other 2 hosts were also super friendly. You might meet their sweet wine dogs, too. They seem to prefer the cool AC instead of roaming around outside thou:)

Delicious wines and affordable tasting at $20 per person! Loved the views and the feel of this vineyard, we had an excellent member of staff show us around and tell us the history of the vineyard. Don't miss out on this vineyard on your tour of Napa! Highly recommend

This was our getaway tasting on a crisp sunny Sunday morning. Jeffery was taking care of us and was an absolute sport. We learned many facts about the winery and also the Valley as a whole. A dry Chardonnay started the tasting which was a lovely surprise. Another highlight was the Malbec,; well-balanced without the cheap bitterness at the end. The show-stealer was the the 2017 Greenwood Ranch Petite Syrah. Welcoming to the palate at introduction, it ramped to a full-bodied, peppery peak and then nestled so lightly for a finish that was divine. The 2018 Greenwood came home with us shorty after. During the tasting, a man backed his car up to the winery to pack his entire trunk full of Arroyo Family wine. After experiencing the wine, I understand why. Logistically, easy enough to get to from the main drag, Hwy 29, but far enough away from it where you don't feel the hustle and bustle from it.

We scheduled a tasting, which was great. The host -David was very knowledgeable and showed us around the vineyard and how the wine was made. Highly recommend their petite Syrah it was amazing! Being able to walks round the vineyard and be treated by their dog Rosie was so fun!

Husband said 3 stars I say 4 stars. I loved our host Jimmy. He was energetic and passionate. He knew the history of the winery and valley. The sunlight and estate was comfy and cozy. What a great place to relax. I was ready to take a nap. Kudos to you all!

I have been to Vincent Arroyo several times over the past few years, but was especially impressed by my recent visit to this lovely winery! The entire team instantly made us feel at home and welcomed us with open arms. I had two friends from France joining this visit, and the staff truly went above and beyond to give them a special experience by touring them around the property and sharing unique stories and history. The customer service you receive at this winery is unlike anything you'll find in the greater Napa area. Not to mention, the wine is delicious and you really get bang for your buck for the $30 tasting fee (waiving options provided, too). I recommend without hesitation and can't wait to return.

Service is absolutely amazing. Great stories, history of Calistoga, and a beautiful property.

My wife and I visited this place during the fourth of July weekend. We had to reserve a slot online pre-hand. We reached the location 30 mins earlier than our time, but we were gladly accommodated without having to wait for our slot. The weather was particularly warm/hot and we were given the option of either doing the tasting event indoors or outdoors. We chose outdoors because there was sufficient shade in a small but pretty lawn. The wine tasting was conducted by Teddy for us along with another couple from Seattle. The wine list included several variants of Chardonnay, Rose, Sirah, Cabernet and Malbec (IIRC). Teddy was quite knowledgeable and friendly. The experience was unpretentious and felt like a party discussion with factual explanation of different wines. We appreciated this very much. We got to learn quite a lot with Teddy encouraging questions. Since I purchased three wine bottles from them, they waived one of our tasting fees. I would love to go visit this place again.

We really enjoyed this winery. Great wines and wine tour with lots of information and entertainment!

My wife and came here today for our Anniversary. Jeff and Dave were amazing hosts. The wine is great and their hospitality amazing. Jeff gave us a tour of the winery and explained the history of the winery and how they make the wine. We heard about the movie Bottleshock and how they plant various plants between their rows of vines to get nitrogen back into the soil. We heard about Eli Ben-Zaken. We talked about history and cycling. We have been to many, many wineries and have rarely been made to feel so welcome. Yes, the Petit Sirah (and port) are smooth and tasty but what really sets this winery apart is the hospitality. We will be back!

Don't be scared off by "reservations only", give them a call and take a shot! Worst case they say they can't, best case they say yes and you'll be in for a treat! We called as we were driving up. This is a real intimate setting with delicious wine. They are more on the red side but do have a few great whites too. Rosie was our welcome committee all sweetness and tail wags. David was our host who was incredibly knowledgeable and showed us through the whole process. Which was fantastic! I have never had such an in depth education before. We spent well over an hour here and there was no feeling of being rushed. Things important to note that shouldn't hamper your experience. This is a family winery experience, not a castle/chateau... but you can around and in the vines a lot more than most place. 1. It is a serious out of the way drive, so plan your day around it/them. They have picnic tables you can reserve, because the drive is INCREDIBLE! So buy a bottle and enjoy. 2. Wine Tasting is $20 and it 3 bottles to wave a tasting. Yet the tastings themselves are generous, delicious, and well worth it.

fabulous tasting as always!!! This is a must see and try winery when you're in the area. I have had 4 different people host us here and we have a different and wonderful experience every time! i've had a tour of the vines with Jeff (march 2016) I've had a tour of the grapes being crushed and fermented with David (?) (September 2016) didn't make it up here on our january 2017 trip made it here for March 2017...had a barrel tasting and toured a different area that i've never seen before... customer service is 5 star and laid back! these people know and love their job i always buy a case when i come here...if you love petit syrah...you will love their wine.

Oh man I can't believe it took me so long to come here! Vincent Arroyo has been on my list to try for ages; today I was in St. Helena for an event and was able to call and get a reservation day of. Things that I love: zero pretension, lots of wines to try (but mostly reds thank goodness), outdoor seating area (a nice spot to hang out if you get there early for your appt), and a labrador to pet. I mean, what else could you want? Oh right, a free tasting. And again I chastise myself for taking this long to come here. They have a number of petite syrahs, so if that is your jam you need to come here. I loved the Nameless blend and bought a bottle of that (also note the bottle prices are very reasonable here, and there are some library wines available to try and buy!). This winery is a little farther than I usually drive, but now that I know it is right up my alley I will definitely be coming back. I try to keep a list of places I can take out of towners where they can have the wine country experience with solid wine, pretty views, kind people, and reasonable prices...Vincent Arroyo ticks all the boxes.

We stopped by this weekend without an appointment to pick up some balsamic (MMMMM!!!) and as always, they welcomed us in for a quick, unscheduled tasting. They are always so happy, friendly, and engaging...they deserve the 5 stars. Add fantastic wine (AND BALSAMIC!!!) and you can't go wrong with a visit here!

We loved our visit here! Jeffrey did an amazing job of explaining the regional flavors and gving us a great new appreciation for Napa Valley. Verylaid back atmosphere and they let us bring a picnic basket woth things to nibble on.

It was my birthday so my husband threw me a surprise gateway in Napa on Sunday. He had previously booked a 12pm at Arroyo Vineyards in Calistoga. The drive through the different vineyards was beautiful. We parked in Calistoga downtown and walked to Vincent Arroyo Vineyards which was a lovely 30min walk. The turn to the Arroyo Vineyards was beautiful with long tall trees and the grape vines all over the place. It was lovely to see they had olive trees along with the grape vines. Our tasting guide for the day was Dave. He was such a warm soul and very knowledgeable about wine making and told us countless stories and tricks which were wonderful. He has started as a wine taster since 10 years old and travelled abroad at 14 to do proper wine tasting. Dave is hands on guy and you could tell how passionate he was about the wine making. The wine tasting itself was complimentary which was nice. While we were trying and sipping generous amounts of 8 different wines, Dave gave us a little tour around the property along with its history. The experience was very personal and very interactive which was nice. We ended up staying for 1.5 hours and the time just flew. We ended up buying their white wine which was so lovely and smooth but didn't pick up any of the reds actually. Wine definitely tastes better if you have some cheese with it to understand how it tastes with food so we weren't sure but our friends loved the petite shiraz which they picked up. Apart from the wine, we loved and bought their estate olive oil (true taste of green olives, just like olive oil in Italy) and their balsamic reduction. Really amazing, must buy the olive oil. Highly recommend this experience.

Best place to visit in whole valley.... very informative and attentive. Pettie Sirah is amazing ..

Just outside of Calistoga is a little slice of paradise. We had a very good tasting experience at this winery on Saturday. They spaced us out very comfortably with the rest of the four tables that were there tasting. I really liked that they weren't trying to cram as many people as they could get into the facility. They seem more interested in providing a safe and comfortable atmosphere and Michele and I very much appreciated that. We were served by Teddy, and I really liked that we got over 10 different pours of their wines. Our pourer was very good at explaining what we were drinking, where it came from, and what the experience meant. It was a more personalized experience than you normally get. As a bonus the grounds were very lovely and well manicured. I'm not sure what they do with their lawn to make it look like it does but I want to send my gardener there for some tips! I believe that we paid $30 per tasting session, but we bought two bottles of wine and a bottle of olive oil and so they comped us one of our tastes. We will definitely put this on our list for return visit down the road.

We had a wonderful experience at this winery. We made a reservation a couple days before our visit to Napa. On arrival, the staff greeted us warmly and the tasting was setup in a casual way. Midway through, the offered us a tour of the winery. It was so awesome to go around and see the fermentation process and know more about the grapes as it was a harvest season. In all, I believe we tasted about 6-7 wines. This was such a unique experience. And yes, the tasting is complementary. Their resident pet Rosy the Lab was so playful and made it even more fun. We got us the port, chardonnay and the balsamic vinegar to take home. This is a must visit during the visit to Napa. We will be back again for more.

A wonderful winery, family owned, quaint and delicious wine! I can't wait to go back on our next Cali trip!

Nice place! This was my boyfriend & I first time wine tasting, they gave us a little story of how the wine is made & also gave us a tour. We had a great time!

This is a small, family operated vineyard producing great wines! Our hosts were super informative and non-pushy about purchasing wines, preferring to educate us as to what was being offered and letting us make up our own minds about what we liked...note: you must book wine tasting in advance ($30 charge per person which usually gets waived if you purchase a few bottles, which average about $35-45 per bottle)...if you're serious about your wine experience, then include this winery, you'll have a great experience here!

Comes With A Nameless Cat & A Line of Wine Named After The Dog SITREP Nestled in the foothills on the Silverado Trail side of Napa Valley, you will find the beautiful Vincent Arroyo Winery, surrounded by Shire'esque scenic perfection of trees on rolling hills and flowerful grounds. I accompanied my friends Thad, Jennifer and Laurelyn on this delightful trip, and it was quite experience - from the cute fuzzy animals that seemed to be in charge of the winery, to the delicious wine tastings done straight from the barrel. THE SETUP And seriously. How can you not be a fan of a line of wine that is named after this winery's dog Bodega? Bodega is Vincent Arroyo's Chocolate Lab who oversees the wine tasters from the comfort of her doggie bed: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vincent-arroyo-winery-calistoga?select=GCbdyM1bpxgIg5pLt6ZKuw#0g3c1ZJGURHbdggZX7QxJA But that's okay, cause you see, there is also the Vincent Arroyo's named kitty named "Nameless" who provides animal-security by patrolling the premises, and I caught up with him at the loading docks: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vincent-arroyo-winery-calistoga?select=GCbdyM1bpxgIg5pLt6ZKuw# Some good scratches on his ears and his chin, and he was buddy the rest of the tour! OUR WINE AMBASSADOR Krista graciously fulfilled our needs on our wine trip to Vincent Arroyo, and she was both a teacher of wine history and excellent customer service representative letting us sample many different wines. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vincent-arroyo-winery-calistoga?select=at7YN0kPqp9kBCyBxtr-Ew#_QPYuPCby3E6Dg7Doz3BfQ The wine tasting room is very rustic and elegant and filled with many items related to wine geography, wine service, and just some plain cute knick-knacks. And of course, Bodega, the winery doggie: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vincent-arroyo-winery-calistoga?select=at7YN0kPqp9kBCyBxtr-Ew#at7YN0kPqp9kBCyBxtr-Ew But that was not all.... TOUR AND BARREL TASTINGS Krista took us outside and into the next building - which is where we being followed by the "Nameless" the cat - and where we actually got to sample petite Syrah and other wines directly from the barrels. Here Krista is coming at me with what can only be described as a giant monster-sized eye-dropper! It gets placed in the barrel, fills the vacuum of air inside, Krista puts her thumb on the top end when she has enough wine inside, then pulls it out, and drops a couple shot's worth of wine in each of our glasses. Perfection! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vincent-arroyo-winery-calistoga?select=at7YN0kPqp9kBCyBxtr-Ew#BqvHWjGc2hRgiFljfoZG6A This was indeed the best part of the tour and the tastings were really an eye opener on the different levels of impact that wine out of the barrel has on one's palates. Some of it was strong, before the mellowing out period when the wine continues to age when it is bottled. But I think I could become a TOTAL fan of just drinking wine straight out of the barrel. [And, to clarify, let me say I mean fill my glass from the barrel, NOT but my mouth UNDER a barrel and let the spickot shoot into my mouth.] ;) What was also intriguing is that there were almost precise measurements noted on what was taken out of the barrel, because then that much volume of that wine varietal would need to be put back IN because there is a desire to diminish as much as possible any air volume in the barrel because that would precipitate spoilage, and we can't have that! GARDEN SPOT Vincent Arroyo has a beautiful picnic ground area that allows for some nice chill time to relax and stretch our legs before getting back into the car and moving on. Jennifer was sweet enough to buy a bottle of the Bodega (the dog Bodega's line of wine) which is sooooo goooood! (The pooch knows his stuff! Haha!) Bodega has some nice fruity notes but with an an underlying hint of chocolate to me. APPOINTMENT ONLY This is an excellent stop, but you must also call ahead and make an appointment in advance for this winery. Ours was for 10:00am on Saturday, the first stop of our day in Napa Valley. We left Sacramento at 8am, went the back way between Davis, Winters, through Lake Berryessa, and got to Calistoga and Vincent Arroyo precisely at 10am. THE LOWDOWN Vincent Arroyo is indeed one of best tours and tastings that you can possibly enjoy at any winery! [Just remember to call ahead for an appointment!] :)

If you have time to visit only one vintner while in Calistoga, this is the one. Less than a mile out of town on old lake county road. What a rare treat. I've spent the better part of forty years traveling through Napa, Sonoma, the Alexander valley, Dry Creek, Silverado Trail, Oak Knoll, the Russian river and other amazing areas of the California wine country visiting vineyards sampling and drinking the wines. Some good experiences, some not so good, then there are the rare few that make the experience an impression on the memory that becomes the benchmark by which you view others. This is Vincent Arroyo winery. By reservation only (tasting is free they just ask that you book your time) and well worth the effort to do so. We spent almost two hours and went through the facility, vineyard and sampled everything that was available the day of our tasting. We shared our time there with another couple, it was intimate and personal and extremely relaxed with our guide Ted - more like sharing great wines with friends. Not uptight or "wine snobbish" as a large group in the region are known to be - this same group that charges $15 or better per person for a tasting. Not this unassuming wine maker who has been making some of the finest Bordeaux wines in the region for four decades. Known for its petite syrah, these world class wines are not to be missed. 80% sold pre-buy only a small portion is even available to those who know, and you will never see these bottles on the shelf in the grocery or liquor stores. Even with all this, this winery is one of the most unpretentious and laid back places to sip and enjoy some of the finest crafted wines around. Every step, from vine to grape, harvest to crush, cask to bottle is done in house. A true craft boutique winery. Great limited library available. Mr. A was even around the afternoon of our visit - it was quite a treat to get to visit with the man himself. Be sure to say hello to Bodega ( the dog) A must stop for any wine enthusiast or novice wanting to experience what wine tasting should be. A true 5 Star wine maker. 00055

I recently went on a Napa/Calistoga trip with some friends, and I was impressed by all the positive reviews of Vincent Arroyo. I am happy to say that the winery lived up to the hype! Our guide, Jim, was great. He was knowledgeable about the wines, he had lots of good stories, and he made us feel comfortable during the tasting. He also took us on a short tour of the area, where we met the winery's cat ("Nameless"), which also happens to be the name of my favorite wine I tried here! There is a tasting fee, but it was waived with a purchase of a bottle; the prices were very reasonable (starting ~$25). The winery is fairly small, with only enough space for a couple of groups of visitors at a time, so it is strongly recommended that you make a reservation at least a day in advance. We saw groups get turned away during our time here.

The wine tasting is free. Very nice people, very pretty land and it was easy to locate. All 5 Stars. We didn't have an appointment, which was fine since we didn't get too much grief about it. There were a TON of people in the tasting room, which wasn't very large. We ended up trying about 7 different wines (at least) and I wasn't a fan of all but one. The boyfriend really liked this winery a few years back and bought a few cases of their wine but this year just was very disappointing. The tasting room was a little awkward as well because we were huddled over a table with various wines on it with a tin of crackers. We got no explanation of who they were or what they did and the couple who was to our left during the tasting, kept talking about their travels and how the guy had made a few movies. I feel very disappointed that this didn't go better for us since Vincent Arroyo has so many positive reviews. I'm not against checking this place out again but I just felt like I left knowing just as much about them as I did coming in -- not much at all. Just average in my opinion.

Highly recommend. Jeffrey is so knowledgeable, truly passionate about the wines and teaching you about everything there is to know. This place has been around for a while and I love the story. Tasting fee is ridiculous for how many wines you get to try. Wines for retail are incredibly good deals as well.