Tour Vin – Wine Bars Are Upping Their Game!

Published on: July 25th, 2017

Tour Vin just returned from a week-long tour of Napa Valley where we visited new food, wine and hotel venues. This month, we would like to introduce you to three wine tasting rooms in Napa that are well worth a visit.

Wines On First (Jean Edwards Cellars, Pure Cru and J.McClelland)

This time around, our focus was Jean Edwards Cellars (JEC) where we were hosted by Stewart, our hospitality wine guru. JEC sources their grapes from some of the finest regions in Napa Valley, primarily Pritchard Hill and Spring Mountain, from which most of their production is Cabernet Sauvignon.

The JEC winery was recently named “2017 Best Boutique Winery and Tasting Room” by Napa Valley Life Magazine and Kian Tavakoli, JEC’s winemaker since 2004, was named one of the top three winemakers of Napa Valley! Our favorite wine was the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt Veeder-Yates Family Vineyard.

Stop in and tell them that Ed sent you!

Acumen Wine Gallery

Opened in May 2017, this venue incorporates a high-end art gallery with a small wine bar while offering exceptional wines. Acumen offers three intimate tasting options:

1. Enjoy the Mountainside Tasting of current releases
2. A PEAK Tasting (that’s Atlas Peak) featuring a single vineyard reserve
3. A portfolio tasting of current releases, as well as their PEAK wines, in the private dining room space

The Acumen wine tasting team is amazing. We recommend you ask for either the Wine Gallery Manager, Jennifer, or the Estate Ambassador, Marian.

Ellman Family Vineyards

The Ellman Estate is currently under construction (they took us for a tour through the site), so tasting is in downtown Napa at the Ellman Tasting Gallery. Wine offerings include a Sauvignon Blanc, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a proprietary Red Blend and a Pinot Noir.

Ellman’s Cabernet Sauvignon is special because they source their grapes from Beckstoffer George III and Stagecoach Vineyards. VIP tastings are by appointment only, and make sure to ask for Adriana – her knowledge of the vineyard’s wines is second to none!

This year’s Crush will be sometime in September, so it’s wise to make your Napa Valley reservations early! Contact us to help plan your customized Napa Valley vacation.

 

Cheers!
Ed Pollard
Tour Vin
Napa Valley Concierge