Now for some serious wine tasting in Napa. We decided to avoid the big name wineries and opt for those lesser known and a bit off the beaten path. I have no other criteria for deciding where to stop than the way the winery looks from the road. If the design looks interesting, we stop and, if not, we keep on moving. We stopped first at Odette Winery.
Charcoal grey and white, Odette has a faintly Hollywood Regency look about it. One enters through a gravel courtyard, dotted with chic tables made of Carrera marble and Janus et Cie woven chairs. Very modern. The actual pouring room was also a sleek affair with a blond wood curved bar on high stiletto Directoire legs and marble counters.
Note to Self: Do try to do Napa Mondays through Thursdays. The crowds are minimal and, in our case, we had tasting rooms mostly to ourselves. Weekends can be insane with a heavy influx of out-of-towners flooding in from nearby San Francisco.
Next stop was Pumpjack Winery. This is owned by the same investor group that owns Carneros Inn (Odette as well as it turns out). Although not particularly design worthy, Plumpjack is nestled in the middle of the vineyards and has a very European, slightly medieval look about it. They do put out some mighty fine wines, though and their 2010 Cabernet is outstanding.
photos by Patrice Wyndham-Smith