During our video shoots we’ve noticed a few recent changes at wineries that are noteworthy:

1) Silver Oak in Napa Valley just opened their new tasting room.  The wonderful old one burned and they built a whole new winery.  My opinion of the new tasting room?  The old one was more intimate and cozy but the new one is nice.  I expected something more interesting than a big hall-style room.

2) Hall Winery in Napa Valley should be well along with their new Frank Gehry winery and tasting room.  We drove by and saw little happening.

3) Alpha Omega in Napa Valley is close to completion of their major renovation and landscaping.  The fountains are a nice show from Highway 29 south of St. Helena but not on the order of the Bellagio in Las Vegas.  Nice architecture and nice tasting room.  Recommend a visit.  Our profile photos are outdated now.

4) The Castle, actually Castello di Amorosa, is now open off Highway 29 just south of Calistoga.  It is a WOW place with a rustic medeval market and even live chickens running around.  Other than the parking lot you will think you’ve dropped into 14th century Europe.  OK, the view of Sterling on it’s hilltop brings you back to Napa 2008.  It is a must see at $15 / person for five tastings and a self-tour.  We have it marked on our GPS map of Napa Valley but no profile yet.

5) Italian Swiss Colony is BACK!  Well, not the brand, but the wonderful and now ancient tasting room in Asti just south of Cloverdale in the Alexander Valley is back in operation thanks to Cellar 8.  At one time long ago just about everyone who drank wine knew of the tiny town of Asti.  The tasting room would be open to midnight and busloads visited the huge wishbone tasting bar.  Cellar 8, a division of Fosters, renovated the tasting room and I strongly recommend a visit.  They have a picnic area outside with views of the upper Alexander Valley and even a couple of old train coaches.  We have them mapped but no profile yet.

6) Also in Alexander Valley there is a new tasting room in Geyserville for Route 128 Winery.  Pete and Lorna Opatz have been in the vineyard business a long time and are breaking into the retail wine trade.  Very personable and definately worth visiting this upstart, cozy, and friendly tasting room.

7) Geyserville has always been a little backwater in the wine tasting trade.  Suddenly it is seeing phenominal growth with now 3 tasting rooms in operation and one more working on it.  That is a doubling of tasting rooms in only a few months.  OK, not much by Healdsburg, Murphys, or Los Olivos standards but hey, this is sleepy little Geyserville and our favorite wine country hang-out.

- jim