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Napa Valley misses boat on in-winery restaurants

I read with interest this article this morning on the Wines & Vines Web site about how wineries in Napa County are unable to open on-premise restaurants. Wow. What a great opportunity missed. In fact, head just north of the border to British Columbia's Okanagan Valley and you'll see how it's done right.

I've lost track of how many wineries in the Okanagan have opened restaurants, but it's well into the double digits. I've enjoyed great meals at Sumac Ridge, Lake Breeze, Gray Monk and a few others.

The trend is starting to catch on in the rest of the Northwest. Near my home, Tagaris Winery has opened a grand and elegant restaurant. Nearby, Bookwalter Winery has a full menu of appetizer-style plates. In Prosser, Wash., Desert Wind Vineyards has built a magnificent facility with guest rooms, a full kitchen, conference facilities and a terrific tasting room.

These kind of facilities are what can help the Northwest's wine regions distinguish themselves and cater to the growing wine tourism industry.

By aperdue at Mar 19 2008 - 10:17am | destinations | restaurants | aperdue's blog | 692 reads

Napa (Sonoma) and food

Spot on with the CA winery's missing this whole dining market.

One winery I have been going to for several decades is the V.Sattui winery in St. Helena. I usually stop there around lunch time because they do have food as well as picnic tables to eat at. On the weekends they BBQ until 4:00. You can stop, buy a bottle of wine and have a nice lunch from their deli.

Daryl Sattui, the owner, bought a vineyard many years ago to build a castle on. He finished that castle last year. One of the reasons for buying that specific vineyard was because it had a winery license as well as a food license. One of the few allowed in CA.

I have not been to the castle during business hours but I do plan to take the tour this year when I visit the Napa/Sonoma area. From those I know who have taken the tour it is well worth your time.

By mrstarbuck at Mon, 03/24/2008 - 1:50pm | login or register to post comments

opportunities

That 100% empty, ill advised strip mall at the corner of Dallas and Kennedy Roads just outside West Richland, just down the hill from the Gamache tasting room, seems to be asking for some wine related occupancy, especially with the anticipated Goose Ridge expansion. That locale seems like a good spot for tasting rooms, maybe even a winery, restaurants, brew pubs...

It also would be nice to see some urban tasting rooms open in the Try-Cities, like in Walla Walla, as recently noted here.

As far as the Napa Valley issue, it seems like the local agricultural interests are missing an opportunity to promote a "straight-from-the-farm" vibe. Maybe the laws could be tweeked to dicate local produce.

By andyplymale at Wed, 03/19/2008 - 9:17pm | login or register to post comments

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