Tamber Bey Vineyards — Attraction in Calistoga

Tamber Bey Vineyards, with its name a charming combination honoring the winery founders' first Arabian horses, offers a unique experience that goes beyond just delicious wines. Their philosophy of equating the art of winemaking with the pursuit of horsemanship - both requiring skill, refinement, and an appreciation for nature's beauty - was evident in every aspect of our visit.

My friend and I recently bought the Covet Wine Pass. Tamber Bey is one of the 13 wineries in the Napa/Sonoma area that accepts this pass. While their courtyard wine tasting experiences typically range from $50-$75 per person and include 5-6 tastings, our pass provided us with a complimentary tasting.

The moment we stepped onto the property, we were enchanted. The beautiful courtyard, surrounded by stables, exuded a true horse ranch vibe. The horseshoe used as a paperweight for the tasting sheet was a delightful touch. And while we were there, we were lucky enough to see some of the gorgeous horses up close - they were incredibly gentle and well-behaved!

Our sommelier, Richard, was exceptional. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the winery's history and provided a fascinating tour of the wine production facility (upon request). He even went above and beyond our complimentary tasting, offering us additional pours of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (we ended up loving the Cab so much we bought a bottle!).

The tasting itself was a delightful journey through Tamber Bey's offerings. We started with the crisp and refreshing 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, followed by the Chardonnay 2023, a stainless steel fermented wine with a playful personality and hints of orange blossom and candied pear. The 2023 Rosé from Lake County was another winner, bursting with fresh strawberry and watermelon rind flavors. Next, we moved on to the 2022 Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. This one showcased bright flavors of tart cherry and candied pomegranate, rhubard, and fresh anise. The Rabicano 2021, a Bordeaux blend, was a complex and powerful wine, while the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from their estate's Deux Chevaux Vineyard, was a truly memorable experience.

The atmosphere at Tamber Bey was peaceful and uncrowded, especially for a Saturday morning. There were just a few groups, allowing us to fully enjoy the ambiance and Richard's expertise.

If you're looking for a winery that offers more than just a tasting, Tamber Bey Vineyards is a must-visit. The combination of delicious wines, a beautiful horse ranch setting, and an incredibly knowledgeable staff creates an...

Legitimately - skip every winery in Napa and head to Tamber Bey first. Especially if your dog is headed out with you! I can’t sing Tamber Bey’s praises high enough. Cole and Rae made today the best experience we could possibly imagine for a winery. Along with the fact this is a gorgeous winery/estate with a fantastic indoor/outdoor atmosphere, this is one of the best wineries we’ve ever been to, and easily the best winery experience we’ve ever had.

We were greeted at the door by Cole with two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc, and happily lead to our seats outside where Cole sat with us and chatted with us about our travels before delving into how the tasting experience worked. Cole is an 11 out of 10 host and winery guide, and I couldn’t fathom the experience without him. Cole was super knowledgeable and well-versed, and guided us through two exceptional tastings paired with custom-made cookies along the way. Cole is someone you’d want to spend a day with regardless of the winery experience, and he truly made us feel like home for the full visit. Rae was walking past frequently and stopped every time to give our pup some pets and treats. It felt like we were amongst family, and that’s really hard to come by, anywhere in any setting. Felt like our dog would live a better life with Rae at this winery than at our own home, lol.

The wine itself is INCREDIBLE. We highly recommend the Vineyard Series flight paired with the Signature Collection, especially if you’re splitting with a partner. Not a single pour disappointed, and I truly wish we could have taken home every bottle we tasted, if we were traveling across the country with limited storage space. Also got to meet the owner, Barry, who was a pleasure to talk to and talked with us for a bit while giving our dog some pets. She likes to sniff you yeah now she’s distracted by food What an incredible, 6 star experience from every aspect. Don’t miss this...

Tanner Bey is a gem! Robert was fantastic in helping us pick out the wines we wanted for a picnic. We walked in telling him our mission and he turned it into a delightful experience! He made several suggestions and we tasted each one, while he explained about the wines and how each was made. He was right on target with his suggestions, as we wound up buying the first 2 he suggested! We walked around after making our choices, realizing this was a beautiful spot to plan for a wine tasting or picnic. There were several seating areas that felt like you were hanging out in a luxurious back yard, as well as picnic tables. The wines were delicious! I was very impressed by the oak- barreled Chardonnay that was very mellow without a strong oak taste. We purchased the Sauvignon Blanc and stainless barreled Chardonnay that were perfect for our picnic. Robert was very thoughtful and gave us chilled bottles that he uncorked for us, since we didn’t have a corkscrew! We are taking our Napa wine experience home with us through amazing wine scented candles! They were burning in the tasting room infusing it with fragrance that enhanced the flavors. Overall, we had a wonderful experience...