Vincent Arroyo Family Winery — Attraction in Napa Valley AVA

It was my birthday so my husband threw me a surprise gateway in Napa on Sunday. He had previously booked a 12pm at Arroyo Vineyards in Calistoga. The drive through the different vineyards was beautiful. We parked in Calistoga downtown and walked to Vincent Arroyo Vineyards which was a lovely 30min walk. The turn to the Arroyo Vineyards was beautiful with long tall trees and the grape vines all over the place. It was lovely to see they had olive trees along with the grape vines.

Our tasting guide for the day was Dave. He was such a warm soul and very knowledgeable about wine making and told us countless stories and tricks which were wonderful. He has started as a wine taster since 10 years old and travelled abroad at 14 to do proper wine tasting. Dave is hands on guy and you could tell how passionate he was about the wine making. The wine tasting itself was complimentary which was nice. While we were trying and sipping generous amounts of 8 different wines, Dave gave us a little tour around the property along with its history.

The experience was very personal and very interactive which was nice. We ended up staying for 1.5 hours and the time just flew. We ended up buying their white wine which was so lovely and smooth but didn't pick up any of the reds actually. Wine definitely tastes better if you have some cheese with it to understand how it tastes with food so we weren't sure but our friends loved the petite shiraz which they picked up. Apart from the wine, we loved and bought their estate olive oil (true taste of green olives, just like olive oil in Italy) and their balsamic reduction. Really amazing, must buy the olive oil. Highly recommend...

This feels like the mom-&-pop stop of amazing wineries. Totally boutique, and totally worth the hype.

THE TASTINGS The tastings are free, which is always very much appreciated. The wines themselves are mild and well-structured. I enjoyed the whites and reds we were able to taste. I particularly loved that our guide had us do side-by-side comparisons of reds opened up the night before (left over) and fresh bottles, so we could see how just one night of opening up really changed the flavors and let them breathe. We also were able to try their stellar olive oil (estate-made) and the cabernet sauvignon balsamic. THIS in my opinion, was the best thing there. They make very limited press, and it is SO good -- thick, sweet, tangy, and not overpowering. I could eat this all day (and I did get a bottle, so I just may!)

THE SERVICE The people here really are happy, and it shows. Our guide was so attentive and kind in answering all our questions, providing history and backstory to all he told us to make the vineyard come alive for us, and to even show us the awesome tricks the wine dog knows. We learned about the salmon that come through here, how the vinegar is made, why the soil doesn't particularly look very fresh, and so much more. Our guide was patient, friendly, professional, and super engaging. One of the best winery hosts I've ever had.

Make sure to make a reservation, though they will still accommodate walk-ins (as they did while we are there). This is a do not miss...

Excellent experience! One of our favorites during our recent trip to Napa & Sonoma. It was a tiny, boutique winery that was not commercial or touristy. This was truly a hidden gem. We arrived early for our appointment, but they were so friendly, accommodating and welcoming. They poured us chardonnay and rose to enjoy outside while we waited. I could have spent all day out there (pictured) it was absolutely beautiful! We had an amazing tour, which basically felt like a private tour since it was just our party. Our guide was so down to earth, friendly, informative, and knowledgeable. We all really connected with him, which really made the experience so enjoyable. We all loved how there were 2 dogs on the property and followed us around for our tour. All of the wines were excellent and they allowed us to taste so many! So happy to purchase a variety of wines from this great place and cannot wait to order more in the future. Thanks for such a...