Clif Family Winery — Attraction in St. Helena

This winery really blew our expectations. It wasn't a mansion size complex but what made this tasting unique from the others was their food truck serving the most delicious organic bruschette bites. You can take them with you to the tasting table and the sommelier will give you pairing suggestions.

I strongly suggest having a tasting reservation because it was pretty full when we arrived. Ours was at 1pm and our seats were already waiting for us. I volunteered to order from the Bruschetteria food truck and the sommelier was kind enough to wait for me while my friends sip their complimentary wine. Tasting costs vary here from $30 to $95 but we opted for the regular Yellow Jersey Tasting and trust, it was more than we asked for. We got to try a 2016 Napa Chardonnay, 2015 Bici Red Rhone Blend, 2016 Gary's Improv Zinfandel, 2015 Kit's Killer Howell Cab and a couple of bonuses that I couldn't remember the names.

During our tasting the buzzer went off so I went back to the food truck and boy, I was salivating because everything looked so amazing. We the Arancini (breaded risotto Milanese), Porchetta (pig), Carni (beef brisket), Il Pepe (pepperoni) and one veggie called Fresco (melted burrata, roasted cauliflower). Everything was simply scrumptious but my favorite was the Porschetta. Each bruschette was about $12 and it's great for sharing. We basically just sliced them up so everyone could try a piece. They were so fresh, so good and the quality of the ingredients was on point.

Loved this winery. Again, it's not big place but they do offer both indoor and outdoor dining. Tastings are held inside and they also have a private room. The Clif Family Winery is definitely a must stop when visiting wine country. Fun fact: This winery is owned by the same folks who own Clif Bar and they do offer them in...

Rise and Wine Tasting review: Out of the 5 wineries we visited, this was the most underwhelming tasting that we did. It was a bit too slow paced, in comparison to the small splash of wine you got on each pour. We each got our own individual food spread, which was very minimal, and were advised to eat it slowly so we could taste the flavors with each new wine that came out. But because the food was so small (I wasn't expecting a large breakfast, but still), we were trying so hard to nibble on it just to make it last to the next wine. It just felt like an unnatural pairing experience. My suggestion is that instead of giving a plate of the full spread of food upfront, they should've brought out 1 food item w/ 1 wine, and served it in stages instead. Overall, it just wasn't worth the price, for what you got. 2/5

Overall review: Really love the space, they have a great tasting room w/ bar, spacious and comfy patio, plus convenient additional tables/seating in front by the road. The Bruschetteria food truck is EXCELLENT! The food is fresh from the farm, healthy and creative. Inside, there's a wonderful selection of Clif's own artisan condiments, such as flavored honey spreads, jams, spices, hot sauce, and more. I saw that they do a happy hour as well. The bar seems like a nice place to sit and drink casually. You can come here without the need for a tour or appointment, and just enjoy the food truck...

I organized a wine country outing for my team at work this past fall, and we came here as our final stop on the tour. Everyone in our group was so impressed with the hospitality at Velo Vino. They have a very nice outdoor seating area with a fireplace available on a cold day. They supplement the tastings with a nut bowl and also some Clif bars. (There is an indoor area as well.)

It's a very casual and unpretentious winery that also has a cycling /outdoorsy affiliation (owned by the same people that make Clif bars). They were great to work with when organizing our group visit -- called earlier in the afternoon to confirm everything, didn't mind that we were like half an hour later than we had originally anticipated etc. They stay open pretty late too, which I feel like is pretty rare in Wine Country.

It's a fine line at these wineries a lot of the time between being a good host and being too in-your-face; I felt like Velo Vino navigated this divide flawlessly. Admittedly I don't know much about wine as far as commenting on the actual taste quality of their wine offerings ... but it seemed fine to me, and more people bought bottles here than at the previous stops (although that could've been due to an accumulation of tastings over the course of the day that loosened up the wallet!). All in all, our participants left raving about their experiences...