Hess Persson Estates — Restaurant in Sonoma

ZERO stars!!! We drove for miles and it turned out they were fully booked today 8/6/22, even when there were only 4 cars in the parking lot. We asked if we could at least look around but were turned away by a very RUDE old lady for having my SERVICE dog. She insisted the reason why she wouldn’t allow us in is because they were fully booked when in fact she specifically said they do not allow even service dogs in the property. I tried to give her my service dog registration ID and a card with service dog law info so that next time (if ever) we visit again she would know she cannot do that but she just gave me a dirty look insisted that the reason why she turned us away is because they were fully booked when in fact when we asked if we can just at least have a look around she said we can’t because we have a dog and it did not matter that it was a service dog. Then she just threw her hands up in the air and left. I told her I could sue them (but I won’t because that is not the kind of person I am…I forgive) but she said she didn’t care. If she only took time to look at my card and admit that she was wrong, we would maybe consider going back but she just continued to be extremely rude and self righteous..maybe even racist because she obviously judged us by our looks. Before we even get to the reception area, she ran towards us and then she YELLED at us “Can I help you with something?!!” while looking at us from head to toe. We were dressed very casual (jeans and t shirt) as we always do when we go out with our teens. We can tell because of her lack of respect and the condescending tone of her voice! I just hope the owner reads my review and fire that extremely RUDE WHITE lady. There are 400+ wineries in Napa and couple hundreds more in Sonoma, Lodi, Suisun all around the the Bay Area that has so much more to offer which are dog friendly but most importantly PEOPLE friendly. Definitely SKIP this one!!!

I have been living here in San Francisco for 36 years with a big family who are wine lovers so we frequently visit Napa and we’re always eager to sign up for wine memberships. My husband has worked for the City of Napa for many years and now the Chief Finance Officer for the City of Hercules. We have travelled to many places in and out of the country with our kids and our service dog and spend a lot of money on good wines (and food) BUT over the years, we learned that the best tasting wines are those served with a smile. This winery need to train their staff good ethics and customer service. By far the WORSE customer service we have ever encountered. Stay away and spend your hard earned...

Summary: Beautiful grounds and art complement wonderful wines and friendly staff. Good amount of parking. Off the beaten path a ways, so prepare to into the middle of nowhere to find it.

Went here Friday late morning with my wife and her parents. We had to drive through many windy roads surrounded by forest to get to the winery. Once we arrived, we parked and made our way toward the tasting room and museum. There is a beautiful entry garden area with a long Koi pond and orange dragonflies flying around. A covered tasting area for cheese pairing purchasers sits in the garden along the building wall. Inside the museum we were greeted by a friendly receptionist that explained the tasting options and recommended we do a self-guided tour through the museum, which had a variety of sculptures and some contemporary electronic pieces. There is also a barrel room just to the side of the receptionist's desk where private tastings occur by reservation, but you can go inside and experience the wonderful smells.

We decided to do the standard tasting in the tasting room and made our way to the bar. It took a few minutes for us to be served despite there being only a few other small parties around the bar, but the two people doing the serving were both helping people that were already tasting and swapping out newly dried glassware from their dishwasher. The cost is $10 for four tastings currently, and there were around six whites and 10 reds to try. All of the wines we tried were good, though there certainly was a range in our personal preferences. The pourers we had (they swapped in and out) were very helpful and informative. The wine prices themselves were on par for Napa, which is pricier than I'd like, but we got a cuvee and one of the cabs. It was a nice...

Delicious wine, friendly service, and interesting art pieces make this a great place to visit on a Napa trip. Even though it is kinda far from the main "strip" of wineries, Hess is worth trying for its reasonably priced tastings (2 for 1 with yelp check-in) and art collection.

Secluded twenty minutes away from the main Napa highway, Hess Collection is on a little corner up in a hill. The grounds are beautiful, with a nice courtyard enclosed in brick walls and a koi pond. There are a few tables underneath hanging vines where you can picnic and observe the abstract sculptures.

The interior is contemporary but comfortable, a unique mix of feeling like you're in a living room but with varying art pieces dispersed throughout the venue. The first floor has the store and merchandise, bathrooms, and a few art pieces. The second floor has art installations and a small theater. The third floor has art and a room where the tastings take place.

My tasting experience was great: I've been twice and had friendly and knowledgeable wine experts each time. Some favorites include the Malbec, the German white wine, and the Cab. The wine here is better quality than most wines I've tasted.

I especially recommend this place when weather isn't so great because everything is indoors. And be prepared to navigate ahead of time since cell service usually dies. But they also have wifi when you get to the tasting room/gallery! (Also, you should call and see if they are closed for a special event, once I drove all the way to find on the sign that they were closed for a private event).

For a small winery, their wine and service is fantastic. One of the best Napa wineries to experience when you...