Robert Mondavi Winery Tour – Napa Valley

The North Coast is home to the grape region and has put California wine on the world map. So when I visited the west coast of US, I made it a point to tour one of the winery and my brother Umesh Jadhav, residing in Sacramento, introduced me to the world-renowned Robert Mondavi Winery visitor center located in the heart of the Napa Valley.  We took their 90 minutes signature tour and tasting. This in-depth winery tour follows the path of the grape from the vineyard to the cellar to the finished wine.

The stylish architecture with the bell tower and amazing archway gives the entrance a stunning look. As you look around, you come across several statues, paintings and other works of art giving the entire area a classic touch of elegance.

Once you are in you have this wonderful looking garden with the Welcoming Muse sculptured by John Waddell. An ideal place to relax and taste wine is on the benches and stone walls near this main lawn.  

Here is where we meet our wine educator who then takes us through the signature tour and tasting. He shared an informative overview of the winery, it’s rich history and general information about the region.

The vineyard looks breathtaking. We toured for a quick vineyard overview which was followed by a visit to the impressive fermentation room.

The barrel aging room located below the tank room is a spell bounding sight. Mist released from ceiling and the lovely light creates a distinctive atmosphere in this massive barrel aging room. Two private tasting rooms anchor each side of this barrel room.

Finally, we head to the tasting room which we were all looking forward to so eagerly. Here we tasted the Rose, Reds, Whites and the Sparkling Wine. We go through the much needed nuances of the wine tasting and different ways to appreciate the wine – Clarity, Color, Nose, Palate and Finish. So also well needed knowledge on pairing the wines with food was part of this tasting.

The tour educator was such a gem of a guy full of knowledge and lively humour. A big thanks to him for such an educational tour.

The retail shop in the premises is filled with memorabilia and we did shop a couple of reds and whites and also picked up their dessert wine – Moscato D’oro.

Overall it was a dream come true of having visited one of the famous Winery in Napa Valley.