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51 reviews for August Briggs
51 reviews in English
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Review from Raghavi R.
Bethesda, MD
3/17/2012
This was a great tasting room. We had the pleasure of tasting with one of the winemakers. We loved the wine they make.
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Review from Dr. C L.
Berkeley, CA
5/13/2012
Great winery and open after 4pm! The four of us had a great time, the staff was personable and did not herd us around like cattle (which had happened down the road), poured a few special/reserve wines (thanks!!!), and helped created a really authentic and fun atmosphere.
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Review from Jeff T.
Davis, CA
11/11/2011
Important: please note that the August Briggs tasting room has moved as of August 2011 from the Silverado Trail to their new room in downtown Calistoga. It is on Lincoln in the middle of downtown.
The wine quality is excellent. The tastings are informal but informative. The tasting fee is now $5, but waived with the purchase of a bottle. -
Review from Nick l.
Chico, CA
4/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is one of many small family run vinyards in the Napa Valley, but unlike some of their competitors, August Briggs is worth checking out. They have a surprising variety of wines for such a small vinyard, and none of them are bad. My personal favorite though, and the reason I will go back is for their Chardonay. It is surprisingly fruity and mellow but not sweet, with only the slightest hint of oak.
Tasting prices are reasonable, as are most of the wine prices. Try it, you won't be sorry. -
Review from Jimmy G.
This was our last stop in the day, so I'm withholding the fifth star until I go back. But I will be back, because everything we tasted was great, especially the Syrahs and the "Wishes" blend.
This is super small production stuff--something like 4000 cases total produced each season. And that's where they want to stay.
Gorgeous views from the property at sunset.
Tasting: Free, four wines and an extra if you ask nice.Listed in: Napa
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Review from Ali B.
5/1/2011
The staff were friendly and we enjoyed the barrel tasting and little tour, plus you can't go wrong with a free tasting.
It was probably the worst wine we had over a long weekend though, so only 3 stars rather than 4 stars. Loved the barrel room scented candles though! -
Review from Erica K.
Phoenix, AZ
11/27/2011
Not a fan of the tasting room in downtown Calistoga. Prefer the experience of visiting a winery. Wines were alright. Staff were friendly.
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Review from Atopchef A.
Washington, DC
6/28/2011
This winery is unique in the sense that it is owned entirely by a small group of people that work it every day. And, the wine is good. Going here and talking to people like Matt is like going back in time to old Napa wine country. Simple tastings are free, and their tasting fee for pinots are waived if you buy -- they are happy to take you to the barrels and pour you a sample from the drums that are about to be bottled. It's moving its tasting room into town, I hope it can maintain its organic and straightforward approach there as well.
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Review from Vikram A.
San Francisco, CA
2/12/2007
The staff here is very inviting and gives you a great family run feeling. When I was here, the father of the winery's owner was doing some barrel tasting and we were invited to go back and join them. It was my first time doing barrel tasting and it was a unique experience, all the more fun since it was so impromptu.
I found out more about their wine club and apparently members get to participate in a crush party and a winemaker's party, a very tempting offer.Listed in: Doing the Napa Run
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Review from Jeff P.
Napa, CA
3/13/2008
I almost didn't visit August Briggs and that would've been a big mistake!!! Luckily, the guys at Clos Pegase gave me a coupon for a free tasting so I swung by afterward.
I was met by Aaron who was great and gave me the perfect tasting room experience. He told me everything about the wines I was tasting and about the wine-making and production in general.
All of their production is done in very small lots so they sell out of things quickly and their wines are not widely distributed.
He started me off with a Chardonnay which I liked quite a bit. He said that their Chard is meant to appeal to people who typically prefer reds like me. He was right. Next was a Napa Syrah, a cooler climate Syrah. It was very interesting. I am not sure I would have been able to figure out that it was a Syrah had he not told me. Then I had a Napa Petite Sirah which was excellent. We finished with a Dry Creek Cab which was outstanding and took everything in me not to leave with a ton of this $55/btl stuff. It was excellent.
This is definitely one place I will continue to visit regularly.Listed in: Jeff P. Does Napa
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Review from Zinna R.
CA
5/23/2007
We went to like five wineries and this place was my favorite, not just because the tasting was free but the wine was damn good. Though I have pretty refined palate, I'm not going to pretend I know what I'm talking about when it comes to wine. Sure it has a full bodied, cherry aroma? What does that mean? Don't answer that.
The Pinots were some of the tastiest I've ever had and the guy pouring was quite friendly. He was so friendly and we were so happy to have some good wine that we joined their club (only sends out 2 wines about 3x's a year), which meant we privy to the barrel tasting. The barrel tasting was great fun and also included some fantastic wines and our host had me cracking up! Talk about deadpan.
It's small and off the beaten path, but I recommend checking it out! -
Review from Anne J.
Redwood City, CA
10/11/2006
Beautifully constructed wine that houses a wine-maker that certainly knows what he's doing. The wine-maker is focused on developing a wine that challenges the palette to study each and every individual characteristics and succeeds in doing just that. August Briggs offers a petite sirah that would accompany a dinner and would please any crowd. The Monte Rosso Cabernet is huge full of berry and hints of chocolate.
Love the tasting room where the staff is warm and wonderful. -
Review from Novato A.
Novato, CA
4/13/2010
August Briggs is one of just a few wineries that I can say I really like all their wines~and they make a LOT of wines.
Their only white, a Chardonnay, is low on oak and butter, making it light and fruity and yet laid back and mellow. A beautifully balanced white. As Miles from Sideways might say, it's eminently quaffable.
They have a long list of reds, all varietals. Two of the varietals I consider relatively rare for the area, a Petite Meunier and Charbono, are both quite good. My personal faves are the Syrah and Petite Syrah and the Zinfandel. Imagine this: We gave a bottle of the Zin to my sister who has not been in a mind to communicate with me unless absolutely necessary and she wrote me a somewhat lengthy email thanking me for it after they got around to drinking it. This makes it a monumental wine, in my view.
If you go on the right day, you may be able to get in on a barrel tasting. If you do, be prepared to stick around until you can metabolize some alcohol. Even if you don't get in on a barrell tasting you may need some time to come down to earth. The wines are so good are so many you'll want to taste all they're offering.
It's also good for picnics. Dogs are welcome outside but not allowed in the tasting room.Listed in: Favorite wineries
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Review from Akash K.
11/22/2009
I think August Briggs is true to old school Napa Valley. It's not very commercial. The tasting room is small, with just a handful of very knowledgeable people pouring. The tasting is free (yes FREE!!!) and they don't pressure you to get anything after you taste. The guy pouring for us was very laid back and engaging. He knew a lot about the wines, grape varieties, and area.
The wines are quite good, though priced in the 30+ range. Though I don't normally pay that much for wine unless it makes my tastebuds dance like Michael Flatley, I was willing to because of the excellent service, solid wines and friendly staff. (See my review of Frank Family for a good contrast and to understand why I was willing to pay)
The only thing that would prevent me from going there every time I visit the valley is that it's all the way up in Calistoga.Listed in: Napa Valley Wineries
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Review from Lisa M.
Pasadena, CA
9/28/2011
I used to be a member of their wine club, and very much enjoyed my visit to their old tasting room on Silverado Trail. They took us back and let us taste from the barrels and were informative and passionate. I am underwhelmed by their new tasting room.
Tasting Fee: Free; 4 total wines tasted
Ambiance:
-small tasting room but nice and new
-great snacks
Service:
-Friendly
Wine: $30-$50
Well crafted wine, but moderately pricey and not widely distributed. I did walk away with a bottle of their Cab (which is saying a lot because cabs might be my least favorite grape).
I likely would not return. -
Review from James B.
San Francisco, CA
8/8/2010
Free tasting!
Patient, kind and funny staff make you feel welcome.
The small family atmosphere is very appealing and nice to see in the largely corporate Napa Valley.
The Chardonnay was light and great.
I found the reds a bit stringent but would be great if you gave them some time. -
Review from Luke H.
1/26/2009
Check out the White House certificate on the wall, and the Jeff Gordon endorsement.
George Bush and Jeff Gordon approved. You scared off yet?
Don't be. This place is friendly, inexpensive for Napa (free tastings), and unpretentious.
It has a good location on the Silverado Trail just south of Downtown Calistoga...across the street from some of the best views in town. This is the spot in the road where tourists and locals alike stop for pictures. -
Review from erin k.
San Jose, CA
4/1/2010
Four stars for the free (generous) tasting.
Small family owned winery -- not a big fan of the wines, but the guy at the counter was friendly enough (flirted with my friend) and we "asked nicely for something extra" like the sampling menu said and got a fifth sample. i am really surprised that it wasn't more crowded because of the free samples, my friend and i were the only ones there, which was nice -- but also awkward.
napa valley's best kept free (only!) tastings secret??? -
Review from Dave K.
12/24/2008
Aaron poured us here and he was totally knowledgeable about wine and the biz. We showed up about 20 minutes before closing but he didn't seem to mind. Their wines are all very good and their tasting is free.
Auf. -
Review from Rick C.
Houston, TX
6/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is awesome... Our host. Matt, was very personable and knowledgeable... Yay-----finally found a great collection of Pinot Noir. And we were invited back to see bottling of one of their 2010 products. Very interesting. Got a free taste direct from the 'tap'. You NASCAR fans should know this is the winery that produces Jeff Gordon's label. The owner A. Briggs was out there working his arse off with the rest of his small and all very friendly staff. Free tastings here...but I opted to pay the $5 for the all Pinot Noir tasting. Yum.... A must visit...!!!
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Review from Amy J.
San Francisco, CA
12/14/2008
Wines were okay. Guy was nice.
He didn't go out of our way to tell us anything about the wine. The tasting room was small but kinda sterile.
I love the beautiful labels on these bottles and we bough a bottle of the wine as the prces were more than fair..however, it just wasn't a wow factor on the wine or the information or the tasting room.
BUT it gets way higher marks then a lot of places we went and it was a free tasting. Also, they actually treated you with respect unlike a lot of places in napa....this is worth a stop in. For the price, you'll like the wine well enough. -
Review from Anna T.
Santa Rosa, CA
7/7/2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this stop. Matthew was our lovely server and after being very helpful and informative we got a tour of the barrel room, got to taste their 2009 Pinot Meunier that they were about to bottle and see the bottling process. Jesse the assistant wine maker was very friendly as well as the rest of the staff. You will get lovely wines here as well as a memorable experience!
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Review from Brad R.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/15/2009
The skinny: Lots of fun. Knowledgeable staff. Free tasting.
We came here on the Saturday of President's Day weekend based on a recommendation from our B&B. If you are looking for extravagant facilities with amazing picnic grounds, manicured English gardens, and a gift shop draped with silly T-shirts "You had me at Merlot" - go somewhere else. If you are serious about finding a boutique winery, this place is really worth checking out.
This is a small family-owned facility with great wine. August Briggs only produces 600 to 900 cases of wine per varietal. Aaron poured for us and was cool enough to give us an impromptu tour of their wine making equipment. As an added treat, we got to taste wine from a barrel that was just about to go to bottling.
Everyone's taste pallet is different. For me, their wine was great. -
Review from Ken P.
San Rafael, CA
6/5/2009 1 photo
My wife and I have been to the Brigg's tasting room twice now. Both times it's been an excellent wine tasting experience and where we bought some damn good wine. I started tasting wine in Napa Valley in 1984 so I have solid credentials in reviewing winery tasting rooms.
We were first told about August Briggs during our Duckhorn (Direct club members) tasting during Sept. 2007. We bought 2 pinot noirs from Briggs then and learn about their NASCAR relatives. Cool! friendly as heck too at this place.
Three weeks ago we visited again and bought more tasty pinot. They were just as friendly as ever -- no corporate mentality here. Just good times, good wines, and zero pretense. I'll post a photo.
Highly recommended. -
Review from Ben L.
San Francisco, CA
2/15/2010
August Briggs was recommended by Scarlett of Scarlett's Country Inn (see my review). Overall a great small family run winery that was very welcoming to my wife and I.
We stopped in for a tasting on Valentine's day and our pourer did a great job of explaining the wines, as well as the different methods they use for aging the different varietals. He asked what type we liked the most and even though they didn't have any Petite Syrah available to taste in the tasting room, he took is into the barrel storage area and we sampled some out of a couple different barrels.
Great small winery, great people working there! -
Review from Ha V.
7/19/2010
August Briggs' Leveroni Chardonnay is perfection. Stock up.
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Review from Lily L.
10/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
We were referred to August Briggs by some New Yorkers (surprisingly) we met at another winery nearby. Besides the fact that the tastings were free and that the room was very small, the wine wasn't very memorable nor was the one person working there (which means they weren't bad either). At least it wasn't crowded, but it could be since it's a little hidden and not on the main 29 highway.
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Review from Jess K.
10/16/2009
My friends love this winery so much that we went twice. The first time we did the tasting (free!) and the second time we brought a few more friends with us and had a tour of the back with a barrel tasting too. They even let us schedule it for a Saturday afternoon. It was really fun to do the tour and to find out about how wine is made/aged/bottled and to taste it at its different stages of fermentation. I would definitely go back here if I make it out to Napa again.
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Review from Poochie M.
San Francisco, CA
7/16/2006
I really like August Briggs. The 2002 Monte Rosso Cab was possibly the best of the appelation that year. The 2003 is also tasting pretty good. AB also makes a syrah, petite syrah, a couple pinots, chardonnay, and zinfandel. The zinfandel used to be a blend of 30, 60, and 100 year old vines, but the older vines died and now they add 10% petite syrah instead. AB is one of the few places in Napa that doesn't charge for tasting and Bob will usually give you a barrel tasting if you ask nicely.
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Review from Reggie G.
Washington, DC
10/9/2008
This place is fabulous. I always end up stopping here on my way home from Harbin. They are incredibly friendly and every time I go they end up taking me to the barrel room for barrel tastings. The tasting is free and the pinot noir is unparalled. The wine is also unavailable anywhere so you have to buy it here.
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Review from JJ S.
Laguna Niguel, CA
5/14/2009
We are always treated great at August Briggs. Barrel tasting? Sure! Not sure why T & I are still not wine club members, because every other friend we take there signs up. Aaron knows his stuff (plus he's adorable), but we do miss Bob. Hope you're enjoying retirement!
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Review from Alured P.
San Francisco, CA
8/30/2007
I am a big fan of tasting here. As Poochie notes, the tasting is free. For some reason it seems that not many people know about the place so it has never been crowded when I was there. Pretty friendly, and really good about answering questions. Plus, the wine is pretty good. Well worth a visit, especially as a way to get away from the crowds.
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Review from Arnaud H.
Lakeport, CA
2/26/2010
I always recommend going to August Briggs whenever friends ask me which winery they should visit when they're up valley. First of all - and this is all too rare in Napa Valley - the tastings are free! You can get a few sips of 4 to 6 wines (depending on what they're pouring that day) for literally nothing. No wonder that tasting room is rarely empty, even on rainy days. But that's not the only reason: the staff is always friendly, and doesn't give any attitude, even though this is a small winery that produces only 4500-5000 cases a year.
Granted, they are on the high end (their lowest priced bottles are in the low $30s) and they already sell 75% of the production direct. But they do produce some very good wines from prestigious AVAs. That doesn't mean their line-up is predictable: they make a single varietal Pinot Meunier (a rarity) and a Cab from Dry Creek (an area better known for Zin or Sauv Blanc).
The tasting room and the facility is small and no-nonsense, but it's difficult not to enjoy your time there. This should definitely be your first - or last - stop on Silverado Trail. -
Review from M H.
San Diego, CA
1/1/2010
I love the wine, I love that the tasting is complementary and I love Jesse!
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Review from Leah K.
San Francisco, CA
4/6/2010
This was a winery that a friend recommended we stop at during our trip to the valley last weekend. We saw it as a quick "extra" stop because we were in the neighborhood already. We ended up liking it so much that we joined their wine club!
As other reviewers have noted, this winery is completely free of the Napa Snob Factor. They couldn't be more down to earth, funny, and friendly. They also happen to know a great deal about the wine they're pouring and are happy to answer questions. This is one off the few places I've been to in Napa/Sonoma where I literally liked EVERY wine they poured. I'm typically not a fan of Chardonnay but their version is very fruit forward and balanced, not overly oaked, and we loved it. The reds are also excellent. It's totally worth the drive to get up there. Enjoy! -
Review from Evan V.
Palm Desert, CA
5/27/2009 2 photos
Mmm... Charbono! We had the opportunity to do a barrel tasting of this varietal in their tasting room a few years ago, and it was awesome! The price-point was very reasonable, so we purchased several bottles, and became instant fans. Their Cabs. are top shelf. I had to secretly sneak back after a tasting to purchase one (it was around $80.) It was Delicious! (my wife forgave me after a few glasses. :) The nose alone knocked my socks off. If you are a fan of BIG, jammy, well-balanced Napa reds, you will love their wines. Friendly service and generous pours keep us coming back.
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Review from Brooke B.
Chicago, IL
7/1/2009
Went here with my sister. She know much more about wine than me but they were not interested in explaining anything. It was OK but not great.
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Review from alanna w.
Daly City, CA
6/27/2011
Awesome place!!! A nice change of pace from some of the bigger wineries. Great staff and free tastings :)
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Review from Ben S.
Denver, CO
10/24/2009
Briggs is awesome! His wines are flat out some of the best in the valley and if you're in Calistoga, you have to stop at his tasting room and get acquainted. I think the guy that helped us out was named, John. He was great!
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Review from Alison S.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/16/2010
This winery was recommended by a friend from Napa. It did not disappoint. The setting is intimate and removed from much of the Napa traffic. The staff was friendly and knowledgable, and the wine was fantastic.
