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Goosecross Cellars
Rating Details »
1119 State Lane
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-1986
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-1986
Just in time for Thanksgiving!
Buy 2 bottles of Goosecross wine for your Thanksgiving table and the 3rd bottle of dessert wine is $0.01! Mention YELP in our tasting room.
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
53 reviews for Goosecross Cellars
This business is a Yelp Sponsor
9/16/2008
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Updated - 8/12/2009
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3/22/2009
One of the Business' Favorite Reviews What's This?
I had such a lovely experience here! I was with Michelle W. and a few others while Nancy walked us through the entire wine making process. I loved how Nancy focused on all aspects of the process including the many unique microclimates and growing conditions of Napa Valley and how they affect the tastes of the wine. She was easy to follow and obviously had a passion for their many yummy wines. By far the best wine tour I have ever experienced. My favorite wine: 2005 Napa Valley Syrah. Smoky, earthy and absolutely delicious.
The wine is great, the people are friendly, and it's not a typical pretentious Napa winery at all. They let our big group come in a bit earlier than scheduled, and when we got there we basically had a private tasting because no one else came in (this was on a Monday so it wasn't a busy day at all).
I have to admit I'm disappointed reading all these reviews about people getting extra tastings. We got what was on the tasting list and only that. I feel like with wine industry people (which my friend is) tasting rooms are usually more generous, but maybe since it was a Monday they didn't want to open extra bottles or something.
I was still really impressed though, and ended up getting their awesome Merlot. And I just want to reiterate again how friendly the tasting room staff was--they really were some of the nicest we encountered on our entire wine tasting trip.
Napa County is a place that should not exist. I say this because it never fails to make me hate the life that I have to return to when I leave. Aside from the obvious (it's WINE Country), the amazing landscape and high caliber of cuisine available here makes me weep with both joy and sorrow. But mostly joy, because I always leave in a sublime state of blissful happiness.
The fine folks at Goosecross Cellars contributed to this state of elation during my last excursion with their welcoming and personable attitudes, combined with their high expertise in all that is wine. My friend and I were having a lazy, leisurely day, moving rather slowly through our way in Napa. What was supposed to be a pit stop for water bottles at Dean & Deluca turned into a dessert fest of gelato and various sweets that lured us through the glass casing. So when we finally made it to Goosecross, the time was approaching 4:30, which is their closing time. Stressed, we hurried to the tasting room only to be greeted with smiles and hand gestures to come on in.
The tasting itself was fabulous. At a very reasonable 10 dollars, you will receive between 4-6 glasses. The tasting notes 4, but the sommeliers were more than generous and accommodating. When I was asked what I typically like to drink, I mentioned pinot noirs. So she quickly grabbed a noir and poured me a taste, even though it wasn't technically on the 'menu'.
A very family and community oriented winery, Goosecross does not distribute its wines on a commercial level, so you will not be able to pop into a BevMo for a bottle, nor ask for a glass at a restaurant. Instead they rely on their members to purchase and enjoy what their produce. Their production is limited to so many bottles per type of wine, which they note on their list of available wines. There is a strong sense of pride in their exclusivity, yet there is little if no pretension behind the manner in which they handle their business.
Even though we could have easily spent a good two hours or more here, we had to leave within 40 mins due to an approaching dinner reservation. But before leaving, we were sent off with a handful of dark chocolates and were insisted to visit again soon.
Thanks Goosecross for offering a wondefully informative tasting experience. Salud!
Thanks to all those who reviewed Goosecross Cellars, me being a very novice wine drinker I wouldn't have known to give this place a try. Heck my old wine and cheese parties back in my college days, revolved around us sitting around the table laughing, drinking wine in the box and eating cheese from the can.
Our experience here was similar, us standing around a bar laughing it up and having a great time, except the wine and cheeses at the bar were on (thankfully) a whole different level. The snack bar consisted some of their house mustard, cheeses and crackers. They do charge $10.00 a person for the wine tasting, still, even at that price it's very reasonable, and a great way to spend the afternoon.
The staff here are low key and friendly, we ended up setting up camp next to Jose who was freaking awesome, he gave us some very generous pours and very knowledgeable about teaching about wines and helped us find the type of wines which suited us.
Some personal favorites of mine included:
The 2004 Howell Mountain Cabernet, A 2006 Napa Valley Amerital VI
and the 2008 Napa Valley "Oak Knoll" Viognier.
After getting a few bottles of each for myself, friends and family, Jose perked my interest in one of their bottles of their reserve a 2006 Napa Valley Estate Meritage, he gave (our entire group a taste) it had an amazing flavors on this one, and I'm saving that for a special occasion. Jose was kind enough to comp our entire group on the wine tasting. I can't think of a better way to spend the afternoon, kicking back with friends, take a seat outside and enjoy the fresh air while taking in amazing views of the vineyard spreading across the horizon. Also they have a little complementary postcard station where you can send a wine-influenced postcard that friend, family member or crush.
Goosecross Cellars Ill definitely be back. Now I've gotta find a place that will teach me about Cheese....
This was a great unexpected find for us. We decided to check it out because the website had some "Harvest Specials" on their wines and we are always looking for a deal. We didn't expect to find such tasty treats tho! All the varietals we tried, and there were many, were outstanding. The Howell Mountain Cab even made me do the good wine dance. They had a cheese plate to tantalize your palate and also gave us a handful of dark chocolate kisses to pair with their reds. Tia was our server and she was very enthusiastic and fun (and a hard bargainer!) and Jose volunteered from across the way to take me and hubby's pic. The tasting "room" is really in a barrel room and that's super cool and casual (and tiny, yet another reason to go off season!). Definitely a happy wine tasting environment. I think we walked out with 4 bottles, but I had to ask Tia about the web specials and then she kinda dug out the flier. I don't think they would have offered it up voluntarily. Pays to do your research! Sad they don't distribute, but makes our purchases that much more special.
I would give this winery 10 stars if i could.
The service was everything you could hope for, and the wine was plentiful. The servers were super friendly (even though it was almost closing time) They were funny, and poured us 10 different tastes of wine, even though the tasting menu includes 5. Not only did they let us try different wines, but for the ones that we particularly enjoyed, they kept our glasses full!
They made sure we were happy- and we were. I could not have asked for a better place, and the wine was amazing as well. I ended up buying a few of their bottles, and I can't wait for the next time I go up to Napa, so I can revisit them!
Me and Zach S. have been pushing Goosecross on to whoever visits. Its totally legit!
Jose, you are the man! Every other person pouring tastings in the vallley should simply bow and move on. Or take lessons, in which case, you should overcharge them.
Simply, one of the best wine tasting experiences in the area. The room is small, the wine is great, and it just keeps flowing way past the prices or numbers on the list. If you're lucky enough to have Jose guiding you through the experience, I challenge you to leave without a couple of bottles. Or at least a huge smile on your face.
This was a great family owned winery to visit. Good wine in a cozy place with friendly customer service. I love how there were crackers inside to clear your palette.
You get 5-6 wine tastings for only $10. I say 5-6 because I got an extra one, thanks! The lady who was serving my group of 5 was very nice. This is a good starter place, especially for a younger crowd.
Parking might be tight so be prepared for that. The bathroom door is burning hot since the sun is just shining on it all day. One less star because it was sort of cramped inside, but this makes the place seem more intimate if that's what you like.
It has taken me a while to write this review. I went around during the last holiday season and at the time Goosecross had a solid 5 star rating which is the reason that we stopped there. It seems that many Yelpers feel that this winery is a strong 5 star which really makes me feel like I missed something. The service was pretty good and they have a Chardonnay that mixed fermentation in a steel and oak barrel to get a very interesting fruity buttery mix, which was enjoyable. I guess I just was not blown away which is what would cause me to give them 5 stars, but next time I will stop by and hopefully have one of those amazing pouring/private tastings experiences that almost everyone else seemed to have.
WOW. I mean, let me rephrase that ... WOW.
We were sent here by another winery, and what a treat! We came into the little tasting room not knowing what to expect. But I can tell you what you can expect if you visit : GREAT service.
Jose was serving us on this particular day, and boy did he take good care of us. Our tastings were complimentary thanks to the woman who sent us here, but he didn't treat us differently than the paying customers. He also didn't totally follow the tasting menu -- just kept letting us try different wines to see if we liked them. I have no idea how many wines we tried, but it was enough to be totally and utterly satisfied. A bunch more people came in after us, so he had his hands full, but he still paid attention to every single party. He also opened some of their chardonnay peanut brittle for everyone to snack on -- yum!!
The wines were good (I really enjoyed the chardonnay), but what really stood out to me was Jose's stellar service. You will feel like you are good friends with the people here -- it is the most unpretentious place I have visited in Napa.
Beautiful location in Yountville (duh), and I think they purposefully didn't change me for 2 tastings after I bought 1 bottle of dessert wine. I know there are deals for that at many wineries, but 2 tastings for free after a 1 bottle purchase? Can't complain! Even so, the $10 tasting fee is very reasonable.
I was here right at the end of the day at closing, and I was not rushed out either! The staff there were generous and offered us sweets to try with our wine. What an inexpensive, but great find!
I love the Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon! It's the best wine I tried at Goosecross Cellars. I also liked the Cab Franc and Syrah. I came here because of all the amazing reviews on Yelp and was not disappointed! Tia was nice, friendly and knew her wines. It seemed like this place was popular! There were probably about 15 people in the tasting area by the time we left. The wine tasting is only $10. You get to try five different wines including the Syrah but not the Howell or Cab Franc. Ask to try them if you like the Syrah, because odds are, you're going to like the others even better!
A special thank you to Kate!
Okay sooooo granted this was my very first time going wine tasting, so it's not like I have years of experienced tucked under my belt by any means... but gosh darn it I know what tastes good and I for sure know great customer service when I see it!
This was the 5th winery we stopped by as we moseyed along the Silverado strip. The sole reason we ended up going here was because we got a coupon for 2 free wine tastings! We lucked out when the one of the staff from Hagafen Cellars (the 1st winery we went to) found out we were from San Francisco. He all of a sudden became pretty chummy with us, giving us that whole "born and raised" schpeal, and gave us all these free coupons and recommendations... SCORE ONE FOR SF!! Whoo! =)
Pulling up to the place, aesthetically it wasn't all thaaat impressive to be honest... Like we had definitely seen a few wineries with a lot better photo ops... But who cares! Once inside, we were treated like royalty! A good natured gentleman named Jose helped us out. He informed us that they usually do tasting by appointment only (oops!) but no worries if we simply fill out a contact information form. He asked us what we like, then poured us our first glass. I'm busy filling out the form, and feeling guilty that we showed up without warning. He grabs the form from me and tells me that's enough I'm working way to hard, haha. I look up and holy S, half my glass is filled up. What happened to wine "TASTING"?! Haha, but no complaints from me!!
The wine at Goosecross was yummy! And I loved how he made us feel like VIP by giving us "samples" (if samples = 1/4 of the bottle haha) that were off of the set tasting list based on what he thought we would like. His instinct was good!! He made excellent conversation with us as he continued to fill our glasses with their sweet, savory grape nectar *drool*.
Wait, did I mention that this was the 5th winery we went to? And you get the idea of how generous Jose was? Hahaha, I left there feeling like a million bucks! That is... until I stepped (okay slightly stumbled) out into the freakin 90 degree weather! We asked him if we could purchase an ice cold coke zero we were eyeballing, knowing we were about to brace the heat. He told us go ahead and take it, it's on me! =) Awwwww! If that's not awesome customer service... then... I don't know... he was maybe trying to hit on me? Hahaha, no, just kidding, he was just generally a very nice guy who knows how to keep people coming back for more. We know we'll definitely be back!!!
My brother and I went here after receiving a coupon for two free tastings. I knew it was a smaller winery, and off the beaten path. Very small tasting room. We walked in, it was packed!! The wine was wonderful. I had such a good time. The taster was informative, and very kind. He didn't seem judgemental of out responses to the wine. There really wasn't one that I didn't like. I liked them all. It has good wine, good atmosphere, and I think the regular tasting w/o a coupon is about $10. I will be back.
I was fortunate enough to experience a great wine tasting event with Nancy Miller, our gracious host. This winery is quaint and small. However, their wines were the complete opposite in regards to flavor and body. I enjoyed their Merlot and Chenin Blanc. Their Muscat is a must have for dessert or for an after dinner drink. If you are going to California's wine country, please make sure you visit Goosecross cellars. You will not be disappointed.
First off the staff here is simply AMAZING. Everyone is friendly and extremely welcoming. I took the Wine tasting class Sat morning and Nancy the instructor was the bestest. The class is very informative and fun. (OH yea and its FREE!) =)
Ive tried their wines before through family and a Wine store. Im soooo in love with their Viognier and the more I drank their Merlot the more I enjoyed it. ( Im a white wine person).
I especially love how exclusive their wine is. Im really happy I came to visit!
Jose is amazing! We owe him a bottle of tequila next time we come up.
It took awhile for enough people to clear out of the tasting room to make it comfortable for the 4 of us to belly up to the bar for our turn; however, Jose made sure we had something to sip on while we waited.
The tasting room is cute and intimate and I loved every single thing I tasted. Jose even opened a bottle of the orange muscat for me to taste. I don't know how many times I've said, "I don't like sweet wines, but this is really good" so maybe I really DO like sweet wines. This orange muscat was to DIE for and if we hadn't already blown our wine budget for the next three years (almost!) I would have bought a lot more. There wasn't a single wine here that I didn't really enjoy.
The grounds are gorgeous and welcoming. I even got an Austrian crystal toe ring! Toe rings and wine! I mean, really-- who could resist??
Can't wait to go back, really enjoyed our visit!!
The wine here is crackaliciously delicious. Seriously, y'all. Goosecross is like the Charlie's Chocolate Factory of Napa Valley. I think I saw some Oompa Loompas picking grapes out in back.
Located in a Hobbit Hole just off the beaten wine path, I dark-rider down State Lane in Yountville every few months seeking Goosecross' precious Merlot and Chenin Blanc. Other favorite sippings include the Amerital Red, the Cab, and the Viogner. Really, you can't go wrong whether you like reds or whites.
The staff is friendly. They kiss babies, beatbox ciper, all that sort of stuff. I guarantee you'll feel at home. If Jose is working, make sure you compliment his peachfuzz and your glass will never be empty. If it is empty, I'm sure you'll have a few bottles with you to refill your glass when you get home.
awesome awesome awesome!
We first discovered this winery last June and have gone back a few times since then. The wines are AMAZING and the service is great!
We love there wines sooo much we just joined their wine club!
One of the most personable and enjoyable wine tasting experiences with a large variety of wines.
Cost to worth it ratio: 3 (tasting $10)
Return worthiness: YES
Highlights:
- Staff: personality busting out of their seems. They were friendly, fun, playful, and casual--you wouldn't know you were in the same town as the formal French Laundry. We were warmly greeted like we were old friends and the staff proceeded to chummily chat it up with us about kids, twitter, etc.. Without even asking, the lady that was helping us (Tia) noticed my dad just liked whites and busted him out some more to try that weren't on the list. She poured some for the hub and I as well ensuring us she wouldn't be taking any of our red tasting away.
- Wines: huge list, a few (I think 5) were on the official tasting roster, but they sell a whole page full from whites to reds to sweet...
- Chocolate covered bottles: way better than a Cadbury bunny, as there's a full bottle of wine inside. You can choose your chocolate and bottle of wine. Wine and chocolate--2 of a girl's best friends. Hint, hint to you guys for next Valentine's Day. ;-)
- Father's Day special: free tasting and 20% bottles, then didn't reveal it until the end but it was cool
- Beautiful grounds: vines are commonplace around here, but it was wonderful to drive up a little road between em and then walk out back by the grape producing greenery as well.
Lowlights:
- Limited space: tasting room is small, so with just a few people, it can get crowded
Loved this hidden gem and would love to come back!
I'm not gonna lie - you Yelpers got us to venture out to Goosecross Cellars. As the highest-rated vineyard we came across in our search on here, we figured it was a must-see and we soon discovered that we weren't alone in this. Besides the people enjoying what seemed to be a winemakers lunch in a private room, the only other people there were a couple who admitted to me that hey had only come here because they saw the high rating on Yelp as well.
The vineyard is pretty and simple. The girl working on the day we were there was fantastic...she knew her stuff, kept us entertained, brought out an insane amount of specialty mustards to try when she found out I was on a mustard kick lately (I'm currently fighting off my roommate from eating the 2 jars I brought home with me) and gave us some valuable tips about the area.
The -1 star is for the wine itself. There was nothing spectacular about it as far as my group felt. It was all perfectly drinkable and good but there was nothing that stood out and for the first time in a long time, i didn't feel as if I had to buy something right now! Well except for my mustard of course!
Goosecross is the type of place that is worth a stop if you're in the area but not worth a special trip if it's out of the way.
Off the beaten path kinda of a place, its a small working winery with fun and attentive staff that take time to talk with you about the wine not talk "at" you (if you know what i mean).
We tried a bunch of different wines, their Chardonnay was interesting (I am not sure they made it because of circumstance or that's what they intended) its aged 1/2 in oak barrels and the other 1/2 in stainless steel tanks then blended -- so you get a traditional Napa Chard but less of that butter feel and flavor.
The stand out wine for me they poured was the 2007 Napa Valley "Oak Knoll" Viognier (you have to ask to taste it, small production wine). Lots of fresh fruit and acid, dry and refreshing -- its not cheep ($29) but a good wine to pair with Asian foods.
Make an effort to visit I think you will enjoy it as much as we did.
For the record, I was kidding abouth them stealing my idea about the wine wipes....These are really good people, and run a great family winery.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/4/2009
Deli full, now we need some wine. Goosecross came highly recommended by a co-worker a couple years… Read more »
A sunny day in Yountville was capped off by a visit to Goosecross. The perfect ending to a day of what can quickly become a palate killing, booze fest if you don't know where to go. Luckily, we were directed to Goosecross and finally! a winery that gets it.
Goosecross has great selections, cheap wine tastings (which turned into complimentary) and absolutely stellar service.
Jose knows his wine, loves his profession and is the ultimate host. He is the People's Sommelier. If you start here you will quickly become disappointed in other locations inability to connect with both the public and their own wines. Goosecross will spoil you - so end your day here and you will go home with an infectious and grinning from ear to ear buzz.
And the tractor out front makes for great photo ops!
Since writing my review on Yelp, I have received a personalized Yelp message from the owner of Goosecross commenting to me on my experience and inviting me back to the winery. It was the nicest gesture ever and has improved my opinion of Goosecross from great to AMAZING!
These business owners really understand how to develop relationships and succeed in today's market!
I will 100% recommend Goosecross to any of my friends visiting Napa!
Three cheers for Goosecross!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/23/2008
Why was there no winery dog? Goosecreek needs to visit the humane society ASAP and remedy this void.… Read more »
this is a cozy tasting room with really friendly and helpful staff.
we did the regular tasting which was $10, unfortunately none of the wines impressed us. was it a bad idea to contaminate our palates with a dean and deluca sandwiches beforehand? methinks possible.
fortunately they do have 14 different kinds of wine, so we may return to see if the first 4 we tried were a mishap.
my wife and i were visiting napa for the first time and were told to try goose cross cellar.
we are used to Walla Walla Washington and the Willamette Valley in Oregon. so a little bit of the more laid back approach, if you will. i don't want to get into how uppity some of the napa wineries can be, but as a whole, it is a bit more pretentious. even the fantastic wines produced there don't deserve that kind of attitude.
so when we walked into goosecross and were told that it was by appt only, we were dissapointed, but were quickly told,'don't worry about it, we will make room for you". what a great attitude.
the wines were fantastic and the service was equally great. as a result, this is the ONLY winery i am now part of their wine club. it is weird to say that you would join a club for more than the quality/value of the wine, but honestly, i like paying my money to a winery that has decided not to get into the snootiness of the whole thing. there is no point, and for those that like that, well it is a good thing for both of us that we don't mingle in those tasting rooms.
My boyfriend and I have been going to Goosecross for years - the wines are amazing - but the staff is incredible! Jose in the tasting room is the man to see. He is charming, patience, good-nature and has a great sense of humor. Jose certainly makes the visit memorable. If Jose is not working, have no fear, everyone that works at Goosecross is amazing.
Goosecross wines are certainly a favorite in our household, but they would only be half as good without the wonderful people working at the winery.
I came here on Julie's recommendation and I'm glad I did! I have to mention, when we first walked in, it was packed and it was a few minutes before anyone behind the counter even saw us there. But from there, things were good.
We started the tasting with Matt, but after he poured our drink, we were switched off to Jose. Jose was great! He was super friendly and hilarious. We started chatting it up with him and the couple tasting next to us and had a blast.
As far as the wines go, it's rare that I find a place where I like both their reds and whites. The Sauvignon Blanc was great, the Syrah was excellent (I never like Syrahs!), and their Howell Mountain Cab was even better! I tend to like smooth (I can't handle the spicy ones.. yet), bold reds and those two hit the spot.
I mentioned that I like dessert wines and Jose poured me two more wines that weren't on the tasting menu. I forget what the the first one was, but the Orange Muscat was delish! I ended up buying four bottles - sauvignon blanc, syrah, howell mtn cab, and the orange muscat.
I agree with Julie that this will be one of the places we go to whenever we're in town. I think I'll have to consider their wine club during the next visit...
I set up a private tour and tasting for 10 girls with Nancy last weekend. Nancy was fantastic!! She was so knowledgeable and gave such a great tour. I usually don't remember a thing from these wines tours, but she takes you into the vineyard and shows you first hand the grapes and the growing process.
I've also been just to taste and had an equally great time. The wine is also incredible. :-)
EXCELLENT winery - they'll really go out of their way to help you understand the basics of wine. They offer tours, classes and tastings and they're more than friendly enough to answer any and all questions. I'd highly recommend taking either a Tour or the morning class with Nancy at the winery as a first stop on a trip to Napa to really learn about wine, how to appreciate it, and find what you really like.
I also have to give them props for the small winery business too - all their wine they sell through their wine club and people who come out and visit them.
Stop by after reading reviews on Yelp and we were very happy that we did. The winery is small but very nice. The people working there Jose and Matt were very nice and answer all questions. Jose told all about the wines and the winery. We enjoy the stop there very much. The wine was very good and the grounds very nice.
Very small cozy tasting bar. They have yummy mustard aioli dip and crackers on a side counter, along with a water dispenser, which is a convenient if you want to rinse your glass or just need to pace yourself.
It was surprisingly busy but the staff was very attentive. Our pourer, Matt, no matter how busy he was, always seemed to know when our glass was empty and even gave us extra tastes of two additional wines not on the flight list.
I definitely have to come up on a Saturday next time and take their wine tasting class!
Excellent wine, wonderful service, beautiful country...
My husband and I were at Lake Berryessa the night before for a wedding gig, and decided to head to the Napa Valley for some wine tasting the next day. It was the first gorgeous day of the year... a lot of warm sun, a teeny breeze, and a beautiful view of endless green hills.
We looked at a bunch of maps and finally headed up toward Yountville. Goosecross Cellars was our first stop.
And our last stop.
This is a comfortable, unpretentious and fun place to try new wines. The wines are fairly priced and very good. I found I have a slight affinity for Zinfandel, but my love for Merlot is still strong. The pourers were fun and funny and helpful, and the chocolate covered wine bottles are an amazing gift idea!
We bought a bottle, and instead of getting in the car and heading off for another spot, we sat at a table outside the cellar with another couple and enjoyed the weather and the wine and each other's company.
It was one of the best Sundays I've had all year.
I LOVE this winery. On our third trip to Napa my husband and I wanted to try something new and different and in my web searching I found out about this place. One of the more interesting things I read (besides how great their wine is) is they sell chocolate bottles of wine. I love decadent chocolate with a great bottle of red and was intrigued to check it out. I have to thank Goosecross Cellars for introducing me to San Giovese. I've never had it before and fell in love at once. I can't wait to come back here on our next trip.
I think there is a restaurant there also but we arrived too late and it was closed.
Delicious winery with friendly folks. Very intimate. All of their wines were tasty, had a good balance, and a nice character. Would highly recommend this winery to everyone in the area. Worth the $10 tasting fee!
Excellent stuff! Would recommend to anybody, dangit.
I admit, I'm no expert wine taster. But I got a few free passes for wine tasting as part of a raffle drawing so this was one of them. I wish I'd taken names of the staff to compliment these guys, because even though it was obvious I wasn't going to buy anything they were still really nice in serving me and others in the tasting room at the same time. Started with the sauvignon blanc and I actually liked this one better that other unnamed ones I tried today. They actually had 6 wines on the list for the tasting series, including a cab and a syrah, but when I made it clear I wanted to go "off list" it was ok with the server who was really nice about it. Even though I didn't purchase any wine here, many customers did and some repeat customers too. Another thing I like is that these wines are produced from grapes from different California counties and the place of origin is indicated on the bottle.
This smaller winery is a fav. It's off the beaten path, and features some very impressive flavors. I like the Viognier. They have neat presents like a bottle of wine coated in chocolate. They also have a great staff that is very attentive and helpful.
MAJOR BONUS: FREE Classes!
When I turned 21, I headed up to Napa for their Wine Basics class. It's held every saturday from May to October!! They teach you how to swirl, describe, and understand your wine. They even show you examples of what a wine gone bad smells like. Check them out.
It's hard not to say that Goosecross Cellars is the BEST winery in Napa Valley. I only can't say it because I haven't visited every winery. I was a wine club member for over a year and had to drop my wine club membership because I lost my job. I still go there often and everyone is so amazing and fabulous it feels like coming home to family. Beyond their amazing staff are their absolutely fabulous wines. If you can spring for it, their Eros wine (I am not a red wine lover, but this is a red wine) is SO good it makes me weak in the knees when I get a sip.
If you come to the Napa Valley - don't get caught up in all the big name wineries for too long, but make a stop in Goosecross Cellars and you will leave with a bottle or two and a big smile on your face. While you are there give Nancy, Matt, Jose and Tia a hug for me!
