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153 reviews for Grgich Hills Estate
153 reviews in English
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Review from Kaity J.
Really enjoyed this place, more so for the people working there than the wine.
Definitely a smaller winery than some of the other spots. I haven't had Grgich Hills Estate wine before, but I was excited to learn that it's certified organic.
We were served by Michael, one o the family members who owns and runs the estate. Super knowledgable and clearly very passionate about wine in general. This is a great place to ask all of your wine questions (like why is Charles Shaw so freakin cheap?) and get real answers. Gotta love learning time.
I was definitely a fan of their Zin and picked up a bottle for our wine night back in LA.Listed in: Napa Valley.
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Review from Ken N.
San Jose, CA
2/22/2012
Mehhh was exactly my reaction leaving this place.
Nothing to talk about when it comes to their wines. The Fume was nice but everything else was sub-par, including their service. The wine pourer paid zero attention to us. I sure hope it wasn't because we had a 2 for 1 coupon. Maybe try presenting this at the end to see if you get better service. Absolutely NO WAY I would pay full price for this winery.
Only thing worth remembering was the house dog laying around in the center of the room.
Just another winery to skip driving down 29.Listed in: Napa Valley
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Review from Steve K.
12/14/2011
Grgich Hills came highly recommended, based on their history and good name in the industry, so we decided to try it. And they certainly do have a name, because the place was full of people... My group of *2* people had a hard time getting up to the tasting bar, and we soon regretted it.
Pompous Pete was pouring that day, apparently, and boy was he a piece of work. After ignoring us for 10 minutes or so, I turned to leave, but of course he chose that moment to notice us, so the wife said, no, lets stay. He then poured us the first wine and promptly went back to schmoozing the group next to us for a while. Several more minutes pass, more ignoring... and still more... I turned to leave again in disgust, and of course, he comes back at that moment. (SO I'm thinking, he sure is awfully aware of my wanting to bolt, so why is he ignoring our empty glasses?)
Then, his favorite little group leaves, without buying a thing... HA! So NOW he wants to give us his undivided attention... He proceeds to give us a canned "presentation" designed for the pages of "Wine for Dummies", and with each pour, tells us what food to pair it with. For example: "This is a hearty red wine, pair it with steaks" or, "This is a white wine, so pair it with fish or chicken"... Ya THINK???
So after being ignored for "better" clients, now we're treated like morons?
Anyway, the wine here is too acidic and tannic for my tastes. And overpriced. Back to my old haunts down the streetListed in: NAPA Winery Reviews
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Review from Michael W.
Stanford, CA
5/14/2012
It was okay
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Review from Jessica W.
Sausalito, CA
5/1/2012
We did a tasting of the reserve list. Why try the wines I can find at the grocery store, right? However, I found it really ridiculous that 1. the tasting fee was $30/person and 2. they only waive the tasting fee if you buy FOUR bottles. Everything on the reserve list was at least $80- most in the mid $100's, so this just seems insane to me. The wines were good, but I won't be back. For the record, the gentleman who did our tasting was nice and let us share the tastings, and also packed up the glasses to go which I thought was a nice touch- hence the third star.
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Review from Amy R.
West Glacier, MT
3/11/2012
Went with large group (8) after a recommendation from a smaller winery (this was one of the larger ones we visited) and no one was disappointed. Our hostess was friendly, personable, and happy to share historical information and tasting notes. They have an excellent merlot and chardonnay. Although a portion of their tasting room was closed, our hostess arranged it so we could enjoy some glasses of wine outside. She even came back later to check on us. Hopefully future visits are as good because we'll be returning.
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Review from Jenny Y.
11/14/2011
The estate is beautiful, with their roses, vines, and patio. The wine...ehhhhh I'm okay with it. And after the buttery bread sticks at Sequoia, the lightly salted wafers really paled in comparison. Especially, when you get chunks of the wafer stuck in between your teeth without water around to wash it down.
They serve their whites room temperature because it allows you to taste the wine better, chilling a wine can sometimes dumb down the flavors in the wine. But honestly, I like my things cold, so that was a bit of a disappointment. The guy helping us, Domenic, didn't seem like he really wanted to be helping us at all. Though, honestly, I don't blame him. I think one of my friends was starting to get drunk and she was being a bit obnoxious. Compared to what he had to work with, Domenic did a wonderful job...at not ripping his hair out XD
I'm a little sad that I missed out on the Chocolate Pairing event though =( Caught the tail end of it but definitely not enough time to participate =T
The restrooms are a bit odd. There are 2 unisex stalls indoors and 1 unisex stall outside.
Also! First hit that provided a free wine glass with tasting purchase =D!!!Listed in: Napa Valley - Free Wine…
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Review from Sarah G.
San Francisco, CA
2/27/2012
We took the tour at the winery (which was 2 for 1 from a coupon they have on their website). Our tour guide, Laura, was friendly and really knowledgeable. Even though I have learned a fair amount about wine making through tastings in the past, her tour was very informative, interesting, and really fun! The 5 wines we tasted were very good, and we left with a bottle of our favorite in addition to the complementary wine glasses we were given for taking the tour.
The winemaker, Mike Grgich, is the guy who put Californian (and American) wines on the map when his 1973 Chardonnay (while he was winemaking for Chateau Montelena) beat out all European wines at the Paris tasting in 1976. The winery has a cool mini museum that tells this story in more detail. -
Review from Vanessa H.
San Francisco, CA
2/23/2012
Love, love Grgich. I've been here a few times: once with a larger group (8-9), and a couple times with just one other person, and every time we've gotten great service. The tasting room staff has been attentive, explanatory, available for questions, etc. This last visit, the wonderful Kelly gave us a great tour of the barrel room (love the easy-to-turn racks) and special event area, all the while telling the awesome story of Mike Grgich and his involvement with putting Napa Valley on the map and building up the prestige of this world-famous wine region. I love the Fume Blanc, their Chardonnays, Zinfandel, and (somewhat surprisingly), the Violetta - their botrytis dessert wine. Yum!!! Will definitely be back.
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Review from Amritasri R.
San Jose, CA
11/14/2011
Their Chocolate Pairing event was quite impressive. Very well ran and the staff was quite generous with their attention and pouring. Enjoyed the selection of wine and the chocolates.
Got to meet a local chocolatier Chris Kollar from Yountville (his chocolates were to 'die for' and his shop in Yountville had a nice selection plus yummy gelato) and another chocolatier Bissinger (went to Sunshine Foods to buy his chocolate and liked his pistachios turtle. Very generous with the pistachios. The caramel melt was not as gooey and buttery as I would have liked. Possibly been on the shelf too long).
TCHO chocolate was pretty good. TCHO's rep was very knowledgeable of chocolate and enjoyed listening to him. Loved the fruity and the chocolaty TCHO. Got my bar!
BRIX chocolate was a bit rough.
Surprisingly, their sweet wine Violetta (sp) paired very well with passion fruit filled white chocolate.
Love the winery and the friendly staff. -
Review from Christian N.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
4/27/2012
great wine! awesome VIP lounge! service could be better, but we came a little late; so we forgave you!
the last time we were in the area, we got to see mr. Grgich himself. what a sweetheart! we love you, mr. grgich! and of course, we love your wine! -
Review from Gary Y.
Santa Clara, CA
11/14/2011
Our wine pourer barely paid any attention to us, probably because we looked young. He was too busy pouring wine to another customer who was buying a case or two. I don't blame him but even after his sale he pretty much ignored us.
I didn't think the service was up to snuff. They didn't spend much time explaining the wine to us and I felt they could have tried to sell us a little better.
I also felt this winery was a bit small and crowded. I agree with some of the other reviews in that they could have improved the tasting room experience more. Most likely won't be coming back. -
Review from Nicki W.
Chicago, IL
4/25/2012
We recently visited Grgich for our first tour of the day as a group of five. It was the best tour we went on all day. Linda was amazing and very informative. She just made the experience fun for our group. The wines were great. We each purchased some to bring home. Aaron also assisted with some of the tasting and he was great as well. We would definitely return. I was happy to join the wine club at this vineyard.
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Review from Matilda P.
Campbell, CA
9/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
NOT a fan. We joined our friends late in a private tasting room right when they were wrapping up. Our friends were buying 2 cases of wine and insisted that we try the one they were buying. The server actually rolled his eyes at this request and then poured the wrong wine. Then asked for our glasses back but only gave a splash in ONE glass of the requested wine.
Look buddy, we could have liked the wine and bought our own. Plus, you just sold 2 cases, what's the loss right now and your smug attitude? Now you have customers that will not return and post reviews to yelp about your little stunt.
Attitude and customer service go a long way....and it has to at this place because the wine was nothing to write home about. -
Review from pam s.
Oakland, CA
3/16/2012
I recommend taking an ecotour here! The way they grow grapes - without pouring Roundup into the ground - is to be commended.
(Little known fact: California wineries pour 450,000 pounds of Roundup on their vineyards each year. [Data source: California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation].)
And thier viticultural goodness is on top of ALL the other great reasons to visit them - ambiance, quality of wine, history...
I hope to get to the grape stomp this fall - it looks like so much fun! (And they are the only ones in Napa that offer this).
I also hope to get to one of Violet's piano concerts - there's one coming up over Memorial Day weekend. -
Review from Jess H.
San Francisco, CA
4/16/2012
Came here a few months ago during one of my Napa trips with the boyfriend. Miguel gave a very informative tour and I enjoyed the whites more than the reds. I think we ended up taking a couple bottles home, one of them was the Fume Blanc and I can't remember what the other one was.
Listed in: Napa Valley
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Review from Eric P.
Santa Monica, CA
Updated - 10/20/2011
So, Grgich Hills did reach out to me to see if they could improve the tasting room experience. I thought that was pretty cool. Bottomline was I just didn't have a great pourer probably... maybe an isolated experience, since my first time there was better.
I'll give them another shot since we really do enjoy their wines, especially the whites.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/17/2011
I'm not a sommelier so I don't review the wine, just the experience of the winery. This was our 2nd… Read more »
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Review from Jeremy G.
Humble, TX
9/2/2011
What a letdown!!!
Based on the history of their legendary Chardonnay, I urged my family to visit this winery during one of our trips to the region. None of us came away impressed, nor did we like any of the wines we tasted. Not only was I disheartened, but I was left with egg on my face, since I pushed so hard to come here. Phooey.
I love the souvenir tasting glass, though. I still use it. -
Review from Brandon S.
San Bernardino, CA
12/15/2011
This winery made the list in my top 3 for Napa. Whenever I go to Napa, I always stop at Grgich Hills, Clos Du Val, Stags Leap, and sometimes Rutherford Hill. The wine at Grgich Hills is amazing. I would say out of my top wineries, this is #1. I don't know why there are a few reviews on here that thought poorly of the wine. Its a little pricier than other wineries, and a tad less wine in each tasting, but omg.. the 03 and 04 cabs here are so well rounded and aromatic.
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Review from Lennie C.
Fort Mitchell, KY
2/13/2012 1 photo
Great visit. Enjoyed some tremendous wine. I was really impressed with the enthusiasm of all who worked there. Highly recommend a stop here.
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Review from Jared P.
Fremont, CA
2/23/2012
I have been to Grgich Hills and Napa a number of times. Their tastings are of expectable quality for the region and I have purchased bottles of wine from them on multiple occasions.
My most recent trip however I did notice something that is always a topic of conversation between my tasting friends and I as we leave Grgich. "What gives them the right to be so pretentious?" their pourers walk around with their noses in the air and will outright offend guests, in some cases even go out of their way to offend guests. Our pourer "Dominic" did just this. He made his way through the bar being offensive to each group (we overheard people discussing it afterwards) when it was our turn he awkwardly adjusted his behavior to suggest he's only pouring because he wants our money.
For the quality of wine and the experience you're far better off going to Jessup Cellars or Provedence. I will be skipping Grgich Hills from here on out. If you're not fond of pompous pourers I suggest avoiding it as well. They'll stay in business from their bus tours. -
Review from Jelena Z.
5/31/2011 4 photos
If you're looking for glossy Napa panache, I'm sorry to say but the tasting room, grounds and tour at Grgich won't wow you.
However, the wines will.
It actually pains me to point out the lack of ambiance as I'm Croatian, and I wanted to love everything about the Grgich property. It's just lacking the cozy, intimate feel of some of my favorite Napa wineries, and the tour is a bit too lengthy/educational for my mind's-a-wandering, gypsy tastes.
But again, the wines are nectar of the gods. Even if you don't like Chardonnay, I bet you'll adore Grgich's take on the buttery flagship varietal, lightly-kissed by oak. Also commendable is the estate's buxom Cabernet and my personal favorite, the Zinfandel - did you know that DNA fingerprinting led to the discovery that Croatia's indigenous grape, Crljenak Kastelanski, is the ancestor to today's Californian Zinfandel? It's true, these grapes are old cousins... and, the result is super jammy deliciousness. Croatian-born proprietor Mike Grgich takes great pride in all of his wines but the love and nostalgia is especially palpable in the Zinfandel.
As I plan my second trip to Napa this summer, I'll likely be adding Grgich to our "vinarija raspored." Cheers! -
Review from Sharon C.
8/9/2011
This winery has the friendliest and the kindest staff in the entire Napa region. They're probably the last few wineries who let you take the wine glass that they gave you for tasting even if we got a coupon to buy 2 wine tastings for the price of one. Nobody does that anymore especially in this economy. Special thanks to Linda who was our server. She really took the time to explain the different wines and the history behind it. And it's not like she was only serving us. There were a couple others who were beside us that she was serving.
They have killer reds. As a matter of fact, their reds are so much better than the rest of the wineries that we went to that day. Try it! -
Review from Gisele C.
Emeryville, CA
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Awesome tasting experience! Can see why this is a California classic. My hands down fav was the cabernet sauvignon but the merlot was also memorable. A must stop on any napa excursion!
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Review from Sher T.
Napa, CA
9/25/2011
We thoroughly enjoyed out visit to Grgich. The discussion of biodynamic principals was interesting, the staff was very friendly and genuine, and the wines were tasty!
I recommend this tasting. -
Review from Ann S.
West Linn, OR
10/18/2011
Oh my word! WE LOVE GRGICH ESTATE. The wines and the atmosphere. It has something for everyone, really. We just got back last night from a week in Napa, celebrating our 35th anniversary, along with my brother and sister-in-law who were celebrating their anniversary as well. Our guide Linda, was so wonderful, she shared the amazing history that this particular estate had on Napa Valley. It was our second time to visit Grgich. Everyone here seems to have a nice relationship with each other, which comes across to the guests.
My husband and I drink ONLY cabernets. But because they were renowned for their chardonnays, we wanted to try them, just to see. Well after tasting their wonderful Carneros Chardonnay, we bought one. It's not like the usual chardonnays - really soft and mineral-ly. Even more amazing was Linda's restaurant recommendations, where we went, and enjoyed sharing a magnum of Grgich's 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon for our anniversary dinner. WOW! They may be known for chardonnays, but the cabernets rock. -
Review from Sujan J.
San Francisco, CA
3/28/2011
It was our first stop on a Sunday morning.
You can get 2-for-1 tasting offer from here: http://napavalley.com/... (plus you get to keep the wine glass as a keepsake)
Our server was knowledgeable and was very good (as we ended up buying a case between the 3 of us - which also gave us a wine membership for the year. You know what that means - we'll be stopping by everytime we come up!)
Wines tasted good - their chardonnay was surprisingly great and I loved their zin too.
Their reserve tasting (more expensive) stuff did taste more "reserve" though I'm not sure I would necessarily want to pay $30 for a tasting. (see if you can try some of the reserve wines if you end up buying)
Bottom line: we ended up signing up as a club member - so that means we had a great experience (or maybe we just got drunk quickly as it was our first stop for the day ;p) -
Review from Josh D.
Oakland, CA
8/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Small winery compared to the others, but they offer so many varietals that are hard to find elsewhere.
The service was extremley friendly and informative.
This is a bit different and not as pretentious as many of the napa wineries which is awesome because they produce superior winegreat wine. -
Review from Abegail A.
Carson, CA
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
The vineyard was recommended by our server from the Napa Valley wine train - they apparently make the best chardonnay. He seemed quite knowledgeable about wine and about the different vineyards in Napa so we decided to go try the place out. Not really a big fan of white wines but, he was right, the chardonnay they make is really good. The only downside is that they charge $15 for tastings and will waive it if you purchase two or more bottles (min $35). A bit pricey compared to the other vineyards but well worth it.
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Review from Sage G.
Canoga Park, CA
5/14/2011
First things first... Michael Adair is by far the best wine server was amazing!!!!!!!!
The chardonnay was to die for!!
Bought a case!! -
Review from Liz C.
Vacaville, CA
1/12/2012
I love Grgich Hills! My husband and I have tried so many different wines here, many different times and we love them all. Every time we have come to visit, the staff has been super friendly. Linda is the most hospitable person I have ever met. She will make you feel at home, and she is very knowledgeable. She also knows the area since she has lived there for so long. She knows the best restaurants and other wineries to visit. This should definitely be one of your stops!
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Review from Matthew K.
St. Cloud, MN
7/12/2011
The tour was canned and impersonal. Too much focus on the famed Chardonnay and those old photos on the wall. My wife and I did not enjoy any of the wines we sampled and choose to pay our tour fee rather than purchase wine and have that fee waived.
There are coupons for BOGO tours on their website. For touring/paying you receive a Grgich wine glass.
We did purchase cases from three other wineries we enjoyed touring over the weekend, but I may try Grgich Hills again in 2012 in hopes of improving my viewpoint of their tours and updated releases. -
Review from Tom L.
4/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
So, I'm giving Grgich Hills the 4-star mostly because I don't know that I've had a 5-star wine tasting experience. However, if I did, this was as close as it comes! This was a fantastic experience. My wife and I were on day four of our honeymoon, and took the Wine Train during our first day in Napa. We had spend a few in southern wine country (Solvang/Los Olivos) earlier in the week. Grgich and the Train were our introduction.
I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much. I had read mixed reviews, and really thought it was just going to be touristy drivel...something my wife loves and I detest! Was I wrong...
The tour was great. Our guide Mike was the Alton Brown of wine tastings. He was quick witted, knowledgeable, and truly loved his craft. His explanations of the wines and the way to go about tasting and testing them was wonderful. It wasn't more of the same highfalutin jargon, but down-to-earth wine tasting that didn't lack any of the complexity, but as one of my college professors said, didn't try to squeeze a $5 word into a nickle slot. It was awesome.
There were two wines that really stood out. Quite to my surprise, it wasn't the Zin or the Cab (both were excellent) but the Fume Blanc and the Chardonnay. I hate chards...but this one was something different. Most are oaky and buttery, but this one is aged in metal barrels...no oak. Instead of a dry and earthy chard it was deliciously citrusy and full of flavor. As Mike suggested, like peeling a fresh grapefruit. It was wonderful. The Fume Blanc was also a delight. This light fruity wine was like eating a granny smith apple. It was just delicious and the first Fume Blanc we purchased on our trip.
We may go back for the reds another time, but we left this day with six bottles of white wine...a shock to us both but a credit to some wonderful wine making and a great tour and lesson in tasting fine wines. This tour was full of history and of really solid explanations. This was truly a great experience that my wife and I loved! We laughed, we drank and we enjoyed...what more can you hope for! -
Review from Gabrielle K.
Napa, CA
12/29/2011
We love Grgich Hills! The customer service and attention to detail was amazing! Linda poured for us. She is probably the friendliest person around! When we got there the tasting room was very busy, but she poured us a generous glass of chardonnay while we waited. Once we started tasting, she was incredibly knowledgeable about the wine. I think the 07' cab is my favorite! Linda gave us some great ideas about which foods to pair with the different wines we tasted. She also recommended other wineries to visit off the beaten path. She explained to us what biodynamic farming techniques are, and how it affects the quality of the wine. Even their winery is green, using solar power! Go to this winery and ask for Linda!
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Review from Lenny C.
San Ramon, CA
1/19/2011
We came here very last minute, but they were nice enough to let us in and taste their wine. We knew they had great wine so we wanted to try them out and possibly buy some.
My boyfriend got a tasting of chardonnay, merlot, cabernet, zinfandel, and a fume blanc. He said they tasted very crisp and with great quality.
The lady gave me a free tasting of their dessert wine which was yummy.
We ended up with a bottle of fume blanc and she gave us two free wine glasses. -
Review from Megan L.
5/28/2011
Sorry, I didn't enjoy any of the 5 wines we tasted here, not even their famed chardonnay. :( This was just my personal preference, but Grgich was our first stop and I was already dumping half of my glasses out by the third pour...
The private tasting room was quite spacious though, and our wine server was great. We paid a $20 tasting fee, but it was waived for those who bought something. Good stop for a larger group. -
Review from Josh C.
Mesa, AZ
Updated - 12/17/2011
Made another visit with a few friends as we have always enjoyed Grgich very much. I was a little apprehensive as some recent reviews have been subpar. Very pleased to find the service, hospitality and wines to all be excellent (as usual). Literally, one of our favorite stops in Napa....
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/28/2011
Visited today and was completely blown away by the experience. We visit Napa often but this winery… Read more »
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Review from Jolene B.
Napa, CA
2/6/2011
For my birthday I came here with two of my girlfriends. Me and one girl were from Napa but my other friend wasn't and the host still gave us all the free Napa neighbors tasting, which was very nice of him. That includes five tastings but we only did three because we had to drive. So we dumped a lot of wine into the little dump jars he has.
The only thing we didn't like was that since we were the only visitors and there was no outdoor area to enjoy we had to stand at the counter trying to make small talk with the host and felt pressured into buying something.
My friend bought a half bottle of the Chardonnay which we all liked and is very smooth tasting. The regular sized bottle is 42 dollars and the half bottles are half price plus a dollar.
After we were done he wrapped up our wine glasses for us.
All in all the host was very sweet and the wine was good but I don't think we will be back siply because we really like a place that has outdoor accomodations- Napa is so pretty that it's not as fun hanging out in a dark bar room. -
Review from Seema M.
11/20/2011
We like bringing Napa newbies here because the wines are generally good and when tasting you get to keep the glass which is a nice souvenir for out of towners. We went this weekend and the experience was pretty average- wine wasn't as good (chardonnay is generally their best) as we remembered and the service was off. Our server went through the motions of explaining the wine like it was a chore.. which didn't leave a good impression with our guests.
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Review from Cindy G.
San Diego, CA
7/16/2011
My husband and I visited the Grgich Hills tasting room last October; this was my second visit. The room was bustling, but we did not lack for cheerful and knowledgeable attention from our server. We shared two flights, and enjoyed nearly all of the wines that we tasted, particularly the '08 Fumé Blanc, the '09 Essence, and the '07 Zinfandel. The wines are a good value, as well.
We don't usually go for dessert wines, but the '08 Violetta is something special; like liquid perfume. We bought a bottle, and Mike Grgich signed it for us, as he was hanging out behind the counter.
