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Schramsberg Vineyards
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
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"My Bf and I went here this past weekend- and it's beautiful! It was the perfect ending to our day. Tasting/Entrance fee was $30 for two (…" read more »
40 reviews for Schramsberg Vineyards
Schramsberg Vineyards was my first stop on my day of fun in wine country. They offer a tour of their historical caves along with a tasting for $35. There are 5 tours a day, so I booked the first tour which started at 10am. That meant waking up at the crack of dawn and leaving SF by 8am!! I wanted to pack in as much as I could in one day, so I sucked it up, and got my lazy butt out of bed.
When you get close to the vineyard, slow down or you'll overshoot the driveway like I did...oops! You have to go up a small hill before you actually get up to the main building. We arrived on time, just as the tour started. When you first walk into the caves, all you see is walls of bottles( http://static.px.yelp.... ). What you don't realize is that there are actually rows and rows of bottles behind the ones you actually see. We actually got to see one of the caves being filled up. Just watch out for flying bottle tops! Our tour guide almost got hit by one a few days prior to our visit.
After the tour, you get to sit down at a really big table and have 4 tastings of their sparkling wine( http://static.px.yelp.... ). We just hung out and enjoyed our bubbly. My friends and I were the last group lingering around, but they didn't kick us out or anything.
4 tastings of bubbly on an empty stomach gives you a great buzz! This is a great tour to check out if you're in wine country!
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Fabulous tour. Very knowledge and answered many questions. We were given a candlelight tasting at the end of the tour inside the caves. This was one of the few places I've been that I liked every single wine (sparkling in this case) that was served to me. Even though the tour is a bit expensive, they pour generous tastes of even their most expensive bottles of champagne, which makes it definitely worth it.
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If you don't mind another 30 extra minutes drive out to Calistoga, you should definitely check out this unique vineyard and tasting experience.
My friend's bf belongs to the wine club here and we were able to get a last minute VIP tour and tasting. This winery is built underground and the caves are just gorgeous to check out. Our guide Kelly gave us a delightful tour of the estates and an unforgettable tasting of most of their Champagne selection. My favorite was the Rose. FYI.. this winery specializes in sparklings but also has a few reds and whites.
I love the fact the cave was built by my ancestors.. yay.. they were way more hard-working than me. Ask the guide about the frog statue in the front built in honor of the employee who hand turns hundreds of bottles a day by an eighth of an inch. I just love the little fun facts that make Schramsberg a vineyard with quality bubbles AND lots of character.
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I had no idea how luxe this winery was, but if you walk into their main building (which is way way wayyy off the main road; its hard to see the sign too, we missed it and had to make a u-turn... thank goodness for my GPS iphone) you can see photos and menus of all the executive events (presidential, celebrities) have used their wines for these events. Wow! Too bad we missed the last tour, so we didn't get to see the caves... definitely will have to come back and make a reservation. Note: You can't taste the wine unless you're on a tour... silly rule about drinking only when you're learning about wine making... Wines here are VERY pricey... minimum $40, but most are ~$100
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Comment from Joe A. of
Schramsberg Vineyards
7/31/2009
Hello Grace Q and thanks for reviewing Schramsberg. We do…
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Hand dug caves are very cool to tour. The tour was pretty informative and interesting. The people at this vineyard are super nice and the property is beautiful. Their tasting and all of their sparkling wines are delicious.
For a region that is more famous for cabernets than sparkling wines, Schramsberg bills itself as the leading sparkling wine producer in Napa Valley. Steeped in history (2nd oldest operating winery in Napa) and prestige (their sparkling wines have been served at every White House inaugural dinner since Nixon), I had very high expectations of this place. Having read glowing reviews, I booked a tour for $35 per person which also included a tasting.
The wine tour was interesting, not so much because the caves themselves (after all, they are just cellars for wine), but listening to our tour guide narrate the history behind the winery and the laborious process of how sparkling wine is made was quite fascinating. Even if you've been on other wine tours, this one is rather unique and not redundant. After spending about a half hour or so in the cave, we were rewarded with generous samples of bubbly, which was the part I was most looking forward to.
Here is a sampling of what was tasted:
* Blanc de blanc
* Brut Rose
* Reserve
* J Schram
Okay, we'll start with some basic definitions first. Blanc de blanc (white from white) is basically a sparking white wine made from white grapes (such as chardonnay). It's counterpart (blanc de noirs--or white from black) is made from red grapes (e.g., pinot noir). Rose is somewhere between white and red wine, hence its pinkish hue, caused by limited skin contact from the grape. And Brut means extra dry (not sweet) wine.
My evaluation of the wines are as follows:
Blanc de blanc - 3.5/5 (had a good balance of dryness, but rather simple tasting)
Brut rose - 4/5 (excellent sparkling rose wine, goes well with buttered popcorn)
Reserve - 4.5/5 (excellent, creamy and slightly oaky and nutty, the best of the lot but also the priciest)
Overall, their wines are very good quality, arguably better than Domaine Chandon and definitely better than Gloria Ferrer or Mumms (other well-known Napa sparkling wine houses), but in my opinion they fall a bit short of the sparkling wines produced in the Anderson Valley (such as Louis Roederer). A defining characteristic of a fine sparkling wine is the size of the bubbles (the smaller the better), and the bubbles for Schramsberg were coarser than the ones at Roederer.
Overall, Schramsberg is worth a visit if you are looking for decent sparkling wine in Napa Valley, although it is a bit overrated. The tour is pretty cool though.
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The wife and I love bubblies and it's great that we were able to tour a label with such importance and history with the White House. The caves were the perfect place for the tour and tasting. And the pours were more then tasting size so I was feeling it by the third pour.
The couple next to us on the tour looked familiar. Started talking to them to confirm my hunch. It was him...... Kyle Orton and his wife, just married in Hawaii and stopping in California before heading back to Chicago.
Honestly, I don't really care for champagne, but this tour was great. Champagne caves are fun.
Group of 10 of us took the tour a couple weeks ago - had to pay for the private tour for any party over 8 ($420 flat rate). The cave tour and information was very interesting but our guide was a little on the snooty side and was a bit condescending to us. We are not a rowdy group (a bunch of bean counters, really) but you would think they're accustomed to groups and people who have had some wine since WE'RE IN NAPA. I think we were well behaved but she would shoot the evil eye if anyone made a joke. By the time we made it into the tasting room, everyone was afraid to make small talk because it seemed to annoy her. Maybe she felt the tension because immediately after the last pour, she rushed out and opened the sliding doors so we were left sitting basically in their lobby/reception area. Some of us were going to make some purchases but felt uncomfortable so we just got out of there quickly. I would recommend the tour though to anyone that likes sparkling wine. Theirs was tasty for sure. Maybe she was just having a bad day.
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If you like caves, and seeing the labor intensive aspect to producing sparkling wine this is the place.
It was by far the best touring and tasting experience. Todd was our guide and he made the experience so special and personal. I loved the selection and presentation of our sparkling wine in the private cave room.
The quality of the bubbly was top notch.
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A group of us went here on our first wine country visit for a tour and tasting and I highly recommend both! The tour is really cool and while not super extensive, they do take you into the caves where their sparkling wines are aged and talk about some pretty cool things regarding the history of the winery and wine itself. The tasting was the best part! The pours were generous. There were about 11 us in the tour group and our host would run out of a newly opened bottle before he got to everybody. All of it is very good, especially the Cabernet. It was seriously smooth! In addition to the regular tasting menu, we also got to sample the Cremant which topped everything else.
I can't wait until I actually make money. I am SO joining their wine club.
Not much to say that hasn't already been said.
This place is great. We missed the vineyards themselves since it was 106 degrees when we arrived and they didn't want the guests passing out from heat stroke. So we went straight into the tunnels. Got a lot of history and how sparkling wine is made. It's different and interesting. We met Ramon the Riddler of Schramsberg. Great guy. If you go you'll find out who I'm talking about.
Anyways it was a great tour.
The wines are exceptional. We loved the Cremant. We bought a bottle of Rose sight unseen and can't wait to try it.
If you are in the area call ahead and book a tour. Many people came in asking for openings and were turned away. Call ahead...it's worth it.
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For my first wine tasting experience in Napa Valley, this was AWESOME!
I learned alot about the sparkling wine production process & the history of the Napa Valley. Plus touring the caves was crazy cool! I've had Schramsberg before & really enjoyed it so I was happy we got to taste so many different vintages & years.
As far as tastings go, it is on the pricey end but the tour was great. Well worth it!
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This is a historic tour--it's so much more than a winery tour.
You need to make appoinments to see their sparkling wine caves, and do it in advance as i think it's very busy most weekends.
When you arrive you are greeted by very nice people and then join your tour group. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but if you like bubbly and like history, this is for you!
Walking through thier caves and hearing the history of how this label came to be is so interesting...plus you learn so much about how sparkling wine is made....ahh, the mystery of the riddler!
Go here.
We joined thier club, the only one we joined as the price is so cheap compared to the amazing stuff you get. we'll be taking our families here when they come to vist. This place is a do not miss.
Possibly one of the best tours I've been on in all of Napa valley or beyond. You don't have to love sparkling wines to appreciate the history of their caves and the "riddling" of the wine bottles done by hand, by Ramon the Riddler. A frog in the pond is a tribute to Ramon.
Fantastic tour on a hot day as you go underneath the earth into the cool darkness of caves filled with beautiful bottles of bubbly. While you can purchase some of their sparklers at Trader Joe's...you can only buy J. Schram (the $80 bottle) at the winery...
Hmmmm...must go back for another bottle. Nephew graduates from medical school next May, that's a good reason!
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This is as good as tours get in Napa Valley. The only place that still trumps it is Jarvis, but only slightly (and probably because I'm more of a red wine guy than a sparkling wine guy, although I do really love both) and if you've never been, you're really missing out.
The grounds are incredible (which is good because you're going to want to spend a lot of time here sobering up as they give you WAY more wine than you normally get at tastings) and amazingly maintained. The little frog pond is cute, and a fun place to take pictures.
The tour is neither boring or dry, and our guide was humorous and friendly, but not annoyingly so. The caves are wonderful, and it's so cool to see the wine on the lees and see the spinning process (methode champaignoise for fellow wine geeks), and I learned so much here it's not even funny.
They pour (generously) four of their wines, differing as much in color as they do in character and flavor. Really outstanding visit, and well worth the $35 tasting fee as you're there for at least an hour and get to try really premium stuff. And get a little education as well!
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Definitely a cool tour through the caves....it was fun to hear how sparkling wine is made as well as the interesting history behind this particular winery, a bit different from your regular wine tour in that regard. The tasting was nicely done, in a very lovely room where we were given three or four different sparkling wines to try and were encouraged to take our time. The grounds were lovely. Definitely make an appointment!
Again, we had a lovely tasting at Schramsberg. We did the members pouring (everyday at 2pm) and they gave us a lovely tasting in the caves. Ron was pouring that day and we had such a delightful time talking sparkling. He was awesome. They also just released their new cab, jd. I'm not sure if they are selling it to the public yet, but I know this will sell out pretty immediately.
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1/15/2009
I just have to add that their wine club has amazing discounts. All shipments are $100 and they put… Read more »
This is my fave fave FAVE champagne!!! No, not sparkling wine, but CHAMPAGNE!!! Just went there on Saturday for one of their fancy schmancy tasting/food events. It was $45 (which is kinda high), but they give you a voucher for $20 off of a purchase. $25 for what we got was a steal!! The snacks were great, but the 6 FULL glasses of champagne & wine were fan-flippin-tastic! I ended up buying 5 bottles & will horde them dearly.
Fun fact - they will sell you a bottle (or more) pre-chilled if'n you wanna embibe at one of the nearby restaurants. Don't ask me how I know this...
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I have limited experiences with vineyards as my trip to Napa a few weeks ago was my first, but I found Schramsberg to be absolutely amazing. Up until a few weeks ago Veuve was my champagne of choice... but no longer... it's all about Schramsberg.
Due to their licensing they only do tastings with a tour and I recommend reserving a tour pretty early in advance. The tours are nice and small which is nice since it allows more interaction, but bad because they book quickly.
They have a good history of the vineyard and one learns a lot of information on the process of making sparkling wine. You get to go into the caves where the sparkling wine is stored which is a lot of fun! The tour guide was intelligent and personable. They knew I had recently graduated college and during the tasting they made a toast to me =)
The tastings are very generous and there is a great variety that they pour. I previously read that you do the tastings in a cave filled with candelabras which I was quite excited for. However, they recently expanded their visitors center and they have new tasting rooms. They're lovely rooms but a candelabra lit cave seems a little cooler and unique to me. Oh well.
Out of all the vineyards I went to it was by far my favorite. You don't even have to like sparkling wines because you learn a lot. Plus, even a non-enjoyer of sparkling wine will enjoy the pours.
Leaving the highway and winding up the driveway to the Schramsberg Vineyard feels a bit magical. The tasting is expensive ($35 per person) But includes a guided tour of the champagne caves and a seated tasting. This was definitely worth a detour from the main highway. Make a reservation. Oh, and the champagne is fantastic.
I went on the industry tour and they took such great care of me! The tour was fantastic and the tasting was very intimate. Being in the industry, I send people here all the time.
You can't go to Napa Valley without stopping and taking a tour of this historic winery. I have visited this winery, on many occasions and the staff and the wines have never disappointed. I am a bit biased because my love of the bubbles, but this is as close as you will get to visiting Champagne in Napa. Take the tour, it very good for the novice to the wine expert, gives insight to the early days of the wine industry in America and the process involved in making a great bottle of bubbles. Buy wines or join the club it is a great deal and a great way to enjoy or relive your trip to Schramsberg all year long.
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I was looking forward to sparkling wine all day long.
My husband had promised me fabulous sparkling wine.
After driving around for at least an hour we realized we has passed it and had to turn around. By the time we got there they were closing. I was 4pm if i remember correctly. They don't do tastings and only have tours at certain times. I haven't tasted our bottle of bubbly yet so i'll have to save a review of the actual goods for later. Three stars because of the tours at specific times only and for closing so early. Oh yes and could the sign be a bit more readable and easy to locate?
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This is my favorite winery tour in Napa Valley. Schramsberg does a great job making the tour educational AND fun. You do have to call ahead for the tour and it is $25, but it's totally worth it. At the end of the tour, they have you taste some of their sparkling and stills. If you can, try and get a tour with Todd; he's THE BEST tour guide. All of the staff are really friendly and you can tell they actually like their jobs!
If you really like their products, join their club. They send out quarterly, you get free tours for 2 people, and you definitely get a good deal on what they send out. It's about $60-$90 per shipment, but they send out library wines and club member only releases. A couple of times we've received bottles that were worth twice as much as we paid. A very good deal for Schramsberg fans!!! :)
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This is an AMAZING tour.
The grounds are beautiful, but underground is where this place really shines.
The tour takes you down into crazy lichen-encrusted caves - live aging bottles stacked all around you and a pervading mustiness that tells you that you are standing in history.
Our guide was very knowledgeable about the mthode champaignoise used to produce the bubbly wines, and was an expert at explaining the rich history of the winery.
I wasn't really a fan of the product itself, but the tour was so fabulous that I would gladly grovel to come back for more.
Came here last Sunday for a tasting but they had closed already. Yelp had the wrong closing time (since updated). The grounds of the first hillside winery in the region were beautiful. The entrance and street is very hard to see from the road. Tasting are apparently only in conjunction with the tour.
http://www.schramsberg...
For those that like to trek to the wine country, Schramsberg is truly unique. The tour for visitors is like no other. You get to go into the original caves dug out by the Chinese railroad workers after they finished the transcontinental railroad.
Champagne is their product, and it most likely is really some of the finest in the world. Several Presidents have used it at their state dinners. See the website for all their accolades.
Tours are by reservation only and are $25 per person. At the end of the tour, you get to sit down and taste most of their products. This is way over the top of a normal tasting room. Tasting the entire range of their products is educational. Just what does a 94 point Wine Spectator rated wine taste like that sells for $160 per bottle? You get to find out at the end of your tour.
For Champagne lovers, Schramsberg is the crown jewel in the wine country.
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This is the place for sparkling wine/champagne and a great tour. They drink it at the White House, always a good recommendation. Smart, nice staff that you will enjoy listening to and spending time with. How nice is that! A tour you will recall.
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Seriously, whether a first time visitor to the valley or a regular, the tour at Schramsberg is so professional they should host classes for the rest of the wineries in the area. From an immigrant's humble beginnings as a barber in San Francisco through changes in the family members running the show, Schramsberg has continually made top notch bubbles, aged in caves hollowed out by hundreds of other immigrants. A true American classic. Also, their sparkling wine is some of, if not the best in the states. Their Brut Rosés can hang with France's best. Highly, highly recommended.
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Quite possibly the most expensive tour & tasting in the wine country, but it is absolutely worth it. If you're not a history buff, then the lesson in sparkling wine-making may interest you. If that doesn't, then the caves with the walls and walls of sparkling wine should awe you. If you just want to drink, then the fancy tasting room reserved only for those on the tour should more than satisfy you. If you come away not thinking that it was worth your $25 or $35 (prices go up during the summer), then I don't know what to tell you...stop being a square and enjoy yourself a little!
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Start with a German fairytale castle, add one part enchanted garden, one heaping teaspoon goth sensibilities, wrap in creepy-awesome black moss, light with candelabra and add champagne til drunk. Top with a whimsical frog statue. If you don't love this place, your soul is rotten.
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i have been on the tour twice, i can't seem to get enough. the grounds are beautiful. if you are a fan of champagne make the time to take the tour and taste the sparkling wine.
thomas, you rock! if you buy a bottle to drink at local restaurants, thomas can tell you what to pair it with so you can fully enjoy your meal.
i know that $25 seems like quite a bit to spend for a tasting, but the experience is well worth the money if you are a champagne fan. Some of the other wineries charge $20 for a tasting for far less tasting and sometimes far less knowledge and appreciation for your experience.
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i've been wanting to go on this tour forever but they are always booked. be sure to book way in advance. we were supposed to have been on the 1130am tour. however, because of traffic, we were late. schramsberg personnel was so gracious when we called in to alert them of the situation. they put us on the 12pm tour instead. lucky us!!
so although the tour is $25/person, i agree with my fellow yelpers - it's completely worth it!! our tour guide was very knowledgeable, cordial, and pleasant. she told us about the history, brought us to the underground caves, and gave us very generous champagne pourings.
i'd highly recommend this tour to everyone!
**i have to note that taste wise, my favorite champange is still veuve clicquot.
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Amazing!! Loved the history and sparkling wine. Our tour guide was amazing with details. We are going to join the club. Highly recommend this fabulous historic lovely vineyard!!!!
Hands down coolest tour in Napa Valley. The caves are totally creepy and have a great history. If you have even a small like of champange (and you must), the tour provides both an interesting history of the brand and a cool show-and-tell on the making of my favorite bubbly beverage. And how can you beat sipping totally decent champagne in a candlelit cave? Perfect with family, friends, or even a date.
This tour was completely worth the $25 we paid. Tours are by reservation only, so you're guaranteed not to be in a large group. The whole tour takes place in the creepy lichen-covered caves and ends with a VERY generous candlelight tasting in one of the caves. And the champagne...one taste and you'll understand why it's chosen for so many White House events.
It's funny, I never even thought of reviewing a winery until I found myself singing Schramsberg's praises to someone at work yesterday (she was visiting from the UK). My confession is - even though I've lived in the Napa Valley for nearly a year, I've only been wine tasting a few times, I guess it just never occurs to me. At any rate, my husband and I visited Schrams on our 1st anniversary, and loved it. A friend bought us a salamanazaar of their blanc de blanc for our wedding (a whole case worth in one giant bottle - all our guests signed the bottle afterwards, it was really fun), and we wanted to check out the tour. For $25, as others have said, it's completely worth it. It was such an interesting tour, the caves are wonderfully eerie - it was like stepping into another time or world. The tasting was amazing - we got to try 5 or 6 from their amazing selection, highlights being the Reserve, and, for me, the Rose (I have to say drinking pink sparkling wine is just a good time). Todd was our tour guide - I have no idea what the others are like, but I agree he was awesome - we had mentioned it was our anniversary, and he gave us a really sweet toast. Cheers, Schramsberg! (ps - you won't be able to leave without buying something - and ask about 'sabering' the cork - it's pretty sweet - if you go home and find yourself craving more Schrams, which you will, try Trader Joe's - they usually carry a good selection).
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The previous Yelp reviewers got it right...this is the "premier" wine tour of Napa Wine Country...the tour of the caves really helps to bring the whole process to light! Our tour guide, Rachel, was a gem...very witty, yet totally knowledgeable about the "methode champaignoise" which Schramsberg utilizes...if she were only speaking in French, it would feel as if we were in a French champagne cave in Reims...VERY generous wine pours in the caves at the end of the tour...this tour is well worth the $25 fee! Highly recommended!
if you love champagne, this a must... plan ahead and reserve a cave tour... the wine tasting at the end of the tour is well worth the $25 fee... note: it's easy to miss the little sign that points to this vineyard... so keep your eyes peeled when driving on highway 29 (st. helena highway)...
