Domaine Chandon Continued ...We got there late in the day and every where we went was pretty packed with people. Even though the winery is set up to handle large crowds, the tasting bar was very busy and it was difficult to get served. Had we been there earlier it probably would not have been quite so bad, but this is a very popular spot with tourists from around the world and we were there in the middle of summer. We have resolved to come back during the shoulder season when the crowds are smaller to get a better feel for the environment.

Hess:The Hess Collection Winery is built on the site of the Mont La Salle Christian Brothers Winery on Redwood Road just west of the town of Napa.  This is another one of the old wine properties in Napa, with wine being produced here since the late 1800s.  As a teenager growing up in Napa we used to ride our bikes up to the winery, and although they wouldn’t give us wine, the brothers would take us on winery tours and tell us stories of how wine was made in Europe and what their mission was in California.

The winery has changed drastically since those days (we won’t talk about how long ago that was) and buildings have been beautifully renovated in a European chateau style with vine covered walls, raised lotus ponds and colorful flower gardens.  Although modern and elegant inside, the visitor’s center can be found in the historic stone distillery building which dates back to before the Christian Brothers Winery.  The tasting bar is done in rich maple with an oblong shape, perfect for optimizing the tasting space.  Next to the bar is the retail outlet and gift shop.  The real surprise is the world class Hess personal art collection, which can be found on the next three floors and is open to the public. Continued ...