Tim Carl, Local Tastes: Discover the personalities of Napa Valley wine shops

Calistoga

The Calistoga Wine Stop (1441 Lincoln Ave.) specializes in wines from Calistoga. Owned by the Pelter family for more than 35 years, the shop carries over 300 labels, many of which are hard to find anywhere else.

“It is our great pleasure to represent smaller local wineries, many of whom we’ve known personally for decades,” Tara Pelter said. “We love small family operations, and that’s what we are, too.”

Pelter said a good example of the shop’s focus is the Stellareese Cabernet Sauvignon ($55 per bottle, 256 cases made). The shop has carried this wine for nearly two decades.

“Not only do we love this wine, but we adore the people behind it — locals Rachel and Geoffrey Davies,” she said. “I’ve been representing many of these brands for my entire adult life.”

The newly opened Papa Lou's Wine, Spirits, Cigars and Provisions (1430 Lincoln Ave.) sells some hard-to-find bourbons, but the theme of this shop is affordable wines that overdeliver on taste and complexity, according to Kelly Barrett Coudert, provisions buyer and co-owner.

As an example, Coudert highlights the 2021 Keltom Roots Pinot Noir ($50 per bottle, 90 cases made). This brand was launched only a few years ago by Brycen Hill, whose day job is as viticulturist for one of the region’s most influential winemakers, Paul Hobbs.

“This wine shows cool-climate elegance with fruit that is balanced and bright,” Coudert said. “Complex and multidimensional, the wine unfolds with earth and umami just like a wild chanterelle mushroom.”

The Calistoga Depot (1458 Lincoln Ave.) is another new wine shop. The recently refurbished train depot, originally built in 1868, now houses a deli and wine shop owned by Jean-Charles Boisset (Boisset Collection), who also owns many wineries, including Buena Vista, DeLoach and Raymond Vineyards as well as retail shops such as the Oakville Grocery.

“We focus on wines from Calistoga as well as an assortment of wines in Napa and Sonoma with a wide range of price points,” said wine buyer and Master Sommelier Jamie Pyles. “On the one hand we carry Eisele Vineyard’s Cabernet Sauvignon from Calistoga ($575 per bottle), but on the other hand we also carry Five Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon ($45 per bottle) by Krisi Raymond.

As an example of the shop’s focus, Pyles suggests the 2019 Les Bouquinistes Red Blend by Kent Jarman. 

“With fewer than 500 cases made, this Bordeaux-style blend is simply stunning,” Pyles said. “Between the exceptional winemaker and attractive bouquet of red and black fruits framed by floral and mocha aromas you simply can’t go wrong at $68 per bottle.”

Beyond these three Calistoga shops, wines for sale can also be found at Calistoga’s Cal Mart, which has a wonderfully diverse collection of locally produced wines, along with some more commonly known name brands. Although technically not a wine shop, the Tank Garage Winery offers a super-hip vibe and dozens of their own wines. The same goes for Vault Wine + Artifacts, which offers a small, curated wine list within a wonderful tasting space that has been decorated with winemaking accessories and antiques.

St. Helena

For nearly two decades ACME Fine Wines (1080 Fulton Lane) has provided its customers with access to some of the most sought-after wines made in the region. According to founder Karen Williams, the focus is on discovering the newest “creme de la creme” wines from Napa Valley and then sharing their extensive portfolio of wines with their clientele through customized offerings and private tasting events.

“We’ve been Napa Valley's incubator-style wine company since 2003,” Williams said. “We welcome anyone to visit us and explore our just-launched curated brands in their infancy while tasting the legends whose reputation is firmly cemented in the pantheon of Napa Valley.”

Williams points to the Loveland Lee 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($127 a bottle, 35 cases made).

“We are so incredibly fortunate at ACME to announce the debut of new wine labels such as this,” she said. “The wine unfurls with seductive aromas of brambly blackberry, clove and rose petals. The palate is awash with lovely black cherry notes, full-bodied texture and fine-grained tannins. This Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon is eminently enjoyable now, but the patient will reap the rewards of laying it down for five to seven years in the cellar.”

Gary's Wine & Marketplace (in the former Dean & DeLuca space, 607 St Helena Highway) was purchased in 2019 by Gary Fisch, who has since revitalized the wine program. Fisch is no stranger to wine. For decades he has owned and operated numerous Gary’s Wine & Marketplaces on the East Coast and has also been a fixture within the Napa Valley wine scene as both a fan and supporter for years.

“We cast the widest net in all of Napa and hopefully have something for every wine drinker in the valley,” said Bryan McCall, the store’s wine director.

Prior to Gary’s, McCall — an advanced sommelier — had worked as a sommelier at the French Laundry in Yountville and Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco.

“We have everything from Grounded Cabernet made by our good friend and local winemaker Josh Phelps that is a staple on the shelf at $13.99 a bottle to the most sought-after cult cabernet producers like Colgin, Hundred Acre and Harlan that can be $1,000 a bottle or more.”

According to McCall, nobody in the valley has a better Champagne and sparkling wine selection.

“We have the largest stocks of Krug and Dom Perignon,” he said, “as well as smaller highly allocated producers like David Leclapart, Christophe Mignon and Pierre Peters, while still supporting larger national producers like Veuve Clicquot and Moet & Chandon.”

Beyond these shops, Sunshine Foods Market has an excellent selection of local wines, and although technically not a wine shop, The Saint on Main Street is a cool-little wine lounge with a small but thoughtful selection of wines. Not technically in St. Helena, the Oakville Grocery has a similar wine-focus to that found in the Calistoga Depot, their section includes a decidedly Oakville focus, showcasing many wines made by producers of the famed To Kalon Vineyard, which is just across the street from this historic grocery.

Yountville

Located in the beautiful brick marketplace known as “Vintage 1870,” V Wine Cellar (6525 Washington St.) is less a shop and more a semi-swanky wine lounge for those in the know. It isn’t uncommon to find local winemakers hanging out in one of the various comfortable seating areas as they commune.

“About 80% of our wines are locally produced, but we also have a fantastic selection of imported wines with a more French-driven allure,” said Scott Lewis, sommelier and co-owner. According to Lewis, two local producers — Kale Wines and Hossfeld Vineyards — represent good examples of what a customer of V Wine Cellar might expect.

“The A18 Kale David Chardonnay ($75 a bottle, 131 cases made) is rich with flavors of pineapple, pear, apricot, lemon curd and blend together with toast, floral notes and honey,” he said, “while the Hossfeld Vineyards red blend ($100 per bottle, 500 cases made) is velvety and dark in color with a fruit-forward nature and beautiful tannins.”

The location of Wine Country Connection (6484 Washington St., Suite E) might ring a bell because it’s in the same site as the historic Groezinger Wine Co., which was originally founded in the 1870s. Today the shop continues its long tradition with a highly curated wine list and nearly 70 wines to taste by the glass.

To keep their selection vibrant, owners Daniel and Ana Pressey and their business partners, Master Sommelier Kevin Vogt and his wife, Lynda, have gathered a panel of wine experts that include Joel Aiken — BV’s winemaker for 27 years — and others who taste through thousands of wines per year to whittle down the list for their customers.

“Our panel tastes anywhere from 30 to 100 wines on a weekly basis and selects only a small percentage of the best wines to feature in our emails and in the store,” Pressey said. “Our shop has a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere, and we carry wines at all price levels.”

This year the Wine Country Connection team picked the Di Costanzo's 2019 Farella Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($140 per bottle, 350 cases made) as their overall No.1 wine of the year.

“This wine's site identity is brilliant and delivers with elegant precision, keen focus and faultless balance,” Pressey said. “This wine has everything dialed into perfection.”

Other wine shops to explore in Yountville include the super-cool Kelly’s Filling Station, the JCB tasting Salon & Wine Shop and the Ranch Market grocery store, which has a small collection of wines at reasonable prices.

Napa

One of the Napa Valley’s most respected wine advisers, Dan Dawson, recently opened Outer Space Wines in downtown Napa (974 Franklin St.) The shop reflects Dawson’s view of the wine world, which often translates into well-made wines that are reasonably priced.

“So much of wine is about context,” Dawson said. “For example, how does a new wine compare with a wine a customer has liked in the past? Or how does it differ and why? Understanding how a wine relates to the customer in front of me is one of my superpowers.”

Pointing to value at a reasonable price, Dawson highlights the 2018 Post & Vine “Old Vine Field Blend – Testa Vineyard” made from grapes grown in Mendocino County ($32 a bottle, 276 cases made).

Made as a “passion project” from one of the Napa Valley’s most accomplished winemakers — Rebekah Wineburg (Quintessa) — this wine blends roughly equal parts Zinfandel, Carignane and Petite Sirah to reveal layers of blue and red fruits accented with peppery Asian spices, ginger, wild cherry, leather and tangy pomegranate.

Compline Wine Shop (1300 First St., Suite 319) has two expert sommeliers at the helm — Matt Stamp, the former sommelier at the French Laundry and Ryan Stetins, the former wine director at Charlie Trotter.

“We have a worldwide selection of over 600 wines, all kept at cellar temperature — 58 F., Stamp said. “We have a comprehensive selection of European classics — Burgundy, Barolo, Champagne, Bordeaux, German Riesling — but we also carry a large selection of wines made here in Northern California.”

To highlight their sommelier prowess, Stamp suggests trying the 2022 Alfio Cosentino Etna Bianco Superiore “Vigna Don Paolo” ($42 a bottle). The Sicilian Carricante grapes that make this wine are grown at 2,500 feet above the sea in a vineyard first planted in the 1800s, and the resulting wine is savory and saline, with a medium body that is textural and cut through with a grip of acidity.

“This wine makes wine geeks weep with joy,” Stamp said.

Another new entrant to the Napa wine shop scene is Bay Grape Napa Wine Shop & Wine Tasting Bar (2999 Solano Ave.) This small shop has a fantastic collection of super-hip and intriguing obscure wines, many of which carry the distinction of being made using natural, sustainable techniques and sourced from organic vineyards.

“We especially seek out small producers who are working with diversity/equity/inclusion and sustainability top of mind,” said co-owner Stevie Stacionis. “A lot of Napa establishments are focused on serving tourists, but we focus on affordability and accessibility for locals. We’re outside of downtown quite intentionally.”

Stacionis points to the Pošip Special Korčula 2021 ($22 per bottle, 1,500 cases made).

“The Pošip grape is basically only grown on the Croatian island of Korčula,” Stacionis said, “and true to its origin, the wine is all airy sea breeze and wild mountain herbs with fresh acidity that makes your mouth water and keeps you coming back for more.”

Beyond these, Napa has a wealth of other shops that sell wine. Some of my favorites include:

Back Room Wine, Bounty Hunter, Calwine, First & Franklin, Luckysomm, Napa Valley Wine & Cigar, Napa Wine & Spirits, Oxbow Cheese & Wine Merchant, Val’s Liquors, Vintner’s Collective and a few others, each worth exploring for their specialized focus and curated offerings.

Between wineries, tasting rooms, wine shops and restaurants, there are literally thousands of places in the Napa Valley to enjoy wine. Each has its own particular pleasure; however, for those looking for expert insights, the small, independent wine shops often provide the biggest bang for the buck.

My best wine recommendation for 2023? Get out there and try a new wine retail shop and see if you walk away with a fresh new perspective. Over time, building close relationships with your local wine shop can pay dividends.

Undoubtedly I have missed some other excellent venues. If I have, please let me know via Instagram @carltf or email me at tfcarl@gmail.com and I’ll be more than happy to visit.