Part of our Valentine’s Day celebration yesterday was a picnic at Tudal Winery.
Discovered on the Napa Vintners site, this winery fit all our criteria: family-friendly, picnic area, low-key atmosphere.
And it was indeed quite low-key as you can see below the manner in which we were greeted (that there is Cheyenne, we found out).
We proceeded to a seated tasting in the winery building/shed. Samantha entertained herself with drawing as we tasted through a nice, Burgundian-style Chardonnay (Burgundian-style connoting little of that oaky, buttery–and to us, overwhelming, quality of most Chardonnays), a beautiful, fruity, textbook-Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and a jammy, peppery, but not over the top Zinfandel.
And–to kiddo’s delight–in place of the usual bland tasting room crackers, they had fishy crackers.
The atmosphere was casual, congenial and educational–and without any sort of pretension.
With the Zin in glass, our group headed out for a quick tour of the vineyards…
…the production facility…
…and the barrel room…where we tasted the Syrah…
… and ended up in what could be called the sales room.
We bought a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc (limited production and no longer available–seriously, we got the last bottle), headed out to the picnic area, and easily settled in.
As we nibbled, sipped and chatted…
…Samantha explored the picnic area and gardens. She found this old tractor…
…and we found that it was quite dirty…
…and apropos for Valentine’s Day, there were even heart-shaped decorations (made from barrel rings).
Who: All ages, except perhaps the toddlers who are mobile, but can’t/don’t listen yet
What: A low-key, casual winetasting experience, with a short tour and a pleasant picnic and garden area, including bocce courts
Where: 1015 Big Tree Road, Saint Helena, phone 707-963-3947 (tastings are by appointment, so call ahead)
When: Best on days when you can picnic; we’re certainly visiting again come summertime
Why: To taste good wines, to learn a bit (but not too much) about the winery & winemaking, to picnic, to let the kids explore an interesting and safe picnic/garden area