Inglenook

A last minute choice but so glad we came! It was highly recommended by a friend so we decided to make reservations for a wine tasting on our last day at Napa valley. The current wine tasting included one white and three reds, then a bonus tasting from our wonderful sommelier Matt. He was great! Very knowledgable; answered all of our questions and gave us information about the winery and the wine club without being pushy. We went home with a bottle of the 2013 cab then went to the bistro where we were able to taste the rose and the Zinfandel. Both were great and we stayed for two glasses of the zin and some cheese on the terrace. A must visit! Service at the bistro was outstanding as well.

Amazing estate. The house is nice and partially open to public to look around. Nice landscaping as well.

Wow. What can I say? This place is AMAZING! My husband and I visited this winery on our anniversary trip; I have to say — it has been the highlight of our weekend.
The château and vineyards were immediately picturesque which increased more so as our guide described the history of the estate and the wines we tasted. What an interesting and tasteful journey we had!
There is a small café/​bar on the left that is reminiscent of the patios in front of chateaus in France! It offers cigars, coffee/​espresso, and glasses of wine to enjoy after your tour. My husband and I felt so relaxed drinking our lattes. :)
Would definitely recommend Inglenook to anyone visiting Napa. Make sure to try the Rubicon!!!

The landscape at this vineyard is beautiful. There’s a huge pergola and fountain in front of the building. Inside you see displays of informative history of the Coppola family. You can’t just come here for tastings. It’s a tasting and tour combo with appointments only. However there’s a café at one end where you’re welcome to get tasting by the glass, coffee, or small plates of cheese & cured meats. One of the staff had asked why we were here and we told them we were celebrating a birthday so we ended up with complimentary glasses of their sparkling wine. It was such a nice and thoughtful treat. Will have to come back and rsvp for a tour and tasting, since coming here it didn’t mention on the website that rsvp was needed.

We had, I think his name was «Kendrick» for our heritage tasting… The wines were decent… the best part was the bread and cheese. We heard the other host with other tables giving a much better presentation and gave free refills. We were in and out in 30 mins. Not worth the 98 $. Guess since we were under 30 we weren’t appreciated guests… disappointing!

We made a trip out here a few years ago and this winery sticks out as one of our favorites on the trip. (Which is amazing to be able to remember anything from a wine tasting excursion!!!)
This «castle» like winery was fabulous. The grounds are gorgeous!!! This is a must stop at vineyard if you go to Napa and make sure you have plenty of time to explore and taste!
We bought a bottle of the 2008 Rubicon and I am dying to open it! Wine typically does not last a day in my house, so I am very impressed that I have been able to let this one age.
Cheers!

This is the second winery that we visited during our day in Napa Valley and we have to say that this winery was the best out of the 2. The hospitality here is awesome. We had a great time during our wine tasting. We got seated with a gentleman from Argentina named Juan Pablo who was a wealth of information about wine and the winery, most definitely a wine connoisseur for sure. We learned a lot about wines with from this guy. He made us feel at home and we never felt rushed.
They served us a kick ass Special Select Dry Monterey Jack Cheese and bread with our wine tasting and that helped absorb some of that wine from this winery and the first one we went too, btw you can order the cheese from The Vella Cheese Company in Sonoma, well worth it.
We ordered a quarter of a wheel for Thanksgiving and it went well with our now favorite wine the Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon Cask. The winery grounds were great and rich of history. Napa Valley as a whole is a great place all together, an adult outing for sure, enjoy and pace yourself.

My friend was kind enough to bring a few of us under his membership for a tasting and I thoroughly enjoyed going through the line-​up at a relaxed pace in the expansive tasting room. Of note, the inside isn’t closed off so be sure to dress warmly on colder days.
The current vintage of the Cask cabernet was the favorite and with the membership discount, well worth the money (a bit of a stretch otherwise). And as highly touted the flagship Rubicon is, it hardly justifies the very steep price point IMHO. Lastly, there’s been quite a shift in style after Inglenook took on their new French winemaker, Philippe Bascaules, in 2011. Having had the 2005 Rubicon a while back, I definitely have to give the nod to the Philippe’s more elegant and restrained approach.
Beyond the tasting, the estate is a lot of fun to walk through with all the relics on display and there’s loads of goodies in the gift shop.

Such a stunning winery, but unfortunately, we didn’t book for any of the wine tasting packages. Our plan was to make a visit to the estate and check out the bistro. NOT the best decision. If we were to revisit, we’d definitely book one of the wine tasting options. With that said, this review is solely on the bistro. Before coming here, we were already aware that wine at the bistro could only be purchased by the glass or by the bottle. We just didn’t expect the lack of enthusiasm from the workers there. The workers were polite but not so approachable and not so informative when asked questions, which was a bit of a downer to our first experience here at this winery.

Absolutely loved visiting Inglenook! Just gorgeous well kept vineyards and grounds, museum and cellars. We popped in without any appointment and just stayed outside drinking their delicious Rubicon wine with great selection of local cheeses, preserves and freshly baked bread. They also have a coffee bar so it’s just perfect to spend relaxing morning or afternoon. Simply heavenly.

This is one if not the best winery in Napa right now in my opinion. They have the complete package of a beautiful estate, great colorful history that matches some of the best Cabernet wines you’ll ever drink. The Rubicon is somewhat of a wine you buy for investment or special occasions as I can see it just getting better with age if you can hold it for 7 – 10 years.
You definitely need to make a reservation and I’d actually come for 2 days. Use one day for the estate tour that takes 1 ½ hours with a walking tour followed by a wine pairing. Then, the next day reserve a wine tasting where you can spend anywhere from 1 – 2 hours sampling a full span of their wines paired with some cheese. The grounds around the estate are beautiful with a large French fountain with a great view of the grape fields surrounding the estate. If you go to just one winery this is the one you can’t miss.
I found the Cabernet’s to be very approachable, well balanced with colors and tastes to match most everyones pallet for red or white wines. You’ll feel like you’re in 1^st class when you attend the wine tasting.

This is a wonderful place. Be sure to make a reservation. The wines are beautiful. The staff is a bit stiff but will loosen up when you start engaging with them. If you only visit one big name vineyard this should be it. Even though it is in the more expensive side it is worth it.

This was a very well designed winery, not to mention it is owned by the famous Coppola family. There is a lot of history on this property from the passing of owners, to the movie memorabilia from Coppola’s movies, etc.
We reserved our tour online ahead of time for the 3pm Tour and Tasting. The Tour was educational about the property, learned about the Coppola family and the winery, and also was educated about the series of wines produced on the property. The tour ended with a sit down tasting pair with cheese carefully selected for the wine choices that is provided to you. The cheese and wine were great!
Tour lasted 1.5 hrs. so I recommend giving yourself a minimum of 2 hours for your visit. You will want to take the time to visit their gift shop, explore the property with spectacular photo opportunities while also viewing the ‘mini museum’ in the foyer of the winery.
I highly recommend booking ahead of time the tour and tasting together as it will provide you a great experience.

I’ve been a club member for 5 years. The wines are great. My favorites are the Rubicon, Cask Cabernet and the Edizione Pennino Zinfandel. They consistently deliver every season.
We also enjoy going to their club member events like the Lobster Feed, Vineyard Hike and Harvest Dinner.
There’s a small espresso bar if you’re needing a different kind of beverage.
I love coming here. It’s so beautiful and serene. Great for taking nice pictures.
If you’re lucky you may even run into the owner Mr. Francis Ford Coppola.

If you are taking your wine tour seriously you want to stop here for an appointment wine tasting or admire the grounds historic architecture and Copploas movie museum with stenograph and zoetrope a.

Inglenook is absolutely, fantastically, beautiful. So picturesque, like from a movie. I couldn’t stop taking photos (which don’t do it justice). Absolutely gorgeous, I want to live upstairs lol.
First off, it’s a bit further north than actual Napa, but totally worth the drive. It’s very serene, has gorgeous views of the vineyards, and just so… perfect.
Came with a couple of friends for the day. The bistro was our first stop for some snacks. We sat in the sun, had some fresh horseradish cheese with some freshly baked bread, and chatted for a few hours.
The tree with oranges and lemons have a sign that specifically say not to pick the fruit (but what if it’s fallen on the ground? No, I didn’t take it but totally wanted to!).
The museums inside are just as awesome.
You’ll regret it if you don’t make this one of your main stops in Napa.

This place is beautiful. Really picturesque just like its out of a Francis Ford Coppola Movie.
If you are visiting Napa, make sure you make this place one of your stops. Its definitely one of my favorites. Not only is the location stunning, the wines they make here are one of the best in my books.
Not to be confused with the mass market label Coppola wine. The wines produced at Inglenook takes the upmarket label Rubicon and is one of the best the most delicious wines I’ve had the pleasure to taste. And at $ 200 a bottle they don’t come cheap but are absolutely worth it. You can also do a 4oz tasting pour at the tasting area.
If you do happen to have the time, do make an appointment and sign up for their winery tour. Its a tasting tour and you’ll get to sample some of their best wines. It is also around the $ 50 mark.
If you don’t have that much time, make sure you do a walk around downstairs and upstairs at the Coppola’s lovely collection of magic lanterns, memorabilia and historical information about the winery and its founders.
PS: Coppola himself is known to come around to the café and just sit outside and have a cigar.

Most wineries have deep roots leading to their current success in the valley. Although this winery’s history is rich, Inglenook has not yet truly found their niche. The winery has had several owners, all with different visions and goals. Every story our host told ended in a clear «THE END» for the winery, followed by a rebirth. And then again. And then again. It seems as if they are just now getting into a new groove, after name and logo changes. And I, for one, am a fan.
The Inglenook property begged to be photographed. Of course, I obliged. Fall colors were everywhere and lush greenery abounded. There were so many birds singing that I started to think it was really a recording. Ha! And the eucalyptus! Oh the eucalyptus that was planted everywhere was just divine. The tour started with a glass of their white (forgot which one) in the wine shop and then moved to the walking/​history portion. There were movie knick knacks on display, here and there that had more to do with the movie industry (and the Coppola connection) than with its wines. Our tour ended in the tasting room (which was already nicely set up for us upon walking in).
I visited the winery because I already loved Cask. During the tasting, I was happy to discover their Rubicon is also top notch. Our group even purchased several bottles to bring with us to dinner that night. Each bottle was paired with a cheese. We sampled the 2011 Edizione Pennino Zinfandel (probably the only zin I’ve ever liked!) with Rupert from Vermont. The 2011 CASK Cabernet Sauvignon (my favorite of theirs) paired with Holey Cow from Paso Robles, CA. Lastly, the (new favorite of mine) 2011 Rubicon with Cave Aged Gruyère Emmi, Switzerland.
I highly recommend visiting Inglenook. You can take the tour as I did or simply stop by their adorable indoor/​outdoor café to taste their wines. Make sure to also stop by their gift shop. They have an abundant selection of gorgeous, unique wine-​related finds. I wanted to buy everything, but I behaved. Well, at least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

While this is a beautiful winery, with gorgeous grounds, it is by far one of the most overpriced in Napa. 45 dollars for a 4 oz class of Rubicon, get over yourself!!! It was good, but by no means worth that much. While this winery certainly is pretty it is not worth the price tag.
They did have a really cool car called a Tucker which was pretty neat.

Inglenook (Former Niebaum Coppola Rubicon Estate) Is An Expensive Wine Tasting Experience — Good If You Can Afford It, But Not Worth It If You Are On A Budget
SITREP
If you have only so much funds that you want to allocate amongst all of your wine-​tasting experiences in the Napa-​Sonoma Valleys for the day/​weekend, probably blowing $ 50 on this one stop per person here is NOT your best allocation.
I think my friend Brittany B., the Unilocal Community Manager for L.A. West, summed up this stop & tour very accurately and concisely: «It became evident upon arrival that they are selling a BRAND, not wine.»
There are many smaller wineries «more hungry» for your business that will present you with more expansive tasting-​experiences, and where you will leave with bottles in the «below $ 20» per bottle range. Having said that, you WILL get a truly exceptional wine-​touring & wine-​tasting experience for $ 50 — the standard tour-​tasting rate presented to the public. It’s one of those experiences where like caviar, Ferrari’s, and Yachts, it depends on the person as to whether overall it’s worth the price.
THE SETUP
For starters, Inglenook DOES have one of the best, most thorough & longest winery tours and during it’s 90 minutes, we covered a LOT of ground — both INSIDE the mansion & antebuildings, and all over the estate grounds.
So the FIRST thing you have to ask yourself, «What is most important to you and what do YOU want to get out of your wine-​touring-​tasting experience?»
* If you are looking towards just the destination — where you saddle up to a bar-​counter, hoping to get substantial samples of (admittedly) delicious expensive wines (that you have no intention of buying a bottle of) — then NO, you won’t get those «substantial samples» to quench your thirst for wine.
* But If you are looking to have an AMAZING scenic tour of an incredible mansion estate representative of (more so, actually) of the historically & culturally rich Napa Valley, filled with incredible structures, gorgeous scenic landSCAPES AND lush landSCAPING, stone fountains, cool caves, hidden alcoves, etc. etc., that one can take many many MANY pictures of, then YES, I consider this probably a «once in a decade tour where I blow $ 50 of the estate» that is worth it to me.
Bottomline: for wine-​tasting, not so impressed; for photography, AWESOME. So come for the tour and take LOTS of pictures, because to be blunt you really aren’t coming for «wine deals» (go to Costco, BevMo, and Total Wines & More for those).
SPEAKING OF WINES
The wines in my tasting included:
* The 2010 RC Reserve Syrah ($ 62 per bottle)
* The 2009 Rubicon ($ 200 per bottle)
* The 2008 CASK Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum ($ 220 per bottle)
Yes, there ARE a couple of wines in that list that were MORE than couple of Benjamins. And check out their website — you’ll see even MORE very very VERY expensive wines. The Syrah above in my tasting was ALMOST affordable for me. But there were several other wineries I visited that weekend where I could acquire a delicious Petit Syrah for less than half that amount (even a ¹⁄₃).
Now, if you *pop* to become a member of the wine club, you get 25% off all of your purchases. [So let’s see… *looks in his wallet, does some quick math* $ 200 bottle of wine… 25% discount … still $ 150… yeah. Probably not. Not for me anyways.] So this is a personal budget decision based on what you CAN or can NOT afford. No judgment here — just facing fiscal realities for most people.
MY SWEET SENTIMENTALITY FOR SOFIA COPPOLA
I enjoy the Sofia Rose, the wine produced by actress-​movie director Sofia Coppola (and daughter of Francis Ford Coppola). It’s more because of emotion and a school-​boy crush. [I’ll NEVER forget that scene in Godfather III where she was hit by the bullet that went THROUGH her father (Al Pacino) and then it killed HER — that… made me really really cry…].
So out of some sense of profound sentimentality for Sofia Coppola, I tend to walk away with one of her $ 19 bottles of Sofia Rose — and it’s a BEATUTIFUL bottle to boot, JUST LIKE SOFIA *sigh*
But THAT, my friends, is probably the LEAST expensive bottle you will find here at Inglenook — and it’s not even a true traditional RED nor a true traditional WHITE. Ce le vie. We all have our unabashed vices, and Sofia Coppola is one of mine. ;)
THE LOWDOWN
Come for the tour… and …well… that’s really about it. [Unless you also have a crush on Sofia Coppola like I do or a $ 1000 to spend on a tour for 4 people and where each of you take home a bottle of wine.] ;)
[As to the survey, I am inclined to say that you SHOULD make an appointment — you really don’t have an Alfredo’s chance of getting into the mansion — and getting out of the boat alive — if you don’t make that appointment.]