Domaine Carneros

Domaine Carneros is the most elegant first stop in Napa Valley, and the one locals send friends to when they want a celebration. Founded by the Champagne house Taittinger, the winery opened in the late 1980s in a grand chateau inspired by the family's eighteenth-century Chateau de la Marquetterie in Champagne, and it sits on a knoll above the Carneros highway a few minutes from downtown Napa — the first great winery you pass when driving up from San Francisco. Carneros, which straddles the southern ends of both Napa and Sonoma counties, is cooled by breezes and fog off San Pablo Bay, ideal for the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that go into traditional-method sparkling wine, and the estate makes celebrated still Pinot Noir as well. The experience is seated and served, which makes it feel more like a long lunch on a French terrace than a tasting bar. Depending on the weather you sit outside on the broad terrace looking across the vineyards, or inside in the chateau's original marble-floored fireside salon, and staff bring flights or glasses with a menu of small plates — cheese, charcuterie, caviar and the like — so you can build a leisurely afternoon. The standard Daily Tasting takes about an hour; elevated food-and-wine pairings of up to ninety minutes are held in the Jardin d'Hiver, a glass house on the grounds. The estate is open daily from 10am to 5:30pm with the last reservation at 5pm, and reservations are required. Visits are strictly for adults 21 and over — no children or infants — and there are no picnics or pets. It is not a place for a quick pour, and prices reflect the setting, but for a glass of bubbles on one of the most beautiful terraces in California it is hard to beat.

A taste of Champagne in California. Taittinger chose Carneros after a long search for the right climate for sparkling wine, and the estate was planted with the cool-climate grapes of Champagne. The wines are made by the traditional method, with the second fermentation in bottle and long aging on the lees, and the house style leans toward finesse and freshness. Le Rêve, the prestige blanc de blancs, is the estate's showpiece; the brut, rosé and vintage cuvées are the everyday pleasures; and the Pinot Noir program gives red-wine drinkers something serious to taste too.

How to visit. Book on Tock or by phone; parties of eight or fewer can reserve online, while larger groups should arrange a private option. Groups that want to sit together must be on a single reservation, and you should call if you will be more than fifteen minutes late. Terrace seating is the dream, but it depends on the weather and cannot be guaranteed, so book an early afternoon slot on a sunny day and bring sunglasses. Professional photography is not allowed, the vineyards and the pond in front of the chateau are off limits, and the grand staircase is the obvious photograph on the way up.

Where it fits. Because Domaine Carneros sits on Highway 121 near the junction for downtown Napa, it works perfectly as the first stop of a trip arriving from San Francisco, as the last stop before heading home, or as a bridge between Napa and Sonoma — the Sonoma Plaza is about twenty minutes west. Pair it with lunch at the Oxbow Public Market or an afternoon at the Sonoma Mission. A sparkling flight is gentler than a Cabernet marathon, but the usual rule applies: plan a driver or a car service.