You guys are always asking me for Napa recs, and I have a fab winery to add to your next Napa itinerary: Whetstone Wines.
Omied and I are slowly but surely visiting more wineries that surround our new home in Napa, and Whetstone Wine Cellars was one that I was super excited to check out. It was first on the list of best outdoor wine tasting in Napa that Danielle guest wrote for What The Fab, and it looked absolutely beautiful.
Psst, planning a trip to Napa? Be sure to check out these Napa posts for the best outdoor wine tasting in Napa and the best Napa restaurants!
Meet the Owners of Whetstone Wines
Whetstone Wine Cellars is a small family-owned luxury winery in Napa Valley. We were lucky enough to get to sit down with the husband and wife team behind Whetstone wines—winemaker Jamey Whetstone (yes, that’s really his last name, and yes, sometimes “wet stone” is used to describe flavor profiles in wine, so it seems he was destined for this life) and his wife Michelle Whetstone who manages hospitality and operations at the tasting room.
While Michelle is a Napa native, Jamey moved out to Napa Valley from South Carolina. His southern roots mixed with California surfer dude vibes blend together in the best way—he was such an easygoing and fun host.
We loved hearing about how he got his start in Napa managing Mustards Grill in ’96 (one of our fav Napa restaurants), and eventually fell in love with wine country.
Omied and I were excited to hear that Jamey got his wine education at Turley and apprenticed there from 1998 – 2005. If you’ve read any of my Paso content, you know I love a big, bold Turley Zin!
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Whetstone Wine Cellars Property & Tasting Room
Whetstone’s property and tasting room are absolutely stunning—you’ll want to spend all afternoon here. We loved hearing from Michelle about the history of the property and the 19th Century French-style chateau where the Whetstone Wine Cellars Tasting Salon is now located (and that she spearheaded the renovation of—no small task, but she was up for it with her background in business and interior design).
There’s lovely outdoor seating in front of the chateau, as well as a charming staircase that leads you up to another beautiful outdoor tasting area.
Book a Visit
Hours:
Thursday – Monday from 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Address:
1075 Atlas Peak Road
Napa, CA 94558
Whetstone Wines has a few different options that you can book—for groups of up to seven people you can book an appointment for lounging on their beautiful property and enjoying a bottle of wine by the glass. They also offer a flight of four current release wines.
Their pricing is as follows:
Bottle Service: Retail price
Glass Service: $20 per glass
*Trying to decide which glass to try? For a white, definitely one of their Viogniers. If you’re in the mood for red, pick between one of their Pinots (like their unfiltered 2017 Pinot Noir, ‘Walala’, from the Sonoma Coast), or a Syrah from Phoenix Ranch Vineyard (if you love full-bodied and a big nose).
Flight of 4 Current Release Wines: $40 per person, per flight
Reach out to [email protected] to book an appointment.
If you’re going to have a group of 8 or more, you’ll need to look into their large group options, which involves Jamey and Michelle sharing their story with you.
Whetstone Cellars also welcomes you to support other local Napa businesses by picking up something yummy beforehand and bringing your own picnic to enjoy.
I feel like it’s a bit rare in Napa for a winery to allow outside food, which is a shame because sipping wine in a gorgeous setting with a picnic is such a lovely wine country experience. So I love that Whetstone welcomes it!
They also offer cheese and charcuterie boxes by Napa Valley Picnic Co. We enjoyed an epic spread from them when we visited with Michelle and Jamey and it was as delicious as it was beautiful.
Whetstone Wines
Ok, let’s get into the wines, shall we??
We started with a Rosé, which was perfect and crisp on a warm evening—I loved how it was balanced and not too sweet, not too dry.
We moved into whites and their 2017 Viognier, ‘Catie’s Corner’, Russian River was the star of the show here. This was Omied’s favorite, and I was a huge fan as well. It was a really unique Viognier, and the nose was a delicious floral and fruity mix.
One sip and we were hooked. Omied said that it reminded him of a Persian dessert that’s kinda like a peanut brittle. He actually ended up buying some at a Persian store so that I could try it and we could share some with Jamey and Michelle during our next visit. He was right, btw! The Viognier definitely has hints of honey and peanut brittle.
Next up, reds! Sonoma County is known for its Pinot Noirs, and tbh I’m not usually a huge fan of Pinot Noir. But omg, Whetstone’s Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Pinots were different. They’re much more full-bodied than your average Pinot, which I loved.
My favorite wine that we tasted ended up being their 2015 Sonoma Coast Pinot. With its darker red color and hints of chocolate and cherry, I could see easily enjoying sipping this wine alone or with dinner.
A little side story here…if you follow me on Insta you may have seen some of my previous partnerships with Vinho Verde, a wine region in Portugal (I’m actually currently en route on the flight there while writing this, but that’s a different story!).
I recently did a giveaway with them for several virtual wine tasting experiences with The Supper Share, and my cousin happened to win one of the tastings. When she was chatting with the wine expert leading the virtual tasting (who was based in Chicago), she asked him which Napa Wineries he would recommend when she comes out to visit me.
The first one on his list? Whetstone! So clearly I’m not the only one giving rave reviews here, and we’ll definitely be bringing friends and family back to Whetstone Cellars.
Save this post for later when you’re planning your next Napa trip. Or if you can’t wait to try this family-owned luxury wine brand, click add to cart on Whetstone’s online shop.
You can check out their wine club here for different options including twice a year shipments with a selection of new releases.
If you’re planning a Napa Wine Country trip, definitely add Whetstone to your list of must-visit wineries and spend a leisurely afternoon here. Maybe I’ll see you there!
Planning a trip to Napa & enjoyed this Whetstone Wines rec? Explore more of my Napa content here.
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FAQs
Whetstone Wine Cellars is open Thursday through Monday from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm by appointment only.
Tastings usually cost $40 – $60+ per person.
Yes, Napa wineries are open to the public but most of them require reservations now.
Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
Igor Sill - Sill Family Vineyards
Thursday 5th of January 2023
great write-up on my neighbor Whetstone! Great folks!
Elise Armitage
Thursday 5th of January 2023
Glad you enjoyed the post! It's been a while since I've been to Whetstone, I need to visit again!