Vincent Arroyo Barrel Sampling Party
Vincent Arroyo is a very small boutique vineyard located in Calistoga off Highway 29 and the main winery path. Vincent has become more popular through the years and now tasting is by appointment only, unless there is a special event. I cannot say I blame him given the vineyard is actually his residence and he used to conduct all the tastings himself on the weekends. Vincent Arroyo is known for his increasingly popular Petite Sirah which is on a waiting list basis only now and his annual blend named after one of his dogs!
Every year at the last weekend in February, he offers a complimentary barrel sampling party of his newest vintage. This year was raining but the place was packed, requiring parking out on the main street and golf cart transportation back into the winery grounds! Although I am happy to see the success of his wines, it has become even harder to get one of his Petite Sirahs!
We didn't have much time to socialize and hang out since we were headed to a crab feed that evening in Napa but thought it would be fun to stop by for a little bit and check things out. Of course, I still made time to try all the wines and sample the food paired with each. :-)
Vincent Arroyo is a very small production winery with an annual case production of about 8,000 of seven different varietals. He pretty much was a one man show for awhile and when you'd visit the tasting room (which was right across from his house), you'd meet him. The last time I was there for an event, he obviously had quite a bit of help and the place was packed - they were offering golf cart shuttle from the street back to the barrel areas!
His signature wine is the Petite Syrah which almost always sells out prior to even bottling. You need to get on a waiting list for it but trust me, it's worth it! In addition, he produces a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, and several red blends. Their signature Petite Syrah is developed into several different bottlings: Napa Valley Petite Syrah (blend of their many vineyards), 2 vineyard designated ones - Greenwood Ranch & Rattlesnake Acres, Winemaker's Reserve Petite Syrah (barrel aged for 34 months) and a Petite Syrah Port.
One fun element to Vince's take on winemaking is his dogs get in on the action! Each year, he features a special wine named after one of the dogs. The first year I met Vincent, he was working on J.J.'s blend! JJ runs around the vineyard and loves to run and jump on the barrels, especially to retrieve his tennis ball! Both JJ and Bodega were featured on the Napa Dogs winery calendar in 2007!
Vincent Arroyo hosts several events each year that are worthwhile to check out (if you can get in!!)
- Barrel Sampling Event - Last Saturday of February each year (free). Opportunity to taste all the wines still in the barrel and sample delicious food!
- Open House - First Saturday of May each year (free). They bring out the previously released library wines which have been sold out for people to try! This is an opportunity for people to see how their wines are aging.
- Winemaker Dinner - First weekend in May (reservation only, $$)
- Arroyo Open - August (fee -$$). The winery holds the Arroyo Open in St. Helena every year. Unique challenges at various holes, and a catered buffet dinner paired with wine.
-Amigos De Arroyo (unk). This is "THE" event if you can get in. Every October they get a group together to harvest and hand pick grapes, transport them back to the winery for stomping. Once all the work is dine, feast on paeall prepared over an open fire and drink some of his best wines. Each member of the group will eventually receive 2 bottles of wine they helped make once it has been bottled AND they are all listed on the label as winemakers! This is obviously a very popular event and you must be entered into a lottery to even have a chance at participating!
NOTE TO VISITORS WANTING TO TASTE: Because of permit issues, you MUST call ahead for an appointment now! For groups of 6 or less, the tastings are still complementary. For groups of 7 or more, the fee is $5 per person. Please be respectful and make reservations ahead of time versus showing up direct at the winery.
