Heitz Cellars

Complimentary tastings in Napa?! Great smaller winery to check out amongst all the corporate giants that surround it. Adorable back patio great for pictures with their small water feature. The wines were nice and the pourers were friendly and knowledgeable. Will be back.

One of the few places with a free wine tasting. It’s just toward the beginning of St. Helena as you drive up north to hit up the other places. The first time we went here it was so crowded that there wasn’t enough room. Luckily, managed to come early to a rather comfortable setting. The back of the building looks amazing btw.
They give you four wines to taste. The experience was alright I would say; the host didn’t really walkthrough the wines as much as I hoped and simply regurgitated what was already in the descriptions.

In and out kind of place. The tasting room can get busy so don’t expect too much in the way of instruction or discussion, but generous tasting of an interesting selection of cabs. Spend a few minutes walking around out back or sitting by the fire before making your way onward to the next winery.

Love this little winery. Free tastings. Excellent service. An incredibly unique Chardonnay that we had to purchase. An excellent zin that we had to purchase, and an excellent Port that we had to purchase. Also met the Rudy the miniature pincher. Cute little dog. Thanks Heitz. Good stuff.

Yes. Yes. Now this winery i like. Intimate tasting room, but felt spacious. Outdoor seating area is amazing as well. But back to the tastings. This is how wine tasting should be. Not the herds of people at Sattui and Mondavi. And the gal that helped us was super nice and very helpful with the wine descriptions. And the cost? Can you say free? Totally unheard of in Napa, but very much appreciated. I bet people buy more wine when their tastings are free.
We ended up with a couple bottles of red and a chardonnay. Cant say enough good things about this place.

I’m really not a wine-​o, but I came to this place with a group of friends just for a tasting. This is one of the few places in the area that does free tasting. Our host was very pleasant, and he was happy to entertain the questions we asked that revealed we knew nothing about wine. The tasting is usually three wines topped off by a port, but our host graciously let us try a fourth wine before the port. (And it turned out that the extra wine was by far the best!)
One weird thing: apparently you need to have a permit in order for your guests to picnic on the premises. Heitz does not have such a permit.

Something that made this stop more enjoyable was the 2 ladies (Priscila Gonzalez-​wine goddess) that were pouring wine. They were charming and know the product. They were a pleasure to flirt with :) Heitz has a wine rep that in my opinion places it in the top 10 wines in the USA. They have consistently proven Martha’s Vineyard time and time again. I love this wine. If you plan on laying down a wine cellar, you better have this one representing. Complex, soft on the palate, fruit forward. I love it. The location has a nice area outside to look over the vineyards and sip from your bottle. You may be sure that though this is not the largest winery in the valley, it sets itself apart with incredible wines.

I recently visited Heitz Cellars Tasting Room located on the south side St. Helena on Hwy 29. Most visitors and locals do not even realize it is there — but it is thankfully! Heitz Wine Cellars was established in 1961 by Joe and Alice Heitz on the land where the tasting room sits today. Joe was one of the early pioneers in fine wine and well-​known for his remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon. Based on that early success Joe purchased land along the Silverado Trail in 1964, which is where the bulk of winery operations is located.
The Heitz Tasting Room is a beautiful brick building with well-​manicured grounds. There is a lovely sitting area on the vineyard side that is pleasant and peaceful. The inside of the tasting room is intimate and includes a fireplace and comfortable seating. The counter is well-​organized and the staff makes the tasting experience fun and very educational.
The wine itself is among the very best in Napa Valley and that is important. This is not just another tasting room. I tasted six wines during my visit. The first was a delightful 2014 Sauvignon Blanc. The second was a 2013 Grignolino, which is a wine I had never tasted before. This varietal is from Piedmont — it is light and very fruity. Next, I tasted the Big Dogs — three of the best Cabernets I have ever enjoyed. All three wines are 100% Cabernet, which is a style Joe Heitz established in the early 1960’s. My favorite was the 2002 Trailside, followed by the world-​famous 1998 Martha’s Vineyard. Finally, I enjoyed a glass of the Heitz Ink Grade Port — which is to die for!
I appreciated several things about the Heitz wine. First, the quality is impeccable. Second, they are stewards of the wine — they don’t just sell it as quick as they can — they hold back wine so that visitors can see what older vintages taste like. Finally, and please do not tell anybody because they want this to be a surprise — «The tasting is complimentary!» They want the experience to be like the old days in Napa Valley, and because they are so confident in the quality of their wine, they know that visitors will purchase the wines they enjoy at Heitz.
The overall experience is complete and refreshing. On this visit, I was assisted by Joseph Grabski and he was a consummate professional. My original visit was six months ago on a very rainy day and the team working then could not have been nicer or more gracious. On that visit, I was hosted by Catalina and she was an amazingly kind and knowledgeable host.
If you are local to Napa Valley and have never visited Heitz, I strongly recommend you put it on your bucket list. If you are visiting Napa Valley, carve out some time for a great experience.
In summary, I strongly recommend Heitz Cellars and appreciate them hosting me!

A really nice, small winery that I enjoyed visiting. The outside sitting area is really nice — a big shady area, with beautiful wineries in the background, and a nice breeze. The wines are pretty good too — I had mostly whites, and it was free for the tasting, so what’s not to love? The staff is really kind, they know their wines, and they know the other wineries well. It’s overall a very cozy, personable experience, and I would definitely come back again.

Delicious cabs! Beautiful grounds. They were very nice about our two year old that we had in tow. Definitely call them to see if you can bring your kid or kids — I think they appreciate the heads up and I think it also depends on what kind of crowds they are expecting that day. Fun and pretty place!

Heitz Cellars is one of those must go wineries in Saint Helena. Conveniently located right past V. Sattui, those that know their wineries go to Heitz for the free tastings. That’s right, free.
While the grounds are absolutely beautiful, including the front area with flowers and the different grape vines and the back with its benches and great view of the huge fields behind, the interior is also simple yet pleasant. A couple chairs in front of a fire place, a bathroom, wines and gifts abound. But of course, there is the tasting table.
Heitz might not have a huge selection, but they do Cabernet Sauvignon right. They usually offer two varieties at the tasting, and will have the Martha’s Vineyard for sale (but at the price not for me). For the white winos, they may have something available if you ask.
For me, it’s all about the Ink Pot Port. I’m more of a beer and bourbon/​whiskey guy, but I’ve been getting more into wines, and the Port is an excellent after dinner drink. Worth picking up, comes in two sizes.
So if you are heading to Napa Valley, I highly recommend Heitz.

When we got to Heitz cellar we were welcomed by the friendly staff who knew every single minute aspect of the wine they served. They offered everyone a free tasting of there top shelf bottles. One bottle caught my attention and I was wowed by the flavor and the caliber of the vintage, the Martha’s Vineyard Vintage. I think it will be hard to find a palette that would not enjoy that wine. I asked for an extra taste of the wine and then I stepped outside to there outdoor section. It was a great view and I really enjoyed that extra tasting. If your are planning a Napa tour, you should stop by Heitz for the tasting.

After having a 2007 Heitz Cabernet last week, and just having finished lunch down the road at Rutherford Grill, we thought we owed it to ourselves to pop in.
1. The hostess was so nice — younger gal dark hair — informative, pleasant, and extremely patient with demanding foreign (Chinese?) guests. That is really lucky for those tourists because there was a complete language barrier and she gave great service!!!
2. The wines were fantastic — my favorites were the Trailside Cabernet and the Grinolino Rose (which I purchased).
3. The tasting is complimentary — not what we were expecting.
Thanks Heitz, love your wines, love your service — we will be back.

Heitz wines are absolutely divine — great reds ($ 75-​$ 225) all around and great ports. If you’re along St Helena Hwy, I highly recommend a visit to Heitz!
The dining room is small but warm and inviting. The service here is outstanding and friendly.
They welcome walk-​in tastings and best of all they are complimentary! Went home with some delicious port — only $ 20 for a small bottle.
If you want a no-​frills (no reservations, no tours) visit with simply solid, red wine — make a stop at Heitz!

This is one of the oldest winery in Napa. I loved their vineyards — so beautiful. Don’t miss going to the back yard. Tasting was free and PORT was great. This place has history — they produce 38,000 cases per year and sells some of their grapes to other wineries. Host was very friendly and he very happily served four different kids — one of the was $ 225/​bottle.

Beautiful little winery in Napa. They actually have free wine tastings which is good because $ 20 here and $ 20 there certainly adds up after awhile.
The tasting flight focused mostly on reds. The first one was a Chardonnay. I’m actually not a huge reds person so I didn’t really like the wines (I especially hated the port). But they were super nice about the tasting and had all these tasting notes. We did try some old Cabernets which were a treat.
The back area is a bit small and overlooks the vineyards. It was nice to just hang out here.

Beautiful spot.
Nice service.
No tasting charge AND good wine.
We left with one bottle but could have easily left with six.
Fireplace was a nice touch. Comfy chairs if you are not tasting.
Beautiful pergola with wisteria vines — overheard them saying no picnics allowed which is sad because this would be a perfect stop for one.
The poppies blooming were gorgeous as well!
Well done!

From what we were told one of only two or three wineries in the Napa area that still do free tastings! Definitely appreciated.
They have a nice, cozy tasting room. You get to taste about 4 or 5 wines, all of which I really enjoyed. It’s definitely a nice, low key tasting. In addition to a little bit of seating inside, they also have a nice back patio area that looks out on the grape vines.
Fantastic experience!

Great tasting room:
No reservation required
No cost
Personably prices wines for purchase
Beautiful grounds (inside and outside patio area)
Children welcome (we brought out 19 mo old)
The staff was very friendly!
I would definitely recommend this place if you’re in the area.

Cute little winery in Saint Helena… everybody gets a free tasting of 4 wines, and they won’t pressure you to buy anything
Our of all 4 we tried, my favorite was definitely the port. Not too thick but good body. Price was also very reasonable, around $ 30 a bottle for the port.
They have a nice backyard with a great view of greens, very relaxing! There was a fire pitch too but it wasn’t fired up when we went. Definitely recommend this place!