Arrivals and Mise en Scène
Thirty years ago, V. Sattui built a reputation as the unpretentious friend in Napa, with picnic friendly lawns, baskets under the oaks, and wine poured with smiles. In 2025 that legacy has been upgraded without losing its spirit. According to recent articles, the winery completed its first major renovation in some fifty years, resulting in an 8,000 square foot Mercato del Gusto, a combined market, deli, and seated tasting bar, with an interior dressed in stone, warm wood, and open light.
You arrive through a broad stone façade. Inside, vaulted ceilings, redwood beams, and wide plank floors welcome you into what might be called picnic luxury. The old picnic lawn still stretches outside, but the heart of the experience is now this indoor space with cheese displayed across twenty six feet of refrigerated shelving. Four separate tasting bars stand ready. The mosaic of food, wine, and leisurely browsing feels carefully choreographed yet retains the casual ease that drew visitors in the first place.
PALETTE AND PLEASURE: FROM CHEESE WALL TO TASTING FLIGHT
If the design sets the tone, the content gives it depth. The cheese wall is nothing short of extravagant, with more than two hundred distinct selections curated by one of California’s veteran cheesemongers. Nearby, a deli menu directed by a chef with Michelin star lineage presents sandwiches, pastas, charcuterie, vegan foie gras, and other imaginative plates.
At the tasting bars, the wine program refuses to play safe. Rieslings from Mount Veeder, Lambrusco style blends, and small batch natural wines sit alongside the winery’s classic Cabernets. It is a rare tasting room that invites a plate of branzino tartare or bacon wrapped dates beside a glass of estate wine.
Atmosphere, the duality of ease and polish
What strikes you most is that the space does not feel overdesigned to the point of distance. Yes, it is elegant. Yes, the finishes are refined. And yes, you may notice the vaulted ceiling before the vineyard beyond. But the atmosphere holds its picnic friendly roots. Guests still spread baskets on the lawn, order deli plates, and wander the marketplace shelves. The transformation feels democratic. You can go high with a five plate pairing or low with a sandwich and a glass on the patio, and the mood accommodates both.
Still, some might ask if the polish dilutes the charm. Perhaps. If your idea of the perfect winery visit is rough around the edges, spontaneous, with gravel underfoot and unvarnished picnic tables, this may feel too curated. Yet the layering of comfort, craft, and accessibility gives it a modern resonance, a place that satisfies the seasoned taster and the casual day tripper in equal measure.
Practicalities, the visitor’s view
Tastings begin around forty five dollars, with lunch plate add ons available. There is ample lawn space for lounging and shaded seating for those who prefer to sip outdoors. During the renovation, construction temporarily limited capacity, but those interruptions are now resolved.
V. Sattui’s renovation is not just a spruce up. It is a statement that wine tasting can include robust food, design can serve comfort, and a high volume visitor destination can still feel intimate. For Napa visitors seeking more than the standard glass and go model, this delivers. The winery has redefined the idea of a tasting room into something closer to a wine country social club, elegant yet welcoming, expansive yet grounded.
If your ideal visit is a blanket on the lawn with a bottle, you will still find it here. But if you arrive expecting the old V. Sattui, you may be delighted by the new one.
