Can you call wine tasting a hobby? If so, it’s definitely one that Matt and I share. Not only do we make sure to find a winery on pretty much any vacation, but we love to learn more about every aspect of wine. This passion has also led us to volunteer at a local winery during big events and to my new job, which is in the wine industry.

While we don’t get to Napa as often as we would like, I can definitely recommend the perfect day trip to sample some of the area’s finest sparkling wine and delicious food. I’ll start our recap at Schramsberg, and will share our trip to Mumm and restaurants a little later.

The grounds at Schramsberg.

Schramsberg

Matt’s parents are members here and it was our second time visiting. This place is full of history that you will learn about in the tour. It starts off in front of the home and next to the pond above. Then you’re taken into the caves where the wine ages and is hand riddled in the process of becoming sparkling wine. The tour ends with tasting in a cave.

We tried five wines, four sparkling and one still. Our favorite, however, is the Cremant, which wasn’t included in the tasting. There were two $100ish bottles we tasted, which I probably otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to try.

Learn a little more about the winery and its history in this video:

Tasting in the caves is pretty fun. While it’s not the most glamorous tasting experience, it certainly is unique!

Just one section of the Schramsberg caves. If you've seen those racks and wasn't sure what they were for, they're called riddling racks.

The wine is stacked like this as the yeast and sugar turn the regular wine into sparkling wine. They have rows and rows of these stored in the caves.

Matt and I enjoying our tasting in the caves.

I highly recommend visiting Schramsberg. The wine is great and it’s a great opportunity to learn more about how it is made and you get to sample some of the best sparkling wine America has ever produced. Plus, it’s a beautiful spot that makes you feel miles away from the rest of the world. Only drawback? The price for a tour is $90. It’s free if you’re a member. It’s still not in our budget to be members, but maybe one day.

Champagne? Yes please!