Phifer Pavitt Winery in Calistoga: The Most Beautiful Tasting Room You Will Ever See
When in the Napa Valley, there is no shortage of wineries that you can visit. I even heard that there are over 500 in the valley itself now. The large wineries have a ton to offer, such as places like Castello di Amorosa (the castle winery). However, you miss out on some of the charm that this valley has if you just stop at the foremost wineries and don’t venture off the beaten path to places like Phifer Pavitt. Phifer Pavitt is not a party winery, heck they only offer tours via appointment, but by doing so, they create an atmosphere that makes you feel like you are a part of what they are doing. I recommend you check it out if you are in Calistoga as they have a gorgeous wine tasting room and two highly sought after wines. Here is all the information.
Details
- Two wines – Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc
- By appointment only – Info here
- Location: 4660 Silverado Trail N, Calistoga, CA 94515
- Information from my visit in 2017
When you arrive at Phifer Pavitt, you will realize it is a small boutique winery with one main building for the production and tastings. The wine is currently grown off-site in a property over the hill from where they are located.
The building is full of beautiful things, and on the tour you learn all about the intentional lifestyle that the owners live and apply to their winery. We were told they even insulate the building with old recycled blue jeans, which is impressive.
One of my favorite things about the property was the old birdhouse out in front of the building, which the owner told us was designed as a smaller version of the building itself. It was a fun touch to add to an already delightful spot.
When you walk into the first floor, you will be in the wine cellar, which is very cold to keep the wine at the right temperature. The atmosphere in this room is great as there are chalkboard walls with lots of fun drawing on them, and this is where you were able to try the first of the two wines they make, the Sauvignon Blanc.
From there, we headed up to the second floor, which is the main tasting room. This is the room you have seen in pictures, and I can honestly say it is even better in real life.
The room is covered floor to ceiling in recycled wood that has been perfectly shaped and styled to match the room’s aesthetic. Two sets of benches bookend it, and at the back of the room hangs a massive wooden table.
I say hangs because this table literally hangs down from the ceiling with nothing below it to hold it up. It is a fantastic thing to see, as I have never been to a place that took something so substantial and hung it so elegantly. Even without wine tasting, this is a room to see.
The decor of the room is also unique, with large wire fenced lanterns hanging from the ceiling and hay bales to sit on below each wall. It is one of those places where you see something new every time you look around.
When we were there, we had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Suzanne Phifer Pavitt, who was as exciting and fun as her winery was. She sat with us and told us stories all about the history and her view of the winery. Her personality was fresh and fun, which made her stories come to life. Of course she is not always there but if she happens to be there when you go make sure to say hi. Also, I had a few wine people with me when I went, and they raved about how good both of the two wines were.
After spending an hour just sitting and hanging out in the tasting room, we headed out of the winery only to feel like new friends at this fantastic spot. I enjoyed my time here and highly recommend it if you are looking for a relaxed way to spend a few hours in Napa Valley. Be sure to let me know your thoughts if you have been in the comments.
