Darioush Winery (Napa Valley)

We finished at Caymus early and had a little time to kill so we decided to make an impromptu stop at Darioush Winery. The architecture at Darioush Winery is Persian-inspired and definitely evoked feelings of grandeur as we walked up. As we entered the tasting room, its high ceiling created a very breezy atrium with walls lined with designer merchandise. They also displayed a number of large magnum bottles with which we had a lot of fun taking pictures. The room was packed but we found a quiet corner to begin our wine tasting.


We selected their signature flight where you got to taste 5 wines for $35 (they also have an option of 2 for $18). It's a little on the pricey side for a tasting but if you buy two bottles, the tasting is comped which I thought was a nice touch. The three of us shared two tastings and it was just right for us (we've already been drinking and we knew we had a lot more coming up!) We started with the 2010 Signature Viognier ($39/bottle), followed by the 2009 Signature Chardonnay ($43/bottle) and the 2008 Signature Merlot ($46/bottle). They were all easy to drink, but unfortunately I didn't think any of them were that distinct or memorable. One could probably find similar wines for a much lower price. The last two flights were the Signature Cabernet Sauvignons, one from 2006 and the other from 2008 (both $88/bottle). The 2008 vintage, even though it was younger, was actually smoother than the 2006.


Overall Darioush was a fun winery to visit. The architecture and space are cool to check out, especially for out-of-towners. The wines are pretty easy to drink but all of their wines are on the pricier side, and one can probably find similar wines at a lower price.

Darioush Winery
4240 Silverado Trl
Napa, CA 94558

(707) 257-2345