Brasswood Estate
Have you been to Brasswood Estate in the Napa Valley lately? If not, you should add this “lifestyle property” to your future plans. Want to go wine tasting and tour some wine caves? You can do that here. In the mood to do some shopping? There’s an onsite Bottleshop + Mercantile store selling luxury goods, wine and liquor. Need a place for dinner? The Brasswood Bar + Kitchen is here to help. Has your day just started, and you’re already desperate for a Bloody Mary or a Breakfast Burrito at 8 am? Well, they can cover that too at the Brasswood Bar + Bakery. The concept here is to celebrate the local bounty by making elegant wines and delicious foods, and creating a warm and welcoming space where guests can relax and enjoy the finer things in life.
Some of you may recall the long-closed Napa Valley outlets on Highway 29 between downtown St. Helena and Calistoga. That’s where you’ll now find the 52-acre Brasswood Estate campus housing multiple tasting rooms, a custom crush state-of-the-art winery, and separate onsite restaurant and café establishments (each with a bar) which are collectively open from 8 am to 9 pm. This all happens at 3111 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena. There are also several spacious locations for rent if you’re planning a future event for personal or professional reasons.
Winemaker’s Den
The Tasting Room here is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily and walk-in visitors are welcome to enjoy the Signature Tasting (although reservations are recommended). There are additional tasting experiences to select from if you make a reservation in advance. The Den Tasting offers a seated tasting in the charmingly rustic Winemaker’s Den where wines are paired with artisan cheeses. Or, a Cave Tour and Tasting includes a backstage tour of the winery and its 17,000 square foot caves as well as the Bottleshop + Mercantile as you explore the winery’s wines.
Brasswood Sensory Globe
Next to the Bottleshop store is Brasswood’s Sensory Room, where terrariums displays collectively represent the blend of aromas found in specific wine varietals. Estate Sommelier Josh Fisher has artfully crafted collections of plants, spices and other items to reflect the nuanced olfactory blends you will find in Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, or other selections. If you sign up for the Sensory Tasting, you will have a unique interactive experience taking in the sights and smells of the displays as you are guided through tastings of wines and cheeses. The Barrel Tasting experience involves a wine tasting in the Sensory Room, a guided tour through the winery, and a stop in the wine caves to partake in a barrel tasting of future releases.
Our favorite wines here include the Estate Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Brasswood currently has only one acre of grapevines on its property in St Helena but there are plans to plant another 7 acres on the Spring Mountain portion of their proprty here in the near future. The estate vineyards in Coombsville include 10 acres planted with Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Merlot. There are another 30 acres of vineyards in the Russian River area with Pinot Noir and Syrah.
Bottleshop + Mercantile
Shoppers in the area should check out the Bottleshop + Mercantile store. It sells items such as loungewear, toiletries, handmade soaps, leather goods and accessories. Product lines include Lotuff totes and folios, Dukes belts, Triumph & Disaster toiletries, Culti home fragrances, Cousu de Fil Blanc soaps, and Diptyque candles. If you want to buy some wine, the Bottleshop carries Brasswood Estate wines as well as bottles from some of the wineries that use their custom crush facility such as Harumph, Modus Operandi, Moone-Tsai and PerUs. Alcoholic beverages for sale also include Bourbon, Whiskey, Vodka, Gin, Rum, and Tequila.
Red Velvet Cupcakes from Chef Mai Nguyen
Brasswood Estate can help when you’re hungry seven days a week, as their Bakery + Bar is open from 8 am to 5 pm and the Restaurant is open from 11:30 am to 9 pm. In the Bakery, Executive Pastry Chef Mai Nguyen bakes fresh goods each day such as Cream Puffs, Fig and Blackberry Tart and Red Velvet Cupakes. Warm Breakfast items include a Breakfast Burrito and a Breakfast Sandwich. The Lunch menu includes Salads, Panini, and Sandwiches such as a Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Avocado, Apple Slaw and Arugula. You’ll also find seasonal specials such as the recent Housemade Bagel with House Cured Salmon, Cream Cheese, Arugula and Pickled Red Onions or a Caprese Salad with Fresh Housemade Mozzarella.
The Café has a full liquor license so you can purchase beer (Lagunitas IPA, Humboldt Lager and more) or wines by the glass (Brasswood Sauvignon Blanc, Mumm Brut Prestige, von Strasser “Rudy” Cabernet Sauvignon and more). Or, you can add a cocktail to your day such as a Bloody Mary, Blood Orange Screwdriver or an Elevated Greyhound made with Fresh Grapefruit Juice and Charbay Grapefruit Vodka. Better yet, Wednesdays are Pizza Days at Brasswood when they heat up their wood burning oven and sell Pizzas, Cocktails, Wine and Beer all day long to help you celebrate Hump Day.
Brasswood Bar + Kitchen
If you come to the Brasswood Bar + Kitchen for lunch or dinner and recognize familiar faces, that may be because many of the staff here used to work at the former Tra Vigne in St. Helena. The Brasswood restaurant is headed by Executive Chef David Nuno and the menus offer a choice between multiple Salads (Kale, Roasted Beet, Iceberg Wedge, Seared Ahi Tuna) if you are so inclined. You’ll also find pasta dishes such as Spaghetti with Mussels and Clams, Herb Infused Pappardelle and Short Rib Sugo, Roasted Eggplant Lasagna and Four Cheese Risotto with Duck Leg Confit.
Brasswood Ribeye Burger
Recently, the Lunch menu also offered Chicken Caesar Salad, Milanese Pork Sandwich and a Brasswood Ribeye Burger with Cambozola, Butter Lettuce and Pasilla Aioli (not to mention Truffle Fries). Many people (including us) say “yes” to adding Pancetta to the Burger. Dinner options included Chicken Piccata, Herb Crusted Lamb Chop, or a Dry Aged Porterhouse (for two).
Event Space at Brasswood Estate
Brasswood Estate also offers comfortable, spacious and appealing event spaces which may be booked for private events. Rooms of varying sizes are available and the Wine Library in the middle of the wine caves can accommodate a seated dinner for up to 50 guests. In addition, Brasswood can actually provide a venue for your wedding, and the room has a separate Bridal Loft (including a shower) where the betrothed can get ready. For details and pictures of the venues available, please go here, and you can see the whole property map including venues by going here.
We have really enjoyed visiting this lifestyle property, so we encourage you to explore the variety of attractions at Brasswood Estate. To contact them for more details on any of the above, please call (707) 968-5434.