Del Dotto Vineyards & Winery Reviews

Light on education and formality, heavy on the fun and pouring. Lots of samples - easy to sip the day away. The caves are pretty cool, but don't expect anything super classy.

Took our adult children for tasting/tour. Throughly enjoyed wine & staff. Tasting a little pricy, have to remember it's fresh out of the barrel..I fell the glass should be included, at least when you purchase wine..

Our group of 10 made an appointment in advance to visit the caves and do the wine tasting. The positives: a unique tasting experience inside the caves -- all tastings were from the barrels. One of the most impressive tastings was the same "juice" aged in American oak in one barrel and French in the other. Wow, what a difference!! We were quite surprised.

The Negative: I was put off right from the start by the pretentious staff behind the "front desk". We explained that 3 people would not be tasting and 1 not doing the tour or tasting and we were informed we signed a contract for 10 (I didn't recall signing any contract). Our host Dan, was ok at first, but the more I thought about the experience the more I agree with some of my fellow tasters that he was just over the top with his whispers and jokes. It almost felt like we were dealing with a slick salesperson :( not what most wine hosts are like.

Glad I did the tour but doubt i will return. You basically are buying futures of expensive wines you tasted in the barrels to be sent at a later date.

This was our second visit. Make reservations as they are busy. We did walk in and lucked out that they were available.
Love their wines. Worth the tasting. One of our favorites....

Went here while in Napa for a few nights . Booked the bar tasting for us both . Really loved it , great location , great wines paired with cheese nibbles , well explained through taste & history . Managed to pick a bottle up to enjoy once we are home .

Wine tasting and cave tour $60 on week days. (&25 if you don't drink wine). About 8 tastes and a food board. I don't drink wine but took the tour and it was very informative. The cave is about 2 football fields long and is ok for claustrophobics. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant. The cave tour goes about 1-1/2 hours. One of the neat things was the different taste of the same wine from American Oak and French Oak barrels.

We have now visited all 3 locations of Del Dotto and this one might be our favorite - we love the historic caves in Napa, but this one has outdoor areas that are just spectacular and more to enjoy. It was raining during our visit so the birds were all locked in the aviary, but even in the rain it was breathtaking. The wisteria trained over the arches is so beautiful, and the paths and fountains are lovely. We did the "Poppers" menu this time, me doing a vegetarian option (which they were happy to prepare and truly wanted to make it special) and hubby had the regular. All the bites were delicious and unique, presented in an attractive arrangement and plated with meticulous attention to detail. Our guide, Jonathon, was knowledgeable, friendly, welcoming and entertaining. We learned a lot from him and felt very comfortable asking questions. As always, Del Dotto is ridiculously generous with their wines and we tasted several "bonus" pourings in addition to the 5 we expected. These are mostly the Piazza wines with only a couple of the higher-end Del Dotto wines included, but they were all very good. The more affordable price-point meant we could buy a couple bottles without compromising on other things, which is nice. As always, the olive oil is also delicious, I always grab a bottle of that to bring home, and they now offer it in a larger bottle which is great. And of course the Dolores port-style wine is so good! Paired with a lovely dark chocolate square, it was the perfect ending to a wonderful afternoon tasting experience. We will definitely go for the full "Delicacies" menu next visit and hopefully the caves will be open by then. Del Dotto is as wonderful as always and we LOVE the new location!

My wife and I showed up on a weekday for the first tasting, and low and be hold no one was there, so we had the whole cave to ourselves. We tasted some fantastic wines, the staff was very knowledgeable, and gave me information that I would use as questions for other wine tours. Who knew how expensive the barrels were, and where they were made? I know now. The wines are expensive ranging from $45-$225, some of them haven't been bottled yet and will be sent in the fall. So, something to look forward to. The setting of going thru the caves was really cool, and at the end we got an assortment of cheeses, meats, and homemade pizza. So, we didn't need lunch after that. It was our first wine tour on the trip and the best one. I would take clients, friends, family, even the mail man. They are known for their Cabernet. This is a tour you don't want to miss.

The barrel tasting/cave experience was a treat! We weren't sure what to expect, but have some friends that love this place, so we decided to give it a try. So glad that we did! Our tour guide, Kyle, was a lot of fun and very genuine. I really loved that the wines he chose for us to taste were customized based on the expressed likes/dislikes of our tour group. I feel like if we went back to do this again, it would be a totally different experience. And they fed us at the end! Will definitely return on our next trip to Napa Valley.

We had a great tour in the DelDotto cave. We experienced many different of their "yet to be released" wines. The tour itself was very interesting, educational and the host was accommodating. And while I know wine tastes are an individual thing, you would be hard pressed to not find a wine here that you are crazy about. They have many delicious varieties prepared in different ways to challenge and excite your senses. If you like wine, you will LOVE DelDottos.

As mentioned, there are two locations and we mistakenly made a reservation at one and showed up at the wrong location. The staff were extremely accommodating at St. Helena and were able to accommodate us for a cave tour. Our guide/host, Tim was so informative, entertaining and made the tour! They are very generous with their tastings and follow it up with a delicious spread (we didn't even need to go for lunch). Highly recommend this winery and want to go back!

Our group did a barrel tasting tour in the caves. We sampled side-by-side wines that had been made with the same grape juice, but aged in different barrels. It was amazing what a difference it made in the taste of the wine! Very generous pours, and I don't even remember how many wines we sampled. Not just cabernet sauvignon - also petite syrah and cabernet franc, among others. After the barrel tasting in the caves we went to a tasting room and sampled more wines - out of bottles this time. There were plates available with a nice selection of cheeses, breadsticks and chocolate. We concluded with a port. Our host, Dan, was very entertaining - very energetic though maybe a little over the top for some members of the our group. But very knowledgeable. We were also able to watch them bottling wine that day. The negative which keeps this from getting an "Excellent" rating: we had two non-drinkers in our party, who were charged $25 for the cave tour. We knew that in advance and it was fine, except one of them was not even able to go into the caves and waited outside the whole time. Dan said they would refund the fee, but the crabby woman at the front desk was very unwilling to do that. Some pressure had to be applied before she would back it out.

On a more serious note, my business partner referred me to Del Dotto having been there himself and it was a "spot-on" recommendation! The wine caves dug out in 1885, were extremely cool and our guide Steve Hare who wielded the "wine thief," was outstanding!
A group of seven of us went through the full cave network sampling quite a few reds that were good-sized pours courtesy of the "wine thief" glass pouring vessel that Steve used to dip into the barrels. This tour had a real "wow" factor and is definitely my most memorable tasting experience. The wines are solid and I had about a dozen pours by the time I was done. Along with the reds, I tried two Chards and both were good as well. The whole interior décor before you get to the cave, is neat and sets the tone for when you are actually in the cave which is most authentic.
There was just the right amount of information passed along and it was interesting to learn the role a barrel can play in the aging of the wine. At the end, some nice meats and cheeses were served along with some really good hot pizza which many remarked favorably on. To go with that was one of the best ports I've ever had and I was disappointed that they could not ship it to my state as the alcohol content was too high. Noted here is that Del Dotto's wine in general had a pretty high alcohol content, so something to be aware of. As a result, many of the wines displayed rich "legs" when swirled. All-in-all, this stop was worth it and one needs to allow 1 1/2 to 2 hours to fully take it all in. It was worth the higher tasting fee of $75 to do the full tour and more modest tasting options are available. Note that there are two Del Dotto locations and the cave is at the 1055 Atlas Peak Rd location, just northeast of Napa. reservations are highly recommended for a cave tour as a "walk-in" will not be guaranteed a spot.

Our group visited 3 vineyards while in Napa and this was our favorite - unique and fun. We did the cave tour and Simon spent plenty of time with us, was knowledgeable and funny. Love that you sampled straight from the barrel and could order bottles from the same barrel to be shipped in the future. Afterwards we had delicious snacks while sampling bottled versions of a few of the wines we loved. While a little more than we would spend on a typical bottle of wine, we chose a few to purchase. By the time they arrive in a few months, we'll be reminded again of the great experience we had!

My friends and I got stuck in California due to Hurricane Irma, so we took advantage and headed back to Napa and this vineyard was HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by everyone. I'm so glad we made a trip back because they were right. Our tour guide was so funny and we learned so much. I would definitely recommend this vineyard!

Beautiful winery, some very nice wines and their Pinot "Rocks." That being said, the $60 fee is excessive and not refundable when you buy a case is despicable.
Advice, read the rating online and buy where you get a better price.

This was our first trip to Napa for my wife and I. Del Dotto Winery was our 2nd vineyard that we visited out of 12 over the weekend. Even though we did not have an appointment, we were greeted with smiles and they were more than accommodating host our party of six.

We had a wonderful wine hostess, Anna Lisa. She took us off menu right away, sharing her favorite whites & reds, and mixing them in with Del Dotto's signature Pinot Noirs & Cabs. We also had an assortment of cheese & crackers throughout too. Next time, we'll do the cave tour & tasting.

As we enjoyed a glass of wine at the close of our incredible Napa Valley visit, Del Dotto Vineyard was our overall favorite wine tasting experience compared to all others.

Wine glasses raised - Cheers!

This is my second time visiting Adele. Oh and I'mma still impressed. There is a real attention to detail from the manicured lawn to the music playing in the lobby to the beautiful Mosaic floor in the marble on the walls from Italy.
Candlelit caves welcome you into an an experience you won't forget. Our guys did an excellent job educating us and not just trying to sell us.
I really don't know a lot about wines and we did buy some relatively expensive bottles but the memories of being there make it special and worth the price. Be sure to go upstairs and walk around there so many interesting things to see besides the caves I've attached some pictures as well

What a great tour!! Beautiful winery with a barrel tasting tour. Shows the difference tastes between French and American oak, even the different toasting levels and the taste impact. Very informative tour in an elegant setting with great wines. If you are in Napa, this should be part of your agenda.

My wife and I took the cave tour with tasting. We sampled a dozen wines, enjoyed antipasto and pizza for $75 pp on sunday. It was well worth it. We bought half a dozen bottles. A great way to spend 2 hours.

Do you want to learn something about wine barrels? How about how the barrel affects the wine? I saw an 11 year old post recommending that we skip Del Dotto. People from Texas telling the world Del Dotto is cheesy. Ironic, no?
It’s like visiting a museum and a winery at the same time. Beautiful gardens, tapestries and mosaics from Italy, gorgeous caves, tons to learn and fabulous wine- better than most -even out of the barrel! Bottle tastings are amazing.
Be sure to schedule a food and wine tasting at the newest Del Dotto- former chef of the French Laundry. Well, maybe I shouldn’t recommend that. -Never mind that last suggestion, I want to be able to get a reservation and don’t need the competition. 😊

Some people go wine tasting to feel important, rub shoulders with others with more money than sense and to experience a phony version of Europe in the U.S. If that is what you're looking for then Del Dotto is for you.

We managed to be "genrously" let in and allowed to share a tasting which was $45 for 4 wines towards the end of the day. I must say the 2012 Piazza Del Dotto French Oak Cabernet Sauvignon is tremendous and we purchased a bottle.

And our server turned guide was as friendly, polite and helpful as could be, even showing us the cellar room and "cave". Again she was terrific and after tasting all day we did have fun.

But on reflection this is more like visiting a casino - everything is gaudy, over the top and an attempt to pretend to be Italian rather than just embracing California and the great things on offer there. I've been to Italy 40 times, this is not what Italy is really like....

Fantastic cave tour with Kyle, which offers wine tasting directly from the barrels. The most informative wine tasting experience we have had without being boring or verbose. It was all about tasting different varieties of wine from different barrels and valleys, comparing the flavours and choosing our favourites. This winery specialises in Cabernet Sauvignon, but also had some high quality Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc, amongst others. All wines were of really fabulous quality. The tour came with a beautiful lunch to finish: fresh bread, homemade olive oil, meats, cheeses and a full pizza. Then chocolates with a very nice Dolores port dessert wine. As an introduction to wine tasting or even for people who have done a lot of it, we would recommend this tour without reservation.

They were able to squeeze in our group of 6 at the last minute and it was so worth it. We found a few wines that ended up being our favorites. Tastings of delicious wines straight from the barrel. The atmosphere was soo cool in the caves. Lots of interesting information. The only negative I had was at the end of the tour, we ordered our wines and our tour guide disappeared. He had been great during the tour it was odd.

We booked the "cave tour" on a friend's recommendation. It was awesome! The wine was fabulous, but what made our tour so great was our guide, Dan. We was so entertaining! He made it really fun! He was personable and very knowledgeable. This tour takes you through a cave and you get to sample wines while in there as well as learn about the history of the winery and the wines. This tour is a bit more pricey than others that we did, but it was totally worth it. At the end, they served a pizza and some meats and cheese. I would certainly go back and do this tour again.

Amazing and beautiful vineyard, plus the wine was fantastic! The tour was very informative and we got to try many types and learn about each one and the barrels they were in. The amount of wine given to try was very plentiful. After it was all over, we ordered wine to be sent back home. Hoping to get back there someday!

The tour the cave the wine the attention to detail
can't ask for more
They even give food at the end
the samples really generous believe me your glass won't be empty

We did the Cave tasting in Napa. It was very informative and the barrel tastings were wonderful. Ordered a few bottles to be shipped home.

Totally worth the price. And the tasting fee is waived with a purchase, which is appreciated. The wine guide was excellent - very knowledgeable, made it fun and engaging, and extremely generous with the pours!

I've been here twice which is the only reason I gave it 2 stars instead of 0.

The first time we went here we were put in a group of ladies that were previous clients. They paid extra for a special tasting of more expensive wines but at the time we didn't realize there was a difference. The experience was fun, the wine was decent and we enjoyed the experience.

The second time we went here was a far different experience. The tour guide was DRUNK! Now... I know this is Napa and wine tasting is a sport, but it was unprofessional at best to have the guide slurring their words, incoherent at times and obnoxious. I was there was a work client and was beyond embarrassed by the staff. And to top it off the regularly priced wine was terrible!

This is a good option for a bachelorette party or bachelor party for people who don't really care what they are drinking.

This was one of the first wineries we visited in 2015 and again in 2016. We came again this year....We have been to two of the locations, the historic location and the estate location. The estate location is very elaborate which I think is what some of the reviewers meant when they said it was "gaudy" . We were told everything was imported from Italy which is cool. The historic location has a different look and is more toned down. We have only done tours at the Estate. The tours were great and our tour guides were always nice and informative, It is a really cool experience to taste from barrels if you have never done that. We really love their wines and we purchased bottles every time we visited. This last visit however was not that impressive. Almost every time we are there we love almost everything we taste...this time not so much. Although we did purchase a couple items. Although I have a lot of Del Dotto in my wine fridge I wasn't that impressed with the current releases. My husband felt the same and we were rather sad. Of course we realize that wine varies from year to year so we will definitely be back on a future visit to Napa. Make sure you check it out when you are in town and if you feel the way we did then still give it a shot on your next visit because they really do have lovely wines. As for the comment from another reviewer about them being pretentious, I have never felt that was the case when visiting.

I'm a bit late adding this review. Had an INCREDIBLE time here at the Napa location back on New Year's Eve. Tour guide was Analise and she was A+++++. While the wine tour is certainly not cheap, it ended up being exceptional value as we tasted more than 10 wines, many of extremely high quality, followed by some pizza and salume and dessert wine back in the lobby. The venue is beautiful as it's inside a slightly brisk, natural cave. A novel locale that sets the tone perfectly for a wonderful afternoon. Best to take a cab or an uber here. I highly recommend scheduling your tour with Analise. Lastly, while they are famous for their various red wines here, I have to acknowledge that their port which is named after the owner's mother, is without a doubt one of the best i've had anywhere in the world. I only wish shipping were cheaper because I would be ordering wine all the time from here!

Del Dotto Vineyards offer a unique wine where the wine age in barrels (U-Stave) giving it a unique taste and feel. This is a must for any wine cononseour.

This is a very nice experience close to the city of NAPA. Not much to look at outside but be prepared when you go inside. Rustic elegance and barrels everywhere. Best to make a reservation. We just walked in for a tasting, got lucky. Tasting included a cheese pairing. Take the barrel cave tasting tour. The wine tasting experience in the caves is very good. The wine is better than good. You will want to but some for sure. Wish I had more time!!

Del Dotto is one of the most beautiful wineries I have visited in the Napa area. The interiors are gorgeous. Be sure to check out the wine caves and pair their fantastic wines with the even more amazing charcuterie.

We had an amazing tasting experience! Al was courteous, knowledgeable and friendly. The Del Dotto wines are great and the facilities are beautiful! Definitely one of the top wineries to visit!!!

We did the food and wine pairing at Del Dotto... it was pretty good. They were very accommodating to dietary restrictions and the service was timely. You did not feel rushed during the tasting... they explained the wine and food pairing and let you go off and appreciate it on your own.

The food was really good. The portions quite generous. I would recommend not eating too much prior as you want or enjoy the full experience. Note that we did the $95 pairing. The poppers tasting is less expensive and less food. Overall nice place.

We took the wine cave and barrel tasting tour. It's great for those who have been there/done that with winery tours. It goes beyond the basic "this is how wine is made" tour. Steve was very knowledgeable and highly entertaining- great dry sense of humor! We got to hear the history of the caves while sampling some delicious reds straight from the barrels. We learned a lot about how the barrel itself flavors the wine and tasted the same wine in French oak and American oak so we could taste the difference for ourselves.

At the end, we had some light snacks. We really liked their wines, particularly the Sangiovese and Cabs. Overall a great experience and would highly recommend.

Beautiful winery, tasting tour is pricey. We were a little hurried, but overall grateful experience.

Cave tour, with tasting directly from the barrels. Nice pizza and snack with teh tastings. Very knowledgeable tour guide. Highly recommend.

We loved this tour! Our host was fun, young and poured very heavy!
Played awesome rock n roll and was very thankful for the pizza after! Great time- will be back for sure!!

The Del Dotto caves are a really neat place to visit. The tasting tours, which require advance reservations and start at $60/person, are ripe with history, wine, interesting walking through the caves, and more wine. The planned tasting of about six wines usually ends up being closer to 10. The pours are very generous and there is a moderately hard sell at the end. The wines are expensive and I was not personally impressed. I preferred the wines at O'Brien and Caymus vineyards. I would not discourage a visitor from going, but please have a designated driver if you like wine.

This was one of our favorite tours and the wine wasn't too shabby either. Definitely worth the time.

Excellent wine and tour. Different from any other tour we took while in Napa. Our tasting came with food and the food was excellent too

A lot of places in Napa are very expensive to taste - and a lot will let you "share" a tasting - especially if you are buying a few bottles. Our wine tasting was with "bob" who was ok - but a little snarky.... once we committed to buy wine he took us to the edge of the cave (a very cool cave!) and we got a peek at the barrels.... the winery is very opulent and pretty and the wines are good..... the fees are just really over the top.....

We had our cave tour with Jeff and enjoyed it immensely. Jeff was a great host, he told us interesting information and easily kept our attention with the animated and comical stories/facts he would tell. I liked that his tour wasn’t just all about del dotto wine, it was about the barrels, how they are made, and why they are so important. I learned so much and really enjoyed it. He is a great speaker, and easy to talk to and ask questions. The environment down in the cave was unique and the wine was very good. At the end they even provided us with pizza, cheese, crackers, and deli meat. So nice! I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Napa valley.

I didn't do the cave tour, just the tasting. We went to their newer location not the original. It was fairly pretentious and I didn't care for the wines. A $30 tasting fee, not waived if you purchased or not, seemed a bit on the side of ridiculous. The wine was expensive, and not great. They did have cheese with the wine which was very good The building is very "expensive" and the grounds are beautiful though. I also did tastings at Clos du Val and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, and purchased wine from both of them. I enjoyed both of those tastings more.

We're wine lovers, and I guess sort of wine snobs if you will. It's not intentional it's just that we have access to the cult wines and really enjoy them. Well based on reviews here we did Del Dotto for the experience if nothing else. But the wine was GREAT! all were good and half of them were excellent! Dan was our tour guide and he kept our attention and had tons of information. I learned as much about the oak as I did about the wine which was great. plus the whole tour is done in the massive caves where they age the wine (in barrels). I highly recommend this one. Oh and be warned you will try 10 ish types of wine at about an oz a piece!

We had an excellent tour guide and tasted about 10 different wines right from the barrel, which is more than most wineries serve and they were mostly cabernet ...their wines were pretty pricey with cheapest bottle starting at $55 and a big jump to $125 from there and I didn’t consider it to be the best wine I had and we toured 7 wineries between Sonoma and Napa. We were served cheese, chocolate and deli meat at the end as well as a small delicious pizza.

This was by far, the best experience we have had in Napa so far. My husband and I bought a bottle of wine to share for our 1-year and 5-year wedding anniversaries. Even my husband, who is not a regular wine drinker, was blown away with our experience at the Del Dotto caves winery. I highly recommend this place for the tour, the tasting, and the snacks... don't forget to buy some wine!

My husband and I booked the barrel tasting and had a fantastic time! The wines are truly amazing. What made the experience so special was that our guide listened to what we had to say about each of the wine and tailored the choice of pours to our tastes. Del Dotto was the first stop for us as we tasted through Napa. At the end of the day, we decided that visiting the other wineries was just eh...we would have been happier if we had spent the day tasting at Del Dotto.

Visited in April and experienced their cave wine tasting tour. Tour guide was very good explaining all about the wine making process. Tour included a good amount of barrel tastings.

The most informative tour of our Napa trip! Yes, this tour is a little more expensive that most but it is definitely worth it! We did the cave tour and it was amazing. Our tour guide was hilarious and very entertaining.

Before you go, make an appointment for the tour of the wine caves & tasting. The wines were delicious and meats, cheeses and pizza. The entire facility was beautiful!

Where else can you get a wine tasting straight from the barrel!? Not 4 tastings, but 10-12. Hands down the coolest winery experience we’ve had in Napa. The guide was experienced and incredibly knowledgeable about wine. We learned so much about the barrel aging process and got to try American vs French oak. If you like wine, this place is a MUST!

My boyfriend absolutely was in shock when our driver Manny surprised us and took us here. I don't like red "juice" at all but this place changed my tune. We ended up getting a tour by David who really is a character and took great care of us. Tasting wines straight out the barrel was awesome!!! We spent at least 3 hours down in the cave. Brandon was also very knowledgeable and polite with all the wines presented. At the end we had pizza and cheese plates awaiting us and countless bottles purchased! Can't wait to sit on the porch and try and nice light red I picked out.

This was one of our favorite tours. The guide was amazing and the wine the same. The Pinot Noir is one of my top favs!

Travelling with my partner (and having been to the Napa a mere 12 months earlier), our approach to the wineries differed from most; we decided to enjoy the history of the valley (visiting 11 wineries), before deciding on a single wine tour. What a privilege it was to finish our day with a Barrel Tasting tour at Del Dotto.

Accommodating for us last minute (4.30 on a Tuesday), we were met by Todd, our extremely welcoming and knowledgable tour guide who tailored our experience individually to create a compelling and delicious afternoon.

Todd introduced us to the beautifully built caves that house the wines of Del Dotto, reminiscing about its rich history and feat of engineering. Along the tour we sampled numerous (and I mean numerous) wines, our palates breaking down the complexity of each variety as Todd artfully helped us determine distinct flavours and differences so subtle yet so notable once we were aware.

The beauty in barrel tasting is understanding the history of barrels (English, American, French oak and a mix), and the extraordinary personality of each as they lend distinct differences to the same grape. Todd's choices of wines were fantastic; not a single one missed the mark!

As we exited the caves to say our farewells, Todd summoned us over to a preset table and informed us the tour wasn't over just yet! We were greeted with home made cheese and salami (4 types of each), and a fresh wood fired pizza with some more fine wine to wash it down. The food, like the wine, was spectacular.

Having visited nearly 20 wineries across the Napa, the going rates for 4-5 tastes seem to be in the vicinity of $30.00 (the range is generally $20.00 - $40.00). Paying $60.00 treated us to a full 45 minute cave and barrel tour with a dozen or so wines, a culinary feast and an all around around insightful and intimate experience.

If there is one tour you need to do, it's Del Dotto!

Thank you Todd for making it such a memorable experience!

The winery is just gorgeous. It is famous for the cave for preserving the vines in the oak barrels. The plate of cheese and hams was outstanding, but the price for wine tasiting was the most expensive one in Napa. Some of the wines were price more than $150/bottle which is not affordable for me, unfortunately.

Del Dotto Winery and cave tours captivates your senses. The art, statues and architecture reminded me of Italia. There must be a little money in wine because much of the estate was quite lavish. The cave tunnels were covered in Italian marble and tiles from floor to ceiling. Be careful because they give generous pours for the win tasting and they easily allow you to taste more than a dozen different wines. They start you off with a complimentary glass of wine while you wait for your tour to start and they finish with a pizza and a glass of wine and a dessert wine. You need to make reservations and initially seemed expensive but after seeing all you got, it was not a bad value.

A MUST SEE! The best wines, the cave tours are amazing! Always interesting and staff are great! So fun! You have to do the cave tour!

The experience at "Del Dotto" is truly impressive. The architecture and the music they play transport you to a spectacular place in Italy. Listening to opera or arias at a low volume allows you to also hear the space and ambiance. The place is very elegant. When they take you for the wine tasting, they ask the group, which is no more than six people, what kind of wine they like. If you prefer white wine, they take you to taste the wines that most people enjoy, which is great. The portions they give you to taste are much larger than those at any other vineyard I have visited. In the end, you enjoy a super delicious pizza, and our host was wonderful. It is a place I definitely recommend visiting.

We toured for the first time about 4 years ago at the Napa caves and quickly became platinum members. The wine is phenomenal and has spoiled me for all other wines. Yes it is pricey - but for me well worth it. Both the Napa and St Helena tours and facilities excellent. They do side by side barrel tastings to compare different staves and barrel origins. Heavy pours - has been nicknamed Del Blotto! Just did their Members picnic last night - what a fantastic event. Everything first class. By far my favorite winery. Highly recommend!

This place was incredible. I don't drink wine ever, but this was an experience you shouldn't miss if you're in the area. The French Oak wines were very smooth and our tour guide, Chris was excellent, friendly and very knowledgeable about the wine. It was very unique to go into a cave and taste wines and I highly recommend this place.

We had heard lots of hype about El Dotto, and its approach to tasting - directly from the barrel. Some had warned us there was no place to dump (not true) and that the pours were overly generous (they were average).

Tasting from the barrel is a unique experience, but the wine will not necessarily be bottled as it sits in the barrel.

Finally, we visited a number of other wineries where we enjoyed the wines more.

The place is over-the-top faux Venetian and is worth a visit just to look inside. We took a tour and sampled a lot of wines out of the barrel. All were very good and some were outstanding. Great staff.

Overall, this was an enjoyable experience. The barrel tasting experience in the caves is great. The guide was very knowledgeable about the wood used in the casks, the differences in the wine and the winery! We ended up ordering a few bottles of wine - which we really enjoyed! The cost of the tasting was $75 person, so was a little on the high side (but they don't short change you on the wine)! Really enjoyed the 2013 out of the Minnesota Oak barrels!

We had reservations for a guided wine tour in the caves at Del Dotto Vineyards. What a tremendous experience with a friendly and articulate guide. Best wine of the trip - hands down!! Learned so many details about the art of wine making and enjoyed the experience for it's uniqueness, attention to detail and staff presentation. You would be amiss if you went to wine country and missed a trip to Del Dotto Vineyards.

We loved the ambiance of this place but the service was less than par. Our wine host (Brandon) thought instead of servicing us, drinking wine with his "boss" was more important. We had our "5" wines which was actually more like 3, and when we about to leave we requested one last glass as we were about to buy a bottle, we had this response "If you want to drink more, maybe a bar would be more suitable" note this was our second wine tour and we were in no way intoxicated. Your loss!

Well worth the tasting fee, you should really do a barrel tasting experience! Big, big wines with an entertaining staff of sommeliers that will guide you through the wine wonderland of over-the-top decor. Pro-tip: Snacks at the end while you put together your order, don't miss them!

The tasting was a little pricey at $60 but was worth it. The tastings were directly out of the bottle and we tasted about 6 wines. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable and the wine was fabulous.

We really enjoyed this winery tasting experience. You need a reservation either on-line, or phone for same day. The winery looks straight out of Tuscany both inside and out. In a small group we explored their wine cave, barrel tasting from 2023 wines that will be bottled soon. Rather than a tour of the winery production, the focus was on tasting various wines. At the end of our tasting, we were treated to pizza from their kitchen, tater tots, and wine from their bottled selections. The owner was there and we enjoyed a visit with him, sharing a taste of his favorite Family Reserve Chardoney. Their wines were very good!

Popped into the tasting room at Del Dotto unscheduled and walked out with $800 in wine. Frequent their website and have visited in past visits. Schedule a cave tour -- a very good experience. This winery has become very popular. Two locations in the valley. The original room off Atlas Creek is staffed by pros and down the block from Silverado resort.

We call them Del Blotto for a reason. Lots of wine. Which is frowned upon in Naoa and by the alcohol beverage control. Most people come out pretty high. Which is good for sales and def loosens your pocket book. The tours are pretty good if not annoying scripted. The wine passable. The barrel samples are much better than the bottled wines. Makes you wonder what they are doing in that barrel room. Go to the St Helena location over napa. Visually more appealing. Wines are the same both locations.

Our tour guide Alex was so knowledgeable and engaging. This tour and the wine was the one of the top highlights of our day in Napa.

I booked a wine cave tour while I was in town with my family to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday. We had a few recommendations to visit this winery and do the tour and all 5 of us really enjoyed it. Our wine guide, George, was absolutely fabulous - great personality, a ton of knowledge about wine and very welcoming. We sampled about 8 different red wines, all which were fabulous, directly from the barrels during the tour and then were treated to a salumi plate and pizza with a few other wine tastes. We bought a few bottles to bring home with us because they were so good. Would recommend the tour and stopping here to anyone! It was the highlight of our trip and great to learn more about the winemaking process, and the samples from the barrels was a really cool experience!

Chris was our host for our barrel tasting and he made it great. If you don’t know Del Dotto is very Italian! Chris was full of jokes and very knowledgeable about the different wines, welcomed the knowledgeable questions and I’m sure the ones he hears all the time. The wine was delightful and it was a fantastic and sensory fueling experience. It isn’t subtle, but very enjoyable.

This was the ultimate wine lover's tour. Our tour guide, Alex, was fun, informative and accommodating! We learned so much and it was worth every single penny. We chose the Napa location due to it's more rustic decor. The wines were delicious (straight from the barrel!) and we we're generously served some delicious finger foods after the tour was complete. We would recommend this experience to any wine lover out there! Make sure to ask for Alex!

We tasted here last week and were very impressed with the wines and current vintages. Our pourer was very knowledgeable and informative about all of the wines we tasted. I highly recommend a visit here while in the Napa area. :).

The winery is just beautiful, and our guide was great! She shared so many neat things about the winery, and we learned a lot! We were also very pleased with the snacks at the end of the tour. It was a nice touch!

The cave tour was super cool. You were able to try the wines right from the barrel. Also very informative as we learned a lot about the impact of the grapes, soil, and barrels. Our favorite part was trying two different wines made from the exact same grapes (type and harvest location) but different barrel types (French vs Missouri oak). Was so interesting to see the difference in flavor profiles.

We went on a Tuesday so they were relatively quite. Beautiful property and we easily jumped on a cave tour without a reservation. While we waited for it to start we were treated to 3 tastings. On the caves tours we tried 5 wines straight from the barrels. We then got to try meats cured in-house and a pizza before we finally tried a Shiraz and a port!!! Really felt they went above and beyond with their customer service. MORE THAN got our $60 worth!! Would highly recommend. I am excited to take my wines home and even more excited to receive the barreled wines when they are finally bottled in 6 months and shipped to me.
Just don’t drive haha. So much wineeeeee :)

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed Dan and is knowledge of wine and history behind Del Dotto. The cave tour with barrel tasting was a first for us which we thoroughly enjoyed. Was amazed how different wood barrles affect the taste of the same wine. All nine of our group tasted a lot of wine and had a very nice time. We ordered several bottles of wine we look forward to receiving once they're bottled.

We did the cave tour where you get to taste from the barrels in the caves. It was amazing. The wines are spectacular. The only negative was our tour guide Dave. He was nice and was trying to be funny but he was over the top and annoying most of the time. We appreciated his enthusiasm and passion but it was a bit fake. We loved the wines though. He did do a nice job of tailoring the tastings to what we all liked in the group.

For those that have rated Del Dotto 4-5 stars, you must have not visited many other tours and wineries. While I admit the wine is fabulous, tour is a bit of a showcase. California is not Italy, so why pretend? Fake caves, fake Italian architecture, tour guide that could be (is) an actor. Thought I was at Disney World. We paid $75 each for tour/tasting. Only winery we visited that didn't "comp" the tasting fee if you joined their club. While it is a grand place, I just wouldn't repeat the visit. Much better wineries to explore that aren't so big on themselves and have more of a California feel.

If one wants to barrel taste, this is a great place to do that. This is the historic winery, Del Dotto currently has three wineries.

We also picked up a bottle of wine we had purchased earlier. Very good service.

We liked our visit.

This was our first stop of a 3 day tour of the finest vineyards in the Napa valley. Come thirsty here because they are very generous when it comes to tasting their incredible wines. They pour directly from the barrels. The tasting and pairing menu is quite expensive compared to other wineries and they don't waive the tasting fee based on purchases; however, you get to experience tasting some very very good wines (95-100 ratings), with generous pours so the value is there. Don't miss "The Beast" .... one of the best wines I have ever tasted (yes, I purchased 2 bottles of it).

When planning your Napa trip, there are many wineries offering wine tastings at different price points. You can't go wrong at any of the wineries in the valley as all the wine is very good, but understand that there are about 20-30 crown jewels which is better than the other and Del Dotto is one of them.

We booked our tour via the Del Dotto webpage prior to our trip to the US based on trip advisor recommendations and we were not disappointed.

Our host was George and we could not have been happier. He was clearly passionate about wine, informative and friendly, all without being over the top. Many, many thanks to him.

The wine was delicious and gave us the opportunity to try some wines and blends that we had not previously tried. The wine came direct from the barrels via an instrument called a "wine thief" and we finished off with a port tasting.

Should also mention that towards the end of the tasting we had a small charcuterie board and a fresh pizza which is all included in the tasting price. All homemade and tasty.

Overall I would absolutely recommend checking out the Del Dotto tastings. You may even end up taking a bottle home to enjoy, I know we did!!!

The entire place is just so beautiful. It's like being in an Italian Palazzo. Marble is everywhere and the wine caves are stunning! The wine was good and the sommelier was extremely pleasant and knowledgable. Defintely worth a visit.

I truly cannot understand how this place has so many high reviews. I gave two stars because the location and the staff was very friendly and our tour guide was nice. However, it is like being at Disneyland. Everything seems scripted and rehearsed. We opted for the barrel tasting and at over $120 per person we had high hopes. The barrel tasting is essentially just wine that they pull from the barrel while it is aging. The wine does not taste good. Our tour guide even told us when we asked that they come in about 3-4 times a week and pour wine into the barrels to make sure that they stay full. There was nothing special about the tasting of these wines. Save yourself the money and go to any of the hundreds of other wineries for a fraction of the cost.

Be careful, there are 2 of these, we went to the winery in Napa and what a Great experience.. This is the one with the made made caves.. Had a Wonderful time here, the wines were great and the olive oils & wines were all bought by my friends.. I would look forward to visiting this Winery on my next trip to Napa

First: You WILL need a reservation. Second: A tasting will set you back $60 per person. Third: It is well worth the time and expenditure. Fourth: Did I mention that it was well worth the time and expenditure ?
An excellent wine venue with top-quality vintages. Very heavy on the reds, light on the whites: truly a red wine lover's heaven. Known as the 'Caves', the tasting is a walking tour of low caves in which the wine is slumbering and maturing. The wine steward directs small groups (about 8 max) through the caves and uses a wine thief to pull from the barrels......no bottled product here ! If you purchase, you will receive a pull from the exact barrel that you sampled. We sampled about 10 or 12 vintages, running from $40 to $175 per bottle, plus an excellent Port that I just had to send home. Our sommelier was very knowledgeable about the nuances of the wines and we could identify the differences with his assistance. Very different from most wine tastings. A most enjoyable experience: absolutely the best tasting I have had in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Not to be missed.

We did the bar tasting at the beautiful Del Dotto winery in caves instead of the cave Taurus, since we had an elderly friend who uses a walker. They were only given a four instead of a five. Since it was not handicapped accessible. My friend had to go down a long cobblestone ramp or use a set of stairs. The staff was very accommodating and made sure that we were comfortable throughout the visit. The tasting area was absolutely beautiful and the wines were excellent, full-bodied, smooth, and clearly crafted with care. Care. At $75 per person is definitely on the higher end for bar tasting, but the overall experience, service and quality of wines made it worthwhile. The elegant atmosphere added to the charm will definitely return for the full cave tour another time.

This experience differered slightly from others as you get to taste the wines straight from the barrel in the cave. Our guide was enthusiastic and told a number of interesting stories about his wealthy,eccentric boss who likes to do things differently at his wineries. We tasted at least 6 wines plus a fortified "port" and were served with some meats, cheeses and pizza slices plus one square of chocolate with the port. It's not quite a food and wine pairing and it is expensive for what you get but it is interesting.

Based upon the recommendation of several friends, we visited Del Dotto on Atlas Peak Roadk for the barrel tasting and cave tours. What a waste of time and money! Perhaps, our bad experience was an isolated event, but based upon our experience, I recommend that serious Napa wine visitors avoid this place, particularly with Napa having so many other tasting venues with better products, better atmosphere, and better service.

To begin with, our wine host seemed to be rushing through the tour. His explanations were short, and, candidly, snotty and condescending. He would answer only the most basic of questions and seemed to want to just get the tour over. There was none of the in-depth knowledge of the product that we experienced at other wineries.

To get information about the wines, you had to read the placards. But, the caves were very dark, and, so, reading the placards really did not work. Guessing became the best source of information.

After the barrel-tasting, there was no real effort to contrast the immature wines in the barrels with similar wines already released. Basically, our host led us through the very accelerated tour, offered almost no input after we exited the caves on the wines which had been released, and essentially said, "Sorry, folks, tour is over." (Not his exact words, of course, but that was the message that he intended.)

Friends, Napa is a special place. Do not waste your time and money here. There are much better wines and wineries close by (e.g., Chimney Rock, Darioush, Silver Oak, Plumpjack, Odette, etc.). If you want caves, there are other which are better, Schramsberg comes to mind. There are barrel tastings at other places, but why bother . . . the wine is still in the barrel because it is not done. But, if that is your preference, do some research and find an alternative for a barrel tasting.

Finally, to the owners and managers of Del Dotto, I am sorry that I cannot write an more favorable review. Perhaps, it was an isolated bad employee or even a bad day by a good employee. Unfortunately, it was our worst experience in four and 1/2 days in Napa.

This is an experience for wine tasting. What makes it different is that not only is the wine Devine, they serve food to compliment the experience as well. The pizza was amazing and tomatoes and mozzarella cheese was spectacular, It is a beautiful outdoor area and a fabulous experience! Jonathon was great! A must see in Napa!

We were looking forward to our tour and the barrel tasting but the used car salesman like guide was too obnoxious and his sexist remarks kept coming even when a member of our group asked him to stop and asked him if he was familiar with the me-too movement. The guides heavy sales pressure was excessive and his attempts at humor were juvenile. This tour was way below our expectations and completely turned against del Dotto wines. Never again here, maybe a second visit to their other Napa property.

Amazing experience, would recommend it to anyone visiting Napa! Small group of people on the tour which made it more personal. Our tour guide Randy was very informative and funny, we had a great time tasting all the wines right from the barrels in their dark cove, awesome! After tour snacks made it even more enjoyable. We had a full table of different cheeses, pizzas and such. People mingled, talked about their experiences in the Valley and drank more wine. We made a few new friends there. Great times, will always remember!

Delighted to find a 💯 Franc wine and it was very good. Food at end was good and enjoyed the tastings but our guide was hard to hear, it was crowded and the tastings were not generous but sufficient. Staff were nice and helpful.

Absolutely a total waste of $75.
Take your $75, buy a nice $30-$40 bottle of wine a whole foods in Napa and go to lunch at a nice place, or find a place to have a picnic. This was the most expensive wine 'tour' in Napa.
What you do is end up tasting unready wine drawn from a wine 'thief' (a tube that goes in the barrel and takes out several ounces of wine), and thief is the operative word here, directly from the barrel. You're tasting wine that is not ready. I've been to wine tastings in Prince Edward County, Essex County, Niagara, and Virginia and none have ever been even remotely close to $75 a tour!! Even in Napa, this was the most expensive tour. Basically the tour and visit to the caves is half rate - you may the experience fun because portions of the unready wine are generous and most people get a bit lit up during the tour. At the end they give you some cheese and prosciutto and sausage, but hey, take your $$ and go to a fine place for lunch. For a couple this will set you back $150 and you can have an amazing dinner or lunch anywhere in Napa or go to three real wineries rather than visiting this place. The talk about the wine is amateur, unlike our tour of Castello di Amorosa. The wine is ok. Probably on average for Napa, but not that memorable. We went to duckhorn as well and it was only $50, but we have a seating, water and breadsticks to clean our palate and a real discussion/experience over wine tasting. If you're going to NAPA for the wine experience - do you and your wallet a favor - don't go here, it's ridiculously $$ for what you get, which is half rate at best.

While the cave tour will set you back $75/person, it's worth it! A personal guide takes you into the caves and gives the history and knowledge of the wine while filling your glass straight from the aging barrels along the tour. Wine drinkers REJOICE b/c there is nothing like tasting straight from the barrel! End your tour with a pizza, cheese and chocolate board and cap it off with another glass! Historic cave tour was a favorite stop in Napa.

We had Kyle for our cave and tasting tour and he made our tour a great learning experience! He was so passionate about the wines and history that made the experience that much better! The cave was awesome and the barrel tasting was amazing to learn about the flavors that different barrels lend to the taste of each wine. We enjoyed the meat, cheese and pizza at the end and the education continued as we ate. Loved the experience and the knowledge and the wines were very, very good! This place is a new favorite!

If I could leave less than a one star I would.
It was my birthday and my bf was driving.
I was taken aside and asked to leave.
The tour hadn’t started. The people
There were so incredibly rude and disrespectful and
Condescending. It was my birthday and I was trying to have fun. Rethink coming here. The workers are completely disrespectful,

Amazing boutique beautiful music in a bottle
Almost never had a bad sip here and the space is Italian greatness

This tour came highly recommended by our friends, so we included it in our recent trip to wine country. Although it was our most expensive tasting/tour, the experience was worth it given the number of barrels we were able to sample during our tour and the quality of the wine. Our guide was very knowledgeable and professional and he was quite generous with the sampling. The wines were very good although we did not elect to purchase any. The meat and cheese tray at the end was a nice surprise and aided in the recovery for one in our party that have enjoyed a few too many samples. I recommend the tour if price is not an issue and you want to steal wine from a barrel in a cave.

If you are looking for a wine tasting that is out of the ordinary I highly recommend the cave tours. As I am sure you have heard the wine pours here are very generous, and most of the bottles you will be trying cost over $100. Make sure you have a designated driver or a cab to pick you up because you will get drunk, even if you eat and drink lots of water during the tour. Overall the caves are nice and cool after being out in the hot sun all day. The tour does a great job of comparing some of the different oak types involved in wine making, especially in the 'bacon' wine. This is pricier than most wine tours but you will not regret it. Great wine and an overall great experience.

Great tour of an authentic wine cave with plenty of opportunities for barrel tasting. Wines were very good, particularly cabernet sauvignon. Tour provided lots of information.

What a nice place for great wine tasting. Thanks to Tina for the invite for this exclusive tour. Ready to celebrate with my 5 yo bottles soon

High end wines that are a bit pricey but worth the price of a tasting just to experience. Their Chardonnay was the best tasting Chardonnay I tasted on this trip to Napa. I even bought a case at $45.00 a bottle which says a lot since I try to drink wines in the $10-$15 range. Their Chardonnay was just to much to pass up. They don't do you any favors in pricing or shipping but there is no doubt that their wines are top rate

Our fourth time visiting Del Dotto. Touring the caves is an intimate way to taste some great wines that you can't find everywhere. We love the end of the tour with the cheeses, meats, chocolate and new-to-us: Pizza! Such a great way to spend a few hours in Napa!

Fabulous tour with great history of the grapes, the processing, the aging. And of course, tastes of many different wines to sample, so you can taste for yourself how all these factors affect the wine. The caves are amazing, providing great photo ops!

The wine was good the education was great and Dan was very knowledgable and was entertaining. That being said all the crap about Dave did this and he bought that gets old. I am buying the wine not the guy (it made the wine less attractive). We had been to Frogs leap earlier and you could see his vision without it being shoved in your face. I think the wine is lost on the Del Dotto tour. The wine was good too! I bought some and will see when I get away from the dog and pony how it stands up.

End your day at Del Dotto since the pours are extremely generous and there are a lot of them. Be aware it is mainly reds. We were late for our appointment but they were generous enough to still take us on our tour, it ended up being just the 4 of us so we were happy to get personalized attention. The barrel tastings were very good with some side by side tastings which was very cool and really made you think about the wine you were drinking. You don't go deep into the caves, pretty much stayed in the same area trying from different barrels. We ended outside the caves in the tasting area with, crackers, breadsticks and some meat and cheeses a nice finish. Everyone really enjoyed their wines.

My wife & I just visited the Del Dotto Caves Winery for the 4th time and will not go again. They completely changed the tour making it shorter, less interesting, serve their low end wines, and basically took away what made it so much fun. In addition, they also pumped the price up so it is just not worth it anymore. Would not recommend.

We were in Napa Valley for 4 nights with friends. This winery,Del Dotto, was the first one we decided to visit on our first day, intending to do wine tasting and pay for tours on the premises etc. We called in advance to enquire and made bookings for 5 of us. We showed up, they rushed everyone to fill up some forms, made payments ($60 per person) and then asked to check our ID card. Unfortunately one of us left the id in the hotel. The staff asked the manager to make a "judgement call" -- she said, "no ID, no wine tasting." At the end we asked for money back and left. That was our first impression of napa and it was horrible. Luckily the next and all the winery we went to were very pleasant, we enjoyed it. No one asked for ID, after driving back to the hotel to get it... hmm :-(

Visited with a group of friends in late March and had a great time! This was our second stop of the day of 3 wineries we visited. There's a small introduction at the start of the tour but the acoustics were not that great because it was in an open space, so it was a little hard to focus on the guide. We had done a tour at Mondavi prior to this, so we were able to follow somewhat. Had this been our first tour of the day, we would have been lost. The focus in this tour was on tasting right out of the barrel.

The cave experience was awesome! The caves were lit by candlelight so if you have problems with dim lighting, then this may not be the tour for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend it! We tasted a white varietal as when we checked in, had about 10 reds throughout the tour, and ended with a port.

Del Dotto never disappoints. We visited Del Dotto a couple of years ago and loved everything about the unique cave tour and barrel tasting experience. We considered visiting their new location Piazza Del Dotto but just couldn't resist going back to the original one and I'm glad we did. We once again had a fantastic tour and tasting. The food at the end of the tour is a nice touch and very delicious.

Suuuuch an amazing place! Love the vibe, wine, and hosts! The Syrah, Chardonnay, and Merlot were to die for.

George is a gem and wine aficionado! Request him if you can.

It was our first stop ata winery and we are only casual wine drinkers so we were apprehensive of the wine tasting experience. A Del Dotto tour proved to be perfect. At $150 for a couple (includes tour and tasting) it was not cheap but well worth it. The information about both wines and wine tasting was outstanding. All our questions were answered thoughtfully and completely. We left the winery with a much better understanding of the whole wine making process. The wines, only reds, were also varied and tasting from the barrel within the cave made it memorable. Based on your tastes the choice of wines are adjusted as you go. The pours at each of the barrel stops were generous and enough the get a full taste of each wine. In addition, a light bite, a homemade pizza at the end finished off a wonderful experience. Would highly recommend. Only suggestion is pace yourself and take an Uber there because the wine consumed will hit you before you depart!

We were lucky enough to experience the VIP tour at Del Dotto's historic cave and it was not a disappointment. We were greeted kindly and professionally and served our first wine, a sauvignon blanc, in the main reception area. Took care of a couple of details and off we went with Eric, our guide. Eric was exceptional, extremely knowledgeable and fun. He led us through the cave, a couple of tunnels dug into the hillside with some fascinating history. There we tasted exquisite pinots and cabs from the barrel. We finished with pizza and charcuterie in the main foyer and a couple of bonus pours, the Beauty and the Beast. All of the wines were incredible, truly. Of course there were some that were a little better than others, the Beast is a 100 point rated wine, but all of them were exceptional and amazingly approachable even in the barrel, which is one of Del Dotto's goals. The cave tasting is not cheap but the wines are among the best anywhere and our guide's knowledge made tasting them an even more enjoyable experience. It's a must do when in Napa.

For our first trip to Napa, we felt the need to do some sort of cellar or cave tour, so we ended up here. We know now there are better places to get a cave experience, but we appreciated all of the cask tastings we were offered and the knowledge we gained from the tour guide here. No one in our group of 4 was blown away by any of the wines, and we felt the tour/tasting was overpriced in comparison to others we did elsewhere. All in all, happy for the experience but wouldn't consider it a "must do while in Napa."

Todd was our tour guide he was amazing but the wines were even better. They are some of the more expensive wines in Napa but the experience is worth it. The second oldest hand dug caves in Napa. The ambiance was perfect. I would consider these special occasion wines.im not a big fan of reds but a lot of these reds I actually liked. The items we tasted will be bottled soon and I'll be placing a order.hopefully next time I can visit the St Helena location.the tasting was one of the more pricy ones but it was worth it as you receive a few snacks at the end.

This was our first tour of our trip and came highly recommended from many friends. I am so glad that we decided to take the recommendations. We had such an amazing time and tasted some of the best wines we had in Napa. We did the historical cave barrel tasting. Thank you for such and amazing experience !

We had a great time at the Del Dotto Vineyards and Winery. Brad was our guide for the barrel tasting. He was incredibly knowledgeable, personable, and created a fun atmosphere. Afterwards he had a plate of cheeses and meats set up, in addition to a couple of other wines to try. Brad was not pushy when it came to buying the wine (though we did end up purchasing a couple), which was a welcoming touch. The caves themselves are set up beautifully with candles, labels, etc. The wine itself was outstanding. You are greeted with a glass of wine, and they never stop serving throughout your visit. I am so glad we came here, and I would recommend it to anyone visiting Napa. Make sure you ask for Brad!

Traveled to the Napa Region August of 2013 with Family and Friends. Had a great experience at Del Dotto Vineyards. They were very knowledgeable. They also assisted our group with other Winery recommendations.

We had both cave tours but this review will be for the original cave or the cave located on Atlas Peak Road. We had a tour with Brandon and he was great!! He is very knowledgeable and fun to tour with. The wines are world class, overall a fantastic time at Del Dotto.

Great visit today. Concerned about visiting Napa so soon after the fires, but glad we came. Air is fine! Came to Historic Napa location to experience the cave barrel tasting. A lot of fun; very enjoyable. Like that this winery is different than the others we visited. Very nice surprise that we were served home made pizza. I am a vegetarian and passed on the pizza. However a handful of minutes later, another hot fresh cheese pizza was served; how nice was that!!!!!!

They have lovely gardens. They have a beautiful outdoor patio with fountains, flowers, orange trees and of course their vines. We enjoyed the tour of their cave wine tasting the various wines. And then a final tasting with a pepperoni pizza out on the patio. They are known for their Cabernet, but we found them to be too expensive. A little over the top.

We chose the Del Dotto tasting room for a visit based on the advertised accompanying chef prepared lunch and the tour of the wine tunnels. We will buy DD wines in the future because of our enjoyment of the tasting and the talent of Eric, our guide for the event.

Upon entering the venue, we were met by the owner before being led to the tunnels for our barrel-tasting tour of the DD wines.

The lunch, by the way, was extraordinary.

Amazingly educational, fun and great wines! Really enjoyed things like trying the same exact wine aged in French vs American barrels and learning how to tell the difference. Adam was our guide and he was fun, knew more about wines than anyone else we have toured and the caves were incredible. A little pricey but well worth it.

Stumbled in because we heard the caves were good. Didn't have a reservation some guy in shorts and sandals offered to "show us around the caves". Two hours later we finished our tour with Dave Del Dotto a little drunk but very impressed. The wines were great, the caves were great and Dave was great. It's not an old line vineyard like Far Niente (also great) but everyone should go.

We had a great experience tasting here. The wines are delicious and the staff was fun and informative.

My husband and I spent our anniversary in Napa and Sonoma. Had Del Dotto been one of our first stops, I might have given this experience 5 stars, but it was our last stop. Don't get me wrong, it was good wine and fun to drink wine from the barrels, but I do think there are more unique and individualized tasting tours in both Napa and Sonoma. For the same price (or less), we received one-on-one tastings with one of the owners at Chase Cellars (walking through the vineyards with a full explanation of wine making as we walked and tasted) and the MOST AMAZING one-on-one tour at Repris. So my suggestion is that if you're planning to go on the cave tour, do it in the beginning and hit-up one of the hidden gems I listed above last :)

We took the cave tour at the St Helena location. For $75 /pp groups of 10 are taken to the wine cellars and get to taste wines straight from the barrel. We tasted some 2014 Pinots and Cabernets and picked a few we liked. They will be bottled later this year and shipped to us in a few months. Del Dotto pioneered informercials on late night television . He initially sold folks tapes on his techniques to buy real estate but later resold time slots on the midnite to 6:00am block that he had purchased. Del Dotto provides Pizza and cheese and cured meats as part of their wine tasting. The winery was remodeled in 2007 and looks a beautiful Italian Villa. Barrel tastings means that you are tasting younger wine vintages. In our case the 2014 September harvest in July 2016. Which will be bottled and shipped in few months. The wines are not cheap and neither is the tour but good for one visit.

This place was amazing, the architecture and space was just beautiful. We did an awesome tasting here 6 wines for $30 and that included a small cheese platter. We had just come from Freemark Abbey and were very disappointed with that tasting, so when we arrived here we had no expectations. This is a MUST when going to Napa (this is the Del Dotto nearest V Sattui) we then went to V Sattui for a deli style lunch, went into the shop and bought cheese, meats, bread, olives, wine, glasses and a bottle opener and picnicked outside under the trees, this was awesome. We also went to Raymond (not worth the trip) and Domaine Chandon (very overpriced and so so) we stayed at Napa winery inn, great price, great location and free wi-fi and breakfast, would definitely do that again, however the hotel is on a main road so it can be quite noisy, didn't bother us though. we had a great two days in Napa.

We dropped in without an appointment but the staff quickly arranged for us to take the barrel tasting tour a little later in the day. It was a great tour comparing wines and learning about their barrels. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. We loved their wines. We had a wonderful afternoon at this beautiful winery. I hope everyone is safe during this terrible wildfire. Such a tragedy for so many people.

Vineyard perfect for a day out with friends or a romantic getaway. It is definitely on the pricier side ($120 or so pp) compared to other vineyards in the area, but included a wine tour in the caves with ~10-12 tastings and you can have as much, followed by a meal. Definitely a very luxurious experience. Pls make a reservation in advance as they are sold out more often than not, esp on weekends. Our wine tour lady was the best, taking photos for us and with us, it was just wonderful.

We really enjoyed the tour and tasting at Del Dotto. It was neat to experience a cave tour and barrel tasting. Also, they give you meats, cheeses and a sampling of pizza after! Really enjoyed our tour guide as well!

We took the tour with Mike (our host) and another couple from Ohio. What a great time! They pushed our reservation back so we could see more of Napa, and finish up here. What a FUN tasting! There were approximately 12 pours, right out of the barrels, into your glass! This winery was just unique to all the others we visited. We learned alot about the barrels here too!

We too a very nice and informative tour or the caves here. Tasted several wines from the barrel and learned a lot about the different red wines. This is a red wine tour for those that may favor white there are no white wines. I am a red wine drinker so no issue for me. My wife enjoyed and even liked many of the reds even though she drinks white regularly.

My wife and I visited del dotto while on our vacation, touring California. We'd been to winery's in Ontario, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, but are far from experts on fine wine. We were unsure at first, do to a higher price for the tasting at del dotto. But we were shocked at the all around experience we had. I believe our guide's name was Rob and he did a terrific job mixing humor, salesmanship and a vast knowledge of wine. To those that aren't the snobbiest of the wine snobs, this is an experience you won't forget.

Just had an amazing journey through the wines and caves of Del Dotto. Our group was lead by a boisterous and entertaining young gent named Alex. He educated us in the arbor specifics of wine barrels and made sure we knew what our tongues were telling us. The wines themselves danced on our palettes between sweet and spicy and mature and smooth. There was not a laggard in the bunch and we would highly recommend the wine and the tour with Alex.

We did the cave tour and barrel tasting as our last stop of the day in Napa. Our guide was awesome ! He was funny, informative and energetic the entire time. We were lucky enough to piggy back on to a VIP tour and got the "full treatment." Plentiful barrel tastings with additional pours if requested and sufficient time in the caves. It's a bit pricey at $65 per person when we went but it's now $75 per person but if you've never been to either I recommend the more rustic experience of the Napa valley caves vs. the Venetian caves in St. Helena if you're
contemplating which Del Dotto location to visit first.

I really wanted to like this vineyard more than I did, but honestly I thought their wines were very marginal and the staff was arrogant. I preface my comments by saying I am an oenophile, having been to more than 30 Napa vineyard out of 100 or more world wide. My favorite memory is watching the owner's son try and pick up four women that he was giving a private tour to (classy move ace). Specifics:

Winery: The ground are average, but the building itself is amazing. The caves are impressive and expansive.

Tour: Our fault as we were late (there are two vineyards so make sure you go to the right one and they are about 20 minutes apart) so they rushed us through like speed dating (I thank them for getting us through as our driver screwed up), but when you charge us much as they did, it was a little insulting. We raced through the caves doing tasting with the thief (which was interesting) and we tried more than 10 wines in the process. We finished in the main tasting area, which is a glorified store. They told us they don't have a club, but that if you spend more than $2K they care about you and otherwise you are unimportant....thumbs down.

Staff: Besides the owner's son trying to get his four-way going, they were cocky and a bit arrogant (felt like we were at Opus). I respect them for getting us through, but felt very impersonal and assembly line-ish.

Wines: 2 of out 5 stars. They all tasted very average and expensive. I was really disappointed as I have had their wines before and liked them. Will not buy them going forward.

Overall: I am trying to be fair, we were late (our fault) and they did accommodate us, but it felt a bit impersonal and "you are lucky to be here" like. I've been to some of the best vineyards in France, Italy and Napa and experienced less arrogance. I would recommend Far Niente, Darioush, ZD, Quintessa, Hall and even Mondavi (if you have the private tour) over them). Of the 8 vineyards we saw that week, it ranked #7 (only behind Plumpjack, which was really weak).

Did a wonderful tour tasting out of barrels in their caves. First time barrel tasting!!! Truly an amazing experience!! Never knew the difference. We had Rob for our guide, wonderful and full of knowledge and stories. Highly recommend!!

Outstanding cave tour with Alex. Very informative with opportunity to sample wines in American and French oak. The wine in the barrels and an older vintage that had been bottled were excellent The meats and cheeses after the cave tour were great. Highly recommend this tour. One of the highlights of our trip

Anyone that knows me knows how much I love chandeliers and how much I love good food. So, this was a MUST for me to visit! Their food and wine pairing is one of the best I've had! Not only were all their wines super yummy. So were the food! Met some amazing people on the tour a well! Enough to call ourselves the 7 dwarfs! I was Tipsy, one was Drunky, and one was Woozy LOL Good food + Good company = Good Times! If you're in Napa and you love food and wine AND chandeliers...this is the perfect spot! I will definitely do their food and wine tasting tour again!

I hope that my bad experience was due to the tour guide, who was sexist and inappropriate. Someone asked which wine he prefers - his answer was "view wines like women, sometimes I feel like a blonde and sometimes a want a brunette - so, I don't have one favorite." There were other similar comments. Had I not paid a lot for the tour, my wife and I would have left.

This tour was taken at the new location - not the cave

But - their wine is outstanding

We visited many wineries while in Napa. Del Dotto was our favorite. We toured their caves and drank wine from the barrels. It was difficult to hear in the caves, but the wine was incredible. This winery is a must stop on your trip to Napa. We can't wait to return one day!

My wife and i visited Del Dotto in napa on Dec 19 while on our honeymoon. We were greeted with glasses of wine while we waited for our tour to start. We were lucky to have Dan as our guide who was very i formative and fun and made sure we had a good time. Here you are tasting great wines right from the barrel. We tasted about 10 or so wines in this gorgeous cave where they store the barrels. The wines they make are great quality, we ended up sending a bottle home to open on our anniversary. The tour to our surprise including some charcuterie and a pizza for us to share. We had a great time and learned a lot about wine and Del Dotto who was a pioneer in the barrel making days.

Recommend doing the tour, $60 each but well worth it.

This place is really bad. While our host was pleasant, the wine is terrible and the costs are horrendous. The fact that you don’t get any of your money back for purchasing wine should have been my first clue and I feel like I had been scammed after walking out of there. Come to find out that the owner made his money being a scam artist and the winery is in his wife’s name because he is not legally allowed to sell alcohol due to his criminal record. The worst tasting experience I’ve had in 20 years of tasting in the Napa Valley.

Expensive for what is offered. Our guide Ed was excellent. The fee was excessive for a barrel tasting and pizza with tater tots at the end (really?!). The cave is opulent but I came to Napa for the wine, The wine was mediocre.

Here you are tasting right out of the barrels. A marvelous interior with marble columns and great artwork. This tour is well worth the price(60.). The pours are numerous and generous. No rushing here but informative and helpful. At the end a marvelous cheese platter and wood fired pizza as a bonus.

This is the only place that served the wine straight from the barrel. The tour guide was informative and funny. You definately get your money's worth. I think we tasted at least ten wines, the most of any tour, which is in caves making it cool and comfortable

Among all the winarys İ visited this İ liked the best. The building is extraordinary good inside. İts not allowed to take photos but its like a rich italian building with large Mosaic pictures on the ground, with columns and statues. You can get a tour to the caves but you have book before you go. If you are Napa visit Del Datto!

We visited this Italian style vineyard. We had a wine tasting in the bar. We enjoyed the visit. It was ok for the price..

The tour was very nice and our tour guide was great. The high end wines were very good but the first few we tasted not so good

We thought this was a fun tour and good experience, loved the barrel tastings. Great wine, good tour and they even served our group two unexpected Pizza’s!

Girls' first trip to Napa to celebrate my 70th birthday. Del Dotto was our first winery and it was the best! We were greeted by friendly staff and given a glass of rose. We were introduced to our host Jeff and the tour began. Jeff was amazing. He was friendly, knowledgeable, patient and fun! The tour through the cave was interesting and we learned quite a bit of history. Who knew there was a difference between French white oak and American white oak? The wines are taken right out of the barrel and they are very good. We enjoyed each glass. At the end of the tour you are treated with homemade sourdough pizzas and panini sandwiches which were delicious. So glad that Del Dotto was our first introduction to Napa wineries and we couldn't have had a better host than Jeff. We are looking forward to visiting again.

One of the best winery visits in the Napa Valley. Our host was amazing and very knowledgeable. The decor, design and architecture of the winery was breathtaking.

After 3 trips to Napa, I finally booked a cave tour. Del Dotto came recommended because of the fun atmosphere and history of the caves (original from 1800s and hand tug by Chinese workers). The wine itself, I'd say "meh". It's good, but doesn't stack up next to some of the other wineries we visited. The tour itself is interesting and packed with tasting... I think we had almost 10. Tasting directly from the barrel is a fun experience if you've never done it before. The sales pitch for wine is a little much, but they kindly gave us a card for follow up vs. pushing too hard. We visited on a weekday when it's less busy so we only had 1 other couple on our tour. If you've never done a cave tour and just looking for fun, do Del Dotto.

My daughter and I visited the Napa tasting room. Loved the ambiance and of course the wines! Tried so many wines out of the barrel. The 2013 Cabernet Sauv (American Oak) still in the barrel is delicious. Bought some!

I would definitely recommend stopping in to Del Dotto.

The tasting here was great! Wine was relish. We also got cheese, breadsticks and chocolate with the wine which was nice. The staff was very nice and gave us a lot of personalized attention. Will definitely go back next time we're in napa.

This was the forth visit to Del Dotto for a tasting, but our first visit to their newest venue. It is worth the time ot arrange a tasting tour in their facility. The "grape juice" is aged in different producers of Oak Barrels to shoe =w the effect the oak has on the wine due to the different Oak used. Very educational. Plus, their generous "thief" pours makes the expense less a factor. While among the higher per person cost for a tasting, the quality of the tastings and the included tasting menu flight at the end make the visit very worthwhile. Their Cabernet Sauvignon wines are exceptional!

Del Dotto is known for their generous pours and barrel tastings and they certainly lived up to their reputation. But my girlfriend and I were equally impressed with how much our guide taught us regarding the wine-making process and the barrels in particular. He took us into the cave and thieved samples from identical varietals aging in different barrel types so we could taste the difference. We sampled many more wines than at other wine tastings. Thankfully, the cave had buckets to pour out excess wine and our guide encouraged us to use them.

Del Dotto's cave wine tasting was definitely one of the highlights of our vacation. We will make it a must-see on future trips to Napa.

What a great day. Everything was overwhelming. The cave tour is a must. First experience with this wine, so impressed. I did not any bad tastings. Really enjoyed the pizza and charcuterie at the end.

Another amazing barrel tour with entertainment and education with small bite to follow
High marks for this place

The caves were phenomenal as were the barrel tasting s. Comparing the French oak barrels to the American oak barrels was quite the experience. The tasting was quite generous and our tour guide extremely knowledgeable. The ines were big and bold but a little too sweet for my palette.

We booked for the cellar tour, there were only four of us. We were given a glass of wine on arrival, we then had the barrel tour. We tried 17 different wines and were told about the wines in an excellent tour. You need to book this tour.

Our appointment was for later in the day after a couple of other fabulous tasting experiences. Shortly after we had commenced our tasting, some loud invasive music began to drown out the conversation with our server, who informed us the owner had arrived and cranked the music, it felt like we were being moved on. The winery staff began setting up for a large planned evening event. Our experience was anything but relaxed! We left unimpressed, and would not return. The winery should close early, if they want to set up for an event. As an afterthought we believe we should have requested a refund.

We were excited about the Del Dotto caves (location on Atlas Road). It was something new tasting from barrels, but the caves were not as exciting as we had expected (basically a long hallway). The wines were great, but very expensive. Our host was knowledgeable, but the entire experience seemed impersonal. The pizza and snacks at the end of the tour were nice.

Our final wine tasting stop was Del Dotto, affectionately known by local folks as Del Blotto – not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing, I do now know they give heavy tasting pours so totally get it. That said, Del Dotto is a stunning, Italian-inspired house of such grandeur, you feel a little intimidated upon walking in. 10 minutes later you are thoroughly enjoying their wines and disregarding the marble columns. We did get to chat to one of their wine makers, which was a special treat. I suggest their Ca’Nani Chardonnay 2012 at $45.

My wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary in Napa/Sonoma in December 2017. I found Del Dotto while doing some internet research before the trip and booked a tour of the wine caves at Atlas Peak (Historic cave). I got confused while scheduling that particular days events and I had plugged the Del Dotto Estate caves into my GPS (which is the Venetian case at the Piazza property--also Absolutely amazing; more on that later) So, I thought we had plenty of time to stop for a bite to eat. We found ourselves at the Rutherford Grill (which was FANTASTIC), but was a good 25 minutes from the historic caves, where we were supposed to be, but only 5 from the Piazza caves. I called Del Dotto at Atlas Peak and they were happy to push our reservation an hour later; very accommodating. We finished our great meal at Rutherford Grill and had plenty of time to get to the tour. We got checked in and were given a glass of white wine; can't remember what it was, but it was very good. We were in a small group with 2 other couples and our tour guide Jeff C. gathered us up and started the tour through the cave. Jeff was great. Great personality and knew his wine. Had a great educational session regarding French and American oak which set the stage for the barrel tasting throughout the cave. He was generous with the pours from the wine thief and we must have tasted at least a dozen wines. The tour was $60 p/p but I felt like my wife and I got our money's worth without a doubt. The wine, straight from the barrels, is obviously young, but already easy to tell that it will be amazing when it's had time to age appropriately. Loved the side-by-side testing of the same wine from French vs. American oak. The tour ended back in the foyer and Jeff brought out a nice charcuterie platter and a fresh pizza and a tasting of their signature Port (Delores). Great way to end a fantastic tour. Jeff was a great tour guide and extended an offer for us to visit the Piazza (Venetian) caves the following day as he was scheduled there. Since we had such a great time, we decided to do that as well. The Piazza property is entirely different; beautiful Italian styling, ornate, opulent, gorgeous. He took us on a quick tour as we arrived early and it wasn't busy yet. All in all, we ended up buying 4 bottles of wine between the 2 tours. I highly recommend both tours and ask for Jeff if you can.

Took the 10am cave tasting tour. Our guide Alexander was very knowledgeable and gracious to our group. The tastings were straight from the barrels which was pretty cool. I consider myself a bit of a cheapskate and ended up ordering a "future". The cheeses at the end of the tour were delicious too. If I'm lucky enough to return to Napa, I'll return to Del Dotto.

This was our 2nd trip to Napa with a group of friends (5 couples). The only winery tasting/tour that we repeated was the Del Dotto cave tour. They give you a great tasting experience and the cave is really neat. The staff is very nice and knowledgeable and gives you a very good experience.

The tour of the caves at the Del Dotto Vineyard in Napa is a must doactivity while you're in Napa Valley. The price is more than the average $15-20 tasting fee but it's well worth the extra for the wonderful cave experience and the standard of wines tasted. There's also some cheeses and meats to try at the end. The tour focuses on the impact of oak on the wine making process. Our guide Eric was very knowledgeable, answering all questions about the wines, wine making and region generally. An especially enjoyable aspect of the tour was the comparison of wines in French and American oak!

Stopped in close to closing,to buy wine, there were three couples and the lady was rude, in a rush, not helpful, disengaged, and useless. We have bought from this winery multiple,times and,recommended this winery to several family and,friends. The wines are great but with that service I will take my business elsewhere. I plan to tell everyone how rude this lady was. There,are 525 wineries in area no need to,go to a place with rude workers.

Enjoyed our visit to Del Dotto and the wine tasting out of the barrels in the caves. Recommend a stop here on your trip to Napa. Thought they should have refunded our tour fee when we bought a case of wine, but they didn't offer that up (didn't pay any tour fees for other wineries where we bought wine).

Not only is Del Dotto stunning, and the wine delicious, but the service from start to finish was excellent! Jonathan took us through all of the wines and even adjusted the last two tastes based on our preferences. It was a wonderful experience - definitely recommend!

Never again will I visit this tourist trap. You have to pay the exorbitant fee for the cave tour and tasting upfront. So if you buy wine the fee is not waved. Most Napa places wave the fee if you buy. Way to many better options. As for the wine it is ok not great.

This is a unique experience in that the cave by itself is an attraction. Paired Up with pleasant tour format and excessive Wine tasting this is fun

Extremely expensive wine tasting in an artificial environment. Guide felt like a QVC sales person. Wine tasted very good.

I live in the Bay Area and travel to Napa at least 2-3x a month. I decided to make reservations for the cave tour at Del Dotto wines to celebrate my birthday and sadly my experience was the worst experience I have ever had in Napa. I left this winery feeling as if people of color are not welcome here.

What made this experience the worst was my tour guide Thomas. Thomas was extremely rude and unprofessional from the moment I met him. When my friend and I arrived, my friend was taking my photo at the entrance, as again it was my birthday, when her and I were rudely interrupted by Thomas. Thomas opened the entrance door, raised his voice at us and told us that we needed to get inside. He proceeded to insult me by telling me how much the tasting cost even though everything was prepaid. I didn’t appreciate being yelled at and spoken down to, but I didn’t want to create any trouble so I looked past it, and shot him a smile. As I walked towards Thomas, I continued to smile, introduced myself to him and asked him his name. He completely dismissed me, rolled his eyes, and told me to have the woman at the counter help me. From those first initial moments, I instantly regretted coming here to celebrate my birthday. I was so uncomfortable from Thomas’ rudeness that I even asked the woman at the counter if we could change our tour guide and sadly, Thomas was the only person available. After we checked in, we ended up waiting an additional 15 minutes to start the tour since one of the people who was on the tour was finishing up a phone call. I can’t help but feel that Thomas’ attitude towards my friend and I was racially motivated as Thomas did not rush the other couple or interact with them with the same negative energy that he gave my friend and I when we were taking photos. During our tour, my friend and I felt unwelcome the entire time. Thomas seemed to be on edge throughout as he barked orders at us and even yelled “come on! We have to go!” I understand that Thomas may run a strict schedule with all of the tours but there is a way to professionally & respectfully communicate to your guests. Additionally, as we went through several tastings, I noticed that Thomas joined us in tasting every wine. In all my experience wine tasting I have never had a tour guide drink with their guests. And maybe his lack of sobriety explains his odd and erratic behavior. Throughout the tour, he bragged about being the most sought after sommelier in the area. Thomas might know wine, but he lacks people skills and professionalism. At the end of the tour, Thomas never directed my friend and I on where to purchase the wine we enjoyed. Honestly, I don’t think
I will ever return to Del Dotto and I regret not cancelling the tour from the start. There are several dozen other wineries with better customer service that you can visit in Napa - Del Dotto wines is not one of them

This was our fist time at Del Dotto. We went on a recommendation from friends and are glad we went. The historic cave tour was great! VERY interesting information and area history. The wine was very nice too.

We visited Del Dotto in Napa Valley. Don't get put off by the location right on the street. Once you go inside, you will love it. It's beautiful and the staff is excellent. We had an amazing tour guide - Doug. His passion for the winery was infectious! Drank outstanding wine right from the barrel and learned a lot too. Light snack after was good.

Absolutely loved this place! The location isn't much to see on the outside but the inside of the building and the wine cave is gorgeous!!!! Phenomenal wines that you can taste out of the barrel, and plenty of it. I love that this winery provided us with some food to snack on. Alex, our guide, was super personable and even more knowledgeable without making you feel dumb like some of the vineyards in the valley do. He also had really great jokes and was super helpful.

We love these wines, and the cave tasting is entertaining, enlightening, and satisfying. We've bought several bottles here and always enjoy.

We actually visited the other location north of Napa which I didn't see listed on Trip Advisor.

For $75 I expected more of this tour. As soon as you pull into the parking lot the signage is so poor that you can’t be sure where to even enter. As a white drinker, they only offered red wine that wasn’t even ‘ready’. Not a single white wine was available to taste. No where on the tour option specified that this was an ONLY RED tasting tour. As far as the ‘cave’ tour it was basically a dimly lit long hallway with barrels. There were no options to buy food or have lunch there but at the end of the tour they offered us a couple pieces of cheese and prosciutto and an 8in pizza to share between 6 adults. For $75 this was a complete rip off and I would not recommend.

My husband and I did the cave tour at Del Dotto and would recommend it to anyone. The tour is a bit pricey, but considering the amount of knowledge you get and the wine you taste, it is a relative bargain. We tried multiple wines side by side to compare the impact of soil, water, age, and barrel on the wine. The tour was very entertaining, with the guide explaining a lot about the process; much more detail than I ever thought they would have shared. The wine itself was excellent, some of the best we tasted while in Napa.

If you do one wine tasting in the napa Sonoma area, do this wine tasting. It blew every other single one out of the water!

We did the wine tour, which was primarily barrel tastings in the wine caves (tunnel). I booked well in advance and they keep the group small; it was a total of 4 of us and a guide. We tasted a good number of wines, got a lot of background on the wine and winery, and overall, just thoroughly enjoyed the experience. At the end, he brought out some snacks and a small pizza while we tasted a last wine or two. Not cheap at $75 each, but we thought it was an excellent tour that I highly recommend. There are two Del Dotto wineries that offer these tours; based on what I have seen and would speculate, you are probably equally fine at either of their two wineries. Reservations recommended!

Kevin was incredibly knowledgeable and professional. He is clearly passionate about his craft. Highly recommend him and Del Dotto

This is a MUST do. The tour of the caves is amazing, and very educational. I loved it. B careful though because you might "sample" taste more than you think and be a bit buzzed when you leave. Really fabulous wine and great people.

We had an enjoyable 2 hours with Jim at the winery. After a welcome white wine, followed by a pinot noir, we spent the majority of the tour in their caves tasting a selection of big reds from the barrels. Jim was an excellent host, knowledgeable and patient answering all our questions. At the end we had some cheese, meats and pizza. All in all very good value at $60 per head

Our guide was very knowledgeable. I utterly enjoyed my first barrel tasting experience in Del Dotto’s historic cave.

The finger foods served at the end of the wine tasting were delicious! The pizza and prosciutto especially!

We tasted 10 wines and my fav wine that day was the Sangiovese 2017.

I would definitely come here again. I loved visiting inside of the cellar. The Pizza was tasty after a long day of drinking too.

The approach to tasting from the barrel for all of the wines in their cave was unique compared to most scheduled tastings. Barrel education efforts are great at this property. Finishing up with charcuterie made for an enjoyable morning at Del Dotto. Be sure to schedule in advance as walk ins are very very limited. Hard to do personal scoring of wines if that is your thing so go and enjoy the tasting and don't bother with note taking.

We did the historic cave tour with barrel tasting. What an experience! Great wine, great talk! The tasting of the wine directly from the oak brings a different interpretation for the wine! Hope that your tour will be with Jeff! Great guy!

The Del Dotto Vineyards cave experience and barrel tasting tour is a unique experience. First of all, the caves are man made with beautiful finishes including murano glass chandeliers. Rather than pouring samples from bottles, the guide uses a long glass tube device to provide tastings straight from the barrels. If you like any of the wines, you can place an order for them to be sent to you once they are bottled.

Before entering the cave, the guide provides some education about grapes, soils, barrel finishes and more. After leaving the cave, you are served some light refreshments and asked if you are interested in purchasing any of the existing or future wines.

The cave experience and barrel tasting is expensive but a fun experience.

We did the cave experience & tasting tour today - it was excellent, we loved the whole experience. Nothing has been left to chance - the grounds are beautiful, the wine, the tour, food, service. Todd our tour guide went above and beyond to make we had a great experience. Couldn't have asked for more - not to be missed - highly recommended!

We heard a lot about the Del Dotto tasting experience before our visit and are very glad we made the decision to come! The grounds and building itself are gorgeous and it only got better once the tasting started. The cave tour was one of our favorites and our host Carson was great. We were allowed to try wine from the barrels and after the cave portion wrapped up, the tasting continued in the main room with pizza and tater tots! It was also our fist time trying Del Dotto wine and we absolutely loved it. This is a must visit!

Our visit to Del Dotto was the very first wine tasting experience for myself and my mom who accompanied me. The visit was recommended by several friends back home who had been on the cave tour. The visit did not disappoint! Our guide, Steve, was so knowledgable and patient with all of our questions (as beginners on the wine tasting trail, we had a lot of pretty basic questions). And the wine was so awesome. We booked the 10:00am tour and ended up having a private experience, which made the whole thing even more special. I would definitely recommend!!

Great cab ! Cool place! Italian vibe inside. Unique! If you go on a tour. You have to check this place out!

We had visited a couple years before and while the wines were good, our host wasn't, decided to give them another chance. Because we were a group of 8 and wanted to do the Cave Tasting (Atlas Peak Location) we had to sign a contract. Our host, Jonathon, was very knowledgeable and passionate about the wines. You will taste quite a bit as you tour the caves, be sure to have a hearty meal prior! Our fav part of the tasting was of 2 side-by-side barrels of the exact same wine, block, etc, but one was in French Oak and the other American. It's a great comparison and we learned a few things. After the caves we were in the main area and enjoyed cheeses and a pizza while we tasting more wines. It is a pricey but great tasting. Wine was purchased to ship home/

So much fun tasting all the wine out of the barrels. Our host Alexander was terrific and very knowledgable. Wines were excellent, and I am pretty sure we tried at least 10. By far the most wine we were served on a wine tour. Tour was just 4 of us, so it was very personable. Really enjoyed this place!

A group of 8 of us had enough time for 1 tour as we were just passing through from a stay in Tahoe and on to San Francisco. I reviewed many wineries including the other Del Dotto. I had a hard time deciding which to choose but at the end of the day the Del Dotto in Napa was closer to the highway, so we decided to stop there! We were SO PLEASED!!! Our tour guide could not have been more AMAZING!! ASK FOR DAN!!! He's great!! Beautiful caves and the wine is DELICIOUS!!!!!!

I read a description of Del Dotto Vineyards and Winery, It mentioned the extensive grounds that included gardens and farm animals and an old barn. It sounded quite unique. When I visited it was instead a lovely ordinary patio offering wine tasting. I asked the hostess about the gardens and animals and barn and she told me she had no idea what I was talking about and they did not haev any of those features. A bit disappointing.

Big focus on the cave tour and barrel tasting to get you totally drunk. They then schmooze you into buying futures of their wine. The problem is that the barrels you've been tasting from have been opened dozens of times per day, topped up with who knows what and there's no guarantee that the bottled wine will taste anything like the barrel...that is if you even remember what you tasted

Jeff was amazing!
He caters to our palettes, was patient and great at explaining how each wine is harvested and made. Very knowledgeable!!!
Request Jeff!!!

Went here to see the wine caves. It was expensive, 60 bucks a person. You get barrel tastings which is different. The tour was very cool. The wine was good, but didn't wow either of us and for the price per bottle I thought it should have. But of course we bought a bottle anyway, as most do. It felt very commercialized to me, even though they are not a big commercial winery. It was fun and interesting so I would recommend for that but try to refrain from dropping the money on a bottle.

A friend recommended this tour of the wine caves and I selected the one in Napa instead of St Helena not knowing the difference. The Napa one has the original caves carved out by Chinese laborers in the late 1800's. Very cool experience tasting directly from the barrels. They described the different types of oak and how the toasting and shaping inside the barrels effects the taste. Very interesting.

It wrapped up with a pizza and charcuterie plate and a couple samples out of bottles.

Overall a truly unique experience. I would love to try the other location as the architecture is supposed to be amazing. They are also opening a third location which looks gorgeous as well.

Wonderful wines and fabulous experience!

Great experience at Del Dotto. Our guide Phillip was great. Funny, knowledgeable and friendly. We had a great group and a lot of fun. Many top tastings and a delicious snack.

Underground in Napa Valley's second oldest tunnels hand dug in 1885, our guide and wine thief, Todd, entertained us with stories, as he allowed us to compare wine, aging side-by-side in French and American oak barrels. We also tasted wine aging in wood sourced from different forests, toasted differently. We sampled really good wines, that I have never seen sold on the East Coast, as most of their wine, so highly prized, and rightfully so, is sold before it completes its aging in the barrel. When we emerged from the cave, we were served various salume (cured pork from curly, long haired Mangalista Hungarian pigs, locally raised, which I guess makes them American now) and cheeses, as well as a sample of two pizza.

Eight wines were sampled.

I may have to preorder, too.

It truly was a lot of fun. Our guide Todd really likes his job.

I went to DelDotto Winery in April 2014 to taste some typical NApa's wines .

We pay 50 dollars for wonderfull two hour trip in Del Dotto Familiy's Cave and we can taste several kinds od Wine...from a sweet White wine to a wonderfull Porto....in the middle a lots of flavours from vanilla to chocolate inside a good Sangiovese, Cabernet and Pinot.

I strongly entrust this place

Such a great experience; however, the $60 per person fee is steep but consistent with other cave tours. The wine is excellent, especially the Pinot. Definitely worth a visit and I would recommend the futures if you don't mind prepaying. The decision is easier after the tour since most are half in the bag. If you have a choice over the location in St. Helena, go to this one since the caves/location is more original and less commercial. However, the other location is beautiful.

If you want to really learn about the discriminating differences in wine and drink some exceptional wines while doing it, I highly recommend this tour. (And I don't even like to drink!) We had a wonderful tour in the caves, tasting different types of reds, and learning about the influence of the horticultural practices and types of barrel on the ultimate taste. At the end, you also have a chance to try some more wines along with housemade charcuterie, cheese and pizza. Well worth the $60 p/p. You also can share the wine tasting and just pay $20 for the other guest (which is what we did).

After a long week in Napa, we topped of our trip with a tour of the caves here. Eric was an excellent guide, as he pulled wine directly from the barrel for us to taste. There was not a single wine that we dumped during the tasting. Let's be honest, most tastings you MIGHT like 50% of what is poured into your glass. Not here, if you do not leave here wanting a bottle of everything you taste, then why are you in Napa? Eric guided us through the different barrels and varieties of wine that they offered, and did an excellent job explaining how different barrels give the same grapes a completely different taste.

After having several different tastings this week, this is 1 of 2 that I will visit every time I visit Napa. If your interested, Ceja is the other that I will frequent.

Stop by, enjoy the tour of the caves, and the wine will flow!!

In Vino Veritas!

The Cave tour was excellent and really cool. Their wines are really tasty and their pours are really big. Share a tasting if you drove your own car. The tasting lasts about 90 min and they do serve a cheese and meat plate at the end.

Sorry to have to do another review on a winery. But, it's the same old song. They charge you $45 to taste five different wines, most of which I don't like. The total consumption is about 3 - 4 ounces. Just forget about it!

We were in San Francisco for a few days and didn't have time for the full 'Wine Country Experience' this time, so we chose Del Dotto in Napa for it's location and barrel tasting. The Napa location is not a 'destination vineyard' but once inside, our guide was knowledgeable and a lot of fun without being overeager to sell. The wine was outstanding, particularly the Red Dessert Wine (think port). Chocolate and cheese sticks completed our tasting experience and the wine cave was lovely. Highly recommend

We did not have a reservation but since they were slow they were kind enough to have us for a tasting! We are not big wine drinkers but after trying their wines, we are now! We had a box of 6 shipped home and will continue to order from them, this is impressive. The staff was lovely and the grounds were amazing. We had a lil family photo shoot :). insta: @lltravelmel

Ed led us around these original Del Dotto caves dug back in the late 1800’s as we sampled wonderful wines. Located in the Atlas peak area, this is one of three locations the family owns, and the fires came bliss but spared the winery. Rustic on the outside, very cavey but elegant on the inside.

I was thoroughly disappointed with this winery. First we paid $120.00 for 2 people to tour the wine caves and taste wine.

The cave was interesting to see since it was hand dug by Chinese immigrants in the 1800's. But basically you feel like you walk into a wine shop then out the back door into a cave. It's not even underground.

The your guide dud talk to us about making barrels for housing wines. But that was all he really had to say. I kept asking questions to try to engage him but he was pretty tight lipped. So I felt that we did not learn anything and the wine was overpriced and was not to anyone in our groups liking.

Granted I am not much if a red wine person but I know when it does not taste good at all.

I highly recommend you visit the Coppola winery instead.

The Del Dotto barrel tasting in their cave is excellent, although a little expensive. Our host Rob was extremely informative. The side-by-side tastings from neighboring barrels holding variants on the same varietal, sometimes in different types of barrel, for example French or American oak, were very educational. At the end of the cave tour we were very pleasantly surprised to be given some excellent food, which we had not expected. The decor of the tasting room is a bit "over the top," and clearly cost a fortune. Overall, we were impressed with the professionalism of the place and recommend the tour strongly.

Cave tour and barrel wine tasting was a great experience. Our guide, Kyle, was knowledgeable, engaging and passionate about wine. And the wines are very good.

We SO miss going to the Del Dotto wineries as their 3 locations are some of THE best experiences in Napa & even anywhere in the world. The location, design, tastings, staff, foods, experiences, dinners, everything are just perfect. We NEVER had a bad experience and we have brought quite a few friends, partners there from all over the country and a couple other countries and everyone loved it. We can't wait to get back to normal in CA so we can go back and enjoy some amazing tastings. Mille Grazie, see you all very soon, be safe.

Drink awesome wines and learn why the barrel makes a difference.
Randy gave us a great tour and he was a lot of fun.

Our second winery on one day, and glad that we went. A lot of barrel tasting. meats and cheeses after the cave tour. They even had slices of pizza for our enjoyment. There are many wineries to enjoy in the Napa valley, but i recommend that this be one of them.

After reading couple of reviews hubs and me decided to check this winery. its more like a hidden gem and wont be easy to find unless you are an avid wine taster and looking for some real 'experience' vs the regular kinds. We were looking at a historical cave experience and this one suited well. Our host Daniel did a great job in explaining about the wines and the history of the winery and owners. Engaging yourself in the midst of a real cave and tasting wines from the barrel as per your palette was just perfect. Hubs and me had been to couple of other wine tastings too but this one in particular did stand out from the rest. I would recommend this place for those lovelies who dont mind spending an extra buck for a quality time spend.

Positives:
+ Some really great, complex wines
+ plenty of wine provided at the tasting including snacks at the end
+ Cool cellar to walk around and admire
+ informative tour with knowledgeable guides whether you are new to wine or an oenophile

Negatives
- Our guide gave everyone except us a hard sales pitch which normally I am ok but...
- This was because they implied that we couldn't afford their wines because we were a little younger (late 20's) ...
- There are plenty wines at this quality at more reasonable price points
- Getting the wine delivered is cost prohibitive unless you order by the case and their selection of wines to take home with you is very limited

I've never been one to enjoy red wine as much as white wine, but
this is some ''AMAZING RED WINE'' I've come to appreciate
the difference quality can make when it comes to red wine.
Enjoyed every one of the red wine tour tasting. And as for our tour
guide Rosanne, she was just as Amazing. Thetour tastsing is ''WORTH IT''

This wine tour is unique in that you are tasting wines direct from the barrel that haven't been bottled yet. Of all the tastings we did this was also the most informative. Wines were delicious and you get sone food (pizza, charcuterie, olive oil)at the end which is nice. The only disappointment is that most wineries will comp the tasting when you purchase. They may do this if you ask, but they did not mention it to us. We are hoping to call and see if they will honor this as we did spend over $500 on the wine.

The Del Dotto tour/tasting is much different than most. You get to try wine from multiple barrels as you walk through the caves. The guide said that they make 144 wines.I would say the quality is good, it's not top of the line. The great thing about Del Dotto is that you can learn a lot, especially if you do not have a great deal of wine experience. If you do, your guide should acknowledge that and give you a more in-depth experience (ours did). We were very pleased with our guide - ADAM - ask for him.

Ok, if you love style and higher end wines this is the place you want to try. The cave keeps the same temperature all year long, the barrel selection is amazing and the difference the barrel type (lightly smoked, versus "blackened") makes to the same wine and grapes is stunning. Del Dotto is not applying pressure, but just gravity to get the juice from the grapes. Several of their wines are really, really nice and quite pricey. We found their Cabernet amazing in quality, taste and storability. The guides are very knowledgeable, have a good sense of humor and they keep switching barrels to try - way cool. One tip: there is no food till the very end of the tour. So starting the tasting on empty stomach might lead to you not being in a state of driving back....the next bus stop is about a mile to walk....so pick a designated driver beforehand.....or eat well before the tour.

This was my favorite winery all weekend! Simon, our tour guide made this an amazing experience for us and our friends ( who have never been wine tasting before)!! Very very fun!!

Del Dotto was our first winery visit on our Napa vacation. What a stunningly beautiful winery and caves! Fabulous and educational experience! We enjoy drinking wine but are new to understanding wine and the nuance of winemaking and different blends. Carson was the host for our cave tour and tasting experience. We did not feel rushed at all. Our group of 7 asked lots of questions and had a fabulous experience. The pizza and tater tots were great too.

Did the cave tour here with my husband and another couple and had a GREAT time. The caves are a little small, but it was very different type of tour vs. the ones where you learn about how the winery processes their harvest. Very personalized tour- we had our own guide so were able to ask tons of questions. We tasted about 8-9 wines and a couple times we did tastings of the same wine from different types of barrels to see the difference- very cool. The wines you taste are pretty high quality and pricey. The last one was a $250 bottle so that was fun. Definitely recommend the tour.

Very interesting and informative tour. Tasting from the barrels in the caves was a new experience which we really enjoyed.
Food paring at the end was a great touch too.

This is a must see if you are in Napa. The tasting experience is friendly and not intimidating. The wine straight from the barrels can't be beat, and the guide is very informative in explaining the impact of aged woods and toasted planks and the impact these processes have on the final taste. We were able to compare same juice from different barrels to taste the difference for ourselves. The wine is top shelf, and has always been a favorite for me.

I highly reccomend taking this tour if you are visiting Napa. Well worth the money. We tasted about 12 different wines, all amazing and at the end of the tour we snacked on a cheese and meat plate! The setting is very romantic the barrels are underground in caves and the caves are candle lit. Our guide was extremely friendly, entertaining and knowledgeable.A Napa must see!

This tour is so different from the rest and to me is what sets it apart from the others. Many tours have you feeling like a wine snob and are very serious. This tour throws all of that out and focuses on having fun and enjoying great tasting wines. The atmosphere is energetic and romantic. The guides are very knowledgeable and friendly. This is a must see while in Napa.

This is in regards to the cave tour. Without knowing anything about the winery I went with a friend. We both love wine and have been to over 100 wineries around the world. To get some things out of the way, yes, the winery is very nice, the guides are very nice, the tour is informative (I actually learned something, which pleasantly surprised me) and the wine is pretty good as well.

Now the bad:

Do you see in almost every review how much they had to drink? The "cave tour" consists of tasting a lot of wine. So much that you are pretty buzzed by the end of the tour. (Of course for many visitors to Napa that is their goal.) I think they are just trying to loosen up your wallet.

The big sales pitch is that the barrel you are tasting is the wine you buy. They actually tell you that they individually print your wine labels with the barrel number on them. Even if this is true, and I have heard from two separate sources that use to work there that it isn't, it feels like BS. I know that the big thing in California (and U.S) wine is to try to make wine seem exclusive. You can narrow wines down from Appellation to Mountain to Vineyard to vineyard block, etc.... All to increase price by making the wine more exclusive. (I always laugh at this as the French First Growths, which are blends, sell for many times the most expensive CA wines) I guess if you have a big ego, and are trying to buy status, this offers a good story. Personally, this felt kind of slimy and made me uneasy.

The final word is this winery is hard to explain. The tour is very expensive at $60, but you try a lot of wine. If you have a good guide you are entertained and learn something. To me it just felt like all the bad stereotypes of snobby wine drinkers rolled up into one tour. Wine can be pretentious enough and Del Dotto takes it up a notch (or 10). Just not my style. There are too many great Napa wineries to visit to put up with Del Dottos schtick.

I was interested in the barrel tasting concept and comparisons but felt like the hosts description of it as the Pepsi challenge was more accurate -- rehearsed and gimmicky. Earlier in the day tasted at least three wines in the high 90s too so our expectations may have been particularly high. We aren't fans of group tours or Italian grapes like Sangiovese and tasting two probably didn't help either. I can't say I regret trying it and we did try a lot of wines but the price was steep for what it was and better options exist.

We did the barrel tasting cave tour at Del Dotto and we enjoyed the experience. It was a much different experience than other tastings we did while in Napa and it was nice to not be standing at a counter. The wine guide was very knowledgeable about the wine making process at Del Dotto and was very generous with the pours of 10+ wines in the caves. The wines we tasted were good, not great, but since they are from the barrel and not quite ready for bottling that is to be expected. The only negative things I could say is that at $60 a person, it does seem to cost a lot more than other tasting rooms. However, when you consider that its a 90 minute experience and not just a 5 pour tasting at a counter it makes the cost well worth it. If you are a light weight or plan to do many other tastings in one day, a DD is a must. Eating a good meal before you come to soak up a bit of the alcohol is also a good idea. You will be given 10+ very generous pours and if you are sensitive to alcohol, you could get very tipsy very fast. Overall, if you have the expendable cash its worth the time and the money to do the barrel tasting tour. Reservations are a must.

We've just finished our Del Dotto tour, and could not recommend it more. We arrived to a couple of samples (a lovely pink fizz and chardonnay) before starting off the tour. We had a group of 8 which was a great size, we had a laugh together and could ask questions as we went along. The cave is beautiful! Our guide, Todd, was excellent. Loads of great info about the wine, without it being too stuffy or boring! We got to taste lots of great wine, and had some lovely food (cheese, meats, pizza). We will definitely be back when we return to Napa!

It's always fun to go through the caves and taste futures as they are aging. It may seem like their "tasting" cost is high but when you are done you'll understand why.
Love to take guests here - but be careful driving home. A DD is always a good plan!

Took this tour (Cave Tour, $60/person) for spouse to better understand different types of casks and impact on red wines. From that perspective, excellent. Guide was very knowledgable, friendly and tuned the wines tasted to our comments and likes. After completion of cave tour and testing, a light offering of cheese, salami, and pizza was offered, as well as a case of their fortified offering (port like). We didn't buy anything as the wines tasted were a little high for 2015 vintages. Just wasn't impressed that much. A good tour to learn though.

There are two Del Dotto locations in the Napa Valley and this location in Napa highlights one of the six caves hewn out of rock in the 1890's. The barrel tasting tour is worth the money as you will get a good tutorial on wine barrel construction, as well as a wonderful exposure to wines made & produced by the Del Dotto Vineyards. They make some of the best red wines in California so you will enjoy! The guide we had, Alex, was knowledgeable and engaging! Warning though! - go there last, not first, or you will be disappointed in every other tasting you go to. Enjoy!

The caves are beautiful, the wine they offer to sample is excellent, and Dan is as fun a tour guide as I've ever had. Well worth the cost!

Our group did the cave tasting. What an experience! It was a bit expensive, $75/per person but it was well worth it. You enter the cave with a group of about 10, and taste their wines directly from the barrel. Our guide was fantastic! You do get anywhere from 8 to 12 tastings, so you have to pace yourself - if you don't you'll be falling over before the end. They provided food for the group after (pizza, cheese, and meats). This place was also very beautiful.

So, we did the St. Helena Estate Winery Bar Tasting for $45 per person. Overall, I would say it was just expensive for what you got but it was a good time. It was 5 wines and the site said would be accompanied with an array of cheese from all over the world and breadsticks. Other reviews made it sound like they had nice food with their tastings, but don't count on that with this. We got just a few small pieces of cheeses with no advice on what they were or what wine to drink with each. Plus, the breadsticks were just those hard breadsticks like crackers that most wineries have on the counter anyway. The wines were incredible though and the server was very informative/friendly. The wines were also expensive and we couldn't apply our tasting towards a bottle, which is fine, but it really added up. You do get a gorgeous setting, great wines and personal service though. There were only 4 of us tasting with one server with his personal attention the entire time. All in all, we expected a special experience, but it was really just a standard wine tasting in a gorgeous setting. We would do it again but just be wary of what to expect for your money.

We had a group of six and Del Dotto was our last stop one day. One friend was going to pass on the tasting given how much we had consumed that day and he was so glad he didn't. We LOVED everything about this winery. Amazing wine, great tour guide, tastings in the cave from the barrel, and opera playing in the background. It doesn't get much better. Oh yes it did, pizza, meats/cheeses, and chocolate waiting for us at the end. Branden was a great guide and we all keep talking about how much we enjoyed this stop of our weekend. Can't wait for our shipment of wine to arrive and for a return visit! Don't miss this winery!!!!

YUMMMMM! what a unique experience. Our guide Alex was phenomenal. Great knowledge of winemaking, barrel making, wine differences and overall general knowledge of the industry. He made the experience that much better. Be prepared for lots of tastings of very different wines. I have tasted wines all over the US and Europe but this was the most unique tasting experience. As an example i have not had the opportunity to taste the exact same wine from grapes harvested at the exact same time but one processed in American Oak and the other processed in French Oak. What an amazing difference! Quite the education! Thanks Alex!

We booked a 10 am tour and ended up with our own private tour guide. The cave is more just a long tunnel, but is very cool looking and the history is interesting. We were welcomed with a tasting of Chardonnay and then got to try about 10 other wines, most straight from the barrel. You are offered different wines based on what they think you will like. Very nice meat, cheese, and olive oil tray was welcomed at the end after all the samples. These were our favorite wines from our Napa trip!

Our concierge sent us to this vineyard, and I must say we were extremely disappointed. The people who work there, including our tour guide Matt, were so pretentious. Wine cave? Oh, you mean the hallway that they put some wine barrels in, and turned the lights down? The gaudy decor was enough to turn our stomach from the moment we walked in...and it went downhill from there. The wines were unremarkable (although Matt managed to drone on about it, almost as much as he droned on about himself).

Your time and money is better spent at Inglenook, Frank Family, or at the local 7 / 11.

The wine tasting is pretty good because you get to try about 10 really delicious wines and get a robust history lesson on the wines. They will also feed you good pizza and cheese at the end of the tour. The wine cellar/cave is gorgeous and a really fun experience. There's nothing like it. BUT... It's expensive. The tour cost $75 per person and lasts about an hour.

From the time you walk in, this place is special. The decor is georgeous. The cave experience and barrel tasting is something everyone should do. Brandon was very nice and knowledgeable. We loved the wine and education. We would do this again in a heartbeat.

Great tour, beautiful grounds...excellent way to learn the art of barrel tasting and the history of one of the more devoted wine makers....liberal pours are their reputation, so be prepared.

Del Dotto was highly recommended to us, and I can see why that have a good following. We booked the first tour of the day on a Sunday, and our guide Marc was very friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. Marc was able to share a lot of his knowledge with us about wine making, and was very happy to answer my (many) questions along the way. The pours are often and generous as you get a tour of the caves that wine is kept to age in. After you get a good fill of wine, they also feed you. A nice (modest sized) assortment of cheese, pizza and even some chocolate is provided while you can decided which wine you want to have shipped you after it is done aging. I didn't feel very pressured to buy anything, but we did leave with a lighter wallet. I would easily make another trip here next time we are in the valley. The great staff, wine, and atmosphere make it a clear favorite.

My very first wine tasting experience... Del Dotto did not disappoint! Tasting right out of the barrel and the wines were top notch! I only wish I had purchased more!

A must see spot with original caves and an beautiful property. The tour was fantastic (only four of us) and the guide was excellent. We wound up buying a few cases and still get their emails. Their Cab Franc port was OUTSTANDING in 2007! I hope to go back in the near future.

The caves were amazing, but our tour (10 total guests) was less than great. This is a product of you not being able to pick who you Tour with. Our group had a few “wine experts” who asked the worst questions ever. The tour guide did a nice job of answering but he had to correct them several times. They made it a long tour.

The pizza, cheese, and meat, were all excellent. The caves were unlike anything you have seen before, and the wine was very tasty from the barrels.

Just be warned, you may end up with some real idiots on your tour.

We had a tasting with Leah at Piazza, which is the newest location. She was fantastic. What an asset for Del Dotto. She was knowledgeable and extremely pleasant. Place quickly became one of our favorite wineries. It was an enjoyable experience. We thought the wine was fantastic and are on our way to becoming members.

We had a great time touring the Del Dotto caves! We had a private tour with Adam and got to taste wines that we will never would have otherwise. Adam was knowledgeable AND entertaining. The wines we tasted were delicious and the caves were beautiful and very picturesque. After the tasting and tour, we were offered salumi, cheese, & chocolate and invited to order any wines we tasted if we pleased. We definitely had some wine shipped back to good ole Texas.

Having visited places like Silver Oak, Bell Winery, Sequoia Grove, and Goose Crossing, this was a little cheesy for us. The building and grounds were beautiful, but the "cave" was a long tunnel full of groups so it was hard to hear the guide. The tunnel is lined with barrels of wine, and the guide takes you down the tunnel, stopping to taste wines from barrels along the way. The variety of wines was nice, but note you cannot buy anything you taste from barrels because they are not ready for bottles yet. These can be pre-ordered and shipped later, though.

The guide was friendly and informative, and happy to answer any questions. I did enjoy tasting the identical wine - one sample aged in a barrel of American oak and another aged in a barrel of French oak, to learn how the two kinds of wood flavor the wine differently. Of all the wineries we visited, this by far served the most wine (our driver said it's nicknamed "del blotto" for this reason!

At the end of the tour, you are taken back to the front where they serve home-cured meats, cheeses, and pizza - and invited to try more wine. This wine you can (and we did) buy.

All in all, a fun trip. The people on our trip were nice - and everyone definitely opened up as the wine flowed. If you are looking for a casual, high wine volume, and social tour with pretty good wine, this is a good selection. If you are looking for an intimate, highly-educational tour, the cave tour and barrel tasting may not be for you. Just like wine - it depends what you like.

Great experience! Coolest cave tour in Napa...and terrific wines. We choose the pairing tour..it did not disappoint..

The cave experience at Del Dotto Napa is really cool. you get to taste plenty of different wines and some dried meats and cheese. the caves are great but I was disappointed to learn that the caves are rented space for the vineyard. good tour and plenty of charm though

Went to the Napa location of del dotto mainly for the cave experience. We were deciding between Jarvis and this one. The cave atmosphere is perfect- dimly lit and rustic feeling. There are several tours going on at one time though so it can get pretty rowdy. One thing to know is that you are sampling only future wines, which means that if you purchase them they will be shipped to you once they are bottled in a few months. They do have other bottles for sale to take with you immediately but they are not sampled during the tastings.

We tried about 10-15 wines, half in the Caves and the other half sitting down in the tasting room. They also provided cheese and meat platters, chocolate, and even mini panini sandwiches. I can't imagine driving if you actually drank the full pour each time, but I guess at every tasting you have to pace yourself. We didn't buy anything but got to try some wines that go for over $200 a bottle, supposedly because one member of our group was a VIP wine club member.

Overall would recommend.

Our first winery in Napa and not a disappointment. We were given a great private tour by the knowledgeable and enthusiastic Eric who gave us handy tips about our trip (yes we did go to Russian river brewery and pick up some Pliny the elder, thanks!)

The fact these are in caves set them apart from the other tours with us wandering up and drinking direct from the barrels with some new and exciting wines on offer. Almost entirely reds but that's what I like anyway. The mix of excellent wine, included food (pizza, cured meats and cheeses), history, expert guides and unique setting made this the most substantial and complete experience we got all day but you do pay for it at $75 compared to $20-25 for some of the less involved experience we had.

Worth it in my view!

The tasting was more expensive ($60) but it was well worth it. The cave is amazing and we tasted A LOT of wine, including some higher priced single vineyard cabs. Then we had some nice snacks (meat, cheese, pizza) at the end of the tasting and enjoyed some port with chocolate as well. We had a great guide, Jeff. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend!

We didnt have a reservation, but they were able to accommodate our group of seven. The wine is wonderful; with prices from affordable to extravagant. The meat and cheese were divine as well.

Our group of five couples came here as some members of our group wanted to do barrel tasting. This place is a tourist trap. $60 per person tasting fee, REALLY? Outrageous! Not worth it. This is the wine country, there are at least 100 reputable wineries in this region without the steep tasting fee who gladly waive the tasting fee if you buy their wine. Not Del Dotto - you don't even get a discount. Do your research and don't waste your money like we did.

We did a cave tour with Jim and learn a lot about wines and the history of the property. Many of the construction materials came from Venice in Italy and it's really a beautiful winery. They served cheese and even pizza slices at the end of the tour. Our guide was very pleasant. My favorite was the sparkling pinot but I have a thing for sparkling wines... My boyfriend got one of the reds that is still being bottled. This was one of the very few wineries open on Christmas Day and I'm glad we did this tour.

This is a totally different tasting experience. You are escorted into the very pretty, dimly lit, sacred caves for the tasting...and actually taste right from the barrel. The wine host "thieves" the wine with this clever glass contraption. I feel like the wine host can make a big difference in your overall experience...and our host was fine...but only fine. Good place if you are looking for something other than the typical tasting. Call for a reservation, especially on busy weekends!

This is a great winery with nice grounds, good wines and great service! They also have really good food which goes well with the wines. Would highly recommend this winery in Napa.

We couldn't get to do the Cave Tour though due to Covid restrictions. :-(

4/17/2012
I am ready to rave about the Del Dotto cave tour, but before I do so, I must say that I read a few reviews before posting, and am surprised by the negative things that are being said. I can easily understand how getting a bad guide could take this from a five star review to a one star. Do I believe these reviews? Absolutely! Was this MY experience? NO WAY! Looks like we may have gotten lucky? Maybe! Would I go again? OMG, YES, YES, YES, in a heartbeat! One thing is for sure though, When I make my reservation, I will definately mention my previous trip AND the negative reviews, and make damn sure that they do not stick us with a crappy guide! Thanks to anybody who names names on here, because I will be referring back.

We did our homework in advance and had our tour reserved. We had a great tour guide, and a really fun bunch of people. I wish I could remember the guide's name, because he was lots of fun. I expected this place to be stuffy, but he was very easy going, funny, and informative.

When they first open the big doors to the cave, it is breathtakingly beautiful, and so romantic. You see barrels, on their sides, with a lit tea light candle on top of each one. I am guessing that there is a mirror in the back, because it seemed to go on forever. We did make our way back there, but to be honest, by the time we did, I was in no condition to observe anything accurately, much less record it in my brain for a future Yelp! So, let's just say there was a mirror, and if that was part of my fantasy, than I hope you can have the same one, because it was really good!

As far as the wine goes, I was pretty unimpressed. It was OK, but nothing to live up to all the hype and prices. I guess I was expecting everything to taste like Opus One, and nothing came close. My palate does not listen to hype! I could just as easily love a $50 wine or a $350...i don't like something because I am supposed to! We ended by staggering out of the cave, and having a pairing of a truffle with a dessert wine. I think it was a Port. Or maybe a Moscato? Let's just say it was good and leave it at that!

One more bit of info to leave you with: be prepared if you come here! You will drink more wine than on any other tour. This is not a simple "pour me a flight" kind of place. You will start with a few sips, and end up gulping the rest to have an empty glass for the next pour. (drinking expensive wine like it's Kool Aid is so freaking cool!) You WILL get wasted! Trust me. Even if you do not plan to (I certainly didn't), you will! Have a plan to get to where you are going; don't plan to drive.

We enjoyed our cave tour with Dan. He was super informative & made our experience memorable. We enjoyed tasting about 9 different wines & learned much about barrel selection. The cave was beautiful inside. Tour very well done!

Amazing amazing amazing
The tour was incredible
The pours generous
No high pressured sales pitch
Excellent wines
One of the best in Napa/Sonoma

We flew out to Napa for the annual half marathon, and on recommendation of a coworker, signed up for the cave tour. We could not have been more pleased. The guide was courteous, attentive and amiable. The tour through the cave gave a good history of the winery itself, the cave, and an impressive sampling of the varietals they bottle.

This tour was the most generous in terms of number of pours, and we were not displeased with any of the varietals. The group we were with were entertaining and by the end, it was like a private party.

I would do this tour again.

Del Dotto was our first winery of the day (and actually our first experience in Napa.) Kyle was our tour guide and I cannot say enough about him. It was just me and my husband who opted for the caves tour (totally worth it). Kyle started off by explaining who they were, what they did well and why. He answered our millions of questions and did not sound annoyed at all (we asked a lot). The wine was my favorite from the whole day and they literally take It from the barrel- inside the cave. One day we will be members- mark my word! They give you plenty of wine and some food at the end so when I say worth it I mean It.

We were greeted by staff who gave us a wine sampling before the tour started. Todd, our guide, explained the history of the winery, bio of the owner, the land in and around Napa Valley and the different barrels used in the aging process. He then took us to the cave. We sampled at least 6 wines in the cave. Todd explained how and why each wine was made the way it was. He took time to answer our questions. He was very knowledgeable and pleasant. After the cave tour, we sampled another wine and a dessert wine, along with cheese, crackers, salami and pizza. We didn’t feel rushed at all. A fun and enjoyable tour.

I see all the high reviews for this cave tour and just had to add my own review, as it seems to be a departure from the usual. First of all, I had heard this was a not to be missed tour, so we were excited about it and maybe our expectations were too high. I thought the price was a little high for the experience, you are better off spending your money at Sterling and enjoying the beautiful scenery or at least visit the castle.

To be fair, the tour was not bad, it just wasn't what I expected for the money. Our guide was very knowledgeable, a little fresh, but I was ok with it, others may have been turned off with his fresh remarks. We had a great group and we had fun in our group. I did learn a few things, I enjoyed the comparison of American Oak to French Oak, tasting out of the barrel was a new experience as well, the light snacks served at the end of the tour were yummy, but they didn't even have enough on the plate for the number of people in the group. The tour was informative and we tasted a decent amount of wine.

THe wines were high end and I really was not impressed with them actually. Maybe I just had higher hopes after the prestige of the winery and the pomp and circumstance surrounding the tour. Frankly, of all the wineries I have visited in the past year, I found this one to be the most pretentious and felt that the average American wine drinker is better off visiting a small, family owned place, where you feel welcome. Don't get me wrong, the staff was friendly, but I felt like I was entering some high-priced hotel, not a winery. I just did not enjoy the stiffness of the feeling inside the place, no cameras allowed on the tour.. the only place I have toured without taking pictures was the Vatican, this was a winery tour for goodness sake. We should have gotten a glass for the price of the tour and the cave is dark, so you can't even write tasting notes. They gave us a custom list at the end of the tour, but who can remember the subtleties of each wine, the smell, the flavors an hour later, after tasting about 8-10 wines? Also, because you are tasting out the barrel, you don't even get the instant gratification of taking wine home with you, if you taste something you like, you have to order futures.

Honestly, after living in the area for a year now, I would not recommend this one to anyone, there are other tasting experiences just as educational and much more personal and less stiff than this one, and at a better price. Sorry Del Dotto, I am not a fan.

We tasted many fantastic red wines at Del Dotto and recommend it highly. Michael took us into the caves and shared with us one incredible wine after another. Every wine was terrific and we ended up shipping home a half case. The charcuterie platter and pizza were a fine way to finish. Take Uber and enjoy!!

This winery is pricey but the wine is high end and delicious. We had never been been on a cave tour before and this part of the tour was very interesting. It was beautiful and romantic. The employees were all knowledgeable and friendly.

Been drinking his wines for years!!! Love, love, love them!!! Best Pinot Noir ever, but we just can't afford it anymore. The cave blend is affordable and delicious! I get really mad when people call Del Dotto "Del Blotto" like they give you too much wine on their tours...no one is pouring the wine down your throat! If it's too much for you, then dump it! There are drains and dump buckets just for that! Can't wait to try his new winery in Yountville!

Beautiful tasting room filled with Venetian glass and marble, knowledgeable staff and delicious wine. We totally enjoyed our tasting. This is a good vineyard to visit if you enjoy drinking full bodied red wine.

Enjoyed this 1.5 hr tour of the winery and caves. Excellent tour guide, and fantastic wines. Food was delish too. Generous pours and beautiful ambiance. Great experience for us!

The staff was very welcoming when we arrived. We were quickly checked in and given some wine to sample. Chris, our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the vineyard, the Del Dotto family, and the wine making process. We toured the caves and sampled some wonderful wines. Chris did a great job getting our preferences and catering the tastings to the group. The whole visit lasted about an hour. For our first vineyard it was a great experience and I would highly recommend it.

Del dotto might be on the more expensive side ($75 per person), but the barrel tastings did not disappoint. The tour takes you through Del Dotto's historical caves where all the wine is held. You drink straight from the barrels which is a unique experience compared to most Napa vineyards. The wine is delicious AND the pours are very generous! Would definitely recommend to someone willing to spend a little more on a tour!

It is a very pretty place inside but found it to feel "stuffy". The wine tasting was expensive but they did provide a nice cheese tray. Our wine educator was very friendly.

I think I have read every T/A review posted for this winery, and I must say that most of the one and 2 star reviews are just plain snarky. Complaints vary from "overpriced", to "uninformative", to "oppressive music", to "vaudeville interior". To all of which I respectively say: rubbish
!
Some evidently think that Del Dotto is overpriced when they charge $60 bucks and not only give you a lengthy tour and pleasant post-tasting experience, but also pour about $80 to $100 of wine at retail value for each person who chooses to try every offering. Contrast that with the numerous Napa wineries that charge anywhere from $25 to $50 per person, and offer nothing beyond the wines they sell through their distribution chain to super-markets. A typical Del Dotto tour will offer up at least three or four tastings of wines rated 93 to 100 by Robert Parker, of which they have produced three dozen over the last ten vintages. And that's the wine they pour for you! No supermarket junk at Del Dotto.

As to the music and the interior, I forgive those who have never been to Venice, but Del Dotto is the real deal. It may not be your schtick, but it is more genuine than all of the ersatz designer crap dished out by most wineries. And the music? Well, Del Dotto loves opera, and maybe you don't. But I'd pay just to spend time in the Del Dotto caves listening to Puccini, Verdi, and Mozart while enjoying the fruit of the vines, and the work of human hands.

I am delighted that there are some who have posted their dislike for the Del Dotto experience. It makes it maybe a little easier for me to get a reservation. I live in Napa, I have been to almost all of the better wineries, and in my opinion there is no place as enjoyable for me, and as good a value for anyone, as Del Dotto.

Note that there are 3 Del Dotto locations to visit, and the reviewers are not specific as to which they have visited. The original stone cave on Atlas Peak is the least commercial of the three, as it is probably the oldest stone cave in Napa. The Estate winery in St. Helena is Venetian overdrive, and a sensory delight. Maybe ten thousand dollars of Murano chandeliers offends you, but not me! And Piazza Del Dotto has the most spectacular caves imaginable, and fabulous formal Italian garden settings for outdoor tastings. What a sensory treat!

The tasting and tour is quite expensive but it was fun tour the caves and compare the same wine being aged in different barrels.

My wife and I frequent Napa Valley every summer for at least a week and we have gone through many tours so trust me when I say that if you only have time for one tour in Napa Valley this is the one you need to go one. First off, you get to visit their cave...which is a treat in itself as it is not one of these modern caves drilled out with a machine. This cave is over a huntred years old and dug by hand with picks...so unique! The tours allow you to drink from barrels....which is fairly rare in Napa Valley. The tour will teach you a lot about wine making and especially the use of different types of barrels and their effect on the wine. Lastly, you will encounter the most entertaining and fun guides....our last visit we had a guide named Dan who was great. These guys live what they do and it really shows. Every wine you will taste here will blow you away.. Thanks you Del Dotto!

They live up to their nickname of Del "Blotto". Generous and numerous pours (we sampled 12 from the barrels) so don't be afraid to pour out.

Amazing tasting the same juice from different barrels to be distinctively different.

Worth the cost of entry. Loved all the wines but they're best are at a high cost point.

The cave tour was ok. The single barrel sips were unique and educational (some of the juice was pretty darned decent). And, the Parm & Salumi were a nice touch at the conclusion (actually, quite good). HOWEVER, the cost was WAY out of line...atrociously so! Talk about leaving with a bad taste in your mouth...Let's not forget, it's Napa. The pool is deep when it comes to tastings & tasting experiences. Choose wisely...and elsewhere.

Matt gave us a history of the family and the difference between the French and American barrel aging process before we headed into the Cave. We tried at least 10 different barrels, each unique and delicious. After the cave we enjoyed 3 more tastings with a fun plate of cheese and pepperoni and the best cheese pizza ever. Left with a few bottles and ordered futures

Great experience at Del Dotto with Tim. He was energetic and fun. The wine was delicious, and we purchased some to bring home. Great experience tasting directly from the barrels!

Having been to the one in Napa a few months ago we decided to try the larger one. The cave tours with the multiple barrel tastings and side by side comparison is wonderful. Both times left educated and warm. The pizza and saulumi and cheese add a nice touch. I would recommend though this being your last tasting of the day.

The oldest winery in Napa from the 1800s. The original location, which is still in operation, is near the Silverado Resort where we stayed. I loved the old building which we saw every day we were in Napa. I wish were had time to make a visit.

Very poor experience today at the Piazza, the tasting experience with wine (230USD for 2) could have been great but very rushed (all done in about 45 mins).

Suggest a wine tour of somewhere else as a much better use of precious time in Napa - wish we had....