Taylor Family Vineyards
Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California
Where Wine Feels Like Family
đź“ŤLOCATION
Napa Valley
đź“… APPOINTMENT
Required
đź’°PRICE RANGE
$55-275
🍇 WINE CLUB
Yes
🍷SIGNATURE WINES
Chardonnay • Cabernet
WHY I LOVE TAYLOR FAMILY VINEYARDS
I discovered Taylor Family Vineyards during COVID, when Gary Thompson was hosting virtual Friday happy hours. One week he featured Taylor, and later went live with three generations of the family — Nana, Sandy and Danielle. I fell in love with the family before I ever tasted the wine.
On our next trip to Napa, Taylor went straight onto the itinerary. I joined the wine club, and it has been a favorite ever since. Tastings take place outside the family home in Stags Leap, high on the hillside with gorgeous views of Napa Valley, and you’re hosted by a member of the family. Their wine and cheese pairings are wonderful, but it’s the warmth of the experience that keeps me bringing friends back.
And once you’re “in the club”? Let’s just say Nana has her favorites — and she makes sure to come say hello. đź’ś
WINE DIVA FAVORITES
The bottles I reach for, recommend and happily make room for in my cellar.
Taylor Family Hillside Chardonnay
Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley
Around here, we call it Nana’s Chardonnay. Rich, elegant and one I happily keep stocked.
Taylor Family Cabernet Sauvignon
Diamond Mountain District, Napa Valley
The bottle worth making room for.
A beautiful Diamond Mountain Cabernet I save for nights that deserve something special.
Taylor Family Sauvignon Blanc
Yountville, Napa Valley
The spring shipment I never skip.
Fresh, bright and exactly why I say yes to that optional case every year.
THE EXPERIENCE
A tasting at Taylor Family Vineyards feels less like visiting a tasting room and more like being welcomed into the family. Tastings take place outside the family home, tucked into the hillside in Stags Leap, with sweeping views over the Silverado Trail side of Napa Valley.
You’ll be hosted by a member of the Taylor family, who will guide you through the wines alongside thoughtfully chosen cheese pairings. It’s relaxed, personal and wonderfully unhurried — the kind of tasting where the stories behind the wines become just as memorable as what’s in your glass.
This isn’t a stop you squeeze between wineries. Give yourself time to settle in, enjoy the view and experience what makes Taylor special.
INSIDER TIPS
What I’d tell a friend before they visit
BEFORE YOU GO
Reservations required. Book early.
Tastings are by appointment only, Monday–Friday, and can fill quickly since every tasting is hosted by a member of the Taylor family. Plan for 90–120 minutes and don’t schedule your next stop too tightly.
THE WINE DIVA TIP
Don’t rush this one.
Taylor is meant to be savored. Settle in outside, enjoy the sweeping views over the Silverado Trail side of the valley, watch for the bluebirds and let the family guide the pace.
DON’T MISS
The cheese pairings.
They’re thoughtfully chosen to complement each wine. Taste the wine on its own, then with the cheese — it’s a delicious little lesson in how food can completely change what you taste in your glass.
PERFECT FOR
Who will love this winery
WINE LOVERS
Small production Napa Wines
INTIMATE TASTINGS
Personal and unhurried
CHARDONNAY SKEPTICS
Prepare to reconsider
SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Memorable and personal
Pair Your Visit
Make a day of it
LUNCH
Bistro Jeanty
Classic French comfort food in Yountville. A longtime favorite and perfect for a leisurely lunch before or after your tasting.
DINNER
Bottega
One of my Napa Valley go-tos for a beautiful dinner in Yountville. Great food, great atmosphere and worthy of lingering over another bottle of wine.
STAY
Napa Valley Lodge
Relaxed wine-country charm in the heart of Yountville, with a great location and a more approachable price point for a Napa getaway.
NEARBY WINERY
Cliff Lede Vineyards
Stay on the Stags Leap side of the valley and pair Taylor’s intimate family experience with a polished tasting at another beautiful Cabernet experience.
Shop the Experience
Bring a little of the Wine Diva life home
THE GLASS
JosephinenhĂĽtte
The glasses Taylor uses for their tastings — elegant, beautifully balanced and now one of my favorites, too.
THE WINE TOOL
Coravin
Taylor uses Coravin when the tasting schedule is lighter — a smart way to enjoy a special bottle without committing to the whole thing.
THE BOTTLE
Taylor Family Cumulus
The splurge. A special Taylor bottle for the cellar — and the kind I save for an evening worthy of it.
THE LUXURY EXTRA
Humboldt Fog Cheese
One of the cheeses served at Taylor and a favorite pairing to recreate at home. Add a beautiful bottle and the right glass for a little taste of that hillside experience.
GALLERY
Scenes from my visits
THE WINE DIVA VERDICT
My Final Word
Taylor Family Vineyards is everything I love about Napa when Napa feels personal.
The wines are beautiful, the setting is gorgeous and the cheese pairings make the tasting even more memorable — but what sets Taylor apart is the family. You aren’t walking into a crowded tasting room or being moved through a scheduled flight. You’re being welcomed into their home, hearing their stories and experiencing the wines through the people behind them.
I’ve been a club member since 2021, brought friends back again and again, and continue to make room in my cellar for Taylor wines. That probably tells you everything you need to know.
THE WINE DIVA STANDARD
Worth planning your day around.
WINE DIVA SCORECARD
Wine Quality — 5/5
Hospitality — 5/5
Experience — 5/5
Value — 4.5/5
Return Visit? — Absolutely
