Domaine Chandon closes Étoile restaurant

Napa sparkling wine estate Domaine Chandon has closed its once Michelin-starred restaurant Étoile due to a dwindling demand for fine dining at the winery.

The restaurant opened in Yountville in 1977 and has been credited with transforming the fine dining landscape of the Napa Valley.

The only fine dining restaurant housed within a Napa winery, Étoile was awarded a Michelin star in 2010 under the stewardship of head chef Perry Hoffman, who at 25 was the youngest ever chef to be awarded a Michelin star.

Having lost its star in 2013, due to a drop in demand for the fine dining experience, estate manager Matt Wood decided to close the restaurant on 1 January.

“It’s definitely the end of an era for the Napa Valley and for the winery – there’s a lot of sadness,” Wood told the San José Mercury News.

In contrast, business is booming at the estate’s more casual Tasting Lounge, which specialises in oysters, charcuterie and cheese paired with flights of Domain Chandon.

Due to its popularity, the estate plans to move the Tasting Lounge to the space previously occupied by Étoile.

Domaine Chandon was founded in 1973 by Champagne house Moët & Chandon.