Historic Napa winery reopens with US$1,000 tasting

Heitz Cellar has opened its doors following a two-year-long remodelling of its tasting room, where visitors can now fork out $1,000 for its top-tier tasting.

What does a US$1,000 wine tasting get you in Napa Valley? Visitors to Heitz Cellar in St Helena can now find out, if they have deep enough pockets, that is.

The winery’s owners have finally relaunched its new-look tasting room, the result of two years worth of renovations, with an eyewatering ‘Vineyard to Bottle Experience’, costing US$1,000 per person.

The ultra-premium experience includes two vineyard visits, a stop at the winery’s original 130-year-old wine cellar and a tasting with library selections.

Founded in 1961 and one of the most iconic wineries in Napa, Heitz was sold in 2018 to the Lawrence Family and Carlton McCoy Jr. — who also own Napa’s Stony Hill and Burgess — and was closed for renovations until last month.

Until recently Heitz Cellar was one of the last remaining Napa Valley wineries to offer free tastings of its wines, which include the esteemed Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

But how does its US$1,000 experience match up to other luxury Napa tastings? And will visitors be getting enough bang for their buck?

To give you an idea, a Bottle Blending Day Camp at Judd’s Hill winery will set you back around US$640, after which time you’ll get to take home eight bottles of your very own Bordeaux-style red wine blend, complete with bespoke wine bottle and label.

At Tor Wines, those who sign up to its US$950 Black Magic Experience will be permitted to tour marquee-name vineyards, whose fruit goes into the estate’s Black Magic Cabernet wine.

Over at Theorem Vineyard, its sought-after Baccarat Experience provides a custom-engraved crystal wine glass crafted by the iconic French company for US$750 per person.

Fancy taking your wine knowledge to new heights? Aileron Estates’ biplane flight tastings see clients enjoy 20 minutes in a vintage, open-cockpit aircraft before heading back to ground for hosted wine tastings, and all for US$550.

Thankfully, those without the disposable income to blow on Heitz’s top-calibre experience can still acquaint themselves with the winery’s finer drops. Visitors can always opt for the winery’s ‘Timeless tasting’ for US$150 per person, which includes a selection of single-vineyard Cabernets, paired with cheese and charcuterie.