Piazza Del Dotto Winery & Caves - Napa, California

Philip F.

This was the last winery we toured while in Napa and it did not disappoint!

Upon entrance in their main building you’re greeted with friendly staff and served a glass of wine (which we ended up buying one of these bottles because it was so good) and were then paired up with two other couples (from NJ and IL) and our host, Simon.

Simon made this tour exceptional! He was friendly, informative and most of all his personality is what made all 6 of wanting to spend the rest of the afternoon there chatting and having fun.

The wines we tasted progressively got better and better. The caves were impressive and learning about the history was great.

After the tour we sat down in their patio which was equally impressive with all the arches with vines growing throughout. It was absolutely beautiful! They served our group our pizza (which they asked what we would like before the tour) and some tater tots with dipping sauce. This food was icing on the cake after the wonderful tour with our outstanding host, Simon.

Yep, we ended up having a few bottles shipped home as we loved this wine so much. Can’t wait for it to arrive.

Highly recommend to tour this winery when in Napa!

Rose H.

2 years later, ive returned with my husband for a birthday trip. I have to say it was a totally different experience. Although the wine was still amazing, the tour was so rushed and unrelaxing. We felt that the whole time we were on fast forward. I had to dump most of my wines or slam them back as if i was in a college frat party, so I did not miss out on the next barrel tasting.
For the cost of the tour, you should at least be able to sip, savor and enjoy. Definitely not the experience I had the first time and Definitely Would choose another winery on our next return for a little more enhanced experience. Previously visited Vegne vineyard and they were personable, informative and non rushed. We ended up wine club members. Choose your experiences wisely, they determine if you will return.we visited 7 wineries during this trip, we became members at 4 of these, ordered from another, and we're currently members at the 6th one. Guess which winery we did not join?

I've learned that it really matters who conducts your tour, and boy did we luck out with ROSANNE! She was an amazing host who shared her love of the piazzo, her knowledge and enthusiasm. This is the best wine I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The wine tapped from the barrels in the caves are utterly amazing. Once done with the barrel tastings, we were lead out to a stunning garden patio, where we enjoyed delectable pizza, Tater tots, and more wine! We were able to walk the grounds and experience the stunning gardens and statues. So unforgettable, unbelievably beautiful! If you have the opportunity to go here, do not pass this up! I will most definitely be back.

Gerald H.

Amazing venue, world class wine and top notch service! These are big cabernets so make it your final tasting of the day, otherwise tasting after Del Dotto will be disappointing as your pallet will be done. This Piazza location is one of the most expensive wineries in Napa with all the materials, scull, art coming from Italy. The wine barrels tasting is phenomenal. While most are cabernets they do have Zins. Pinots, and sangiovese but save your sobriety for the cabernets. If you’re lucky and on a tour with VIP members you’ll tasting their big cabs behind the curtain. Villa Delago is Pritchard Hill and known as the Beauty. Their Villa Delago tasting location is still under development. The Beast is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from all of their Estate Vineyard. The Beauty, Beast, 887, St Helena and the David are some of the best wines in Napa. Following the tasting you’ll enjoy pizza and salumi in the garden area. VIPs also get their famous tater tots. Overall, an amazing wine tasting experience.

Del Dotto is an upper class winery with the widest range of cabernets (15 versions) ranging from $70 to $500. They have an excellent Zinfandel and pinots, bubbles and port. Construction is ongoing to the $350 million+ project with expansion to include more caves, balcony tasting, crush pad and fountains and bridge on the lake. While membership perks have diminished post-pandemic, the service and quality of the wine is world class. For your expectations, since the fires, the number of barrel tastings were reduced. At one point they literally didn't have any David to barrel taste. So while the tasting fees are high, it is Napa and you are walking on structures built by Italians artisans (saw them working) with stone and materials shipped from Italy. All the cabs are fantastic, big , bold, lots of structure and high alcohol. Make this your last stop otherwise you won't make stop 2 or 3. And the wines are so big you'll get palette fatigue anyways. The nickname for Del Dotto is Del Blotto. Everyone is always friendly and very knowledgeable. Oscar, Simon and Roseanne are my absolute favorite hosts! End
our tour food is always awesome and if you're lucky you'll get the tomatoes. Do enjoy the garden if the weather is great and say hi to the chickens and peacocks. Spring time all the blooms are out and the garden is beautiful. We've done Barrels and Beast and that is such an amazing experience. We've also done the food pairing and everyone was matched perfectly. Food pairing is a one stop day event. People coming here complaining about the lake bridge not open or the construction and high tasting fee cost are coming here for instagram pictures not the wine. Piazza is a "must do" experience and you just might see Dave among the guests.

Robert N.

This was my first formal tasting visit to Del Dotto Piazza which is a mere 5 minutes from my home in Yountville. The property is beautiful with inviting gardens, a view of their Oakville Vineyard and their aviary is off the patio with peacock, chickens and turkeys.

My tasting started with their Sparkling Rose' and some bread bites with Del Dotto Olive Oil. The Rose' was a lovely color, light and perfectly sweet.

That was followed by a generous plate of tator tots with ketchup and aoili...Great because I was HUNGRY!

Next was their Chardonnay which was a nicely balanced wine, not a butter bomb and just the right amount of oak. Highly recommended based on my opinion.

I was then given a side-by-side of their 2021 Pinot Noir which was a great combo of light and refreshing with delightful acidity and mouth feel. The older 2016 was decidedly dry and while complex I would lay it down for another 5 years to appeal to my taste.

I moved into their Merlot forward red blend which included Cabernet Savignon, Cabernet Franc, Verdot, Syrah, Malbec and the surprise of a touch of Grenache. This was a very easy to drink wine which would likely pair with almost anything.

I then proceeded into Cab country with their '21 Cab Sav which is 80% Cab and was a nicely approachable Cab that is ready to drink now. Then came my absolute favorite Del Dotto creation, their 2021 Reserve...in a word...WOW!!! It presented complexity and simplicity in a single sip...90% Napa Valley Cab with 10% Howell Mtn. Merlot. I'll take a case...thank you very much.

Finally I tried their 100% Oakville Cab and frankly while it was similar to the Reserve, I would choose the Reserve as the best value at Del Dotto.

My recommendation...GO TO DEL DOTTO and note that they have great Napolitano Pizzas if you reserve the barrel tasting and cave tour.

Cheers...Robert@Jessup Cellars

Terra S.

This place wasn’t our favorite one when we went to Napa, maybe it’s because they were doing a little construction when we went. But we did get to go see and take a picture of the face over the door, but we could not enter that way. The Tasting was interesting. They were very nice. You get to taste the wine out of the barrel, which is pretty cool, unique, and different than others!. And afterwards you can sit at the table in the garden area and you get whole pizza and your last glass of wine! The garden area is really pretty as well. But during the tour the underground cave tunnel looks super long! So cool! They won’t let you take pictures or videos so I tried to sneak a few in. The gardens were pretty cool to wonder around in afterwards as well. Really pretty flowers! It’s a pretty venue, but I’m not sure it’s worth the price. They do not offer a military discount like some of the others do. I would like to see their other two properties Next time I’m in Napa….

QUALITYTIRE G.

It's really disappointing for me to write this review today. I had a lot of high hopes and expectations for Piazza Del Dotto. My family and I flew into Napa to celebrate my wife's birthday and I did a lot of extensive research to find one of the best wineries for her. Piazza Del Dotto had such positive reviews and the pictures online made it look like a dream, but after my family's wine tasting and our experience - it left me yearning for something more.
Upon arrival and check in, we were greeted by two lovely hosts. My daughters were so excited to tell everyone it was their mother's birthday and the host gave us some bubbly to cheer for my wife. We were a little early and told to go outside to wait for our guide to come get us. Normally this would be fine, but that day was one of the hottest days in the Bay Area hitting over 90 degrees. Nobody wanted to be outside in that heat, but my family and I didn't complain. Eventually we went back inside to look for our guide and were greeted by Rosanne, Once again, my kids were super excited to tell her it was their mother's birthday and Roseanne smiled and didn't acknowledge it. She seemed more interested in the other group than us. \
As we walked to the caves, I was disappointed to see all the construction on site. There's nothing stated online that the winery would be going under some minor improvements. The water fountain wasn't on and you couldn't walk across the pretty bridge. I figured for the price that I spent on a tasting, that would be noted.
Once we got inside the cave, it was beautiful. Rosanne asked the group (two couples and my family) if we were wine drinkers. My wife is the wine drinker, my kids and I can drink wine but we're not experts - when we told that to Rosanne she made an obvious reaction and said "oh okay then". It became clear to us right away that she didn't love that we weren't experts. As we moved forward with the tasting and Rosanne gave us some pourings - she would ask us for our reactions. If it was my wife, my kids, or even me - she always questioned what we said. It felt as if nothing we could do or say would make her happy. My youngest daughter is the newest to red wine drinking and took the longest to finish her pours - leading Rosanne to give her smaller portions. Something that truly bothered me because we didn't ask for that, and I felt like we were cutting short of the full experience that I paid for. What bothered me the most about this whole experience was how the other group received such better treatment than my family.
Once we moved back inside and got our pizzas, Rosanne completely stopped checking in on us despite her continuing to help the other group.
Napa is a beautiful place with wonderful options all around. Piazza Del Dotto has potential but for the price, the treatment, and overall quality - I recommend you take this one of your list.

Melissa N.

The wine and food pairing experience is amazing! The cave tour is a feast for the eyes. The stone walls, the mosaic floor, the paintings on ceilings and overall ambience with the music is a must try. The patio and gardens are beautiful as well and very enjoyable with heat lamps on a cold day. The food is beyond delicious and very well presented.

I highly recommend visiting!

Rachael L.

We made a last minute reservation for a wine and food tasting. We had a wonderful experience. The food and the wines were excellent. I enjoyed the opportunity to experience the wine taste before and after tasting the food. They were also very accommodating on food variations (e.g. alternatives to the seafood menu items). It was delicious and I'd recommend this if you get the chance.