Winery Details

Open, by appointment only, Wednesday through Sunday, Swanson Vineyards features a variety of formal wine tastings in their Salon ($30 to $55 per person.) Visitors can savor both prominent and less attainable California wines perfectly paired with artisanal cheeses and bonbons. A more casual wine tasting is held in their Shoppe focusing on their best known wines. 

• Origins: In the 1950s, long before the Swanson winery was founded, the family introduced the first lifestyle product, Swanson frozen dinners.

• Inspiration: In 1985, at his 25th Stanford University reunion, W. Clarke Swanson, Jr. received a tip from a fraternity brother to buy a parcel of vineyard land in Napa Valley.

• Merlot: Visionary winemaker André Tchelistcheff, acting as a consultant, chose to plant the then relatively unknown variety Merlot.

• Winemakers: Chris Phelps, an expert in both Bordeaux and Napa styles, has been winemaker for five years. Marco Cappelli, Swanson’s founding winemaker, held the post for 17 years.

• Salon: After 14 years of making their innovative wines, Swanson opened a private wine tasting salon, the first luxury wine tasting salon in the U.S.