Napa's quiet overachiever, poured one flight at a time
Central Yountville Β· Yountville Β· Winery Tasting Room Β· Visit Website β
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk Β· July 29, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Hope & Grace Wines Tasting Roomβs wine list and gave it The Wild Card β RagingWineβs Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists β
Take Vibe Match and weβll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
Walking into Hope & Grace feels like ducking out of Yountville's tourist circuit and into someone's well-appointed living room. The list is short β deliberately so β and that focus signals confidence rather than laziness. These folks know exactly what they're pouring and why.
Don't show up expecting a sprawling cellar book. Hope & Grace runs a tight, producer-focused lineup anchored in Napa Valley, with bottles like the 2019 Malbec from Oak Knoll, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Helena, and the 2018 Merlot rounding out the small-lot portfolio. The regional specificity β vineyard-designate bottlings across distinct Napa sub-appellations β is doing real work here, telling a story about place rather than just slapping 'Napa Valley' on everything. The gaps are real: no white wines visible in the data, no sparkling, and zero old-world representation. But within their lane, the curation is sharp.
By-the-glass details aren't publicly confirmed, but in a boutique tasting room format like this, the expectation is that you're working through a poured flight rather than ordering by the individual glass off a menu. If you're hoping to mix and match at the bar, call ahead β the tasting room model here is appointment-friendly and worth the advance planning.
Hope & Grace 2018 Merlot, Napa Valley β $75
Merlot still gets overlooked in Napa, which means producers who do it well tend to price it more reasonably than comparable Cab. At $75, this is the most accessible entry point into the Hope & Grace lineup and a smart pour for anyone who left their Sideways prejudice at the door.
Hope & Grace 2019 Malbec, Oak Knoll, Napa Valley
Napa Malbec is a genuine rarity β most producers treat it as a blending grape and move on. A vineyard-designate Malbec from Oak Knoll at $85 is a conversation piece and a genuinely interesting alternative to the Cab-everything routine that dominates tasting rooms up and down the valley.
Hope & Grace 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena, Napa Valley
At $95 it's not a rip-off, but if you're coming to Hope & Grace and ordering the Cab, you're doing exactly what every other tourist does at every other Napa tasting room. The Malbec and Merlot are the reason to come here β the Cab is just the safe fallback.
Hope & Grace 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena, Napa Valley + Charcuterie and aged cheese board
Tasting rooms live and die by the snack board, and a structured St. Helena Cab with some aged cheddar and cured meat is a classic for a reason. The tannin structure cuts through fat and salt; the fruit holds up without overpowering. Low-effort, high-return.
π² The Bottom Line
Hope & Grace is for the Napa visitor who's tired of Cabernet tourism and wants something with a point of view. The list is short, the prices are fair for the appellation, and the small-lot focus gives you something to actually talk about on the drive home.
North Yountville Β· Yountville Β· Wine tasting with artisanal cheese pairings
Jessup Cellars is a genuinely good time if you go in knowing what it is: a focused, house-wine tasting experience in one of the most expensive zip codes in American wine country. It's not a deep list, it's not a bargain, but it's warm, well-executed, and a smarter afternoon than most of what's on Highway 29.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
South Yountville Β· Yountville Β· Bar / Small Plates
R+D's bar list isn't trying to be a destination wine program and it doesn't pretend to be β it's a well-executed, fairly priced casual list that punches above its weight for a Hillstone concept sitting in the heart of wine country. Send a friend here if they want good wine without homework.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Yountville Β· Yountville Β· Wine Tasting Salon
The JCB Tasting Salon is a one-house show β and if you're good with that, it's a well-run, beautifully staged one. The steep pricing and narrow scope keep it from Rager territory, but the cross-continental angle and proper sommelier guidance make it a legitimate Wild Card worth booking once.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Central Yountville Β· Yountville Β· Dive bar / neighborhood bar
Pancha's isn't a wine destination, it's a Napa Valley institution that happens to stock Krug β and that alone makes it worth a stop. Send your friends here when they need to remember that wine is supposed to be fun, not performative.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Yountville Β· Yountville Β· Wine bar / tasting room
The Yount Room is what Yountville wine culture should be more of β unpretentious, walkable, and genuinely interesting without requiring a second mortgage. If you're in town and want a bottle that isn't just a brand name in a fancy room, this is where to land.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Yountville Β· Yountville Β· Wine Tasting / Wine and Cheese Pairing
Handwritten is a focused, well-executed single-producer tasting experience that knows exactly what it is β which is more than you can say for half the rooms on Washington Street. If you want breadth, go elsewhere; if you want to sit with a Napa producer and actually understand what they're doing, this is a good way to spend an afternoon.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Parkway Β· Gatlinburg Β· Winery Tasting Room
Tennessee Homemade Wines isn't trying to be a serious wine destination and it's better for it β this is a fun, honest, local-first tasting room that delivers exactly what Gatlinburg visitors are actually looking for. Send your friends here if they want a taste of Appalachian winemaking culture, not if they're chasing a Riedel-and-RhΓ΄ne experience.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Highway 128 / Red Cliffs Lodge Β· Moab Β· Winery Tasting Room
Castle Creek is a genuine Utah estate winery in one of the most visually arresting settings you'll ever drink in, and the wines are better than the novelty factor requires them to be. We wouldn't drive to Moab for the Cabernet, but if you're already there, skipping the tasting room would be the wrong call.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
Warren Street Β· Hudson Β· Winery Tasting Room
This is one of the better arguments for Hudson Valley wine you'll find on a single Warren Street block. If you've written off New York State as a wine region, Whitecliff's tasting room is the correction you didn't know you needed.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.