Appointment-Only Tasting Salon Makes Its Debut in Downtown Napa

If you've visited the Napa Valley lately, odds are you've felt the buzz in the streets. The energy is inescapable. Traffic is growing, restaurants and bars are full of jovial travelers and locals alike, and tasting rooms are frantically pouring the most delicious of wines to their visitors. Now you are granted a new opportunity to book an appointment-only tasting experience, guided by years of experience and brilliance earned at some of the most collectible wineries on earth. What a chance to intimately get to know some of the most under-the-radar wines produced in the entire Napa Valley.

Simon Family Estate –the family-owned winery producing elegant & limited production wines from some of the most prestigious vineyard sites in Napa Valley–is thrilled to announce the opening of their tasting salon in Downtown Napa for current and future collectors. Founded by vintners Sam and Nada Simon, the label debuted with the 2019 vintage to instant critical acclaim, thanks to the quality of Simon Family Estate’s storied vineyard sources and the talents of superstar winemaker, Maayan Koschitzky.

Located at 1040 Main Street in the heart of downtown Napa, the new Simon Family Estate Tasting Salon is tucked away on the third floor of an unassuming building that was once part of the Napa Opera House. With nothing to guide guests there but their reservation confirmation, the absence of visible signage naturally evokes the mystique of a speakeasy. The element of discovery is palpable as guests exit Main Street, make their way upstairs, and enter what feels like another world.

Designed by Bette Abbott Interior Design , the grandly sophisticated space pays a nod to its operatic history. Custom wood and leather furnishings from local craftsmen offer a handsome, deeply textured feel, while abstract art pieces from local Napa galleries anchor the room with warm and inviting tones. A woven lighting scheme throughout the original historic ceilings creates a striking focal point, evoking the connectedness that defines the Simons’ ethos. Modern yet elegant, the tasting salon perfectly embodies the classic aesthetic of the founders and serves as the quintessential backdrop for their wines.

The experience at the new Simon Family Estate tasting salon is as elevated as it is unexpected. Highly personalized, bookings are reserved for serious wine collectors and enthusiasts who are interested in learning more about the label’s 99-point Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines, as well as its signature Golden Ore Sauvignon Blanc and Tigress Rosé of old vine Grenache.

As a labor of family, found brotherhood, and love, the Simon Family Estate wines have a story to tell, bearing testament to craft, perseverance, and the American Dream. As Armenian Catholics from Iraq, both Sam and Nada Simon immigrated to the United States as young children (fleeing the brutal Saddam Hussein regime) and have built tremendous success through a deeply instilled entrepreneurial work ethic and an unwavering emphasis on the power of human connection.

The Simons made wines just for their friends and family for years until 2019, when they tapped Maayan Koschitzky–a fellow immigrant from the Middle East–as their winemaker. Maayan farmed vineyards in his native Israel before moving to Napa Valley and becoming the creative force behind some of the region’s most exceptional labels, including Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle and Atelier Melka (where he remains Director of Winemaking). Maayan shares the Simons’ deep respect for the land and the multigenerational growers who farm Simon Family Estate’s historic vineyard sources. The complex, deeply rooted wines they have created together are a testament to these invaluable relationships.

“ To us, Simon Family Estate is the American Dream realized ,” said Sam. “ Our bond with Maayan has forged a strong foundation for producing exquisitely complex, textured wines. The debut of our new tasting salon is an important next step in our ability to share those profound wines and deepen our relationships with existing Simon Family Estate clients while attracting new audiences to our story .”

To book an appointment to experience the Simon Family Estate tasting salon, please inquire at wines@simonfamilyestate.com or call 707-222-6088.