St. Helena Wine Merchants

Who doesn’t love wine in the Napa Valley?! Good customer service and quality products!

Not every amazing winery has a tasting room. Which was the case with a delicious Anderson Valley Sauvingon Blanc that I had discovered in a restaurant (Kelly & Young ’08). Luckily St. Helena Wine Merchants stocks the wine I was looking for & plenty of other local wines that may be harder to find/don’t make it into stores in San Francisco.

On a warm Tuesday afternoon last week I found myself in St. Helena yearning for that perfect bottle of wine. I had already visited Peju, Raymond, Newton, and St. Clemente, and was unable to find exactly what I was looking for. As a last resort I stopped in at St. Helena Wine Merchants, hesitant at first to go into a wine store while surrounded by so many prestigious wineries. What could this lowly store have on its shelves which would upstage the places I had already visited? Unsure and hesitant I walked up to the storefront. The door quickly opened in front of me. A man was beckoning me into the store. As my eyes adjusted to the sudden dimness I began to see shelf after shelf of fine wines, most from the valley. The man who had opened the door gave me a few seconds to adjust to my new setting before grinning and introducing himself to me as Jeff, the owner. I explained to him my plight. He laughed softly and told me that his specialty was ensuring that each and every customer would walk away with the perfect bottle of wine. He humored my stories and questions regarding my tasting experiences of the afternoon. We discussed the high and low points of each wine I tasted in an attempt to determine exactly what wine would be ideal. He even offered to let me taste a wine which he had been tasting earlier, to determine if it was worthy of his shop! With the vast selection of wine available for me to choose from I was nervous to purchase something right off the shelf. Jeff reassured me that this would not be a problem.
After talking with him and some careful consideration I went with the 2005 Ladera, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon provides the varietal character, depth and structure of the wine. Petite Verdot give the wine richness on the mid palate, along with added juicy flavors to the finish. Merlot contributes the fruit flavors of raspberry and strawberry, and freshness to the aromas. The 2005 vintage was a low crop size contributing to the wine’s superb richness, structure, depth and varietal character. The wine has aromas of blackberry and raspberry fruit; anise with toasty and vanilla highlights. The tannin structure is full and highly extracted, but soft and lush. The wine was very drinkable that night, though I’m sure it would easily cellar for an additional 8 – 10 years. The price was perfect and the wine was unbelievable. Jeff’s friendly demeanor and vast knowledge of his trade made this one of the most enjoyable times that I’ve bought wine.
A trip through the Napa Valley is incomplete without a stop at St. Helena Wine Merchants. You simply won’t find better wine at a better price.

when your stuck in the middle of expensive wineries and you have tasted the wines you like but are way to over priced to pay for drive to St. Helena’s Wine Merchants… why? SALE, SALE, SALE. Plus Jeff, the owner was very helpful and kind. I think this is a family owned wine store with great deals on a large variety of wines.
I think he saw that I was looking for the cheapest bottle in the room and pointed me to some very good kinds! Also, he’ll inform you on what’s going down in the neighborhood and what’s up with all the local restaurants.