Rubicon Estate Review

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Rubicon Estate

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 3.7/5

Fodor's Review:

It's the house The Godfather built. Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola began his winemaking career in 1975, when he bought part of the historic, renowned Inglenook estate. He eventually reunited the original Inglenook land and snagged the ivy-covered 19th-century château to boot. In 2006 he renamed the property Rubicon Estate, intending to focus on his premium wines, including the namesake cabernet sauvignon-based blend. (The less-expensive wines, along with movie memorabilia, are showcased at Coppola's second winery in Sonoma County's Geyserville.) A visit here starts at a cool $25, but this price tag is tied to smooth orchestration. The fee covers valet parking, a tour of the château and discussion of the estate's history, and a tasting in the opulent, high-ceiling tasting room. Greeters explain the other offerings with additional fees, such as food-and-wine pairings and more in-depth tours.

  • Cost: $25
  • Open: Daily 10-5; tour daily at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, and 2:30
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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by YNFDADV from San Francisco, California on 10/9/07
Had a spectacular time visiting this historic property. Many Napa wineries charge $25 just to taste their premium wines. At Rubicon Estate the $25 covers valet parking, tour, and tasting of their incredible wines. Really a bargain. The experience is very grand... not a tour bus infested picnic ground. You actually can enjoy the wine in a beautiful and serene environment. My top pick of the Napa Valley.

Member Rating: 5.0
Ratings details: Experience: 5.0 Ease: 5.0 Value: 5.0 Don't Miss: 5.0

Reviewed by vinogirl78 from San Francisco, Ca on 10/4/07
The comment from the user above is wrong- there are no more Coppola Wines served at Rubicon Estate- Coppola still owns the winery but the Coppola Diamond Wines were moved to his new winery in Geyserville. The tasting is 5 wines, that are in limited production and we were able to taste 2 wines that were only available at the winery, an Estate Merlot, the $70 Cask Cabernet & the $125 Rubicon which were included in the $25 guest fee. The Historical tour is informative and their by appointment tours- a vineyard and winemaking tour are fantastic and worth the effort to book ahead of time. The person that mentioned the $40 cab could not have actually visited the staff said the Diamond wines were removed from tasting in Jan 2006. Th name change happened in Feb 06. This is well worth $25 if you want to taste great wines and vist a beautiful estate. oh, and the guest fee was good for 3 days so you could visit again and buy a glass of wine and hang out at their little wine bar.

Member Rating: 4.2
Ratings details: Experience: 4.0 Ease: 4.0 Value: 5.0 Don't Miss: 4.0

Reviewed by NorCal from Northern California on 2/21/07
Fodor's info is outdated. This winery is now called Rubicon Estate (since 2006); the charge is $25 per guest for the winetasting and museum experience, and includes valet parking. This is not exactly the best value in the Napa Valley.

Member Rating: 1.8
Ratings details: Experience: 3.0 Ease: 1.0 Value: 1.0 Don't Miss: 1.0
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