Oakville Grocery

So let’s say you’ve been out wine tasting in Napa all day and you’re ready for some food. You want a meal, but you don’t want to go to a fancy sit down restaurant, and you’re not exactly sure what you’re in the mood for.

Here’s what you do; head on over to Oakville Grocery right in the heart of Napa. This place was established in 1881-it’s a historical landmark, and the longest continually running grocery store in California.

This isn’t just a grocery store though. This place has a little bit of everything-all fresh and local. From artisan cheeses and olives, to freshly made sandwiches, wood fired pizzas, and a stunning array of local jams, mustards, and tapenades. You could spend hours browsing the wine selection alone.

Dandy and I split a sandwich made with smoked chicken breast, gruyere, and sweet & spicy mustard. We also had some pesto pasta, fresh garlic hummus, and a caprese salad. We ordered our food and then sat outside overlooking the stunning mountain views. I could have easily gone in and ordered a whole other meal and done it all over again.

Next to the store is a Victorian House with a rich museum, showcasing some of the tools and highlights of each Napa AVA that Jean-Charles Boisset established. If you’re a history buff, you’ll love this.

And here’s the thing that really sets this place apart, especially for you wine lovers. You’ve heard of Opus One and Screaming Eagle Vineyards, yes? Those are some of the upper echelon wines that put Napa on the map-but their bottle prices aren’t for the faint of heart. At Oakville Grocery you can taste a sample of some of those wines. (Screaming Eagle was available for a few months and by the glass was $600…but at least you could try it without having to buy the bottle) They’ll set you back a few bucks, but you can go home and brag to your friends that you drank, literally, some of the most famous wines in the world.