Milat Vineyards Winery

Beauty in simplicity. Also, 50% discount on cases! The winery offers five specific wines for tasting and all were quite good, most notably the Chenin blanc. It is one of the best wines I have tasted thus far in the valley, a white wine with a smooth, well-​defined flavor that is not too sweet. Ended up buying a case of it. The tasting costs $ 10 but the fee is waved upon purchasing a bottle. Definitely a must visit given the awesome discount on cases!

Great wines. The guy that helped and assisted us was knowledgable and fun. Best winery I’ve ever been to

Planned a bachelorette party for 8 and I chose Milat Vineyards as our last stop before dinner. My conversation with one of the owners booking the appointment alone made me like this place. He was hilarious and his humor is right up my alley.
The tasting space is cozy and the wines were really tasty! I bought a bottle of the Chenin Blanc, Zivio Port-​Style and chocolate port sauce. One of the ladies said the chocolate sauce is better than sex and I’m inclined to agree, especially if you have it with the Zivio. Simply amazing! I’m trying to find ways to drink them all the time without admitting I have a problem.
Highly recommend you give them a call and stop in for a tasting when you’re in town.

Great little family-​owned winery. The owner poured our samples and had a lot of great information about the wine and entertaining stories to boot! All of their wines are estate-​grown and very nice. We bought a bottle and were not charged for either of our tastings. Tastings are only $ 10 and are well worth it. Novice or experienced wine aficionados will enjoy this stop, mind you it’s all about the wine, not the building!

12/​22/​2014 — I learned today they are permanently closed. One of the saddest days ever. :(
I adore this winery!
I’ve been three or four times now over the course of 2 years — and every time I walk in, Mike Milat is at the counter. Every time, remembers me! He’s fun and a great storyteller.
A friend of mine who worked at Opus One recommended Milat to me and it is a gem! It’s a very small, family-​run winery. The wine is wonderful… but what keeps me coming back is their chocolate sauce and port-​style wine. The two of those together will make your eyes roll back.
Mike makes you feel comfortable enough to ask questions and he’s very open about how they started and why they do what they do. You get a nice education rather than a personality-​less person pouring your tastings.
Another reviewer here said the wines are very «approachable» and I’d have to agree. Definitely go visit them. While I’ve heard (and made the comparison myself) that Napa seems more «snooty» than Sonoma, Milat Vineyards will make you feel at home.
PS: I’ll be back when my chocolate sauce stash runs out. Shouldn’t take very long.

A small, family owned winery that we visited on our recent trip to Napa. The tasting room is simple but the owner was friendly and funny and it was a nice stop.
Unfortunately we walked in about 5 minutes after a small tour but we enjoyed our experience and the wine nonetheless. We really liked their Port and the chocolate sauce they had there made with the port as well.
Would recommend a visit.

Ooops, never posted this from our stay back in October, but it was a great trip and earned a great review, even if it is super belated and all of the yummy wine we bought is now gone. Time to go back to Milat for more!
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I’m writing this review as a guest, not so much as a super connoisseur of wines or anything. I had a wedding to attend in Rutherford and was scrambling to find a hotel last minute. Somehow I came across the accommodations at Milat. The room rate for their «loft room» was so so reasonable. The room wasn’t anything super fancy but totally comfortable and the owners were great. We went into the tasting room before the wedding and had a great flight and a great time hanging out. I’m not much of a red wine drinker but their 2011 chennin blanc was so good we bought three bottles. As you’ll read in all the other reviews the chocolate port sauce was also ridiculous good. Great weekend here!

A family owned winery left in Napa, Yup…
Wow, visited yesterday and as in other reviews, Mike was great. I am sure there are those out there that might find some offense so take those reviews with a grain of salt. The visit was great and how about the wine, just as good. The wine isn’t free but it isn’t overly price either, actually I think they should be up higher.
Anyway a great place to visit with a $ 10 tasting fee and if you like those fruity whites dont miss the Chenin Blanc and make sure you finish with the Port and Chocolate sauce.
Say high to Hazel too!

This was our last stop of the day and was random. Mike was in the tasting room and he has stories! It was a great experience. The wines are very good and the stories that Mike was telling made it feel very welcoming, they were funny too! You should stop in and taste, highly recommended.

I just visited St. Helena’s yesterday and had such a great time at Milat. The place is very small, but because my group was the only one there, I did not mind. I also love that the place is decorated with family pictures and it really shows the history of Milat — a family run vineyard. The Milat wine is only sold in Napa, so there is no need to worry about what is a reserve or not.
Hazel, their golden labrador is a cutie, but watch out, she does jump! (I’m a dog person so I did not mind Hazel at all). The owner actually put her in the back right when my girlfriends and I came in, but we requested that Hazel come out to play!
I would highly recommend their Chenin Blanc AND their chocolate sauce… yummmmzzzz…

Just came back from a visit to Saint Helena. First off, the wine tasting experience at Milat was great. Mike was a great host and very entertaining! I loved the Chenin Blanc and the Port Sauce as well.
In addition to the wine tasting, MIlat offers lodging. My boyfriend and I booked the loft for 2 nights in November. We could not have asked for anything better. The view of their vineyard from the loft balcony and window were amazing. Having coffee in the morning and walking around the vineyard was a great plus. We could not have gotten a better place for our second trip to Saint Helena!

Visited the Milat winery on a recent trip to Napa… Mike Milat was pouring that day and we had a good time with him. He’s a very amiable fellow who grew up on the property and has some interesting and funny stories to tell. The tasting room has a comfortable, almost rustic feel… nothing fancy or pretentious here.
Tasting fees are inexpensive and are waived with purchase of a bottle. Overall, the Milat wines are very approachable everyday wines, and are priced accordingly. We liked the zinfindel ($ 25) the best, and the chocolate port sauce ($ 18)

Met the Milat brothers and was incredibly impressed with the entire experience. They were hilarious, entertaining, and very kind. I ended up walking out with over $ 100 worth of wine and my entire crew was given free tastings because of it. I recommend the chocolate port sauce above all. They have a great cab as well. If you are on a wine tour, I would suggest tasting at some of the larger vineyards, but end up at this spot to get a local feel that’s worth rallying behind. They know their wine well, and will take the time to invest into your knowledge.
«Favorite wine in Sonoma!»

Chocolate port sauce!!! One of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted and reason enough to come to Milat Vineyards Winery.
You don’t associate a laid back family run business with Napa Valley winegrowers, but that is exactly what Milat is. From the moment you step foot inside the tasting room it becomes abundantly clear that this is not the typical Napa Valley winery. The tasting room is run by the owners themselves and they are incredibly personable. They pour generous tastings for a modest fee and genuinely enjoy telling the story behind their wines.
All of the wines here are excellent, but their ports stand out amongst the rest as the reason you absolutely have to make a stop at Milat Vineyards on your next trip to the Napa Valley. The 2006 Zivio Port is fortified with brandy and will go perfectly with any dessert. The real star is the Chocolate Port Wine Sauce, a single taste is all it will take for you to fall completely in love with Milat Vineyards.
Milat Vineyards Winery is an absolute can’t miss for any trip to the wine country, just be sure to pick up a bottle of the chocolate port wine sauce while you are there.

Hands-​down my favorite winery in the Napa/​St. Helena area.
Delicious Chenin-​Blanc and fun conversation with the gentleman serving us.
Relaxed atmosphere, no rushing to get you out, and a true sense of «let’s just chat casually over a glass of wine, even though I can tell your face is really red because you are Asian, but you know what, thats totally cool with me so just enjoy your Chenin Blanc» feeling.
Will be coming back soon!

We stopped in here today cuz it was one of the few tasting rooms we could find open on Xmas eve afternoon. Glad we did! The wines were really good… chenin blanc is much sweeter than other chenins I’ve had before. And the chard was awesome (though the guy behind the bar mentioned they just tore up their chard vines so they won’t be making it anymore — boo). Port was excellent too, especially cuz of the wee dish of chocolate accompanying it! I’m not a big fan of red wines, although their zin is very tasty. My husband really liked the cab. And best of all? Our tasting fee was waived — that’s the christmas spirit don’t ya know! XD

Milat is truly what many might imagine a small family winery and vineyard to be. It is unassuming and personable, and it is definitely not pretentious. Most importantly, they have great wines.
Their selection is a little more limited than the larger wineries. We opted simply for the reds and were provided: Pine Station Blend, Zin, Merlot, Cab Sauv, and a port. The Pine Station is a great priced red blend of merlot, zin, and cab. At $ 18 dollars, it is a great everyday wine or the perfect bottle to give as a gift from your napa trip to family and friends. The Cabernet was really what caught my attention. On the nose, you get a good bit of raspberry. Unlike a lot of other cabs, the Milat is a little lighter without being too acidic. Definitely give that a try.
In terms of cost, their bottles ranged from $ 18 – 36. We ended up purchasing 3 bottles and our tasting fee was waived. Our pourer was very kind and we had some great conversation with her. She had a lot of insight about wine, the winery, and the history of Napa.
To address a few other Unilocal reviewers, not all wineries are the same. Milat is a great tasting room where one can try wine and purchase it if one enjoys it. Milat is not a tourist trap winery built on some sort of gimmick, they do not do tours, and this is not a stop to go to if you are planning to get wasted. This is a great place to go if you enjoy great wine, a laid back atmosphere, and a personable host that really believes in their wines.
Hands down, one of my favorite on my Napa trip. It is located right in prime Napa location, so you have not excuses not to go here.

This was actually the first stop at Napa that my friends and I made… and I can say that I was definitely drunk by the end of our tasting session.
For $ 5, the owner, Bob Milat, provided us with 6 – 7 tastings. That is a BARGAIN compared to the rest of Napa’s other wineries. Not only that, Bob was very personable and it’s hard not to be won over by the charm and down-​to-​earth demeanor that he and his winery exudes.
Would gladly go back again the next time I’m in the area!

Found this place on the Napa website. Booked a room because of the price (way less expensive than other places) and because we didn’t want to stay in generic lodgings. We will definitely go back. The room was simple, but comfy. We stayed in the loft room, it has a lovely view of the vineyard. Very laid-​back hosts and atmosphere. Mike and Carolyn only have 2 rules: Drive slow, and don’t let the cat into your room. You can walk around/​through the vineyard-it’s really nice at sunset as you sip a glass of chardonnay.
Our hosts were great, the room was comfy, the wine was good (not spectacular, but good and affordable, as Napa wines go), and the location was convenient. One small complaint was the height of the shower head. If you are taller than about 5’2″, you’ll have to duck to rinse your head. Despite that, we would definitely stay there again.

What an awesome pit-​stop along our way in St-​Helena! This is a family owned vineyard and born in 1986. Just as old as me! The tasting room is a bit small and only has one chair… So when big groups and other individuals come on in, the place does get cramped and you don’t get a chance to hang out at the front wine bar with the host. We had a group of 7 yesterday and were all lined up along the bar. Other couples came in so we tried to squeeze or make room for them. There was definitely a strong and strange odor we all smelled as we entered the premises. But you will get used to it within minutes. unless you keep going in and out. Bathroom is located on the side of the building! Little amount of parking spots so beware!
Service was fabulous. The owner was hilarious from the beginning to end. He made us feel very welcomed with his humor and knowledge of wine. He had a carefree personality and since one of our friends bought about 4 bottles of wine, all the tasting fees were on him! yay! It is cheap though. $ 5 for 7 flights of wine. you get to try the blanc, chardonnay, port, cab, merlot, zinfandel, port de chocolat… The chocolate syrup was delicious and a great addition to desserts! I was just scooping that little sample up like crazy.
I wish I was able to enjoy this experience more due to me getting sick. It’s okay. Until next time!