The new venture from Jean-Charles Boisset joins 1881 Napa Wine History Museum in landmark Oakville location
OAKVILLE, CA (February 20, 2020) – Oakville Wine Merchant, a destination for wine lovers to enjoy more than 50 wines by the glass from Napa’s finest producers, has opened adjacent to Oakville Grocery in the nearly 150-year-old historic Victorian building that also is home to 1881 Napa Wine History Museum.
Building on the success of the wine program at Oakville Grocery, which offers nearly 700 wines from 250 producers mainly from Napa Valley, Proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset has created an environment where guests can experience the depth and breadth of the region’s wines.
“We invite everyone to explore the diversity of Napa Valley’s wines in an amazing space where they can relax and discover the magic of our elixirs as well as our rich history,” said Boisset, who opened 1881 Napa Wine History Museum last year. “We are thrilled that 1881 Napa has evolved into Oakville Wine Merchant, allowing us to include the wines from our friends and neighbors.”
Oakville Wine Merchant has 12 Napa Tech machines installed on the ground floor of the Victorian home filled with wines grouped by the Napa Valley sub-appellations. Labels include highly sought-after bottles from Bond, Shafer, Dominus, Dalla Valle, Spottswoode, Dana and more. Guests can purchase a card loaded with various denominations and select a taste, half glass or full glass themselves from the machines. Alternatively, visitors will soon be able to choose from a selection of wine flights that explore the diverse terroir of Napa Valley. Wines from Boisset’s 1881 Napa label are included in the machines and will also be in the flights alongside those from other Napa Valley producers. Wine educators are on hand to answer questions about the various wines.
Bottles are available for purchase to enjoy on premise or to go, allowing visitors to try iconic wines and then take them home. Guests to Oakville Wine Merchant can also enjoy curated food options from Oakville Grocery that include cheese and charcuterie platters and caviar service. The wine and food can be enjoyed inside the Victorian home under two centerpieces — a 48-light Baccarat crystal Zenith chandelier and a reproduction of an 1895 map of Napa County on canvas hanging from the ceiling — that provide a dramatic environment to explore the varied wines of the valley or outside on the patios. In addition, displays highlighting the unique stories and soils of each appellation surround the tasting room, as do antique decanters from Jean-Charles’ personal collection.
Representatives from local wineries featured at Oakville Wine Merchant will host vintner nights and winemaker dinners at the property. The first event is a winemaker dinner with Koerner Rombauer of Rombauer Vineyards on March 27.
Visitors to Oakville Wine Merchant can explore the 1881 Napa Wine History Museum, which is open to the public with complimentary visitation. The museum features an extensive collection of historic wine relics from Europe and the United States and original artifacts from the Early California Wine Trade Archive.
Oakville Wine Merchant is located at 7856 St. Helena Highway in Oakville and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit the Merchant web page here. Visit 1881Napa.com for information on the wine history museum.
About Boisset Collection
Boisset is a family-owned collection of historic and unique wineries and lifestyle destinations led by Jean-Charles Boisset and bound together by a common vision: authentic, terroir-driven wines in harmony with their history, their future and the land and people essential to their existence. With more than 25 historical and prestigious still and sparkling wineries in the world’s preeminent terroirs, including Burgundy, Beaujolais, Jura, the Rhône Valley, the south of France and California’s Russian River Valley and the Napa Valley. Its California wineries include DeLoach Vineyards, Raymond Vineyards, Buena Vista Winery and JCB by Jean-Charles Boisset; its French properties feature Domaine de la Vougeraie, Jean-Claude Boisset, Bouchard Aîné et Fils, J. Moreau et Fils, Louis Bouillot, Domaines Henri Maire, Fortant and Bonpas. Each house retains its unique history, identity and style, and all are united in the pursuit of fine wines expressive of their terroir. Wine is at the center of Boisset’s mission, and is complemented by spirits, beer, cider, gourmet foods and luxury goods, both of its own design and from partnerships with historic companies such as Baccarat, Lalique, St. Louis, Riedel, Christofle, and Bernardaud. To learn more about the Boisset Collection, please visit www.boissetcollection.com.
