Napa Valley’s Oldest Winery to Implement Rigorous Standards to Ensure Guest Safety
Napa, Calif., June 9, 2020 — Charles Krug Winery is pleased to announce that, in accordance with local guidelines surrounding the reopening of Napa County businesses, it will begin welcoming guests to its historic St. Helena estate effective immediately. The oldest winery in Napa Valley has been closed since March 16th in compliance with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s statewide Shelter in Place order. The reopening of the winery will include a variety of new procedures and protocols that go above and beyond those recommended by the state and county.
The reopening of Charles Krug will also see the debut of 5 new WiFi-enabled cabanas on the winery’s idyllic Picnic Grounds. While the cabanas were already under construction prior to the beginning of the pandemic, they represent a particularly timely addition to the estate’s offerings, as they are ideally-suited for socially distanced wine experiences. The winery’s diverse culinary offerings will still be available on a modified schedule: artisan pizzas from Charles Krug’s wood-fired Mugnaini oven will be available Friday through Sunday, while local culinary partner, Tre Posti, will offer both cheese and charcuterie plates, as well as grab and go items.
“We didn’t want to rush to be the first tasting room to reopen in Napa Valley, but we did want to make sure we were one of the safest places that consumers can enjoy a wine tasting experience,” notes Charles Krug’s CEO Judd Wallenbrock, “Our priority from the outset was to implement superlative safety measures that make both our staff and guests feel as comfortable as possible on our path to resuming normalcy.”
In addition to instituting the safety initiatives handed down by officials in Napa County which include face masks to be worn by employees, proper hygiene techniques, and more, Charles Krug’s tasting room management has been working diligently with Winery Safety Officer AJ Perez on the best ways to ensure the health of customers and staff. Some of these protocols include:
- Before the grand opening, the winery undertook a deep, essential clean in all areas of the winery. This includes a comprehensive disinfecting service that not only incorporates a full wipe down, but also a misting of targeted touchpoints, walls, and floors
- In order to limit the number of people at the winery at one time, Charles Krug has moved to appointment-only bookings
- All tastings will be conducted outside, where wine will be delivered in pre-poured glasses. Wine service will be guided by a masked Wine Ambassador from a safe social distance.
- All tables, furnishings, and flat surfaces will be sanitized after each guest visit.
- The winery will assign a concierge to manage customer flow and monitor social distancing while guests are waiting to be seated and while they are entering or leaving the property
- Transactions for wine or other goods will be hands-free, with goods being placed directly in the guest’s car or carried out by customers as they prefer
- Water will be served in single-serve recyclable containers only
- Restrooms will be cleaned every 30-60 minutes
Charles Krug has historically played host to a variety of community events, such as the Napa Valley Film Festival, the 69-year-old Tastings on the Lawn series, and other comedy/speaking engagements with people from around the world; as of now, there are no set dates for the return of this programming, and these events will only resume when the county and winery have deemed it safe to do so.
To book an appointment for a tasting at Charles Krug Winery, please visit https://www.charleskrug.com/
About Charles Krug
In 1943, Italian immigrants Cesare and Rosa Mondavi purchased the historic Charles Krug property, the oldest winery in the Napa Valley and longest-running tasting room in California. The brand was built on a foundation of family values, hard work and a European winemaking tradition; it remains a family-owned winery today, producing estate-driven, top of the line Napa Valley wines. The wineries are under the direction of Peter Mondavi Jr. and Marc Mondavi, who steward the family business passed to them by their father, legendary Napa Valley wine icon Peter Mondavi Sr. The family is now proudly welcoming members of the fourth generation to the business, continuing a legacy started over 70 years ago and setting a foundation for generations to come. For additional information, please visit www.charleskrug.com/
