This is a great tasting room located next door to the Andaz [where we were staying]. Â We wanted to do a tasting before dinner so we walked on over and loved it.
I had a glass of their Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc cause I wanted something sweeter and it was perfect! Everyone else had their red tasting.
Loved their glasses. Â It's definitely a nice stop before you go out and so conveniently located to where we were!
My husband and I came here for a nice glass of wine before staring our wine tasting with my group of friends for the day. We were waiting for everyone to arrive in Napa and John Anthony came up as a winery close to where we were and it had great reviews. When we arrived it was noon, so there wasn't too many people there. However, the hostess was very nice and offered up any seat in the place. We decided to sit at the bar and she immediately provided us with a menu. I like this place a lot. It is decorated really nice - very trendy and modern. The paintings are abstract and they have this great painting of their logo over the bar. They also this really nice couch that looked to be made of cow hide that was just so fabulous. I love places that have great interior décor and John Anthony is one of those places. I ended up trying one of their Sauvignon Blanc's (Church Vineyard) and it was delicious. The hostess was very nice and chatted us up about what we were doing in Napa, where we from, etc. We told her that we would be going to dinner and she even let us look up the menu of the restaurant on her laptop. I thought that was really nice and I just like when a hostess is helpful regardless of if you're eating at her restaurant or another. I wish we could have stayed longer and tried more wines, but we had to meet our group. But I feel like I will definitely want to come back to this place.
Review Source:We had a couple of hours to kill in downtown Napa and couldn't be more pleased that we stopped here. Â With so many places to choose from I was a bit stressed to find the perfect place to do a tasting with limited time. Â This place was awesome! The staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about their wines. The interior was decorated very cool and loved the music they were playing. Definitely check this place out if you are wondering around downtown Napa.
Review Source:A great stop in downtown Napa. John Anthony showcases its fantastic wines, has a beautiful location and is open later than most spots in downtown. The tasting menu changes but I was able to taste their Oak Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon vs. their Coombsville CS and it is great to see the differences. Both are great, as well as the Syrah they pour. Staff is awesome and the decor is really nice.
Review Source:I didn't hate this place, but i didn't love it either. I thought it was a very cute little place - very trendy and the decor was nice. We tried the wine flight tasting. It was nice that it came with meet and cheese, but i still think it was pretty expensive for what it was. The wines themselves were good but also too expensive in my opinion. There are many other wineries in the Napa valley area that were more worth the high price.
I do think I'd try this place out again though next time in downtown napa, but maybe as more of an evening hangout. It does seem like a nice place to go to with friends as opposed to a quick tasting which is what my husband and I did. i'd just plan to bring more more money next time I guess!
I dont have any complaints about this place. It's simply perfect. Great atmosphere. I stopped her for my thirtieth birthday and was pleasantly surprised by the customer service Jeff provided. We sat and enjoyed excellent pours of the West End tasting. I loved the 2008 Napa valley Cab Sauv!
Review Source:John Anthony Tasting Room is always a must-stop for us in Napa. This time however we took the vineyard tour with John Anthony Truchard and had a wonderful afternoon. We visited a couple of his vineyards and even made a stop at his parent's Truchard Vineyards winery... Great views and even better wines. JA Church Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc may be the best in Napa... Â The tasting salon is open late, too.
Review Source:We just left John Anthony after a recommendation / invitation from Lexus. We went in blindly having no idea what to expect. From the first step inside, we were impressed with the comfortable yet elegant decor. The service - EXCELLENT! Jeff  Wright... knowledgable but not overbearing. Now for the best part, the wines: we had the best Cab of our lives.... the 2005 Reserve! A close second was the '08  Oak Knoll Cab; although hubby feels the '06 Cab might be slightly better. It's all subjective, right?
Bottom line: go to John Anthony, sit back, relax and enjoy some GREAT vino!
Wow. Outstanding wine, and if that's not enough, the manager is AWESOME! They were just about closed on a monday night and when we realized they were closed & started walking away, the manager opened the door and let us in even though there was no one in there and it looked like he could've gone home that minute. That shows someone who is invested in the overall success of the vineyard and the company. He told us the best stories about how the wine came to fruition, and we asked about his background. Boy did he have the greatest stories! Come here for sure, especially if you're staying at Avia like we did!
Review Source:08.21.11 || bookmarked 04.21.11
I have absolutely fallen in love with this place. Â Located as a stand-lone shop in downtown Napa, it is a place where you can spend hours in. Â And we did just that.
The servers chatted with us about college football as much as their wines. Â I learned about their product placement on Entourage. Â We tasted different vintages of the cab.
Overall amazing experience. Â Definitely make it a part of your itinerary in Napa!
What a great wine bar in located in downtown. We ordered the olives which were not briny. No forks were given so the 4 of us had to use our hands to take each little olive out of the bowl.. The bottle of syrah we ordered was really good. Not the best but okay.
Our service was just okay as well. The interior is modern, a little hip but still inviting.
This was our 3rd stop..its very pretty and cool at night..dim lights, cool furniture, just a cool vibe. Â chelsea was our host that night and she was awesome. Â Mu hubby and i did both pairings. Â We really enjoyed it all..REALLY REALLY good wine... ended up taking home a bottle of their 2007 zin. Â Really cute little spot!
Review Source:My last stop on July 12, 2011 was a visit to John Anthony Wines Tasting Lounge in downtown Napa. Â If you are staying at the Avia, the lounge is very close to it. The tasting lounge is not only a tasting room, but also operates like a wine bar, adding to the revitalization of downtown Napa. Â I had an appointment with my friend, the Director of Retail Sales and Hospitality. Â I was welcomed with a six-wine tasting that included the 2009 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 2009 Carneros Church Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, 2007 Syrah, 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2006 Napa Valley Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. Â The tasting was accompanied by a delicious cheese and charcuterie platter. Â The wines, the platter, and the ambience were very nice.
Review Source:Some of the best wines that I've ever tasted. The harvest wine is a great sweet wine to have with dessert.
My favorite red is the Syrah and my favorite white is the Church Vineyard. I met Jeff a week before and he said that if I return to let him know. I let him know and he put is in the tasting room with some cheese.
The atmosphere is excellent--contemporary chic. We bought a case of wine--half to have shipped and the other half to take with us for dinners for the next week.
Treat yourself.
Fabulous novel idea for a wine bar/lounge in downtown Napa!
It's a fantastic addition to Napa's night life (which there isn't much currently)! Very upscale & modern "hang-out" wine tasting bar/lounge. I recommend the cheese board which came w/ four cheeses, salted almonds, salami, cranberries & olives. A more relaxing wine tasting environment that's on a popular downtown Napa area.
However, service was just okay. Â Our server lacked personality and was not very attentive during our wine tasting. Hope they will retrain their staff.
Note:
1) an employee told me that they're in the process of opening a John Anthony Restaurant next door to this wine bar.
2) They're now closed at  Midnight, instead of 2am.
Nestled downtown is John Anthony's hip and modern wine bar.
My girls and I were treated with first class service in the private tasting room. The hosts did a great job catering to our group and our three birthday celebrants, even going out of their way to have cupcakes ready for us to celebrate the day.
John Anthony was our last stop on our way out of Wine Country and we had a great time!
I have been to John Anthony Wine Bar twice already and love it! This is a great winery to end a full day of tasting. It's located downtown in a very picturesque area.
Not only does John Anthony have delicious wines - Side Note: I typically do not buy wines over $40, unless I absolutely love it. My fiance bough a bottle of yummy Muscato which was $52. This says a lot about a winery if we can for go our purchase limit.
Anyways, where was I? Oh yes! They not only have wines that are pleasing to the palette, they also have people who seem to love what they do and are very genuine and fun at the same time. Both Tess & Dave are top notch individuals. They are what you want when you come to a relaxed, non-pretentious winery. They laugh & joke with you, and are also extremely knowledgeable about the wines and winery.
Can I also add that the first time I visited, I was amazed by the way the employees go above & beyond for their guests: I requested if we can get soem cupcakes brought there for a birthday surprise and they did it! They took time out of their day to pick up the cupcakes and have it ready in a beautiful presentation for us by the time we got to the wine bar.
On my most recent visit we were lucky enough to meet the Wine Maker and owner himself, John Anthony. He was a very friendly and up-beat person which was also nice to see.
Can't wait until my next visit.
John Anthony Vineyards/Wine Bar was a really cool spot to stop at prior to my dinner at E'toile @ Domaine Chandon. It's located in downtown Napa and provides a very trendy yet cool and inviting wine bar run by a bunch of really cool guys. My cousin frequents this wine bar and had me try a few of their wines while I was there. I was pleasantly surprised with the wines that they're presenting in addition to several other wines by the glass from local vineyards.
Apparently there are several spots that close early in downtown Napa and/or at 5pm so JA Vineyards/Wine bar is a very welcome addition to the town!
Go and check them out!!!
THIS has been a review by Gaurav
A tasting room that opens till 2AM? Â Fabulous! Â Now I don't have to cram my day between 10AM and 5PM.
I stumbled upon this place while staying at Avia. Â It's a relaxed atmosphere with cozy seating, friendly servers, and best of all, food. Â I like to linger over a glass of delicious wine and standing around a bar with some stale breadstick is not my idea of the ideal tasting experience. Â I want to feel welcome and not rushed. Â John Anthony scored in that respect. Â They offer a wine and cheese pairing that was lovely in addition to table and chairs. Â How novel! Â The best pairing was the merlot and Barely Buzzed cheese from Beehive. Â In fact, this was one of the best cheeses I've ever had.
Yes, this is a little more expensive than your average tasting but it's really nice to have something to nibble on along with your wine. Â It makes the experience much more pleasant and authentic. Â Merryvale also offers a wine and cheese pairing but I haven't been to that one.
I'm giving it 4* because I enjoyed their wines but didn't love them.
This is a great addition to downtown Napa, and it's the only wine bar/tasting room that stays open until 2 AM. Most wineries and tasting rooms hold 10 AM - 4 PM hours, so this might be a good option after you have dinner and have dried out a bit from a day of tasting.
I hate pretentious wine tasting experiences. I hate standing around tasting wine without food and in a vacuum - most wine is meant to be enjoyed with food, and telling me about that while not offering me any is just dumb.
John Anthony was the opposite of all of that - relaxed staff, nice tables and a wine bar feel (you can simply purchase wine by the glass if that's what you're there for). They also offer great food pairings for a pretty reasonable price - we had some amazing coffee-rubbed cheese that went perfectly with the Cabernet we were drinking.
One warning - the tasting fees are on the higher side - we had the fees included in the tour we were on, but just be prepared. That said, the experience is 10x more pleasant than that of typical stand-up-and-drink-wine-out-of-context tasting room, so keep that in mind.
We ended up purchasing two bottles of their Syrah, which seemed like a really solid choice to accompany any meal. The single-estate Cabernet was also exceptional, but we already had enough of a comparable wine from Honig at that point. I would definitely go back for it.
it was a sunday night when my girlfriend and I went after dinner here at morimotos. Â it was great, we got a bottle of wine and a great conversation with some puerto rican server. Â there was a private party that had hooked up their ipod to the entire restaurants sound system. Â i didn't mind at all because they're music was good and they're laughter filled the bar and i knew they were hitting it hard.
our server was great, he had to constantly remind me he was from puerto rico but lived in brooklyn but moved to napa to change it up for himself. brooklyn this, puerto rico that, salsa this, salsa that, i liked the guy and he was entertaining. Â good times, i suggest to come here for great service, great wine, and great cheese. and the occasional offer to smoke marijuana with other patrons. Â awkward....
These wines are completely underrated. Â Looking for a high quality gift for a host or a guest who has seen it all? Â John Anthony wines make an exceptional impression regardless of occasion because they are rare and they have unique depth. Â They represent the ideal balance between sophistication, approachability and warmth. Â Absolute jewels.
Review Source:This is such a chic bar in a cute little section of town. The staff is friendly and above all, informative. The decor is clean and gorgeous - and most importantly, does not distract from the FABULOUS wine.
While its after-hours downtown Napa vibe is so worth checking out (SO worth it) the wine is the focus and best part of this place.
For all bars, i like when the proprietor is there - nice to see JA himself pouring on occasion.
This is THE spot to go after a dinner with a crew of people who are just not ready to go to sleep. Like Chris R. - love it. I do. he does. You will too!
L-O-V-E-I-T.
Can you feel me? Love it.
Located on First Street right next door to the Avia Hotel JA Wine Tasting Room is cool, fun, chic and welcoming.
We wandered in by happenstance as a result of its location (next to where we were staying) and that chance first wine flight started off what would become popping in to say hello, stopping by to buy and drink a bottle while hanging out and watching the SF Giants, whatver.
JA himself seems to be a nice guy and is there every once in a while. He is approachable and enjoys talking about wine and winemaking.
The wines are very nice. The Sauvignon Blancs are very good. The Syrah is equally impressive.
Helen and Vanessa, both of whom work there, are just absolutely delightful. Down to earth. Nice. Friendly. Vivacious. We stopped in to see those two to say hello and tell tehm our plans for the day just as much as we stopped in for the wine. Those two are wonderful people with whom we expect to stay friendly with for a long time.
First time here at a recent event and I was blown away! First of all, the atmosphere is sleek sophistication without the hype. The crowd was fun and the tasting staff was both personable and knowledgeable. They clearly enjoyed being there just as much as we did.
And then, there was the wine! OMG - sleek, silky, well-balanced, and dare I say sexy! Â Nick P. called them off the hook and I must say I agree whole heartedly.
I will definitely recommend that my tour guests who stay in Napa Downtown check this place out. They will not be disappointed. This is an important part of Napa's downtown renewal that makes it "the place to be". Check out the nearby galleries while you are at it and browse in all the neat shops for the perfect evening in Napa.
Check out the new John Anthony tasting room on First St. in downtown Napa. Just another reason to check out downtown Napa. Lots of great neighbors to the new, sleek John Anthony tasting room. The new downtown Napa is coming alive. JA wine tasting room and lounge is great. Awesome wines, nibbles and company. The staff is friendly, fun and eager to show you a good time. The bites are yummy, and did I already say the wine is awesome. Two off the hook Sauvignon Blancs, one 100% steel barrel fermented, and one 80/20 stainless/oak. Both great. Awesome Syrah, one of the best in the Napa Valley, and some amazing Cabs as well. Oh, dont forget to try the late harvest Sauvignon Blanc too. Different and tasty!
Next time you are downtown Napa, even if its at Midnight, you can wander into John Anthony's new tasting room, since they are open until 2am! What? In Napa? Yes! I love it! Napa needed something like this, and I think its an idea that will take off in fun directions!