Behrens Family Winery

This wine is spectacular! This is our 2^nd time visiting Robin! Years ago in the awesome WestCraft and now in the tasting room! Art, wine, stories, experience is what these guys are all about. Off now to take my case to the car! You guys ROCK!

My husband really enjoyed the wine from this company, so we were planning to visit Napa this Memorial Weekend. I called Robin on 4÷28÷15 to arrange a tasting appointment. She asked me to send her an email, so I immediately wrote to her the details– date, how many people, etc. She replied the next day with two potential time slots and asked me to get back to her as soon as I can as appointments are first come first served. I chose one of the slots and replied back to her the very next day, asking her to please send me a confirmation. After two weeks of waiting, I had no reply, so I sent her a follow-​up email. Still no reply. I decided to call her, and she never picked up my phone calls.
I would give this place zero stars if I could. This is not customer service, how is it acceptable to NEVER reply back to people? If this is how patrons of this winery is treated, my husband and I will no longer be supporting them. I had intended to purchase a few bottles of wine from here as gifts for friends back home, but now I will be looking elsewhere.

fantastic!

Robin was great. This was the most intimate and best wines of all the tastings we did in both Napa & Sonoma. The location was great, and the ride up the hill was an adventure.
My only regret is that it was cloudy the day we visited and we didn’t get to see the awesome view from the top of the mountain. I’d love to go back again soon

Behrens Family wines are really unique and totally spectacular. The labels are gorgeous and every bottle is a work of art. We especially liked the winery only wines (mostly 2011, 2012 and 2010) and the 2011 Front Man Merlot. The 2011 Cab Sauv was also very good — which makes the wine maker an absolute genius — he managed to make a beautiful 2011 vintage which most every where else is just horrendous. That in itself says something.
Robin provides a fascinating tasting experience — the stories and the wines are just awesome.
I highly recommend this winery.

By reading the other ratings it seems like many people love and many people dislike Robin. I’m in the group that loves her. I thought she was great and funny. She loves Behrens wine and wine in general. 90 minutes went by pretty quick but really enjoyed her and the winery. Views were special.

What an absolute treat it was to visit the Behrens Family Winery! From start to finish, my experience was top notch. The drive up Spring Mountain is spectacular as you are transported to this heavenly destination. The wines were all superb, and tasting in the restored airstream was unique and enjoyable. The views here are out of this world– you can see the entire Napa valley below. I can’t wait to return for another visit to the Behrens Family Winery!

Don’t visit if Robin will be your host. She has a poor attitude, condescending, and impolite. Not acceptable anywhere and definitely not in this region. The wine is good but not exceptional.

Robin was amazing and very knowledgeable. She handled a group of 6 of us with severe hangovers very early in the morning with ease. This place has delicious wines and the tasting room is a hoot!

We always have a great time with Robin, she’s incredibly down to earth. We’ve been here a number of times! Not only are the wines wonderful, playful and fun so is the tasting. Can’t wait to get our cases and relive the memories. The stories about each wine and the whimsical labels we share with friends at our dinner parties or just as a couple with some great cheese on our deck make us very happy. The drive up to the tasting is also one of the most beautiful drives in Napa. If you are fortunate enough to get an appointment you will not be disappointed.

We had a terrible experience at this winery the host was incredibly rude and did not show the least bit of courtesy to us. It was a really hot day almost 90° and she did not even offer us a glass of water. Out of our group of five when we did ask for water she gave us one single cup. When a fly fell into that cup of water she laughed and didn’t even offer to bring us another glass. The entire time we were tasting it felt like she was sizing us up and judging us to see how much wine we would buy. She had an incredibly snooty attitude the entire time that made me feel like I wasn’t good enough to drink their wine. I only bought the cheapest bottles to cover the tasting fee, money which I wish was spent elsewhere.

I have to admit, I was skeptical of a tasting inside a retro trailer, but this place nails it! The trailer was cute, and the views were incredible. Outstanding lineup of wines, and fun stories about how each wine came to be. Robin was a great host and taught us a lot about the history of the winery.

What a view. Great wines, tasting fee waived with purchase of 2 bottles. Shouldn’t be a problem. A must visit for Oenophiles. Can’t wait to return. Only 1 minor issue; allocation process seems random and not based upon what you purchased or the amount of your purchase.

The main reason I am giving 4 stars is because of Robin the lady who does the tastings. I am originally from NY and she slightly turned me off by her somewhat abrupt and slightly harsh attitude. She does not go out of her way to make you feel welcome. Also the 90 minutes that you have to spend with her is overkill. She could cut down the tasting to about 45 minutes. It would have been nice to have some light munchies to go with the six tastings we had. I would have been happy to bring some! If you go ask if you can bring some cheese and crackers. 90 minutes is a long time to sit and taste wine with nothing to munch on. I do have to give Robin credit though– she is passionate about the wines they sell.
The view from this winery is magnificent. We enjoyed the beautiful day and the breathtaking view. My friends and I thought that their less expensive wines were just ok but their expensive wines are very good. Not sure I would go back here. I did buy 2 $$$ bottles especially since it offset the $ 25 tasting fee. We enjoyed Pride Mountain Winery up the road from Behrens a lot more. They were much more welcoming. The owners at Behrens might want to have Robin work on her people skills.

One of my favorite spots — not only for the terrific lineup of wines from Behrens, Drinkward and the now retired label Erna Schein, but also for the intimate setting.
Tastings by appointment are held in a vintage 1940s trailer, and depending on the time of year Les and Lisa are milling about.
Robin Cooper is both the tasting manager and fan of the wines, which is evident by her knowledge and enthusiasm.

In the last three years I’ve visited many of the lesser-​known, excellent wineries in the area and have fallen in love with many of those found along Spring Mountain. Most of these wineries are small productions, each with their own specialty wines that can be difficult to find if you’re not a member of their wine club or on their mailing list. Almost all of them also require you to make an appointment for a tasting well in advance, and charge a fee large enough to scare off visitors who aren’t particularly serious about their wine. Luckily, I’m a very, very serious person, and I also happen to know that any high-​priced fee can be waived when you purchase a bottle. Drink up! Because of this, I stumbled onto what is now my favorite winery in Napa: Behrens Family Winery, previously known as Behrens and Hitchcock.
Almost everything about this winery sets it apart. First of all, you instantly know that this place is kind of a big deal the second you pull into the property and are met with one of the most SPECTACULAR VIEWS of the valley any vineyard has to offer. And you can enjoy it for as long as you’d like! After a tasting, I like to take a seat at their wonderful picnic area, munch on the pepperoni, salami, and various cheeses that I purchased from the Napa Valley Olive Oil Company earlier, pour a glass of my newly purchased wine, and stare out over my empire. It is my empire. I don’t care what you say. It’s mine, and you can’t have it.
THE TASTING itself is easily the least pretentious, down-​to-​earth experience you can imagine. If you’re into a lot of pomp and circumstance, this isn’t the place for you. If you prefer a more low-​key experience that keeps things personal and limits the number of people per tasting to six, Behrens is your dream. For starters, it all goes down within the cozy, air-​conditioned interior of a restored, vintage camper trailer. Well, a 1947 Westcraft trailer to be exact. Yep, that’s right, get ready to take a load off on some comfy, cushioned sofa seats and huddle around the built-​in dinette that may give you flashbacks of that camping trip with your Aunt and Uncle Hippie. What makes it extra cool is that it wasn’t some abandoned trailer that Extreme Home Makeover re-​purposed to make it work with the landscape — the owners (Lisa Drinkward and Les Behrens) found it somewhere in Alameda and hauled it all the way back to Spring Mountain because, well, it’s perfect.
Your guide on this adventure is a straight-​shootin, wine-​lovin’, die-​hard Yankees fan named Robin who has «New Yorker» written all over her. She’s also a big part of why I love this winery. Robin has been doing this for quite awhile and has a very relaxed style in walking you through the wines, which makes everyone feel instantly at ease. And, she speaks to you as if you’re already a part of the family. Being an avid wine collector herself, she describes every wine on the list in a way that’s totally approachable even for those new to the whole wine tasting experience. And while she may have her own opinions on what she tastes in each wine, or which she prefers, she doesn’t assert them in an intimidating way that makes you shy away from expressing your own thoughts; she lets you discover each wine on your own and form your own opinions. Finally, take advantage of the time you spend with Robin and tap her for all the information you can get! She can tell you all about the history of the winery, the people involved, recommend wines or wineries in the area according to your tastes, and can chat at length about the wine making process, the Napa Valley region, its vineyards and producers, or baseball. Really, if you have a question, she’ll have an answer.
And last but not least, THE WINES. The wines are phenomenal. Les Behrens has a truly special talent for taking varietals from all different vineyards and creating blends that are completely unique both from other wineries, and from one another. On my most recent visit, I purchased a juicy, fruity wine that I could open tomorrow (Spare Me), as well as a velvety, rich mountain Cab (Labor of Love), a spicy, smokey, winery-​only Syrah/​Cab (Resurrection), and my favorite, a full-​bodied, black-​fruit, tannic Cab blend called the Heavyweight. Clearly with even those short descriptions, you can see that the flavor profiles vary dramatically. But all of them will undoubtedly excite your taste-​buds and tempt you to buy far, far more wine than you had prepared for.
If you’re planning a full day of tastings, I’d suggest putting Behrens Family Winery first on your list so, well frankly, that you’re not too drunk to miss the subtleties of each of their wines. You’ll appreciate the whole experience much more, trust me. And if you happen to schedule a tasting because of this write-​up, feel free to say «thank you» by sending a bottle of The Heavyweight to:
P.O. Box 2212
My Mouth Street
My Empire, CA 94 110

Wonderful location and unique wines and rating experience. This place is way laid back, a nice change from the larger commercial wineries. Thanks Robin! We will definitely be back!

This small family winery is funky, surprising and totally sincere. One of our favorite visits of the trip. great winery and great wines. Everything about visiting this place was memorable — the drive up was gorgeous, finding and following the little yellow signs that you would think are leading you to nowhere, the view when you do finally find the place, the iconic tasting trailer, the oddly welcoming classic new yorker tasting hostess, and finally (not least) the wines.
First the wines: this micro-​winery (few thousand cases) is all about eccentric blending. They source from over 12 vineyards and mix and match to make flavors that really jump out at you. If you need validation before visiting, they derive from the Berhrens and Hitchcock blend which was a WS darling a few years ago. My favorite was the petite syrah. So often this grape can be harsh and dismal in a bottle .But every once in a while you find a winemaker (or vineyard guy) who can bring out its bold and special character– earthy, fruity and very purple. All around their wines are unique, tasty and oh so hard to put into a simple category.
Equally nifty was the whole visiting experience. Robin is not the classic bland, nice tasting hostess. She is a New Yorker who doesn’t suffer fools and tells great kinda gossipy stories about all things wine. Her passion for these wines, the family and wine country oozes authenticity. Her sessions are made that much more special by the cool forties trailer that is the tasting shack (our words not theirs) whose large back window frames a luxurious view of Napa Valley.
Even the labels on these wines were unexpected but worked perfectly. Many are from the artist Owen Smith who makes lush and sinuous images that capture the whimsical names and flavors.
We lucked out and got to talk to the owner who was like his wines and winery: sincere, happy and a very likable character.

Behrens Family Winery is an enchanting winery that makes some of the best red wine in Napa Valley. Known previously as Behrens & Hitchcock and Erna Schein, this winery is now called Behrens Family Winery, although some of their wines are labeled with the previous winery names and all of their wines have whimsical names that might confuse you. Try «Blender Boy,» «Fat Boy,» «Ode to Picasso,» (a deceased cat, not the artist), «Homage to Ed Syrah,» «Everything But the Kitchen Sink,» «Jersey Boy,» «Sainte Fumee,» «The Road Less Traveled,» «The Heavyweight,» «The Knockout,» «Left Bank,» «Farewell Cuvee,» «Spare Me,» and «Cemetery Cabernet.» I pity any wine marketer trying to figure this all out. And all of the bottles have labels with unusual artwork and phrases. It is all very creative and playful, with word plays mixed with a diversity of art and cartoons. In direct contrast to all of this is the seriousness of the wines. Here are some photos:
Staff at other wineries on Spring Mountain suggested we visit Behrens because «Robin does a great presentation.» We weren’t quite sure what to expect of the wines after seeing such unusually named wines on the Internet, so we went there to see Robin’s legendary presentation. Robin turned out to be very nice and highly informative. Behrens also has great views. The funky old house trailer with a beautiful wood interior turned out to be the tasting room. We noticed all the strange labels, odd wine names and varied winery names on the bottles. Then Robin told us they are about great fruit and not terroir. Red flag for me. I anticipated super ripe fruit, Robert Parker type wines or, at worst, fruit bombs. But Robin dissipated our anxiety by telling us interesting stories about the owners and the winery. So we gave in, and went with the flow.
This wonderful presentation by Robin was then followed by our tasting. First, there was 2008 Erna Schein Blender Boy at $ 50. An interesting red blend of Cab, 28% Cab Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 14% Petite Sirah. Cherry on the palate with flexible tannin and nice finish. There was the 2006 Erna Schein Herrick Moulds Cab at $ 65 which was much better than the still too young 2008 Erna Schein Moulds Family Cabernet at $ 75. Then there was Behrens and Hitchcock Ode to Picasso, with Picasso’s (the dead cat) passport on the label. And you want $ 75 for a bottle of wine with a label like that? (Confession: It was a really nice wine. My friend bought a bottle, and I actually liked the odd label.) Somewhere in the mix of tastings we encountered the 2009 Behrens Family Winery Kick Ranch Petite Sirah at $ 50, a wonderful PS, with great balance, nice PS spice and very good mouth feel and finish. This is one of the finest Petite Sirahs being made today.
Our very favorite wine, though, was yet to come. This was the 2006 Erna Schein Fat Boy at $ 75. It is 56% Merlot, 25% Cab, 13% Petit Verdot and 14% Cab Franc. This had the wine fruit of a lifetime, ultimate fruit, divine fruit, fruit of the gods. Who said it does not have terroir? It has the terroir of Heaven where it had to be grown, and it must have been made into wine by Bacchus himself. Teardrops from Aphrodite? Nectar of the gods? No, grapes from David Abreu made into a magical wine by Mr. Behrens. If this is what great fruit is about, then count me in as a fruit freak. Right bank Bordeauxs have more Merlot than Cab in their blends, but I never tasted any French fruit like this. Fat Boy provided one of the ultimate wine highs. It is truly a wonderful, magical wine of another world. This has sumptuous fruit but with very balanced acid and tannins and layers of complexity. The 2006 Erna Schein Fat Boy is an incredibly deep and layered wine that gently explodes in your mouth, delighting the senses. So, while Robin’s presentation alone makes a visit to Behrens worthwhile, you will also find wonderful wines there, and, if you arrive soon, you might still be able to taste Fat Boy.
By the time you read this, however, Behrens Family Wines might be called by another name and you will probably encounter wines with names other than those mentioned above. All I can advise you to do is to track down Robin at 707−963−1774 and be prepared for a great introduction to a magical winery and the wonderful tasting experience. All reds. Mostly about fruit. But wonderful fruit. I suspect the winemaker for Behrens is more wizard than winemaker and that the ancient art of alchemy is employed in addition traditional wine making techniques. Although Fat Boy is being discontinued, Behrens will undoubtedly have some other strangely named wines with odd labels. Hopefully you will find them as delightful as we did.

The winery is a bit out of the way (but who isn’t grateful to get off of the tourist filled highway) but the views are awesome. The tasting is in the cutest little vintage Westcraft trailer and we got to taste 9 different wines. Robin gave us great information about the wine, the labels, the history of the winery, etc. The wine isn’t cheap but it was so delicious I can’t wait to open what I bought. Aging, who needs that?