Is it a gift shop? Is it a rest stop? Is it a picnic ground for the shoppers from the Dean & Deluca across the street? Or is it a place for free tastings of decent wine with the hard sell?
V. Sattui is all three. I really hate saying this, as my grandfather used to be in the same winemaker's club as Daryl Sattui's father, but this Napa Valley "hot spot" is *way* overrated, *way* too crowded, and simply not worth the aggravation, traffic, and commercialism.
The wine itself is good enough, and it's only sold on the premesis, of course. But one shouldn't need to walk through a gift shop in order to see the main attraction (reminiscent of the Winchester House in San Jose). Yes, similar experiences are to be had at other "famous" wineries in the area, like Coppola, but really, Coppola *is* a bit of a museum, of sorts. V. Sattui is just wringing every last cent from people who want to hit the first big winery they see on Highway 29 where they can picnic.
Again, I hate to slam a place, but consider this a fair warning to people who may not know exactly what they'll be getting into.