Judd's Hill: Boutique Napa Winery with a Secret Sauce

Visiting Judd's Hill was a fun treat to begin a wine filled weekend adventure. The winery is family owned and produces around 3,000 cases and around 10 different wines. We checked into our appointment and sat down to a taste of Sauvignon Blanc, which went perfectly with the warm winter day.

The tasting areas are on the smaller side, and if it is a warm day, definitely try to steal a seat outside. Our host, Pat, the wine educator and BBQ master, was entertaining and passionate. The winery even created their own special Zinfandel to pair with his food! Pat showed us pictures from past BBQ competitions, and in no time, we noticed a sign..."Award Winning BBQ Sauce $8", we had to try it!

Pat brought some over for us to taste, and instructed us carefully on the tasting procedure. He dropped a sample on the back of our hands and the four of us, with perfect etiquette, licked it up! It was truly perfection, and between the laughs, requests for additional samples, and the much needed washing of our hands, we picked up a bottle. We also purchased a bottle of their Cabernet Sauvignon ($45) which was delicious and ready to drink now or wait for a year or two. A week ago we made a homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza and swore it was the best thing we'd ever had, which we would definitely credit the BBQ sauce as the secret ingredient.

Overall, I thought that this was a fun winery visit and I loved the laid back feel to it. You can tell that they really care about producing a high quality product, and we will definitely be back for more of that BBQ sauce!

Tips - Judd's Hill:

• The tasting fee is $10 a person, and the winery is by appointment. Give them a call to make sure that they will have a seat for you!
• Ask to try the BBQ Sauce, and bring a wet wipe to get the stickiness off of your hands when you are done.
• Dress comfortably, you don't have to be fancy here, just ready to try some delicious wines!