Napa Valley duo created an urban winery, then added beer.
Winemaker Elaine St. Clair and business partner Laina Brown started their operation as an “urban winery.” True enough: St. Clair Brown is steps north of Downtown Napa in a light-industrial area in view of car-parts and auto-body shops. But the vibe here is more rustic than this description implies. Tastings take place in a culinary garden with vegetables, herbs, and dozens of espalier-trellised fruit trees.
Small-Lot Wines, Tasty Small Bites
St. Clair’s small-lot whites include Chardonnay, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, and a white blend that in a recent vintage contained Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Viognier. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and a Merlot-dominant red blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are among the reds. At tastings, the wines can be ordered individually by the bottle or sampled in a flight of four. All pair well with the tasty small plates, among them hummus, a cheese board, and the signature almonds roasted with Meyer lemon oil and seasoned with organic lemon zest and herbs from the garden.
Enter St. Clair Brown Beer
In 2017, St. Clair Brown opened a microbrewery. Turns out that for her fermentation-science degree at U.C. Davis, Elaine St. Clair focused on brewing as well as winemaking. Three of her naturally carbonated beers, which are sold in sparkling-wine bottles, are always on tap at the greenhouse for tasting by the flight, glass, or bottle.
Tip
St. Clair Brown is open for tastings of wine, beer, and zero-proof cocktails from Thursday through Monday.
Why go: easy-going feel; straightforward yet complex wines; tasty small bites.
Itinerary
St. Clair Brown appears in Downtown Napa in a Day.
Info
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What to Do
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This story originally appeared online in 2017; it was most recently updated in 2025, the year Laina Brown exited the company.
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