Other wineries only offer tours and/or tastings by appointment only. I tend to enjoy taking advantage of this type because you get more than just the wine, you get to see and experience more of the wine making process. So I selected four to provide a means of structuring our days, without sacrificing our freedom to fill out the rest of the day as we saw fit.
Swanson Vineyards
Recommended to us by family and friends, our first stop was Swanson Winery for the hour-long Bon Vivant tasting ($55/pp). Be prepared for the fact that they tend not to open the gate until five minutes before. Thankfully, winemaker Chris Phelps came out from the lab to say hello while we waited. The salon, inspired by 18th century Parisian salons, is absolutely beautiful. It is a fairly intimate setting with no more than eight guests. This is nice, unless one of them is extremely obnoxious (which happened to us). 
The tasting includes six of their wines with delicious pairings. Joy especially loved the wild American caviar with creme fresh on a potato chip, paired with their 2008 Chardonnay. Their 2005 Sangiovese was ridiculously smooth and luscious, but at $75/750ml, we did not leave with any. The gem, for me, was their 2006 Crepuscule, a heavenly late harvest Semillon. They have only made it nine times in the twenty-five year history of the winery due to the uncommon occurrence of botrytis or noble rot, the stuff that makes Sauternes so amazing. The tasting ended with my first double blind tasting using Riedel black wine glasses. Not only is it the truest test of your discerning abilities, it was a ton of fun! Swanson also recently began producing what they call 'occasion' wines (so far called Merci and Just Married, with Expensive Christmas Wine up next). Even though we did not taste them, they are reasonably priced (low $20s), so we had some shipped to NYC. I'll post my notes when we eventually open them.
Summary: Although it was the most expensive tasting, we were glad we did it. The beauty of the salon and the pairings were definitely memorable. But once is probably enough.
Nicholson Ranch Winery
For our wedding present, our friends Richard and Jacky arranged a private tour and tasting for us at Nicholson Ranch in Carneros, just south of downtown Napa. Lance, our guide (and Fordham grad!) provided an absolutely great experience for us. We started off in the tasting room with their delicious 2005 Chardonnay Cuvée Natalie Reserve Estate ($40/750ml), then grabbed a bottle of 2009 Ramona Rose of Pinot Noir Estate ($22/750ml) and wandered out into their Chardonnay vineyard. It was a beautiful day to walk the grounds and we enjoyed having the opportunity to ask anything about the winemaking process. Next, Lance took us into their fermentation facility (little aside: love the fireman's pool) and down into their caves. We ended up in their great room, which was the perfect setting to finish tasting their wines. Instead of providing lengthy tasting notes for each of their wines, I'll simply say this: they are all top-notch. The hardest part was trying to decide what to leave with! I would be remiss, however, if I did not highlight their spectacular 2006 'Cactus Hill' Reserve Pinot Noir ($50/750ml). Of all the wineries we visited, I would join the wine club at Nicholson Ranch were I not a poor grad student (well, them and Stag's Leap, but that's a different pipe dream altogether).Summary: If you are visiting the Napa Valley, I strongly recommend you add Nicholson Ranch to your list, at least for a visit their tasting room. We will certainly be going back!
Schramsberg Vineyards
Admittedly, neither Joy nor I love champagne, but we had heard great things about the cave tour at Schramsberg at the north end of the valley ($40pp). First of all, it would be nice for them (and several other wineries) to have better signage. So give yourself some extra time to get there and don't be surprised if you miss the turn. The winery has a long, fascinating history that includes becoming the official sparkling wine of the White House (since Nixon took Schramsberg to Beijing). But the best part is without a doubt the caves. Just breathtaking. (in the pic, I'm drinking their 2006 J. Davies Cab, their lone red wine, which was tasty, but pricey at $75/750ml). Summary: Even if you are not a big fan of champagne, I would still strongly recommend the cave tour. Its a fun experience. But we probably wont be going back as once is enough.
Pine Ridge Winery
Our last scheduled tour was at Pine Ridge. It was a rather standard, moderately priced ($25pp), small group tour of their facilities that ended with tasting at a nice table in their caves and then a separate room for wine club members (which we aren't). They have a nice demonstration vineyard, but it was a shame that it wasn't incorporated more in the tour. Also, they only provided one small cheese platter for our group. The cheeses paired wonderfully with the wine, but it was not nearly enough as it ran out halfway through the tasting and they didn't bring out any more. The highlight of the tour, which was the sole reason I booked it, was the barrel sampling of one of their Cabs. I was also appreciative of how many wines they poured for us. I have notes for eleven, including their pricey Fortis and Andrus Reserve. Overall, they make nice wines, but nothing wowed me. Probably my favorite was their 2006 Stags Leap District Cab ($80/750ml), which was very smooth with balanced tannins and lots of red fruit.
Summary: If you are like me and wanted to try a barrel sampling, Pine Ridge is a nice way to go. And if you visit them, do not miss Stag's Leap Wine Cellars just down the road.
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