Opus One Winery Tour & Tasting

Opus One Winery in Napa Valley produces a single, ultra-premium Bordeaux-style wine each year, known for its elegance, balance, and age-worthiness

There are some experiences in life that feel like milestones – quiet promises I’ve make to myself and have the pleasure of watching them being fulfilled.  For me, a visit to Opus One in Napa Valley was exactly that. I had known the name for years – a whisper of prestige among particular restaurants in Los Angeles and a bottle that always seemed just out of reach to me. I’d been curious about Opus One – but also unwilling to pay so much a glass at Giorgio Baldi.

During a previous trip to Napa, I randomly decided to view the tasting prices of Opus One. When I saw $125 – I hesitated.

Just for a tasting? What the hell?

But, the idea simmered in my mind.  A few months later, after landing a $50 round trip ticket to the Bay, I decided to book a tasting for one.

Grown woman math, in full effect.

The Tour Experience

Since the property is undergoing renovations to transform landscaping, the actual entry is different from the one Apple Maps pointed me to. After a quick turn around on Saint Helena Highway to get on Oakville Cross Road, I drove into the property with reverence for what was to come.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by my tour host – Brendan – with a chilled glass of Barons De Rothschild’s Blama De Blancs Champagne.

“Hello Ms Kirven. Welcome to Opus One,” he said.

In that moment – as he said my name and ushered me inside – he made me feel like the only guest that mattered. From that moment on, I understood the allure of the brand.

My private tour was an absolutely lovely experience.  Every corner of the winery told a story. From the research room to the dramatic tank hall and harvest area, each space revealed the precision behind Opus One’s singular focus: Just one wine is crafted each year, aged meticulously in new French oak, gravity-fed through a series of tanks, then bottled and cellared for 18 months before it’s ever released.

The visual process is poetry.

The tour completed in a glass-walled boardroom that overlooked the aging oak barrels, meticulously lined beyond the window.

It was – in a word – stunning.

I learned that while Opus One is designed to age beautifully – ideally 5 to 10 years – its sibling wine, Overture, offers a more immediate pleasure. It was smooth, expressive, and meant for savoring in the now.

The Tasting Experience

Before I knew it, it was time for the tasting. After years of saying “someday,” I had finally arrived. And it was more than worth the wait.

Though Brendan encouraged me to enjoy my tasting on the sunny terrace and other outdoor areas, the Napa heat that day kept me inside the beautiful tasting room. I was more than content – listening to stories, sipping and comparing each vintage, and taking in the fun of it all.

1. The 2021 Overture was brilliantly smooth and layered with quiet complexity – a wine I immediately loved.
2. The 2021 Opus One held a different vibe. It was stronger and bolder, with a more pronounced presence in the mouth.
3. And then came the 2019 Opus One. This was softer, more rounded in flavor and just tasted like – a well timed kiss while relaxing in the Maldives.

All of the wines had character and told an oral story of the land, rainfall and the power that comes from a single focus, done well.

I briefly considered ordering an additional glass of an earlier vintage. But, instead – I decided on which wines to purchase: the 2021 Opus One and the 2021 Overture.

2021 was the year my mom died and the year I got married.

Additionally, the day I visited Opus One also marked the one year anniversary of my fibroid removal surgery.

The previous year, I thought I might be a mother by now – or at least on the way while being pregnant. With the following day being Mother’s Day, I’d felt such profound grief the whole week. I felt my dream didn’t come true.

I wasn’t pregnant – but I was alive. Instead of a baby,  I reflected that I’d birthed something else entirely within the last year: businesses, influential conversations, and a life more expansive than I’d ever imagined.

Being at Opus One reminded me to live in the present – and not hate myself for not being pregnant.

I am okay. I am enough. And I am doing – fine.

The 2021 Opus One will be tucked away, waiting patiently to be uncorked on my 10 year wedding anniversary. And the 2021 Overture? That will be opened when I assist a client to close escrow on a $5 million-plus property.

Like with any good investment – I bought now, to celebrate a life well lived with intention and success – later.

Truly, everyone at Opus One was absolutely lovely, genuinely kind and professional. I never felt rushed, and always felt valued. My tasting  was the kind of experience that reminds you why investing if your own happiness, matters.

Because sometimes, investing in pleasure is the most luxurious thing you can do.

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