Wine Pairing Fundamentals with Local Sommelière

Taste and learn about wine pairing fundamentals in Napa, with insights from a sommelière. This is a tour for people who want to think as well as drink! Intimate format, limited to six participants.

Listing highlights

What you’ll do

This experience is hosted in English and Italian.

4.95 out of 5 stars, from 42 reviews

, 2 weeks ago

Elizabeth was friendly and the group atmosphere was enjoyable. The experience included four shared bottles of wine for the group, then a self pay meal at a restaurant. I do think it would be helpful for future guests if the restaurant name and expected costs were explained more clearly in advance. At the end of the evening, the host left before the group finished and there was confusion over the bill, as both groups understood the wine was included and that we would only be paying for our own food. It made for a somewhat awkward ending.

Noël

Cartersville, GA

, May 2026

Our time with Elizabeth was so lovely and eye opening. It was a perfect experience for our first day in Napa to learn about the complexities of wine and how to properly taste & pair wine with food. Elizabeth is extremely knowledgeable and presents information in an easy to understand, fun way. We would highly recommend this experience to anyone who loves wine and wants to learn more about it from an expert!

Angela

Pittsburgh, PA

, July 2025

We enjoyed our time with Elisabeth because she was extremely knowledgeable about the California wines. She talked extensively about how to analyze the taste of each wine and helped us to understand how to pair each wine with various foods. She immediately made us feel at ease and she met us at our skill level. We got to experience tastings from local wineries and also had time for an amazing lunch with paired wine selections. It was a very interesting, informative, and enjoyable day! 🍷🍷🩷

Hampstead, MD

, May 2025

Elisabeth is very thoughtful when giving us lessons of wine paring. She first asked our levels and then guided us into this field. We were newbies of wine paring, but we did not feel overwhelmed when learning from Elisabeth. It was not a lesson full of jargons. Instead, we tried to talk about our feeling during the journey and learned some correct wordings when describing the taste of wine. The greatest part of the lesson is going to a restaurant and tasting the combination of food and wine. During this part, we tasted a kind of wine called Sherry. It had a different taste compared to normal wines, but we thought it was really good with fish. Overall, the lesson opened the door for us, and we had a very great experience.

Yu-Ren

Taipei, Taiwan

Some reviews have been automatically translated.

Upcoming availability

Where we’ll meet

Benevolent Neglect tasting room

Napa, California, 94559, United States

About me

After 10 years in Italy, a Master's in Food Philosophy and Sustainability, and visits to countless wineries, I returned home to California to delve into the domestic wine world. I hold Italian and French Wine Scholar certifications, and I am currently completing WSET Level 4 Diploma. With my academic and hands-on experience and a foot in each continent, I am uniquely positioned to discuss industries new and old, and strive to bring a cultural and artistic approach to the discussion of wine.

To help protect your payment, always use Airbnb to send money and communicate with hosts.

Things to know

Guest requirements

Guests aged 21 and over can attend, up to 6 guests in total.

Activity level

The activity level for this experience is light and the skill level is beginner.

What to bring

If your tour is scheduled in the evening, please bring a jacket or scarf, as it can get quite chilly in Napa.

Accessibility

Step-free bathroom available, Step-free access, Entrances wider than 32 inches (81cm), Mainly flat or levelled ground

Cancellation policy

Cancel at least 1 day before the start time for a full refund.

Tastings with knowledgeable hosts

Tastings are led by sommeliers, chefs and other hosts who showcase what makes the city unique.

See an issue?

Free cancellation