There are grapes that play one note well. And then there's Chenin Blanc.
Dry or sweet, still or sparkling, young and bright or aged into something almost unrecognizable— Chenin is a shape-shifter. It's been grown in France's Loire Valley for centuries, quietly built a second identity in South Africa's Swartland, and is now finding its footing with a new generation of California producers. One grape, and it never quite tells the same story twice.
School of DECANT: The World of Chenin Blanc is on May 7 This master class traces Chenin across its most important regions and styles. Loire Valley to South Africa, crémant to demi-sec, we'll cover the full range of what this grape is capable of. Whether you're a wine professional or a curious drinker, you'll walk away with a real framework for understanding one of wine's most underrated varieties. AND, you'll receive a 10% discount on all Chenin-based wines. Cult members get 15% off class tickets, too!
Speaking of which, you may have noticed our Chenin selection has been a little lean lately. We noticed too. By the time May arrives, we'll be stocked with Chenin from some of the world's best producers.
There's a reason for that:
DECANT is the exclusive retail partner for Hella Chenin 2026. Hella Chenin is a one-day festival dedicated entirely to Chenin Blanc! 70+ bottles poured in-person by producers from South Africa, California, Oregon, and Australia at Hammerling Wines in Berkeley. On May 16, you'll have the rare chance to taste directly from the winemakers and buy the bottles you loved right from us. Try before you buy — one day only.
Learn on the 7th. Taste with the community and meet the makers on the 16th.
School of DECANT: The World of Chenin Blanc Thursday, May 7 · 6:30 PM · $55 @ DECANT Napa, 2999 Solano Ave., Napa, CA [Get Tickets at decantnapa.com]
Hella Chenin Wine Fest — DECANT as exclusive retail partner Friday, May 16 · 1:30–5:00 PM @ Hammerling Wines · 1350 Fifth Street, Berkeley, CA General Admission: $75 [Get Tickets at hellacheninwinefest.com]
|
|
|
|
The days are warmer and longer, we're open later, and those are great reasons to hang out at your favorite wine space. Here's what we've got coming up on our little corner in Napa:
SATURDAY 4/18: SOUL SATURDAY OPEN MIC 6:30-8:30pm | Free with any bar purchase | RSVP Poet Brandon Tagle hosts every 3rd Saturday. Bring your words, your voice, yourself. Get on stage, or just enjoy the show!
SATURDAY 5/9: BOTTLE CULT PICK UP PARTY 2:30-7:30pm | Free Flights for Members, $20 Flights for Members' Guests. Wine club release day! Cult Members get complimentary tastings plus cheese, tinned fish, and good times. Not a member yet? Join the CULT.
THURSDAY 5/7: SCHOOL OF DECANT— CHENIN BLANC 6:30-8:30pm | $55 | Get Tickets Now! Master class with Gillian Ballance, MS. 10% off all Chenin Blanc wines for class attendees! Cult Members save 15% on tickets.
SATURDAY 5/16: SOUL SATURDAY OPEN MIC 6:30-8:30pm | Free with any bar purchase | RSVP Poet Brandon Tagle hosts every 3rd Saturday. Bring your words, your voice, yourself. Get on stage, or just enjoy the show!
WEDNESDAY 5/20: TAROT READINGS WITH BRIANNA DARCY 6:00-8:00pm | $5 per card Our favorite high priestess is back. 1, 3, or 5 card spreads while you sip.
PLUS EVERY MONDAY: - Blind Wine Flights, 4:30-7:30pm ($32)
- Magic The Gathering & board games, 5-8:30pm (free)
Full calendar + tickets at decantnapa.com.
See you sooooooon <3
|
|
|
|
FRESH VINO: WHAT TO DRINK NOW Some restocks, some new faves by the DECANT Somms Reminder: You'll automatically get 5% off 6+ bottles, or 10% off 12+ bottles! Order online to pick-up in-store, and we ship!
|
|
|
|
AR Lenoble 'Blanc de Blancs' Grand Cru Brut, Chouilly, Champagne, France NV (V.20)
|
|
|
Vinos del Atlántico 'Patio Pounder' Branco, Vinho Verde, Portugal 2023 [1L]
|
|
|
BloodRoot 'Heringer Vineyard' Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California 2023
|
|
|
|
Giovanni Almondo 'Vigne Sparse' Arneis, Roero, Piemonte, Italy 2024
|
|
|
Paul Pernot 'Les Réversées' 1er Cru, Beaune, Burgundy, France 2024
|
|
|
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Monthélie Blanc, Burgundy, France 2023
|
|
|
|
RAEN 'Monarch Challenge' Rosé of Grenache, North Coast, California 2025
|
|
|
Reeve Wines 'Remy Saves the Sea' Rosé , Mendocino Co., California 2025
|
|
|
Tiberio Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, Abruzzo, Italy 2024
|
|
|
|
Campion Winery 'Trestle Vineyard' Pinot Noir, San Luis Obispo, California 2022
|
|
|
Vinos del Atlantico 'Zestos' Garnacha, Vinos de Madrid, Spain 2022
|
|
|
Bodegas Roda 'Sela' Rioja, Spain 2023
|
|
|
|
Anne Gros & JP Tollot 'La Grenache 8' 2023
|
|
|
Brovia Barolo, Piemonte, Italy 2019
|
|
|
Caroline Morey Chassagne-Montrachet
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We’re not just wine, ya know. We’ve got snacks at the bar, too. 🍷
Aperitivi boards, tinned fish, cheese, or charcuterie, we've got something to snack on whether you’re staying for a glass or heading out with a bottle.
Build a board, pop a tin, or grab a few things to-go for a picnic. The patio’s looking real good now that the sun’s out. Come hang.
|
|
|
|
Calling All Food Entrepreneurs: Pop-Up With Us in 2026! Got a burgeoning food business and want to share it with our community? We're looking for pop-up partnerships in 2026! Whether you're slinging tacos, making noodles, rolling sushi, or bringing something else totally unique to the table, we want to hear from you. Reach out to us at [email protected] and let's make something delicious happen.
|
|
|
|
NEW SPRING HOURS
Mon - Wed: 2:00 PM-8:30 PM Thu - Sat: 12:00 PM–8:30 PM Sun: 12:00 PM–7:30 PM Last call at closing time
Blind Tasting Flights Mondays, 4:30-7:30 PM
MANA MONDAY Magic the Gathering & board game social play in the lounge, 5:00-8:30
PM Join our discord to stay up to date on in-shop or online gaming events, tournaments, and more!
TAROT with Brianna Darcy Third Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00PM
SOUL SATURDAY: Open Mic with Brandon Tagle Third Saturdays, 6:30-8:30 PM
BOTTLE CULT: Pick Up Party! Second Saturdays, 2:00-7:00PM
|
|
|
|
Something personal: Cara's Reading List This April
|
I’m always reading something—usually a mix of wine stuff, sci-fi weirdness, and books that make me think critically about our world. One of my 2026 intentions is to read 50 books for pleasure, plus important pieces of wine news and developments.
I love the “unreliable narrator.” It gives me pleasure to not quite trust the one guiding me through the story. So this month, I decided to check out two books from the past, from authors who have always been a little controversial (or misunderstood, or ahead of their time, or criticized for living too authentically themselves as a complicated woman?). Also, one new (for me) novel from one of my fave sci-fi authors.
Here’s what’s currently stacked on my nightstand or queued in my Libby app:
Fiction: - We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson (1962)
Everyone has read Shirley Jackson, you might just not realize it. You know the classic short story “The Lottery.” The first time I read The Hunger Games, I saw the influence of “The Lottery” immediately. You may also be familiar with one of her most famous stories, The Haunting of Hill House, which has been reinterpreted by Hollywood through the decades. She even has a prestigious book
award named after her! But, as a writer, her work should be revisited now more than ever, and put on the reading lists of everyone who has ever felt like an outcast. Especially this book. I read the entire novel in one Monday evening (it’s a short 152 pages). I couldn’t put it down—the mystery was intriguing, the characters are captivating, and honestly, for someone who never felt like they fit in, it was a little relatable. If you like small mysteries, the danger of sneering strangers,
and familial codependency, this might be for you.
- Play It As It Lays, Joan Didion (1970)
I’ve always been hesitant to read Joan Didion. Her work has never really been referred to kindly, and she always seemed to be an obsession of the slightly mean, off-putting, hipster “cool girls” I knew in my twenties. But after a trusted friend read it and thought it was “interesting but
uncomfortable,” I decided it’s time to give it a spin, so it’s the next one I’m starting. I like when art makes me uncomfortable.
- Borne, Jeff VanderMeer (2017)
I really love Jeff VanderMeer’s writing and his imagination. I’ve read all of his Southern Reach trilogy (which includes Annihilation, adapted into a 2018 film written and directed by Alex Garland. Let me tell you, even though the film is one of my favorites, the book is even more intriguing. Garland even said he purposely didn't reread the novel before writing the screenplay—the film is more like a remembered dream of the book). I also loved Hummingbird Salamander, a story that crossed genres of speculative science fiction and noir mystery. He’s also a winner of both a Nebula Award and the aforementioned Shirley Jackson Award! So I’m very excited to dig into Borne, a story set in a “biotech apocalypse” with his signature mutated animals and otherworldly beings connecting with a too-curious mind. Plus, it’s been built into its own universe, with unrelated short stories and novels. Can’t wait!
Have any suggestions for my reading list, or want to join me on Goodreads? Hit me up! Also, we always have space at the shop to host your book club!
|
|
|
|
© DECANT Napa Bottle Shop & Bar
2999 Solano Avenue, Napa, United States, 94558
This email was sent to [[contact.email]] because you've subscribed on our site or made a purchase.
Edit preferences | Unsubscribe
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|