Boisset opens 'homage to Napa Valley' wine museum, tasting salon in 145-year-old building

The Boisset Collection in Napa has opened “an homage to Napa Valley,” called 1881 Napa, in Oakville. It's said to be the valley’s first wine history museum and tasting salon.

The Victorian home includes a tasting room that showcases wines from Napa Valley’s distinct sub-appellations, a museum where guests can explore Napa rich wine history, an extensive collection of historic wine relics from Europe and the United States and original artifacts from the Early California Wine Trade Archive.

The museum-salon is located next to Oakville Grocery, which was started in 1881 and is the oldest continually operating such store in California. The grocery and the home were purchased by Boisset Collection at the beginning of the year.

“Napa Valley has a powerful place in American wine history and 1881 Napa puts the region in perspective on the world stage,” stated proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset, who grew up in Burgundy, France. “An extraordinary amount has been accomplished in this enclave in a short amount of time and we want to create a destination that celebrates Napa’s long history and its pioneering founders while exploring Napa’s incredibly diverse terroir in one destination.”

The salon is in a building more than 140 years old and reimagined by architect Howard Backen. The two centerpieces of the space - a 48-light Baccarat crystal Zenith chandelier and a reproduction of an 1895 map of Napa County on canvas hanging from the ceiling.

1881 Napa is located at 7856 St. Helena Highway and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reservations are recommended.

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