The River Club: A wine tasting experience like no other in Napa Valley
Originally published in the Napa Valley Register on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024
Imagine this idyllic scene: The Napa River gently rises with the tides as gulls call to each other overhead. Butterflies dance among the reeds as a gentle breeze induces a calm that even the soft hum of traffic traveling over the Imola Bridge cannot disrupt.
The only thing that would make this state of zen more divine would be a glass of wine to savor as autumn sun dips out of view creating a palette of creamy pastels across the sky. A rosé perhaps? Maybe a vibrant red? It doesn’t matter what you're craving because this dreamy scenario can be yours at Napa’s newest tasting room — The River Club.
Downtown Napa is peppered with tasting rooms, but if you are willing to be adventurous and go on a side quest, you will discover a truly unique experience. And it is entirely OK if you are reluctant to go down this road less traveled — the destination is worth it.
The River Club is quietly nestled along the Napa River in the industrial Tannery District on South Coombs Street. You’ve probably driven past it since its August opening and didn't realize it was there.
“When people drive up, they think where am I? What am I doing? But they see the river and then they say ‘what a view!'” says River Club proprietor Alli van Zyl.
Van Zyl’s River Club partner Laura Gabriel agrees. “People don’t quite know what to expect, but when they park and step out and see and hear the river, it puts them at ease. There’s something about the energy of the water. It’s a really special, unique place.”
The River Club’s location isn’t the only thing that sets it apart from the typical Napa wine tasting experience. The wines themselves are unlike anything you’ll find in Napa Valley simply for the fact that none of the wines served at The River Club are made from Napa Valley grapes.
The River Club features wine from van Zyl’s Belong Wine Co., which she runs with her husband Bertus, and Paper Planes Wine Co., managed by Gabriel and her husband Kyle. Belong Wine Co. sources its grapes from El Dorado County while Paper Planes wines are made from grapes from the Russian River Valley.
Off the beaten path
The van Zyls and Gabriels have been friends for years, but they took different paths to becoming winemakers. While the Gabriels launched a crowdfunding campaign to start Paper Planes Wine Co. and relied on direct business to business partnerships, the van Zyls harnessed the power of social media and boutique pop-ups to share their Belong Wines. But after a few years of production, both couples wanted the same thing: a tasting room close to home where they could share their wines and host events.
The Gabriels found the spot along the Napa River, which is walking distance from their home in downtown Napa, and teamed with the van Zyls to share the burden of launching a tasting room in a hyper saturated market. Together, the couples, along with their young children, took on as many DIY projects as feasibly possible to help keep costs low. The River Club has been a labor of love — a true effort of blood, sweat, and tears — but the memories made this year in preparing for the opening have left a big impression on the couples and their young families.
“We looked downtown for a space, but there’s this pressure to be open all the time if you’re downtown,” Alli said. “We wanted to have a space to accommodate work-life balance.”
Unlike most tasting rooms you’ll find in Napa, The River Club is not open daily. It’s closed on Tuesday and Wednesdays, so the couples can have a chance to regroup, reset and get in some quality family time.
It’s a necessity when The River Club is a side project for the couples in addition to their own full time jobs. It’s a juggling act for sure, but the partnership works out so that a representative from each brand is always at The River Club to pour and discuss the wines.
“It’s a small operation,” said Laura. “When you visit, you are guaranteed to meet with one of the winemakers or owners of each brand. You don’t always get that when you go tasting. But since it is just the four of us, we can sit down with guests and share our story. It’s a more intimate experience.”
“And no one knows our wines better than us,” added Alli. “We literally have our hands and feet in these wines. We can tell you everything about the wines and really geek out, or we can keep it light and social.”
Laura said The River Club location might make it challenging to find, but it caters to the wine lovers they’re looking to host.
“Some of the best experiences happen off the beaten path,” she said. “We’re just close enough to downtown, so you can still eat and go shopping, but we like the idea that people would have to come find us. It draws a creative and adventurous clientele.”
Finding The River Club
As the couples searched for a name for their joint venture, The River Club manifested from its proximity to the Napa Valley Yacht Club.
“We really wanted a name tied to the river,” said Laura. “We looked up the river and looked at the yacht club, and thought, we’re kind of our own club — let’s be The River Club.”
The name stuck and The River Club has been welcoming guests for two months.
Alli said The River Club has attracted a mix of tourists and locals in addition to their loyal fans who have already been singing the praises of Belong Wine Co. and Paper Planes Wine Co. and are thrilled to have a place to call their own.
The River Club is very much a second home for the couples, and they used the idea of home as inspiration for the tasting room layout.
“We wanted to create a welcoming space where people could feel at home,” Alli said. “We have a living room area, a dining table. We have a kids corner, which is inspired by our kids. We have toys and books, or the kids can go run outside. We’ve had families come by bike. We’re building community. We’d like this to be a home away from home — not just for us but for our neighbors, too."
Building community is central to the vision of The River Club — so much so that The River Club’s wine club is exclusive to locals. While Belong Wine Co. and Paper Planes Wine Co. have their own wine clubs that offer shipments across the country, The River Club wine club, The River Club — Club, is for pick-up only with the idea that only Napa locals and those within driving distance will be able to participate. The face-to-face connection helps foster the community the couples are trying to build at The River Club.
Join The Club
Even though Belong and Paper Planes source grapes from different regions in California, Alli and Laura have been pleasantly surprised by how well the wines complement each other. Both describe their wines as fresh and vibrant that pair well with food. The wines are great to enjoy immediately or after some aging. Both labels offer a rose, but that’s the only wine they share in common.
Belong has its Sierra Soul Mourvedre and Krusinger Charbono, while Paper Planes has A Russian River Pinot Noir and a Suisun Valley Valdiguie.
Alli said some guests have been surprised that there are no Napa Valley wines at The River Club, but most people are excited to try something new.
Laura said despite having a Napa location, the couples are unlikely to make any Napa vintages in the near future.
“There are so many Napa Valley producers making gorgeous wines,” she said. “We didn’t feel like we had anything to add to that, so we wanted to focus elsewhere. We make wines that we like to drink, and the wines we have are resonating with guests. We’re very excited about the future.”
The River Club is located at 101 S. Coombs St, Unit 8, in Napa. Tastings are available by appointment only Thursday through Monday. Hours are Saturday and Sunday from noon-5 p.m. and Thursday, Friday and Monday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit theriverclubnapa.com.
