Think a trip to a gorgeous, design-minded winery is the ultimate tasting experience? Adding a pool can make the entire outing even better. Come summer—yes, when temperatures can reach the triple digits in buzzy regions like Napa, Sonoma, and Healdsburg—a few properties open their on-site pools so guests can splash around and enjoy a splash of vino.
If you can believe it, the pool phenomenon was kickstarted by Francis Ford Coppola. Yes, the Francis Ford Coppola who racked up Academy Awards for films like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. When Coppola purchased his Geyserville, California, property—which would eventually become the Francis Ford Coppola Winery—he didn’t want to create just a tasting room. Rather, he wanted to create a “wine wonderland;” somewhere everyone could enjoy.
The property displays mementos from his biggest motion pictures year-round, but come summer, everyone’s bee-lining it to the pool, which was inspired by the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. “The pool is a key part of carrying out this vision for a family-friendly destination for exploration, amusement and delight,” explains James Luchini, the winery’s director of hospitality. “It’s a place where visitors can sip wine, swim, relax, and enjoy food all in one setting, which is something you can’t find at traditional tasting rooms.”
Courtesy of Francis Ford Coppola Winery
Here’s how it works: Guests can only access the pool if they reserve a cabine, which is $325 on weekdays and $350 over the weekend. Each booking grants you all-day pool access for up to four guests, four ridiculously comfortable lounge chairs, and towels. It’s not a formal tasting, so children are allowed and you can readily order food and wine by the glass as you see fit.
Curious to see what the hype was about, I packed my swimsuit and spent an afternoon at the winery’s pool. While it’s easy to write off the perk as a glorified, resort-style pool, I was pleasantly surprised by how relaxing it was. Despite having larger groups and children, the pool was a relatively quiet and serene spot to sip one of the winery’s signature blends.
Instead of sitting upright for a 90-minute tasting, I could float in the pool and flag down a nearby waitress when I wanted a glass of the medium-bodied Director’s Cut Cinema. Wine might be flowing at the property’s pool, but things don’t get too rowdy, which is a non-negotiable for the team. “We follow all state and local guidelines and all of our guest-facing staff are state certified in CA ABC beverage control regulations to ensure the safety and comfort of everyone at the winery,” Luchini adds.
Courtesy of Francis Ford Coppola Winery
Enjoying winery via pool is on the rise, but why? They might seem like a novelty—and let’s be honest, it is a novelty—but it feels more aligned with how people actually consume wine. Sure, it’s certainly informative to analyze all the aromas and nuances with a wine educator. And, if you are a very serious wine drinker, that still might be the preferred way to taste. However, most people enjoy wine in a more natural setting. With people you love. Doing something fun.
In that setting, sussing out your favorite wines can be rather simple: Do you like the wine? And, will it conjure up wonderful memories the next time you pop open a bottle?
Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s pool might be the most popular watering hole, but it’s not the only one. In Southern California, Bottaia Winery Winery in Temecula offers a similar poolside experience: Guests can purchase a day pass for $40 per person, meanwhile a five-person cabana will set non-members back $250 per day. And, if you ask Luchini, there will hopefully be even more pool wineries to explore.
“The idea of pool and park came from the creative dreams of Francis himself and so we can only hope that one day there might be other dreamers who create a place as unique,” he says. “The focus of the pool has always been to create a destination where families, from every generation, could come and spend the day to enjoy their time together.”
