Whitehall Lane Winery hosts private lunches, dinners and receptions for 32 to 80 guests in three settings on its estate in the Rutherford appellation of the Napa Valley, on the St. Helena Highway. The winery has no bedrooms, so guests stay elsewhere in the valley and come here for the event itself.
Rooms and capacities
The winery offers three event settings, each available for luncheons and dinners.
The Garden Pavilion is the largest. It stands behind the winery building under a pergola, bordered by lawn and rows of vines, and opens toward more vineyard and the Mayacamas Mountains. The winery presents it for outdoor wine receptions and afternoon lunches, for up to 80 guests.
The Barrel Room is the indoor option for evening dinners, for up to 75 guests. French, American and Hungarian oak barrels are stacked from floor to ceiling on either side of a long central aisle, and the lighting is kept low.
The Club Room sits above the Barrel Room and looks over the estate vineyard and the aging barrels. It seats up to 32 guests for a meal and holds up to 50 for a standing reception. It has indoor and outdoor dining areas and a commercial kitchen.
Catering
Lunches and dinners are the format the winery sells in all three settings, and the Pavilion is described for gourmet lunches. The Club Room includes a commercial kitchen, which is useful to know if you plan to work with a chef or caterer. The website does not say who prepares the food or whether outside suppliers are allowed, so confirm this with the events team before you plan a menu. Wines come from the estate, which makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from its own fruit.
History and setting
Whitehall Lane is a family-owned winery run by three generations of the Leonardini family. The family farms six Napa Green certified vineyards in St. Helena, Oak Knoll and Rutherford, plus two vineyards in Sonoma Valley and the Petaluma Gap, using sustainable and organic practices. The winery describes its style as relaxed and open to guests with any level of wine knowledge, and it points to panoramic valley views from the Club Room and an estate garden pavilion.
For visitors outside private events, the winery also runs seated tastings in the Club Room, vineyard tours with a tasting, a main tasting room and picnics. These are separate from event bookings, but they show how the property is used day to day.
Getting there
The winery is at 1563 St. Helena Highway South, St. Helena, California 94574, on the main road through the upper Napa Valley. Plan transport for your group in advance, since the property has no on-site lodging and guests will return to hotels elsewhere in the valley after the event.
