Napa Winery Debuts a Drive-Thru With Complimentary Caviar

Wine country tasting rooms might be temporarily closed, but locals are still stocking up on the essentials, most definitely including wine. Many wineries are now transitioning to pickup and delivery, as well as offering virtual tastings. Ashes & Diamonds Winery, known for old-school cabs styled like they were in the ‘60s and paired with colorful mid-century design, has a fun twist. The Napa winery has debuted a drive-thru, so cars can roll right through, and they’re kicking in complimentary snacks — anyone who buys a case of wine gets free caviar.

The drive-thru itself doesn’t actually sound that different from curbside pickup, which many other restaurants and wineries are currently offering, dropping cases of wine directly into open trunks, so customers don’t even have to get out of the car. But “drive-thru” does have a certain chill wine-country vibe, from the same region that brought you “roadside refreshers” and cute vintage gas stations. In this case, the cars roll up a long driveway, and boxes will be waiting at a covered stand, set out at a specific time, and packed with ice to stay cool.

Ashes & Diamonds Winery

Ashes & Diamonds has everything set up through Tock, so customers can opt for either delivery (see locations below) or drive-through, and reserve a specific time slot, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. It’s a three-bottle minimum, with wine options ranging from the sauvignon blanc and sémillon blend ($45) to those single-estate cabs ($125). The snacks are all complimentary: Three bottles come with everything focaccia, fromage blanc, bean dip, and pickles. Six bottles, or half a case, comes with an ounce of trout roe. Twelve bottles, or a full case, comes with an ounce of white sturgeon caviar.

Regiis Ova Caviar

The winery’s popular sourdough focaccia is baked fresh in house by chef Ethan Speizer, the beans come from Rancho Gordo, the cheese is Cowgirl, and the caviar is courtesy of Regiis Ova, Thomas Keller’s company. To paraphrase one of the winery’s Instagram followers: If you have to be quarantined, it might be better to be quarantined in Napa right now.

Updated Monday, April 6: The winery is offering delivery to Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and San Mateo.