Who Is Picayune?
Picayune (pronounce {pee-ka-ˈyün} ) means a little bit in regional French. Our tasting room and boutique store in downtown Calistoga welcomes you seven days a week in our lounge or in one of our several outdoor areas. We make over ten different wines - from Rosé to a Napa red blend, with a special mention for our Champagne (a partnership with a French family-owned vineyard).
Picayune also provides a curated shopping experience with an eclectic selection of amazing artisans including French Master Knife makers, Native American ledger artists, a local silk scarf maker, etc. Claire is inspired by indigenous artisans, fair trade, sustainable, family businesses, and her selections reflect that. We look forward to hosting you for a tasting, a luncheon in our courtyard, or a glass of wine while shopping. Cheers!
Our Wine
Picayune wines are meticulously crafted with a blend of tradition and innovation, from handpicked grapes in our sustainably tended vineyards to expertly guided fermentation and aging processes, each wine embraces the purity and intensity of California fruit, yet keeps its drinkability with juiciness, balance and finesse in the palette. Today, we make a dozen wines and a bit over 3,500 cases a year.
Picayune produces California-grown rosé, white wines such as Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, as well as red wines in the form of Rhone and Bordeaux-style red blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. In addition, Claire has a partnership with a family of winegrowers in the Champagne region and we offer a couple of Grand Cru Champagne.
Our Mission & Story
Picayune Cellars and Mercantile purveys vibrant wines, genuine experiences and a curated selection of items and collectibles for wine lovers and lovers of beautiful things to add a “Je ne sais quoi” to their daily life and special occasions.
Picayune Cellars was founded in 2011 with my good friend Jennifer Roberts. We both shared the same love for drinking quality wines and the same drive for searching great value. Surrounded by a pool of amazing winemaker friends we decided to follow the classic French Negociant model and buy small lots from the hands of our talented friends and give them a new future.
Meet Claire
Claire Weinkauf, a French native who grew up in Auvergne: the land of Volcanoes and fabulous cheeses. Inspired by the power of a Mouton Rothschild, she earned a wine degree in Chile and then embarked for France to work harvest in St Emilion and the Côte du Rhône. While working in South America, she met Paul Hobbs and got a job first at Viña Cobos in Mendoza, Argentina, then later in his winery in California.
In 2010, Claire started a a business development company focused on helping producers including Matthiasson Wines, Long Meadow Ranch, Morlet Family Estate. Since 2017, Claire focuses solely on Picayune Cellars. She lives in Calistoga with her husband, Aron Weinkauf of Spottswoode Winery, and their two children.
We're constantly adding new products & experiences.
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Testimonials
Since we moved to the wine country in 2019, my husband went wine tasting in many places, we selected about 5 wineries to become members. But Picayune is my gem. Starting with the service, Jene Marie and Carly are the most friendly host we've enconter, cozy place, great wine, live music on Fridays. It can't be better than that!
Ivanete Sepulvida
Very personable and friendly. The owner is the winemaker, so she can explain everything and loves talking about her wine. One of the best female winemakers in the nation!
Tammie L.
My husband and I tasted wine here. Beautiful tasting room with lots of Native American arts and crafts. The host was friendly. Picayune honors the Priority Wine pass, fyi, check it out if you're not familiar. We bought the 2015 Padlock, a merlot, at a reasonable price!
Linda H
Our afternoon at Picayune was wonderfully informative and relaxing, tasting four of Picayune's outstanding wines. Claire's experience and expertise were evident in her choices and the wines are an outstanding value. We were very happy to learn all that we did and to support a woman owned business. On the main street in Calistoga...stop in if you are in town!