Olive & Hay
Napa's backyard table, wine list included
Napa · Napa · American, Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 10, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You're sitting inside a resort in Napa Valley — the Meritage Resort, specifically — and the wine list arrives feeling exactly like that: polished, California-forward, and playing to expectations. It's not trying to surprise you, but it's not embarrassing itself either. The casual-meets-refined room sets the tone for a list that lands somewhere between hotel convenience and genuine regional effort.
Selection Deep Dive
The list runs 150-250 bottles and leans hard into its zip code, which makes sense when your backyard is Napa Valley Cabernet country. You'll find the expected California heavyweights — Napa Cab, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, California Chardonnay — alongside a thoughtful nod to the Italian-American menu with Sangiovese and Nebbiolo making appearances. The Italian varietal inclusion is a smart move that elevates this above a straight resort wine list, showing at least some intention behind the curation. Gaps show up when you push beyond California and Italy — don't come here expecting a serious Burgundy or Rhône hunt.
By the Glass
With 12-20 glass pours available, there's enough to work with across a meal without feeling boxed in. The by-the-glass program skews predictably California, which honestly isn't a complaint when you're physically in Napa. What we'd want to see is more rotation and a glass-pour entry point into the Italian side of the list — if Sangiovese is on the bottle list, it should be on the glass list too.
Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir — $60
In a list that could easily overprice its way through Napa Cab all night, a well-sourced Sonoma Coast Pinot sitting in the $40-$70 range gives you genuine terroir-driven drinking without the Napa tax. It's the move if you're not committed to going full Cabernet.
Nebbiolo
Most tables here will never look past the Cabernet section, which means the Nebbiolo is sitting quietly on this list waiting for someone to find it. In a room full of Napa weight, an Italian Nebbiolo brings structure and grip that actually works with the food — and it's not priced like it has a Barolo pedigree.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
The marquee Napa Cabs are going to command top dollar here, and resort markup in wine country is a real phenomenon. You're paying for the address as much as what's in the glass. If you're splurging on Napa Cab, you're better off at a producer tasting room down the road where your money actually goes somewhere interesting.
Sangiovese + House-made pasta with tomato and herb
Sangiovese and tomato-based Italian-American dishes are one of the most reliable combinations in the book — the wine's natural acidity cuts through the richness and mirrors the herbaceous notes in the sauce. It's the kind of pairing that makes the Italian section of this wine list feel intentional rather than decorative.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Olive & Hay is a solid resort wine list that earns its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence without doing anything flashy — California coverage is strong, the Italian varietal nods add character, and the pricing stays within reason on the right picks. Send a friend here if they want to drink well in Napa without doing homework first.
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