How Dave Phinney & Orin Swift Built a Speakeasy-Style Tasting Room in Napa

Exposed concrete walls loaded up with modern art and neon signs, and plenty of other design Easter Eggs are hidden around the space for the label’s most eagle-eyed fans to discover. But its dramatic outdoor facade sets the tone for the whole space, and cleverly alludes to the private speakeasy that exists inside the tasting room itself, where a specialty “Scissors” experience showcasing the label’s rarest wines takes place.

“By far my favorite design element in the new tasting room is the outdoor facade of the Scissors space,” Phinney says. “It has the appearance of dozens of hand-selected scissors being stabbed through the glass which is covered with old newspapers. I give all the credit to the team that somehow were able to turn my crazy vision into a finished product. It completely blew my mind, and I hope visitors are similarly blown away!”

Napa diehards may already be familiar with Phinney’s work as he previously founded and sold The Prisoner Wine Company, but these days he’s focused on the creative inner workings of hospitality projects like the tasting room. Orin Swift has plenty of loyal fans already, and the space doubles as a haven for them as well as a starting point for those who are just discovering the label. And even if it’s the drama of the physical scissors installation that might initially draw visitors in to explore, it’s the wines that will keep them there. Because whether you’re a newcomer to wine or a collector looking to try some specialty offerings, a tiered tasting system is set up to easily welcome any palate.

“The four main offerings—called Rock, Paper, Scissors, and Vault—are designed and priced to ensure that there’s something for everyone,” Phinney says. “For example, those that prefer a more casual and affordable tasting could opt for Rock, all the way up to a highly bespoke, one-on-one experience in our adjacent Scissors room. Paper is a seated experience in our main tasting room that provides a deep dive into Orin Swift’s portfolio. Finally, Vault is perfect for groups looking for a private experience located in what used to be the vault of the original bank that used to occupy the space.”

In the main tasting room, a playlist with plenty of hip-hop mixed in, and casual, salty finger foods like truffle potato chips keep the vibe lowkey. But as noted, there are high-end experiences for those who want to indulge. Particularly, the Scissors experience is held in a separate, private space tricked out with vintage Dogtown skateboards—a subtle nod to Phinney’s early childhood in Los Angeles—and wines that are only available in the speakeasy-style setting. Not only that, but when guests opt to book this $125 per person tasting, the label also goes out of their way to customize the experience.

“When consumers think of a high-end tasting experience in Napa, so often the default image is a stuffy, formal experience,” Phinney says. “With Scissors, we sought to create a cool, intimate, speakeasy feel by placing Scissors in a separate room connected to the main tasting room only through the back door. Before entering, the group fills out a survey indicating their preferred snacks, music type, and more, to ensure that their experience is highly bespoke. Upon entering, they’re greeted with a small bar set up—rather than the spacious, ornate room that many envision when they picture a typical Napa tasting experience.”

As he was very hands-on in the process of setting up this new tasting experience, it’s clear that Phinney’s heart and soul went into planning the details of the Scissors venue—and that goes double for the wines that are poured. “Each wine included in the Scissors experience was hand-selected and most have some form of personal connection,” he says. “For instance, All Grown Up, our flagship Napa Cabernet, features my original passport photo from when I was four years old, and the wine was bottled when I turned 50, so there is a fun sense of nostalgia attached to not only the wine but also the label.”

Most of the labels for Orin Swift’s wines were designed by Phinney, and include photography he sourced or created, often taken from his own past. While tucked away in the Scissors speakeasy, some of the more personal stories behind the labels also come to light. “As they sit at the bar, visitors will not only taste the unique wines made just for Scissors—some of the most ambitious in our portfolio—but they will also get to hear the untold stories behind each label, which creates a strong connection between the wine and the visitor.”

From the jarring imagery of the scissors through the window pane, to the personal, intimate stories about Phinney’s own childhood and how those themes inform the wine he makes, this tasting is definitely a unique one. So if you’re ever wandering around downtown St. Helena and looking for a wine tasting that will stand out from the rest, just keep an eye out for the scissors.