Napa Valley is about an hour and a half north of San Francisco and is one of the most prestigious wine producing regions in the country. With more than 400 wineries and 9 Michelin starred restaurants, there is no shortage of fine dining and of course fine wine. Napa has over 300 days of bright sunshine a year. Offering a Mediterranean climate and exquisite dining, Napa is made for those who appreciate fine wine and an exquisite lifestyle. This guide will cover:
Before You Go
Recommended Wineries
Suggested Dining
Accommodations
------ Before You Go
Most wineries require you to make reservations in advance and some may even require payment to secure the reservation. You can make a reservation by visiting the wineries website or contacting them via email or phone. Wineries may only accept a limited number of walk-in guests and most close between 4 and 5 pm, make sure you set your itinerary accordingly.
We spent two nights and 3 days in Napa Valley. We visited two wineries per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. You can modify this schedule based on your inclination and tolerance towards wine tasting. If you have a strong intent to reach your goal you can potentially visit 4 wineries in one day.
For the safety of yourself and others we recommend leaving your car at the hotel. We used Uber to travel to and from the wineries. Napa has a public transit system, including a wine train, but the routes may not take you to the wineries you intend to visit. Uber is the most flexible option available to you.
Winery Recommendations During this trip we visited 4 wineries in Napa Valley and we have two recommendations. Duckhorn Vineyard If you want a simple introduction to Napa valley wines, duckhorn vineyard should be your first stop. Even before one of its wines was picked to be served at President Obama's inaugural luncheon, winning them a ton of national attention, Duckhorn was already a highly respected winery. Founded in 1976, they are located in a more quiet area, away from the tourist traffic Napa is known for. This gives them a more welcoming and relaxing country vibe.
Sipping wine off of the tasting terrace is to experience one of the best parts of Duckhorn. It is also one of the best parts of what Napa has to offer.
We tasted the Portfolio Tasting which is the least expensive at Duckhorn with the price of $40 (plus tax and tips). The tasting included a selection of 3 whites and 3 reds. Staff gave a quick introduction and notes were left for us at the table on what we were sampling.
Unlike the majority of California wineries who have a major focus on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel, Duckhorn has long made Merlot its signature grape. Founder Dan Duckhorn was inspired by the unique blend of softness and color of Merlot and its character while traveling through St. Emilion and Pomerol, France. After heading back to California, he was determined to work with local vineyards to produce high quality Merlot. Duckhorn’s Merlot is a must-try. You can have a private tasting experience for $85 or join ‘A Day at Duckhorn’ for $325. You can also do a full-day tour and wine tasting experience. Duckhorn’s website has their full menus and hours. Duckhorn’s full-day experience include time to visit the winery and vineyard. Wine tasting experiences range from $40 to $325. Next, Stags’ Leap Winery. Be careful!
Napa Valley has two wineries with nearly identical names: Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Stags’ Leap Winery. The wineries are next to each other, and both have a high reputation for their wine, and they are located in the same wine district, Stags Leap AVA. When the wineries opened, they fought for years over who could use the name. In 1985, a judge decided that both wineries could use the name ‘Stags Leap.’ As a result, the wineries became Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Stags’ Leap Winery based on the placement of the apostrophe. Stags’ Leap Winery is the one I recommend. It has great wine, beautiful grounds, a warm and welcoming environment, and excellent staff. It felt like visiting a friend’s home and the home happened to have an amazing art collection. Stags’ Leap Winery opens at 10:30 am. Robert, a white haired host, warmly welcomed us and showed us to the century-old house. We had booked the Estate Tour & Tasting, which is $75, before tax and gratuity. The two-hour tour and tasting was a small group event with us and two other guests, giving us a nice sense of privacy. Robert had retired after over seven years of working at Stags' Leap, and his wine enthusiasm and estate was unmistakable. Starting inside the historic house, he began with the winery’s founding in 1888, and he was very animated, telling stories without drowning us in detail. The right amount of balance.
He also brought us into the fields, and we tasted the little grapes that were left on the vines after the harvest.
Robert noted that the founders, Horace Chase and Mary Mizner, were famously welcoming. During Prohibition, Mary ran a speakeasy in her basement for fellow wine enthusiasts. What a lovely detail—and the basement is still tourable. The estate's history is too rich to sum up in a few paragraphs;
this is a place best explored rather than described.
Stags' Leap Winery was an excellent destination for the trip. It was personal and immersive unlike the rushed, checkbox experience larger wineries sometimes have. It is a must visit for your Napa itinerary.
Details
Stags’ Leap Winery
Price: Estate Tour & Tasting US$75 + tax and gratuity
Restaurant Recommendations
There are many fantastic dining options in Napa Valley, including an impressive nine Michelin-starred restaurants. Considering where you are parked, two nights in a single region are hardly enough to do the area proper justice, so here are five more casual choices for the time being. 1/ R+D Kitchen 6795 Washington Street, Yountville, CA R+D Kitchen was the closest to where our hotel was located, making it our first meal after arriving in Napa. The lunchtime atmosphere was laid-back and both the shrimp salad and the signature burger were really tasty. It is a reliable option for an uncomplicated menu, making it a good choice. 2/ ad hoc 6476 Washington St, Yountville, CA For those wanting to experience chef Thomas Keller’s cuisine without having to drop several hundred dollars at The French Laundry, his three-Michelin-starred restaurant, ad hoc is the place to go. The famous fried chicken is an absolute must, although it is a matter of luck as the menu changes daily and so it may not be there. The family-style sharing menu cost us approximately US$55 per head. 3/ Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch 738 Main St, St Helena, CA This farm-style restaurant is located around a 15-minute drive from Yountville in St. Helena. If the weather is nice, an outdoor table is the best option for lunch. The bone marrow, steak tartare, and pulled pork burger were particularly memorable. 4/ Bouchon Bakery 6528 Washington St, Yountville, CA If your hotel offers breakfast, or you want a midday snack, Bouchon Bakery is a great option for getting freshly baked bread and pastries. Located next to the Bouchon Bistro, which is also owned by Thomas Keller, this French Bakery is of a very high quality. 5/ bottega V Marketplace, 6525 Washington Street, Yountville, CA At this lively Italian restaurant, we had outstanding grilled octopus, which still brings back great memories. Since portions are generally small, order a little more than you think you might eat. Also nearby is Ciccio's, a local Italian favorite rumored to have delicious pizza, so consider yourself lucky if you get to go.
Where to Stay
Vintage House
Vintage House is a small Napal hotel where we enjoyed thoughtful design, comfortable accommodation, and reasonable pricing. It is conveniently located in Yountville only a five- to ten-minute walk from most of the restaurants listed above. Credit goes to Mr. K for suggesting the hotel. He also recommended Stags' Leap Winery and several of these restaurants.
From the moment you enter, the hotel has a special feeling to it. Its design mixes vintage and modern styles with many appealing rest areas for guests. In the evenings, the fireplaces provide an extra sense of warmth.
In the middle of the property is a large pool that we were unable to enjoy in November because of the cold, but the outdoor hot tub and fireside seating area were still perfect for lingering outside.
Several rooms are located next to the pool, but we chose a Premium King Room further in. This is definitely the best option for guests preferring privacy. The calm pathway to the room felt like entering a quaint little town.
The Premium King Room feels warm, intimate, and exceptionally comfortable, with its own balcony, an in-room fireplace, and a bed that feels large and super very comfy. The bathroom has double sinks and a bathtub big enough for two! Plus, a Nespresso coffee machine!
The In-room fireplaces were more than for show. They really did warm the room. If you ran out of firewood, you could order more from the hotel, and they arrived in super easy bundles that made it easy to light a fire without it being a daunting chore.
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With the year almost at an end, I’ve started to think about what travel I want to do next year, which includes skiing in Hokkaido, watching the Great Migration in Africa, going to a wedding in Bali, and going to Antarctica to spend New Year’s with the penguins!
What adventures do you want to do next?
Photo/Text: Sugared & Spiced
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