Napa Valley, California

Well here goes my first blog first! In the last decade, my passion for travel has continued to grow. If someone asked me what I would want to do for a living if money wasn’t an issue, I would absolutely choose travel and trying new foods. I have always admired and been envious of people who have been able to turn their passion for travel into what they do for a living. It definitely doesn’t happen overnight and there are challenges, but they do make it look glamorous. For now, I just want to share my travel stories and tips. Before I travel somewhere new, I love to look up other blog posts about the best sights to see, food, and how to make the most out of the trip. Doing research beforehand is helpful to maximize efficiency for having the best time possible.

I most recently visited Napa Valley, California this summer and it was a destination I had on my bucket list for the past 5 years. This was somewhat spontaneous and I wasn’t planning on going this year. (Back story - I had a flight credit on Alaska Airlines that was going to expire soon so I said no more excuses, you are going to book the trip! There were only 5 destinations with a direct flights from Chicago, so I chose Napa Valley since it was 90 minutes out of San Francisco. I definitely wanted to visit during the summer when the weather is prime for sipping wine outside and visiting the vineyards.

Below are the wineries, restaurants, and activities I’d recommend. I did a lot of research beforehand to find the top tier wine tastings and the must sees in Napa. I did sprinkle in certain places I would not go back to as I think it’s helpful for people narrow down what they should absolutely see. It was truly an amazing experience and I’m so happy I had the chance to visit.

WINERIES:

DOMAIN CARNEROS

This was my favorite winery. They are known for sparkling wine and every single one I tried was delicious. I also purchased a charcuterie board to graze on and it paired well with flight. The outside is beautiful and you feel like you’re at a Chateau in France. The inside has a ton of natural light and is very clean and fresh as well. The outdoor seating is the best part and an absolute must during your time in Napa.

DARIOUSH

This was also in my top favorite wineries. It is Persian themed and feels like its own little oasis. They have a full spread as part of the tour that includes three small dips with a breadstick, pistachios, and a lambchop lollipop. The pistachios were incredible and I devoured two full bowls. The wine was great as well. The Sommelier was super friendly and knowledgeable and you could tell he was truly passionate about wine and everything that goes into making it. Overall, it had such a great vibe and was a different experience compared to the other wineries.

CAYMUS

This is my third favorite in my top 3 list for wineries I visited. The outside is a lush garden with a modern touch. It’s super green and they provide a lot of outdoor seating. The wine was great and they had cute, mini Fiji water bottles they give to guests. The best part was that they had a deal where if you buy the same amount of wine as the tasting fee, the tasting fee is waived. Plus you get to the keep the wine glass from the pour. That is a good bang for your buck in my opinion. I was very impressed with this winery and would highly recommend.

WILLIAM HILL

This was another pretty winery with a great view of the rolling hills and they provide a small charcuterie plate with the wine pairing. This vineyard is perfect for landscape photo shoots, sitting outside, sipping wine, and enjoying the California sun.

ARTESA

This was a unique, interesting winery. The entrance is beautiful and the best part. You walk up staircases with an amazing view of the hills, like a mountain top view. They had fountains in front of the entrance that added the perfect touch to the views. The wine was refreshing and I enjoyed sitting on the deck outside.

TREFETEN

This is a nice winery tucked away in a meadow surrounded by trees, flowers, and gardens. They have preserved the charm and character and you almost feel like you are transported back in time. I sat on a porch overlooking the backyard and the charcuterie board that came with the wine was one of the best.

ETUDE

This is a small, quaint winery that isn’t as well known as the others, but it had one of the best tasting wines. Other wineries were definitely more crowded so this was nice in the sense of being more private and relaxing. I would recommend visiting this one as well.

FOOD:

THE WATERFRONT SEAFOOD GRILL

Hands down the best restaurant I visited. The food was absolutely amazing and it wasn’t too expensive for everything I ordered. I recommend the Linguine with Clams and Mocha Cake for dessert. A must do in Napa.

TARLA MEDITERRANEN BAR + GRILL

One of the best meals I’ve ever had. I would recommend the Pomegranate-Cabernet Braised Short Ribs. It is served with Roasted Mushroom-White Truffle Risotto, Beef Au Jus, Fried Kale, Spicy Pickled Cherry Peppers. The waiter said it’s their best dish and they showcase it at expos.

SKY & VINE ROOFTOP AT THE ARCHER HOTEL

This is a cute, little rooftop for drinks and appetizers. It has a nice view of the mountains and overall good vibe. They have specials throughout the week and a great deal for Oysters on Mondays. They were super fresh and the seafood on the West Coast is definitely top tier compared to the Midwest. My other favorites were the Shishito Peppers and Topo Chico Seltzer in the bottle.

FARMSTEAD AT LONG MEADOW RANCH

This a favorite to the Napa area located in the St. Helena region. They are known for their farm to table food and fresh ingredients. The inside and outside are expansive and decorated like a modern farmhouse. I ordered the chicken wings for an appetizer and the porkchops as my entrée. It was heavenly, especially after a long day of drinking wine and was one of my favorite meals in Napa.

GOTT’S ROADSIDE

Great place to stop for lunch right when you get into town. They are known for their burgers and they have a variety of other sandwiches and lunch options.

MODEL BAKERY

Model Bakery’s claim to fame is that Oprah has had their English Muffins flown across the country to her. I will say it was the best English Muffin I’ve ever had. They are perfect to have in the morning before sipping wine all day and they hit the spot.

DUTCH BROS COFFEE

A west coast classic and better than Starbucks (in my opinion) There’s one located 10 minutes outside of Downtown Napa. My favorite is the Annihilator and it is *Chef’s Kiss*

NAPA GENERAL STORE

The Napa General Store is nestled in Downtown Napa at the end of the river walk. This was one of the best giftshops I walked around in. They have a variety of unique gifts and I found a really cool sweatshirt to take home. I stopped here for brunch one day before heading off to fill up on wine. They are “known” for their Beignets, but I would say skip these since the ones I tasted were hard and dry. The OJ was super fresh and tasty so I do recommend a mimosa to start the day!

ACTIVITIES:

HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE

I decided to be adventurous and check something else off my bucket list while in Napa Valley. I booked a hot air balloon ride and felt like the scenery of Napa would be perfect for this adventure. I booked it through a company called Balloons Above Valley. You meet at the Model Bakery at 5:30 am (an very early start to the day for non-morning people) and they provide coffee and pastries beforehand.

Depending on the weather and wind that, they might have to start the balloon tour in a smaller town 45 minutes south of Napa and that was the case this day. Once I arrived, I climbed into the balloon and realized it was tight standing room. When they fire up the balloon it was a bit loud and hot, but not uncomfortable. The balloon ride lasts for an hour and you get to overlook the landscape of the expansive Napa Valley region. One of my favorite parts was overlooking the sunflower field in the picture below and I think the shadow of the balloon gives it the perfect touch. I was also able to see deer when the balloon was lowered to get a closer view of the forest.

Truth be told, I was nervous in the first 5 minutes of taking off. You are not strapped in so when you look far enough over the ledge it feels like you’re going to fall out. It was a unique experience and I loved seeing the beautiful nature below me from a birds eye view. The total time of the hot air balloon journey from start to finish was 4 hours (5 am - 9 am).

After the tour, you end up back at Model Bakery, which is perfect timing to try the famous English Muffins. You can even go to the Oxbow Market since it’s right next door and it’s much less crowded at that time. The balloon company takes your picture and is available to purchase at the end. If you aren’t afraid of heights and bit adventurous, this is a great activity to add your Napa list!

OXBOW PUBLIC MARKET

As mentioned above, the Oxbow Public Market is cool to check out in Downtown Napa. It is basically a farmer’s market with local food, ingredients, and small vendors. They also have Hog Island Oyster Bar where fresh shellfish are delivered daily. The market does get crowded during the day so I’d recommend going earlier in the morning.

WINE GIRL

This was a cute, little bar I found walking around Downtown Napa. It is newer and the entire place is a background for Instagram photos. They had fun, girly drinks and it was so up my alley. This is nice place to stop in Downtown if you want something other than wine.

DOWNTOWN NAPA

I have to say I was impressed with Downtown Napa as a whole. There is a plethora of shops and restaurants scattered throughout and I mentioned the best spots in some other sections above. It is nestled next to a river walk and perfect to wander around when you’re not at the wineries.

SKIP:

V. STATTUI

The wine here was my least favorite. I tried a good amount (around 8) and really wanted to find one I loved. It has an Italian, Tuscany aesthetic to it and was somewhat cute. The people that worked there weren’t the friendliest and they didn’t have a ton of outdoor seating. It didn’t stand out to me compared to the other wineries I visited and isn’t one I would recommend.

CHARLES KRUGG

This was my least favorite winery to be honest. I was running late coming from a winery before because of our Uber. I received a call from the winery asking if I was still coming to the reservation since I wasn’t there promptly at 4:00. I told them I was on the way and would be there in 10 minutes. Because I wasn’t there at 4:00 on the dot, they cancelled the tour I was supposed to have before. It wasn’t welcoming and I was already annoyed before getting there.

When I arrived, they didn’t offer outdoor seating and I had to sit inside. The inside was nice, but it was dark and it wasn’t my vibe for wine tasting personally. Learning about the history of the winery was interesting and I would give the wine an average rating.

Our Sommelier asked a lot of questions about what other wineries I had been to and it wasn’t just in a friendly, inquisitive manner. I could tell I was being asked these question so they could have better insight into what wineries had the most foot traffic and were getting business. Overall, I just didn’t vibe with it and it wouldn’t be on my list again.

CALISTOGA

When I was doing research before my trip and looking at other blog posts, some raved about Calistoga. It is the most northern region of the Napa Valley belt about a 35 minute drive from Downtown Napa. They have a small downtown strip with some surrounding wineries and it felt like it was a preserved Goldmine Rush town. There wasn’t much to choose from in terms of restaurants and the pizza place I tried wasn’t the best. Personally, it didn’t stand out of me compared to other parts we saw so I would skip this leg of the Napa Valley region.

NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN

I considered taking a trip on the Napa Valley Wine Train, but it is $400 per person and potentially more depending which meal option you chose. I did not end up taking the train and would advise against it. The food doesn’t look spectacular and you can get a scenic view of Napa riding around from your own car. For $400, that could pay for multiple wine tastings or meals.

OENOTRI

I was excited to try this Italian restaurant located in Downtown Napa, but unfortunately it was not one of the better meals. I ordered a margherita pizza, pasta dish, and a bread appetizer and the bread was the best part.

TIPS & TRICKS:

WEATHER

Napa is a perfect 75-80 degrees during the day when the sun comes out. (Grey and foggy in the morning and then it passes by late morning) Once the sun goes down it’s get chilly at night. You will need jeans and a sweater/long sleeve shirt when you are out at night so plan accordingly when packing! This is the weather in July and it changes throughout the seasons.

TRANSPORTATION

You can Uber from San Francisco National Airport to Napa Valley. It is about a 90-120 minute drive depending on traffic. You can hire a driver, but pricing wise could be the same as Uber, if not more. There aren’t any shuttles or public transportation from the airport so the best bet is to Uber or rent a car.

WINERY RESERVATIONS

Definitely make a reservation for each winery you plan to attend. I made mine a month in advance and that was the perfect amount of time. Some wineries had limited time slots available, even that far in advanced. The tastings fees range from $30-$100 per person.

I grouped the wineries by distance each day so they were all close in proximity. The wineries are spread out so you have to drive. I took an Uber to each vineyard and luckily never had trouble getting one.

3 wineries per day is ideal because you can take your time and spend 1.5-2 hours at each without feeling rushed getting to the next. I would not recommend going to more than 3, if possible. Most of them are open from 10 am to 5 pm.

Last note, I was there for 4 days and got a lot out of the trip. This is the perfect amount of time because you have enough to do and see throughout the days. By the end of the 4 days, I had my fill of wine and food and was ready to detox. LOL

 

 

FOR NEXT TIME:

SONOMA

I’ve heard great things about Sonoma from the locals in Napa and reading through blog posts. It’s similar to Napa, but smaller and offers more wineries that are family-owned. It is also a bit more relaxed and cheaper. It’s a 30 minute drive from Napa Valley so it’s doable to visit both regions.

BED & BREAKFAST HOTEL

Napa is well known for their Bed and Breakfast hotels. They look beautiful from pictures I’ve seen online and give the feeling of being off the grid and in the sanctuary of wine country. I stayed at a standard hotel close to Downtown Napa so I was within walking distance. The Bed and Breakfast hotels weren’t within my budget, but hopefully I will have the opportunity to experience it next time. If it is budget-friendly for you, I would absolutely book your stay at one!

STAGLIN FAMILY VINEYARD

This is the vineyard they filmed in the 1998 version of The Parent Trap (One of my favorite comfort movies). This is a real vineyard that still operates and produces wine today. It is located just off the main Oakville drag in Rutherford in the heart of Napa Valley. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to visit, but if I ever come back, I would definitely add this one to my list. If you love The Parent Trap, be sure to check out this vineyard while you’re there!

I hope you enjoyed my blog post about Napa Valley and that it will serve as a guide to helping you have the best time in wine country. Sending love…

Adrianna