California: The Vineyards of Napa Valley

Hard Truths:

Most wineries require reservations for tastings or visits so plan ahead
Wines by the bottle are no cheaper at the majority of wineries
Almost all the wineries will try to get you to join their Wine Club
Ubers can be few and far between
Cell service can be spotty in the countryside
The French Laundry really is almost impossible to get into

Can’t Miss:

Wineries, vineyards and more wineries
So many amazing restaurants

California has so much of to offer but, if you’re into wine, you can’t miss the gorgeous vineyards and wineries of Napa and Sonoma Valley. I’ve been to the valley 3 times now and it’s a different experience every time. My most memorable trip was the most recent one to Napa Valley where an evening at The French Laundry was definitely the highlight. It was a trip to foodie heaven!

Napa Valley is home to a few small charming towns dotted along the rolling hills of vineyards. Napa being the most built up has the most wineries. St Helena comes in 2nd in terms of wineries and is more laid back and relaxed. Then Calistoga, known for its spas and hot springs, and last but not least, Yountville which is more upscale, and the home of Thomas Keller and his famed restaurants. They are all fairly close so you can easily pick a home base depending on the vibe you’re after. My friend and I chose for Calistoga as hot springs and spas sounded very appealing especially after a long day of wine tasting!

Calistoga is a really cute town but very small so you probably only want stay a night. It’s the northern most town in Napa Valley making it a good starting point to work your way down hitting up all the wineries and towns along the way.

There are hundreds and hundreds of wineries in Napa Valley, all with different tasting/tour options and their own unique characteristics in the wines themselves as well as in the winery. This makes narrowing down the ones to visit almost impossible; a great reason to come back multiple times! I’ve listed ~30 wineries at the end of the post to help you get started.

Most wineries require reservations so be sure to plan ahead. I had heard Uber was prevalent in wine country but the drivers can be few and far between. It’s also a dead zone in some spots so can be hard to connect to the app. There are car services and local taxis as well which the wineries can call for you. The best option would be to hire a driver for the day or if you really plan on only tasting the wine go for a car rental to drive yourself around. If you’re not a do-it-yourself type of person, there are also tons of wine tour operators that can plan your entire visit. Check out the Don’t Forget section at the end for some driver and tour operator recommendations.

I like to visit wineries with unique settings and experiences. Like Silverado, which is up on a hilltop with some spectacular views. And Sequoia Grove which has a 110-year old barn with their ancient sequoia trees towering over it. One experience you should try if you’ve never had the chance to do so is a tour of the winemaking facilities and vineyards at one of the wineries. It’s truly magical to walk around the vineyards amongst the vines, some of which are over 100 years old. It’s also really interesting to learn the full wine production process from start to finish. And you usually get to taste some wine along the process.

View from Silverado

But some are just worth it for the amazing wine! Larkmeade is one of those for sure. It is one of the oldest, originally established in 1895, family-owned estates in the Napa Valley. They also have a beautiful winery that is solar powered and furnished by Restoration Hardware.

Many wineries will waive the tasting fees with club memberships or purchases of a certain number of bottles on site. Wines from this area are overall very pricey. It seems like this is mainly due to a land shortage. According to this Washington Post article “Napa Valley has run out of land suitable for vines, which drives the price of existing vineyards higher.” I was surprised to see the pricing for bottles at the wineries was the same if not more than in wine shops in NY. Most wineries in other wine regions around the world offer significant discounts when purchasing wine directly from the winery.

Be prepared for a wine club pitch at most of the wineries. This concept of a wine club was very new to me. You basically agree to purchase a certain number of bottles direct from the winery on a yearly basis. I haven’t seen this in other wine regions but it seems they are one of the most profitable direct-to-consumer channels for the Napa wineries.

As you know, wine always goes well with food and a number of wineries have capitalized on this with various tastings paired with food. On this trip we had a list of restaurants on our agenda so went for the more basic wine and cheese pairing at Seavy Winery. They offer a library tasting where you can try some of their older aged vintages in a private room along with a selections of cheeses. It also includes a tour of their winemaking facility and historic stone barn from 1881.

Moving on from the wineries is the unparalleled food scene in this region. The elusive French Laundry is probably the most coveted reservation here but don’t worry if you can’t get in, there are 9 other Michelin Starred restaurants (as of 2020) between Napa and Sonoma Valley and plenty of other high-quality choices so you won’t miss out. There is also sometimes the option to try a sister restaurant or other ventures by some of these famed chefs. For example, The Restaurant at Meadowood was on my list to try but it was sadly closed on the days I was there so I tried The Grill instead. The food wasn’t as good as I would envision it to be at The Restaurant but you still get to experience the beautiful setting of this luxury resort.

A better example is Bouchon, one of Thomas Keller’s spots. This is a great alternative if The French Laundry is out of the question. It is much easier to get a reservation, a much lower cost and the food is still amazing.

But if you are open to spend probably the most you ever will on a meal and manage to get a reservation, The French Laundry is definitely worth it. I am so grateful I was able to experience this culinary mastery. The lovely concierge for Amex platinum was able to get us a last minute booking and it really was an experience of a lifetime. From wandering around their garden across the street from the restaurant to a kitchen tour at the end of the meal it is much more of an experience than just a dinner.

The exquisite dishes were above and beyond expectations. And with a 9 course tasting menu you should not leave hungry. The dishes are small but rich and don’t discount the ‘assorted desserts’, they are plentiful! You even get to go home with a small gift of chocolate and the restaurant’s signature shortbread at the end of a meal.

Don’t Forget:

Hotels: White House Napa Valley Inn, Milliken Creek Inn & Spa, Solage, Hotel Yountville, Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa, Best Western Stevenson Manor, The Bergson, Andaz Napa, Harvest Inn, Indian Springs Calistoga (hot springs), Wydown Hotel

Restaurants: Michelin Stars: THe French Laundry, Auberge du Soleil, The Restaurant at Meadowood, Bouchon, Kenzo, La Toque

Solbar, Sam’s Social Club, Acacia House, Gott’s Roadside, Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch, Torc, Gran Eléctrica, Archetype, Bottega

Wineries

*Long Meadow Ranch – Multiple estate locations for visits; Tasting without reservations available at the Farmstead; Reservations required for other estates; Olive Oil tastings available

La Sirena – Reservations required; famous winemaker; Tastings in Calistoga or St. Helena

Calistoga:

*Bennett Lane Winery – Reservations required; Hot air balloons rides with picnic lunch available

Brian Arden Wines – No Reservations needed < 6 for public tasting; Food pairing available

*Chateau Montelena – No Reservations for public tasting; French grapes; Vineyard tour available

*Frank Family Vineyards – No Reservations needed Monday-Thursday for public tasting; Sparkling wines in portfolio

Knights Bridge Winery – Reservations required; Cheese provided with pairing; Food pairing at Solbar with 4 course menu available

*Larkmeade – Reservations required

Tamber Bey – Reservations required; Ranch and winery tour available; Picnic lunch and cookie pairing available

Coombsville:

Caldwell Vineyard – Reservations required

Cover Estate – Reservations required

Napa:

*Artesa – No reservations required for public tastings < 6; Chocolate, caviar and Spanish tapas pairings available

*Domaine Carneros – Reservations required; Caviar, artisan cheese plates and charcuterie pairings available; Sparkling wines in portfolio

Kenzo Estate Winery – Reservation Required; Vineyard tour and lunch pairing from Bouchon available

*Sequoia Grove – No reservations required for public tastings < 6; Reservations required for food pairing

Shafer Vineyards – Reservations required; large group formal tasting at table

*Silverado Vineyards – Reservations required; Vineyard tour available; On a hilltop with views of valley

Oakville:

B Cellars – Reservations required; All tastings have food pairings; Vineyard and agricultural tours available

Ovid Vineyards – Reservations required; limited tastings; Located high up with great views

Rutherford:

*Cakebread Cellars – Reservations required; Vineyard tour, food pairing & cooking classes available

*Round Pond Estate – Reservations required; Lunch pairings available

St. Helena:

*Chappellet Winery – Reservations required; Vineyard tour available; 2nd location in Sonoma

*Duckhorn Vineyards – Reservations required; Cheese pairing available; Day tour available at sister vineyards

Failla Wines – Reservation required; Tasting in wine cave available

Hunnicutt Wines – Reservations required; Cave tour available

*Joseph Phelps Vineyards – Reservations required; Terrace and barrel tasting, food pairing and winemaker blending available

Kuleto Estate – Reservations required; Mountaintop estate with lake views

*Seavy Vineyard – Reservations required; Library tasting available

Yountville:

*Cliff Lede Vineyards – No reservations required for public tastings < 6; Tasting in art exhibition available

*Domaine Chandon – No reservations required for public tastings < 8; Picnic and cocktail tastings available; Mainly sparkling wines

*Priest Ranch Wines – No reservations required for public tastings < 6; Bacon, artisan cheese and charcuterie pairings available; Ranch tour available

*Napa Green Certified

Jenn