Napa Valley
Please refer to the bottom of this page for the cost of two people.
Time to get wine drunk
June 1 - 4, 2022
So you're going to Napa Valley, or as many may say, "WINE COUNTRY." Going for a girl's trip (I see you bachelorette parties!!) or just a weekend with your boo, I have a few options to add to your list. If you don't have a list… you will need one!
Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley wineries are mostly reservation-only, and those reservations fill up fast in the summertime. So don't expect this to be your first and last time in Napa. If you are traveling to Napa for the first time, be prepared to make this trip a life commitment, Longer than that 18-year-old who won't move out of your house type of commitment.
First things first, If you already have places in mind, like a winery and/or dinner, it is crucial to stop reading and go make those reservations now. However, be prepared to pay for some reservations! Ok, now that you have booked a few spots, keep reading!
Secondly, I enjoy a glass of white wine, but I am no pro on any wine. Of course, Napa is not the first place you would find yourself when you want to drink only white wine, but nonetheless, it still has some great options. So don't take my opinions and reviews too personally (I'm talking to you wine snobs ;).
Third, I based my winery selections based on different attributes of the location.
Day 1 in Napa
- Trefethen Family Vineyards
We left our cabin in Yosemite National Park and headed for Napa Valley. Before jumping on the wine trail, we had to load up on carbs from Melted. Melted is a sandwich shop that provides sandwiches that look like waffle paninis. We ordered two sandwiches served with tomato soup and two lemonades ($48 for two people). The sandwiches were very filling, and the soup was decent; however, this would not be somewhere I would return.
I reserved one winery on the first day in Napa since we did not know how early we could make it from Yosemite. Trefethen Family Vineyards is close to downtown, and something about it was calling my name. The interior still gives barn vibes but in a much-elevated style. The property has a fun past being one of the few standing buildings that provided wine before the prohibition before it became a nut farm. In addition, it is one of the last standing wooden structures that provided a gravity flow winery in the 1800s. The large wooden structure can now be found on the National Register of Historic Places.
Beyond the fantastic vintage structure, the wine was placed on the top of my list. We had Sam as our wine guide, who provided us with a rich history of the estate and a simplistic overview of each wine. They were very accommodating to my needs for an all-white wine tasting. Starting with the dry riesling, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, Katies Acre chardonnay, and finishing with the Sin rose (which I bought for $30) served with grissini bread sticks. The place was quiet, with only three small groups of people making our tasting go quickly.
This is one winery that can't be missed when driving along St Helena highway. With its large pinkish hue barn surrounded by a vast valley of green vines, it stands out in the local area. For a tasting for two people, it was $86 before tip.
Trefethen vineyards was chosen due to its proximity to downtown, dependent on the time it took us to get from Yosemite to Napa, and the cute colors of the old barn structure.
After leaving Trefethen, we found ourselves downtown strolling the street while looking in shop windows before stopping at Fieldwork Brewing. Just because you are in wine country does not mean you can skimp on other beverages in the area. Fieldwork Brewing is located in the Oxbow market. Fieldwork serves a large variety of beer with heavy flavor, including many sour options. Stephen and I split a flight before heading to dinner. The flight we split between us was only $18 before the tip.
For dinner, I made reservations at Allegria, and OH MY. I am drooling as I write this. The pasta was *chef kisses amazing* along with the bread and their homemade bread dip. Their pasta is fresh, and they don't skimp on the size or flavor. I even ordered a side of mushrooms and what they brought out was a laughable size portion, almost as big as my entre. The restaurant is located in an old bank built in 1916, giving it a lot of old characteristics inside and out. I highly recommend eating dinner here. It cost us $98 for two people before the tip.
Dat 2 in Sonoma Valley
- Deerfield
- Chateau St Jean
- Domaine Carneros
Our second day sent us to the Sonoma Valley area after we had had breakfast at Petit Soleil in downtown Napa. The restaurant was super cute with indoor/outdoor seating and locally made pastries and coffee. You can't go wrong by eating here. We ordered the french toast with a side, pancakes with a side, and coffee and paid $55 for two people before tip.
We started wine tasting early and made a reservation at Deerfield Ranch Winery. We were the only two people in the caves tasting their wine. It was still early in the day, and on a weekday, so we had the whole place to ourselves. Most reservations can be made online, but this reservation I had to call to make. They call their wine a Clean Wine; low in sulfites and low in histamines, all things that cause headaches from drinking wine. The story behind their creation is close to their heart; they are the only known growers who provide clean wine in Napa and Sonoma valleys.
Deerfield provides various varieties of wine to accommodate everyone's needs and tastes. They had a large white wine selection which made me feel right at home. Along with having a selection of white wines, they also had many different labels and non-alcoholic Selzer wines. The wine was good, and the many options made it hard to choose, but I wouldn't put them at the top of our list. Since we were the only two in there, the host was kind enough to let us have a sample of a few others that we were interested in. Although I did not buy a bottle of wine while there, I know that I will be buying from them in the future as their wine would make great gifts for those who get headaches. For two tastings, it was $90 before the tip.
Deerfield was chosen for its clean wines and the fantastic caves in the tasting room.
I made reservations at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, but we missed our reservation (reservations are strict throughout Napa). After missing our reservation, we needed to find something close by to fill the time and found ourselves at Chateau St Jean. Since we did not have reservations, we only ordered a glass of white wine, Fume Blanc (it is uncommon in Napa to order a glass and not a full tasting). The service was mediocre, and the wine was not great; I found it hard to finish, so we took some cute pictures in the empty location and went on our way to the next destination. Two glasses of wine cost us $20 before the tip.
The next stop was not a winery but a brewery and a very well-known one; Russian River. Stephen loves their Pliney beer, so we stopped for lunch and a few pints. Their food didn't look like much but definitely made up for it in the flavor department. Drinks and lunch cost us $45 before the tip.
Leaving the small town of Santa Rosa where Pliney is made, we made our way to Domaine Carneros, located between Napa and Sonoma on HWY 12. Domaine Carneros is one of the most popular wineries in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. They are known for their sparkling wines and French ambiance. The place is stunning! I highly recommend making a reservation for earlier in the day when the sun is not directly behind it. Pictures were hard to get with the sun always in the background. The building looks large, but there were only so many spaces you could go into.
I have never enjoyed sparking wine or champagne, but this blew me away. The sparkling wines that Domaine Carneros makes are different from anything I have had, and I was pleasantly surprised with everything I tasted. Unfortunately, our server was brand new, and we were his first table, so we did not get the best intro to each wine, unlike other tables we overheard. I ordered a charcuterie board with cheeses and meats that was delicious but slightly overpriced, and it seemed that the birds also liked it as they continuously dive-bombed our table, trying to steal crackers from the plate.
After our tasting, our server was kind enough to let us roam around the grounds and take pictures after closing time. The cost for two tastings, a bottle of wine, and a charcuterie board was $183, including tip.
Domaine Carneros was chosen because of its popularity, french inspired decor, and primarily because of the sparkling wines they provided.
For dinner, we kept it cheap (or so we thought it would be). We stopped at the well-known Gotts Roadside Burgers at the downtown location. We both agreed these were nothing to write home about or promote. The buns tasted stale, the burgers were tasteless, and overall it was terrible. The shakes were the only decent thing about the meal. We did hear that the original Gotts down the road was much better, but we were not taking our chances on another terrible meal during our trip. For two people, we paid around $50 before the tip.
Day 3 in Napa Valley
- Castello di Amorosa
- Cosentino Winery
I heard so many good things about eating breakfast at Napa General Store that I booked it well in advance. Unfortunately, the menu is boring, overpriced, and has your basic breakfast you can find at any diner. The food was well… food, and the service was terrible. We ordered coffee, OJ, basic breakfast (yes, that's what it's called), and a small waffle. We sat outdoors next to a pile of logs covered in spider webs, so close that one chair couldn't be pushed out all the way due to the logs blocking it. This was a restaurant I would pass on over and over again. For two people, we paid $40 before the tip.
After breakfast, we had some extra time before our first reservation, and I already planned to stop at Chateau Montelena for photos. Wowza, this place was stunning! We did not go inside due to restrictions with covid and reservations, so we strolled around the incredible garden and large pond for a while, taking in the beauty of this winery. The gardens and pond are Asian-inspired, while the castle is from the late 1800s. If you wanted to do a tasting at this winery, it would cost you $45 a person.
After we left Chateau Montelena, I wanted to pass through and see Tamber Bey Vineyards since they have horses in the area where you sit for your tasting. However, when I called in advance to make a reservation, the woman who answered the phone was very rude and said they did not offer flights of white, only a mix of red and white. Therefore, I just wanted to see what it looked like and not give them my money.
Driving back towards downtown Napa we made sure to drive through the small town of Calistoga. The town was perfect, with its many shops, ice cream stores, and dotted with small local restaurants. It would be a great area to stay in as it is situated in the middle of the best wineries.
The first reservation for the day was at Castello di Amorosa, one of the most kitschy stops you can make in Napa (so I have been told by many). You can't go wrong here; it is a FREAKING CASTLE! But dont be fooled, this castle is relatively new, the construction was finished in 2007. The white wine was decent, in my opinion, so much so that I bought a bottle to take home. You can easily spend hours here walking all over the castle and grounds. They even had a petting zoo, which I found odd and dirty for a place that sells wine. Unfortunately, this winery has had a difficult past few years and was damaged immensely by the Glass Fire back in October 2020, but the Castle was untouched.
Our host was Italian (accent and all). He was great at letting me try any whites I wanted and kept the pours coming. He understood my reason for drinking white wine only and was very accommodating to my needs. Overall, this was a great place to stop for your first time in Napa. The wine tasting for two people was $135 before tip, and the bottle I bought was $30.
Castello di Amorosa was chosen because it was a great place to take photos for the first timer to Napa, and they had my favorite wine, Gewurztraminer.
I only booked two reservations as we intended to drive around and stop at many wineries to take pictures and walk through downtown Napa. The following reservation brought us to Cosentino Winery. The winery is situated off a busy highway instead of a vineyard's lush green rolling hills, but the outdoor seating boasts tranquility. I even told Stephen that I could sit there all day. They are bright-colored umbrellas, sofas next to the fireplaces, and an ample amount of seating that is comfortable enough to hang out all day.
Our host was excellent and allowed me to choose my favorite white they had to make up for the red wine I did not drink. They were very accommodating and very friendly. This winery may not be a crowd favorite, but I enjoyed everything I had. The tasting for two people was $64 before tip, and the bottle of rose I bought was $25.
Cosentino was chosen because of the outdoor atmosphere.
Stephen started not feeling well so we went back to the hotel early and opted to get Taco Bell for dinner. Classy, I know! Taco Bell for two people cost $26
Day 4 in Napa
- Robert Sinskey Vineyards
- Cakebread Cellars
Our final day in Napa Valley started with breakfast at Mini Model… and OMG, I dont even like english muffins, but these are something else, made with love and fantastic-ness. Now I know why Oprah loves them. I would go back to Napa just for these; forget the wine! Ok just kidding, but honestly, I now understand the hype for this place. Order online for pick up, or you will be waiting a while to order and get your order.
I made early reservations for Robert Sinskey Vineyards at 10:45 am, and to my surprise, the place was already busy, even for a rainy day. This place was the one winery I was the most excited about, and for no real reason, until I walked in, sat down, and was poured my first glass of wine, I knew right away why I wanted to be there at that moment. Their wines were fantastic! The host knew so much about the process she shared with us and other things they grow in the area beyond wine. They have their own gardens of vegetables that run with the vineyards.
The inside of the winery was jaw-dropping, with every inch made from the most gorgeous wood, a pizza oven that cooked Italian-style pizzas, a cave that looked like it never ended, and an ambiance that made you feel at home. With my tasting, I was served a small dish of pairings that included nuts, pastry puffs with filling, mini quiche, and homemade crackers with mustard. The host even gave us stories of the labels of each wine we tasted, which was very interesting. I would return to this winery 100x over and try a full wine paring next time. For a tasting for one person, I paid $65, and I bought a bottle of orange rose for $40.
Robert Sinskey Vineyards was chosen for their organically grown crops and stunning architecture.
After leaving Robert Sinskey, we had some extra time for lunch, so we stopped at the well-known V. Sattui. We had no clue what we were getting ourselves into, but the parking lot was similar to event parking, with people waving you in different directions. Once we walked in, we were greeted by ladies who asked if we were drinking or just having a picnic; we chose just picnicking. We walked around, realizing that this place was PACKED! There were tables spread around the garden, and each one was taken, so we found ourselves on a bench by the waterfall to eat our meal.
The inside of the winery has its own shop, including a bar and a deli stocked with sandwiches, meats, and cheeses, along with a lot of swag items for sale. Stephen ordered a super tasty panini, and we split prosciutto and truffle gouda. The place had so many great Italian goodies to choose from, so you can't go wrong any way you go.
V. Sattui is one of the locations you would stop at on the wine train, which is also a good reason it was bustling. We did not intend to stop here but we could not get into our next reservation early and were recommended this winery by the host at Cakebread. We spent $65 on the food and snacks we bought.
The last winery of the trip was Cakebread Cellars. Many people recommended this winery for their selection of whites and their buttery chardonnay. Once we arrived, we were greeted by two unwelcoming women at the front desk until our friendly host Don came to our rescue. (ASK FOR DON, you will be so happy you did). Don provided a quick tour of the sellers and the new fancy microturbines (the egg shapes you see in the photo above). After getting a load of information on the winery, we went to the tasting room, where we sat in a large open breezeway surrounded by the warmest tones of woods, grasses, and shiny new wine barrels. On sunny days they would have everyone sitting outside.
Their wine was divine, so much that Don gave me a tasting of their pinot noir and I was shocked that I liked it. I did not leave with a bottle of wine because I knew I wouldn't be able to fit it in my suitcase. I recommend this tasting to someone who enjoys white wines and a gorgeous winery. For two tastings, I paid $110 before the tip.
Cakebread was chosen strictly for their white wine selection.
After Cakebread, we headed back to San Fransisco for the evening before flying out in the morning.
Food runner-ups (Places we did not eat but will try next time out of the many options):
- Breakfast: Bouchon Bakery - Auberge du Soleil
- Lunch: W F Giugni & Son - RH Yountville - Heritage Eats - The Girl & The Fig (Sonoma) - Gillwoods - Bistro Jeanty -Bistro Don Giovanni - The Dutch Door - Auberge du Soleil
- Dinner: Cicco (this was our first choice but they canceled our reservation due to renovations) - Acacia House - Farmstand - Cook St. Helena - Brix - Rutherford Grill - Ad Hoc -TORC -Celadon
Winery runner-ups (Next visit):
Sonoma: Ledson Winery & Vineyards - Lasseter Family Winery - Jacuzzi
Napa: Newton - Markham- Inglenook - Rutherford Ranch Winery - The Prisoner Wine Company - Del Dotto Estate - Stags Leap Winery - Regusci - Chimney Rock - Robert Mondavi
Wine options that are not wineries:
Wine Country - Stewart Cellars - Be Bubbly Wine Bar - Cadet Wine Bar - AVOW Rooftop - Sky and Vine Rooftop
Dont Miss:
Napa Valley Welcome Center - They give out free samples.
Drive around to see pretty wineries even if you are not drinking at them.
Tour Downtown: Oxbow Market and the streets of downtown
Check Out Downtown Sonoma
Keep in Mind:
There are places to ship bottles back home for you. But, you can pack them in your clothes in your checked suitcase if you are flying.
Traffic can get busy, so ensure you have more than enough time. Some reservations may not let you in if you go beyond the time allowed.
There are more than 400 wineries in Napa and reservations are needed so have a plan BEFORE getting there.
Look into the many different transportation options.
Research the wine train before booking it, it might not be worth your while.
Book a max of 3-4 wineries a day. Between traffic and timing at each you might only make it to three.
Thank you for checking out my post on Napa Valley. I hope you found something of interest or useful. Please use the comment section for more ideas, but please don’t be rude. As always, travel on and drink more wine.