NAPA

When to go to Napa?

Honestly, Napa is amazing year round! We’ve traveled there in January, September, & October so far, and all three were great times to go. In January, although it is obviously winter, we had sweaters on and had a fire going at night but no big jackets or any heavy clothing were really needed. I will say that it does get very hot during the summer, so make sure to be prepared for that. December through February is actually a less crowded time to go and also seems to have more affordable prices for travel and lodging! Summer to late fall is also amazing too, so, as I said, there is no bad time to go to Napa.

Where to stay?

The Archer in downtown Napa is a dream! I honestly love that hotel so much! I would stay there every single time if I could. We have also stayed in an Airbnb which was a good option, especially if you are traveling with a decent amount of people. I will say that, if you decide to travel to Napa during the colder months and stay at the Archer, splurge for a room with a balcony and a fireplace. I was in love!

What to do?

If you asked me, I would say go to 3 wineries a day and do lunch and dinner. ? I would spend at least one day going to tasting rooms and small shops in the downtown Napa area. We hired Beau Wine Tours to drive us around the first time we were in Napa and were lucky enough to get Sal Maffetone as our driver. He is such a well-known driver in the area and is honestly the best. I knew that, from that point on, I couldn’t go to Napa and not have Sal driving us around getting us in to some of the best wineries and restaurants Napa Valley has to offer. At this point, Sal knowns exactly what we like and does such an amazing job planning an itinerary accordingly. We also like to spend a day driving ourselves to a few wineries, but, since I don’t recommend drinking and driving, I suggest you plan accordingly. ? I have also heard good things about the Napa Wine Train, but we have yet to try it. Since I am (slightly) picky when it comes to my wine, I kind of like having our own schedule and the wine train wouldn’t be my first pick. If it is your thing, by all means go for it and let me know your thoughts! I must say it does look pretty cool.

Things to do that are not wine-related… NOTHING!

Just kidding. Like I stated above, exploring downtown Napa is a good option. There are so many cute stores, boutiques and art galleries. I have also always wanted to do the hot air balloon ride!! Honestly, next time I go to Napa, that will 100% be on my list. It is also nice to walk the Riverfront Promenade and explore restaurants, cafés and more. I would also suggest maybe a nice Spa day or hiking, if you have time!

Now for the WINERIES! How much do tastings cost? We have found that wineries, for the most part, charge anywhere from $30-50. A lot of that seems to depend on how exclusive the winery is and, of course, how much their wines cost. I am sure there are some that are cheaper but, again, I am fancy when it comes to my wine! Usually, if you buy a certain amount after the tasting, they will comp the tasting fee. Breck and I usually buy a bottle (or twelve), so it is pretty rare that we end up paying for the tastings.

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Mark Herold Wine Tasting Room- Downtown they have a cute little tasting room that Breck and I thoroughly visiting and enjoying some of their great wine

Cornerstone Cellars– Another cute tasting room in downtown Napa. Breck and I sat and talked to the owner for a while. Great atmosphere and some really nice wine!

Ashes and Diamonds- They have the cutest big yellow door at the entrance of this place. A way trendier wine room. Cute and will definitely be going back with the girls!

James Cole Winery– the cutest!! We loved the wine here! Very cute for pictures and amazing wine. We were in their wine club for a long time!

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Etude Wines- Their pinots were to die for! Really loved this place and signed up for their wine club. We visited Etude on our most recent visit and loved it!

Eleven Eleven– Another one we went to on our most recent visit and I think this was a favorite of the whole group! The atmosphere was awesome and everything is so new and clean. My stepdad signed up for their wine club. We will most definitely pay them another visit.

Gargiulo Vineyards– I thought the wine was good here and, while I loved the magazine quality decor inside, I don’t know if we will be back. It just didn’t stand out to me as much as some of the others.

Gamble Family Vineyards- This one reminded me of Taylor Family (See Below). We went inside to do the tasting and felt like we were hanging out with our family drinking wine at home. There were so many amazing wines that stood out to me here and the whole experience was very enjoyable from start to finish!

Taylor Family Vineyards- Honestly, this might be my favorite vineyard of all time!! You feel like you are with the entire family sitting on the back-porch drinking wine and I AM here for this type of atmosphere! We have met the entire family I think at this point. Out of all the places we have been, we keep going back to this one every trip, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon!

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars- This is one of the first wineries I visited in Napa, and I loved it so much. They have an awesome view of the vineyards from their tasting room and the wines are great.

Stags’ Leap Vineyard- YES, they are very different. The million-dollar apostrophe, as they say, is a fun story they will tell you if you go! I loved the wine equally. This one has more of a mansion type feel to it and a tasting room to match. We actually loved the wine so much we are now members of their wine club.

Silver Oak- Amazing more well-known wine with a very classic, picturesque setting. It is definitely worth the visit, and the wine definitely does not disappoint.

Orin Swift Cellars- Well, anything Orin Swift produces basically find its way onto my ALL TIME FAVORITE wine list! While it is just a tasting room in downtown Helena, they have AMAZING wine!

Baldacci Family Vineyards- We really liked the wine here! Very good quality cabernets. We went here our first time in Napa and loved it. We actually probably need to revisit this one again next time we go to Napa. ?

Regusci Winery- We went here in January and it was beautiful. We got a tour of the entire place on (basically) an off-road golf cart and just was very impressed! Our tour guide was full of amazing stories and gave us the history of the vineyard and, again, they have some wonderful wine!

Keever- Great place! We would absolutely go back here! Amazing wine, great guide, and, overall, a really enjoyable and pleasant experience. Definitely recommend.

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Cardinale- Some of the best wine we have enjoyed anywhere, but, for the price, I honestly think there are better places in Napa. They are the same people that make Kendall Jackson, but Cardinale is definitely on the WAY higher end. Don’t get me wrong, the wine and food pairings are ACTUALLY amazing and I definitely recommend it for the experience, but it is pretty pricey. This is probably one of Breck’s favorite places. I just think that, for the price, there are other places in Napa I would pick first!

Where to eat?

•Bistro Don Giovanni is one of my all-time favorite restaurants. Reasonably priced, delectable Italian food…sign me up!! Love the atmosphere, the lighting, the food, and the ambiance outside.

•Morimoto Napa- one of my favorite Asian food places! It ALMOST lines up with Nobu which is a huge deal, if you know me

•Bouchon Bistro- Loved this one too! Great French restaurant option!

•Compline- This place is the cutest little wine bar! We ate here late one night and LOVED it.

•Boon Fly Café- Amazing brunch spot!

•Auberge Du Soleil- Omg the restaurant at the hotel has the most AMAZING views and is perfect for lunch!!!! Upscale and a little pricey but 10,000% worth it. Like just heaven! Last time I had truffle pasta and it was to die for!

•Mustard’s Grill- If you are going to wineries all day, it is the perfect place to stop for a great lunch without having to get off track. It is ideal to get a sandwich or soup and, of course, a cocktail or wine in between tastings!

•Oakville Grocery- This is also a great place to grab lunch and eat outside. We did a quick pizza for lunch and then a bought a bottle of wine to enjoy. Since it’s Napa, of course all the wine is amazing and reasonably priced too!

•The French Laundry- If you are super fancy and want a Michelin star restaurant, this is your place. I have always wanted to eat here for the experience, but we haven’t made it just yet! In my opinion, if you are going to pay that much for food, it probably wouldn’t be wise to drink wine all day beforehand. I would plan something different on the day you choose to go there besides back to back to back tastings 😉