Exploring Napa, CA
Time needed in this town/city: A long weekend - 2-3 nights.
Fun fact: Over 800 million gallons of wine are produced in the U.S. every year, 84.39% of it comes from California. It’s no wonder almost 4 million people visit Napa every year.
Fun fact: There are 375 wineries and 90 tasting rooms in Napa, and at 90-minutes an experience (at a minimum), it would take about 29 days to complete them all (pending you kept going 24 hours a day).
For me, this is my third trip and certainly doesn’t put much of a dent in knocking off that massive list!
The below information is a complete guide of the best places to stay, the top rated places to dine and drink, and all there is to see and do. We’ve also included transportation tips, as well as a summary of the history of this wonderful wine region!
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Where to Stay
Given that my girlfriend and I were booking a last minute trip that happened to be on a PGA tournament weekend, we were highly limited on options. We were lucky to snag a room at the Elm House Inn, which was within walking distance of downtown Napa.
While the rooms were incredibly spacious and comfortable, the noise level was much higher than I had expected (I blame thin walls and floors… as well as wine enthusiasts drinking at all hours). It wouldn’t have been my first choice of inns to stay.
Better recommendations
Auberge du Soleil (Rutherford)
Aurora Park Cottages (Calistoga)
Bardessono (Yountville)
Candlelight Inn (Napa)
Carneros Resort and Spa (Napa)
Farmhouse Inn (Forestville)
Harvest Inn by Charlie Palmer (St. Helena)
Hotel Yountville (Yountville)
Inn St. Helena (St. Helena)
Kenwood Inn & Spa (Kenwood)
Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel (St. Helena)
Meadow Wood (Napa)
Milliken Creek Inn & Spa (Napa)
Napa Valley Lodge (Yountville)
Poetry Inn (Napa)
Potter’s Foothill House (Calistoga)
SENZA (Napa)
Solage (Calistoga)
Stoddard House (Napa)
Vintage House at The Estate Yountville (Yountville)
White House Napa Valley Inn (Napa)
Where to Dine
ALLEGRIA
“Authentic Italian experience” is the best way to describe Allegria. Both inside and out, the restaurant reminds me so much of fine Italian dining in Italy. They cater extremely well to Celiac/gluten-free guests, their service is wonderful, and their wine list is extensive. There was no better way to end this trip!
ANGÈLE
Angèle was one of the most talked-about restaurants in downtown Napa and unfortunately, we were underwhelmed. The food was bland, the service rushed, and the atmosphere kind of blah. Granted, Napa had a strict mask policy with most guests being seated outside (it was freezing), but that’s really no excuse for poor service and food.
Auberge du Soleil
For the last 16 years, Auberge’s restaurant has earned a Michelin star. They serve every meal for hotel guests only, with dinner being the only exception. They do serve tasting and specialty menus.
Bouchon Bistro
A Michelin-starred French bistro serving traditional fare from Thomas Keller amid elegant, old-world surrounds.
Celadon
Upscale Eclectic comfort food is served in cozy digs with weathered brick walls & rustic courtyard.
Ciccio
Bustling, unpretentious find specializing in wood-fired pizzas & Italian entrees in cozy environs.
Cocina Milonga
Handmade empañadas and artisanal desserts.
Entrecot
Argentine Cuisine Restaurant located at one of the most beautiful places in Napa. Enjoy the river's sidewalk, with Our exquisite Menu and Wines selection.
Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch
Long Meadow Ranch’s celebrated American farmhouse cuisine is rooted in the Hall family tradition of showcasing ingredients fresh from their farm, ranch, and vineyards.
Galpão Gaucho Brazilian SteakhouSE
Brazilian steakhouse offering all-you-can-eat options in a contemporary, group-friendly space.
MONDAY BAKERY & CAFE
I found great joy in heading to Monday Bakery & Cafe for coffee and a gluten-free pastry each morning (it is walking distance from Elm House). I highly, HIGHLY recommend visiting them!
Mustards Grill
Wine country stalwart for upscale Californian-New American fare offered in low-key surrounds.
NAPA VALLEY ROASTING COMPANY
I love artisanal coffee places and Napa Valley Roasting Company is one of them! Set in a historic building, it’s cozy, inviting, the staff is amazing and the coffee, perfect!
Nosh Napa
Healthy breakfast options.
Oakville Grocery Co.
Bustling grocery founded in 1881 serving sandwiches, salads, wine & other picnic-friendly fare.
Press Restaurant
Sophisticated restaurant offering seafood, steaks & Napa wines in a chic setting with a patio.
Small World Restaurant
Casual storefront eatery offering Mediterranean fare, including falafel, pitas, burgers & gyros.
The Dutch Door
Casual take-out spot preparing burgers, hot dogs & fried chicken, plus health-conscious bowls.
The French Laundry
Chef Thomas Keller's refined three Michelin-starred fixed-price meals continually draw food lovers to this stone farmhouse.
The Model Bakery
Artisanal bakery serving breakfast & lunch eats plus cakes, cookies & an array of specialty breads. FUN FACT: Oprah periodically has their muffins flown in,
TORC
I still think about/crave the almonds, pakora, and short rib risotto. TORC is a full-on gastro experience in an upscale industrial atmosphere. The food and drink menus, service, and overall experiencer are absolutely incredible. NOTE: It is INCREDIBLY Celiac-friendly!
Winston’s Cafe & Bakery
They serve farm-to-table-style breakfast and lunch cuisine with a focus on seasonality and supporting local agriculture. They are the proud home of Paulie’s bagels, as well as a carefully curated selection of locally produced wines.
Wineries to Visit
Domaine Carneros is a staple visit for sparkling wines in Napa, and their experience is fantastic. Reminiscent of a French chateau, all of their sparkling wines are made using the same champagne method as in Champagne, France. They also have wonderful food pairing options, including a truffle caviar that is to die for!
JCB TASTING ROOM (YOUNTVILLE)
JCB Tasting Room in Yountville is a whole vibe. All wines and sparkling wines are French, amazing, and honestly, we could have just spent all day there drinking them in the different rooms. Which, for a tasting room, you have to love the edgy vibe this place brings. Suddenly, I wanted a bigger closet with their decor, lighting, and even music.
But (and there is a but), do not commit to a membership until you do your homework. Most memberships I’ve had are pretty straightforward - buy x amount of bottles and you commit to x amount of shipments for x years. At JCB, it’s anywhere from a $500-$1500 fee for joining and that does NOT cover wine selections - that is at an additional cost. They claim that fee goes towards a limited edition bottle (at $350) and special events, discounts, etc. and that you would not be required to buy bottles right away, but on the next shipment (what would be February 2022 for me). But, after three weeks of waiting, no bottle appeared AND I was charged $2000 a month later for a shipment I was told I didn’t have to worry about. I had to write a stern email to get them to cancel my membership and refund my money (which they charged me for both tastings upon doing so). I later learned that in order to get that bottle, you must order a shipment first - something that was nowhere on the membership material, nor explained to me by the rep. To me, that’s a dishonest business model.
FRANK FAMILY VINEYARDS
Franklin Family Vineyards is such a beautiful, down-to-earth atmosphere that it was a joy to just be there. I recommend this winery when you’re looking for an ultra-casual, super relaxing place to spend an afternoon.
INGLENOOK WINERY
To me, Inglenook is one of the most impeccable wineries you could ever step foot into. The Coppola family has turned their home (yes, they live on the property) into a cozy, yet palatial place that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time, if not, onto an incredibly realistic movie set. Every room, as well as the grounds, are picture-worthy and I certainly didn’t want to leave at the end of the tasting.
DO NOT MISS: Make sure to go up the staircase to see the stained glass window (and snap a pic), peek into the large barrel room (see if they can seat you for a tasting outside of that room), see the mini museum with some of the artifacts from the Coppola movies, as well as his collection of old projectors. Go down the stairs and explore the entire first floor, from the shop with the vaulted ceilings, to the private party room, the barrel room, and the cafe. Explore every nook for more movie artifacts and certainly, walk the grounds. It’s a treasure trove for sure!
additional winery recommendations
Castello Di Amorosa - they also sell non-alcoholic “wine”
Things to See & Do
Bale Grist Mill
Established in 1846 by Dr. Edward Turner Bale, the Grist Mill was on the Rancho Carne Humana land grant. Bale lived near the site until his death in 1849.
The mill was once the center of social activity as Napa Valley settlers gathered to have their corn and wheat ground into meal or flour. Farmers brought grain to the mill where it was placed into the boot of an elevator to be mechanically transported upstairs where it was cleaned by various types of equipment. The slow turning of the old grind stones and the dampness of the mill's site gave the meal a special quality for making cornbread, yellow bread, shortening bread and spoon bread. As old timers put it, "When meal comes to you that way, like the heated underside of a settin' hen, it bakes bread that makes city bread taste like cardboard."
Theodore Benedict Lyman bought the mill and surrounding land in 1871 and passed ownership on to his son, William Whittingham Lyman. The mill remained in operation until 1879.
day trips
di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art
di Rosa opened to the public in 1997 as a means to showcase the personal collection of Northern California art held by Rene and Veronica di Rosa. Located on 217 protected acres in the Carneros region of Napa. di Rosa includes two large art galleries, a beautiful lake, abundant birding, walking trails with vineyard views, outdoor sculptures, and picnic grounds.
Napa Valley Art Walk
Napa Valley Art Walk takes place each fall and showcases a variety of artists all around downtown Napa. All pieces shown are for sale.
Napa Valley Wine Train
While the Napa Valley Railroad began operations in 1864, the Wine Train’s story starts in the early 1980s with Vince DeDomenico. He had the vision of reviving the Napa Valley Railroad and the golden age of travel in Napa with curated antique railcars for a quintessential Napa Valley experience. He created an elegant and luxurious way to travel through Napa’s picturesque scenery and historic vineyards.
It was a route that once took visitors to a spa resort in Calistoga, creating the Napa tourism industry in the process. Today, it takes international guests on a 36-mile round trip, from our train station near Downtown Napa at the Oxbow Commons to St. Helena and back, stopping at celebrated Napa Valley wineries. With every ride it takes, the Wine Train continues to preserve a piece of Napa Valley history and proudly continues railroading traditions that once defined the American landscape.
Oxbow Public Market
Oxbow Public Market, located in the Oxbow District of Napa, has become the local gathering place for great food and wine in downtown Napa and throughout the Napa Valley. The 40,000 square foot marketplace, which includes a scenic outdoor deck with seating along the Napa River, features a diverse tenant mixture of local food vendors, artisan cafes and an organic produce outlet for local farms.
Take a cooking class at CIA at Copia
CIA at Copia is the Culinary Institute of America’s food and beverage hub in the heart of Napa. Explore food and wine through a variety of dining experiences, hands-on classes, shopping, and more.
Take a Mud Bath in Calistoga
Since 1952, Dr. Wilkinson’s has been providing wellness, relaxation, and good times. Home to healing mineral waters, "The Works" mud bath, and a backyard that keeps you connected, they Calistoga’s original wellness resort.
How to Get Around
airport to Napa
It doesn’t matter if you fly into SFO or OAK - it’s going to be a long drive to get up to Napa (about 2 1/2 - 3 hours). Renting a car can be the most economical way to get there, unless you have the means to take an expensive ride share or private transfer.
getting around Napa
We do not encourage drinking and driving. Instead, ride shares can be used to get around or, hire a private tour guide for the day who will not only drive you to the wineries of your choice, but will also make sure the tasting fees are included. The Wine Train (see above in “Other Things to See & Do”) is also available.
A History Summary
1823 - It was recorded that the majority of the inhabitants consisted of Native Americans. Padre José Altimira, founder of Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma, led the expedition. Spanish priests converted some natives; the rest were attacked and dispersed by Mexican soldiers.
1830s - The first American settlers arrived.
1842 - The first record of a ship navigating the river was the Susana.
1847 - The City of Napa was founded by Nathan Coombs.
1850s - With the gold rush area brought a tent city along Main St.
1850 - A war broke out between the Native Americans and the white settlers, resulting in soldiers hunting down and massacring all the natives they could find, driving the remainder north toward Clear Lake. Also, the Dolphin became the first passenger steamship to navigate the Napa River in order to open another path of commerce.
1858 - The silver rush started with miners flocking to the eastern hills
1859 - John Patchett opened the first commercial winery in the region.
1860s - A settlement for Chinese laborers were established in response to the silver mining boom.
1863 - The Napa Valley Register was founded as a weekly newspaper until 1872 when it was printed daily.
1869 - F. A. Sawyer established Sawyer Tanning Company in Napa - it became the biggest tannery, west of the Mississippi River.
1870 - The Native American population consisted of only a few laborers and servants working for the white settlers.
1872 - Napa was incorporated.
1874 - Napa was reincorporated as the City of Napa.
1876 - The Napa State Hospital received its first patients.
1880 - The Napa Valley Opera House became popular after its debut.
1903 - The Napa Glove Factory was established and was the largest, west of Chicago.
1905 - The San Francisco, Napa and Calistoga Railway was established for passenger and freight service.
1915 - Edwin Pridham and Peter L. Jensen invented the moving-coil loudspeaker, in their Napa workshop, while working on an improvement for the telephone receiver. They went onto found the Magnavox Company in 1917.
1948 - The City of Napa funded and built the dam in order to create the water conservation reservoir Lake Hennessey.
1986 - The Napa River Flood occurred.
1998 - Voters in the County of Napa narrowly approved an increase of sales tax in a March 1998 election to fund the Napa River Flood Project.
2000s - Napa’s downtown area underwent a massive revitalization project.
2005 - The Napa River again flooded the entire downtown area and destroyed 1,000 homes across the county. The redevelopment of First and Main streets and the Napa Mill complex helped to stimulate investments along the Napa riverfront.
2014 - The Napa area was struck by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake.
2017 - The Atlas Fire and Partrick Fires burned several parts of Napa County.
