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AKB: Things to see and do in Napa....

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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq

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Wife and I are planning a short trip to Napa in the fall (10 Year Anniversary) and instead of rummaging through Yelp and Trip Advisor for what I'm sure will be useless tips, I'm going to the All Knowing Board for first hand advice and experiences. The trip is in its early planning phase, but we'll likely stay in Napa and will have a rental car. We're interested in wineries (not too stuffy, but of quality and representative of the area - anything historical is good too) and local cuisine (will probably try to get a reservation at The French Laundry one night) and any other neat experiential adventures (drives, hikes, sightseeing, etc.). We'll likely fly into San Francisco and drive from there. Budget is not unlimited, but want to make sure whatever we spend is worth it (even if on the expensive side).

Thanks in advance....

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It has also been a while for me but the Sterling vineyards in upper Sonoma are unique. The winery is at the top of a hill and you ride a gondola up there from the parking lot. It provides great vistas of the valley and they just do an overall good job. Here is a link: https://www.sterlingvineyards.com/en-us/visit/aerial-tram
Also, if you like Mumm champagne, they have a sister vineyard in Napa. Their Mumm Cuvée Napa is one of my favorite domestic sparkling wines. I believe it is reasonably close to the Sterling vineyards. My wife and I pulled in there one day and they said there were no tours being offfered. I told them how disappointed we were because we loved their product. Next thing you know, the Chief Vinter is giving us a private tour that included a complimentary lunch! Enjoy your trip!
 
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Midnighter said:
Wife and I are planning a short trip to Napa in the fall (10 Year Anniversary) and instead of rummaging through Yelp and Trip Advisor for what I'm sure will be useless tips, I'm going to the All Knowing Board for first hand advice and experiences. The trip is in its early planning phase, but we'll likely stay in Napa and will have a rental car. We're interested in wineries (not too stuffy, but of quality and representative of the area - anything historical is good too) and local cuisine (will probably try to get a reservation at The French Laundry one night) and any other neat experiential adventures (drives, hikes, sightseeing, etc.). We'll likely fly into San Francisco and drive from there. Budget is not unlimited, but want to make sure whatever we spend is worth it (even if on the expensive side).

Thanks in advance....

tenor.gif
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Drink Merlot.

And if you end up going into SFO, be careful--they poop on the street there.
 
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eilion said:
Its been a while but Coppola in Sonoma and Opus One in Oakville were my favorite wineries.
Click to expand...

Nittany Ziggy said:
It has also been a while for me but the Sterling vineyards in upper Sonoma are unique. The winery is at the top of a hill and you ride a gondola up there from the parking lot. It provides great vistas of the valley and they just do an overall good job. Here is a link: https://www.sterlingvineyards.com/en-us/visit/aerial-tram
Also, if you like Mumm champagne, they have a sister vineyard in Napa. Their Mumm Cuvée Napa is one of my favorite domestic sparkling wines. I believe it is reasonably close to the Sterling vineyards. My wife and I pulled in there one day and they said there were no tours being offfered. I told them how disappointed we were because we loved their product. Next thing you know, the Chief Vinter is giving us a private tour that included a complimentary lunch! Enjoy your trip!
Click to expand...

Excellent - thanks for these....

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I spend a fair amount of time in Napa and want to share some of my favorite wineries with you.

1. Sattui - A gem in valley. Great cabs and some excellent dessert wines that you can not find in any stores. Go to the tasting room and enjoy the experience. It's free to taste and the Som there is amazing. Really engaging guy and pours nice tasters. Make sure to try their "Angelica", but give it a full nose first and try to discern how it will taste. Be prepared for a complete surprise (I buy this by the case).

2. Whatever you do, stay away from the wine train. At. All. Costs. Its all hype and you really miss the true Napa experience.

3. Silverado Winery is a great place. Its on the Silverado Trail and sits a little higher than the valley so their wines have different notes. I love this place not only for the great wine, but they have some fantastic art work. Take a tour or make nice with the Som and ask to see upstairs. Give a tip and you will get to see some amazing artwork (the biggest piece hung in Grand Central Station in NYC at the turn of the 20th Century.). I always make sure to visit here at least twice a year.

4. A lot of people will tell you that Opus One is great, but I've never really agreed. If you are going to pay 100+ for wine, the gold standard for the "name brand stuff" is Silver Oak. Try and find an '11 or splurge and get the '07. Both are magnificent and worthy of a 10 year anniversary (JUST MAKE SURE TO LET IT BREATH FOR AT LEAST 30 MINS)

5. Take some time walking the streets of St. Helena (north of Napa). Go into the shops and just enjoy the vibe.

6. Visit and have lunch at Gott's Roadside stand on Hwy 29 (Used to be called Taylors Refresher. Fun place to begin and the food is great. Get there early as it gets packed for lunch).

7. Find your way up past St. Helena to Calistoga and venture around there as well. Hit up Ballentine Vineyards and enjoy. Its also a very cool place and the winemaker there is a humble and down to earth dude.

8. Pay for the tour of the Sattui Castle (north of St. Helena) and make sure to pony up a few extra bucks to see the dungeon. Stay away from the wine here as they serve and sell the rejects. Its not as good as the prime store I mentioned earlier. The castle used to stand in England and they brought it over and reassembled it block by block over a 10 year span. It is truly awesome to explore. Its an experience so allow for at least 4 hours.

9. The Mustard Seed or Rutherford Grill would be my choice to take your lady to dinner if you want a nice meal and great selection of wine. The food is fantastic (unless you can sneak into the "French Laundry"... Google it. It carries 2 Michelin Stars...)

10. Take your time and just wander around the whole valley. We NorCal folks are spoiled with Napa, but it is a truly magical place. Shoot me a message if you would like more options.

Have fun and happy anniversary!!!
 
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LionGrad2001 said:
I spend a fair amount of time in Napa and want to share some of my favorite wineries with you.

1. Sattui - A gem in valley. Great cabs and some excellent dessert wines that you can not find in any stores. Go to the tasting room and enjoy the experience. It's free to taste and the Som there is amazing. Really engaging guy and pours nice tasters. Make sure to try their "Angelica", but give it a full nose first and try to discern how it will taste. Be prepared for a complete surprise (I buy this by the case).

2. Whatever you do, stay away from the wine train. At. All. Costs. Its all hype and you really miss the true Napa experience.

3. Silverado Winery is a great place. Its on the Silverado Trail and sits a little higher than the valley so their wines have different notes. I love this place not only for the great wine, but they have some fantastic art work. Take a tour or make nice with the Som and ask to see upstairs. Give a tip and you will get to see some amazing artwork (the biggest piece hung in Grand Central Station in NYC at the turn of the 20th Century.). I always make sure to visit here at least twice a year.

4. A lot of people will tell you that Opus One is great, but I've never really agreed. If you are going to pay 100+ for wine, the gold standard for the "name brand stuff" is Silver Oak. Try and find an '11 or splurge and get the '07. Both are magnificent and worthy of a 10 year anniversary (JUST MAKE SURE TO LET IT BREATH FOR AT LEAST 30 MINS)

5. Take some time walking the streets of St. Helena (north of Napa). Go into the shops and just enjoy the vibe.

6. Visit and have lunch at Gott's Roadside stand on Hwy 29 (Used to be called Taylors Refresher. Fun place to begin and the food is great. Get there early as it gets packed for lunch).

7. Find your way up past St. Helena to Calistoga and venture around there as well. Hit up Ballentine Vineyards and enjoy. Its also a very cool place and the winemaker there is a humble and down to earth dude.

8. Pay for the tour of the Sattui Castle (north of St. Helena) and make sure to pony up a few extra bucks to see the dungeon. Stay away from the wine here as they serve and sell the rejects. Its not as good as the prime store I mentioned earlier. The castle used to stand in England and they brought it over and reassembled it block by block over a 10 year span. It is truly awesome to explore. Its an experience so allow for at least 4 hours.

9. The Mustard Seed or Rutherford Grill would be my choice to take your lady to dinner if you want a nice meal and great selection of wine. The food is fantastic (unless you can sneak into the "French Laundry"... Google it. It carries 2 Michelin Stars...)

10. Take your time and just wander around the whole valley. We NorCal folks are spoiled with Napa, but it is a truly magical place. Shoot me a message if you would like more options.

Have fun and happy anniversary!!!
Click to expand...

Wow, thanks! Great stuff! The kind of detail you can only get from this board.
 
Midnighter said:
Wife and I are planning a short trip to Napa in the fall (10 Year Anniversary) and instead of rummaging through Yelp and Trip Advisor for what I'm sure will be useless tips, I'm going to the All Knowing Board for first hand advice and experiences. The trip is in its early planning phase, but we'll likely stay in Napa and will have a rental car. We're interested in wineries (not too stuffy, but of quality and representative of the area - anything historical is good too) and local cuisine (will probably try to get a reservation at The French Laundry one night) and any other neat experiential adventures (drives, hikes, sightseeing, etc.). We'll likely fly into San Francisco and drive from there. Budget is not unlimited, but want to make sure whatever we spend is worth it (even if on the expensive side).

Thanks in advance....

tenor.gif
Click to expand...
We did the Napa Valley bike tour and it was awesome. One day in Napa, one in Sonoma, and one biking thru vineyards. Guides were great and bikes were brand new.
 
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Nice location for your celebration. Good choice!

A few thoughts:

  1. Many of the wineries we like require that you book appointments in advance. There are still a bunch where you can just show up, too.
  2. Wineries we recommend (and it depends what you like): Ehlers, Robert Sinskey (food pairings here are awesome), Chimney Rock, Schweiger (nicest people), Pride (up the hill from Schweiger), Keever (lots of good reasons to go there), Larkmead, Louis Martini (will look commercial when you get there, but the wines are excellent (their Lot 1is one of the best wines I have ever had), Cliff Lede, Vineyard 29. Go to Rombauer or Pride Mountain with a picnic. The former has a cool garden with places to sit. The latter has spectacular views.
  3. We ask people at the wineries where they recommend going. That is how we ended up at a few of the above.
  4. The poster who referenced Sterling is right. The views are great and the tram car thing getting up there is cool. The wine isn't particularly good, but it is worth going to if you've never been there.
  5. I think the food is even better than the wine. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. I've never done TFL. We like Hurleys and the Bouchon bakery (owned by the TFL people). Definitely do Gott's Roadside Stand (ahi tuna burger) and the pizza place across the street from there is good. Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, too.
  6. Lots of good walking spots there.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes!
 
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Will double down on Silver Oak recommendation. And the Sterling experience is great but the wine itself is very average.

Would also recommend you and the Mrs. take an hour or two and take a mud bath up in Calistoga. Very very relaxing, the mud will make you feel like you are still experiencing the day-to-day filth of this Board while on vacation.....a home away from home! :p
 
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LionGrad2001 said:
I spend a fair amount of time in Napa and want to share some of my favorite wineries with you.

1. Sattui - A gem in valley. Great cabs and some excellent dessert wines that you can not find in any stores. Go to the tasting room and enjoy the experience. It's free to taste and the Som there is amazing. Really engaging guy and pours nice tasters. Make sure to try their "Angelica", but give it a full nose first and try to discern how it will taste. Be prepared for a complete surprise (I buy this by the case).

2. Whatever you do, stay away from the wine train. At. All. Costs. Its all hype and you really miss the true Napa experience.

3. Silverado Winery is a great place. Its on the Silverado Trail and sits a little higher than the valley so their wines have different notes. I love this place not only for the great wine, but they have some fantastic art work. Take a tour or make nice with the Som and ask to see upstairs. Give a tip and you will get to see some amazing artwork (the biggest piece hung in Grand Central Station in NYC at the turn of the 20th Century.). I always make sure to visit here at least twice a year.

4. A lot of people will tell you that Opus One is great, but I've never really agreed. If you are going to pay 100+ for wine, the gold standard for the "name brand stuff" is Silver Oak. Try and find an '11 or splurge and get the '07. Both are magnificent and worthy of a 10 year anniversary (JUST MAKE SURE TO LET IT BREATH FOR AT LEAST 30 MINS)

5. Take some time walking the streets of St. Helena (north of Napa). Go into the shops and just enjoy the vibe.

6. Visit and have lunch at Gott's Roadside stand on Hwy 29 (Used to be called Taylors Refresher. Fun place to begin and the food is great. Get there early as it gets packed for lunch).

7. Find your way up past St. Helena to Calistoga and venture around there as well. Hit up Ballentine Vineyards and enjoy. Its also a very cool place and the winemaker there is a humble and down to earth dude.

8. Pay for the tour of the Sattui Castle (north of St. Helena) and make sure to pony up a few extra bucks to see the dungeon. Stay away from the wine here as they serve and sell the rejects. Its not as good as the prime store I mentioned earlier. The castle used to stand in England and they brought it over and reassembled it block by block over a 10 year span. It is truly awesome to explore. Its an experience so allow for at least 4 hours.

9. The Mustard Seed or Rutherford Grill would be my choice to take your lady to dinner if you want a nice meal and great selection of wine. The food is fantastic (unless you can sneak into the "French Laundry"... Google it. It carries 2 Michelin Stars...)

10. Take your time and just wander around the whole valley. We NorCal folks are spoiled with Napa, but it is a truly magical place. Shoot me a message if you would like more options.

Have fun and happy anniversary!!!
Click to expand...
I agree with all of this. Darioush is another one like Opus. Very haughty. We always mean to go to Silverado (right by some of our favorites, but never do). Since you recommend it, we will definitely go now. I wasn't a fan of the castle, but it was overwhelmed with tourists (which I suppose we were too) at the time.
 
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I have been to Napa many times and even had my wedding there. Here are my suggestions:

1. Eat/drink at The Bounty Hunter. Good bbq, lots of great whiskey and tequila plus a great wine list and the wines are reasonably placed.

2. Oxbow market - great food, there is an Oyster Bar there that is great for happy hour.

3. I am not a wine fan, but I liked the Del Dotto wine cave tour. You get a lot of wine and I thought it was cool to taste the same grapes in different barrels or different grapes in the same barrels

4. Gotts - good burgers

5. If you are a beer fan, drive to Russian River Brewery in Sonoma. It is fantastic.
 
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Midnighter said:
Wife and I are planning a short trip to Napa in the fall (10 Year Anniversary) and instead of rummaging through Yelp and Trip Advisor for what I'm sure will be useless tips, I'm going to the All Knowing Board for first hand advice and experiences. The trip is in its early planning phase, but we'll likely stay in Napa and will have a rental car. We're interested in wineries (not too stuffy, but of quality and representative of the area - anything historical is good too) and local cuisine (will probably try to get a reservation at The French Laundry one night) and any other neat experiential adventures (drives, hikes, sightseeing, etc.). We'll likely fly into San Francisco and drive from there. Budget is not unlimited, but want to make sure whatever we spend is worth it (even if on the expensive side).

Thanks in advance....

tenor.gif
Click to expand...
If you are an Eagles fan, a visit to the Vermeil winery may be of interest. If not, disregard

https://www.vermeilwines.com/

French Laundry will cost around $ 1000 for two. Keller also has two other restaurants in Yountville

Here are Tom Keller's favorite Napa valley restaurants
https://www.foodandwine.com/articles/thomas-keller-napa-restaurants
 
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NorCalcLion said:
If you are an Eagles fan, a visit to the Vermeil winery may be of interest. If not, disregard

https://www.vermeilwines.com/

French Laundry will cost around $ 1000 for two. Keller also has two other restaurants in Yountville

Here are Tom Keller's favorite Napa valley restaurants
https://www.foodandwine.com/articles/thomas-keller-napa-restaurants
Click to expand...

I was heading up to the Napa area and was thinking why am I doing this. I am not much of a wine drinker, and my wife is good for only one glass. Since we were living in PA we couldn't have wine shipped home. And the tasting fees didn't make sense for a few sips. And the thought of driving back to Sausalito on that crowded highway with a wine buzz was scary. Saw a sign for Petaluma and remembered that my favorite micro brew was from there. Had a great tour and lunch and some brews at Lagunitas.
Guess I'm just a hophead - a practical one.
 
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When we go, we tend to focus on the Sonoma side, rather than the Napa side. Napa can be a bit pretentious, but to each his own.

I will second (or third) the experience at Sterling. It is fun to head up onto the mountain in the gondola, and the views are great, but the wine is just OK. But if you want great views and some really good wine, Viader was a wonderful experience--liquid cashmere is their signature wine. We also enjoyed Arista in the Russian River Valley, and Texture and Pangloss in Sonoma square. You probably want to check in advance for reservations for everything except Pangloss.

Since you are a movie guy, you should check out the Coppola winery, which has a lot of movie memorabilia at the tasting room. They also do a nice wine pairing dinner out on their patio overlooking the vineyard. Enjoy your trip!
 
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I sixth The French Laundry idea. My wife and I have eaten there twice, and this past time was amazing. They've expanded the restaurant and really doubled down on service. Make sure you ask for a tour of the kitchen after dinner. There's a live simulcast from their NY restaurant, Per Se, in a monitor in the kitchen.

Keller also has a couple of other restaurants/eateries there in Yountville. Bouchon has a bistro-style dining experience and of course the renowned bakery (get there early). Ad Hoc is down the street and offers more casual dining. If you plan to take a picnic lunch to one of the wineries, then Addendum behind Ad Hoc sells pre-made lunch baskets and drinks. The fried chicken lunch is amazing.

If you can, tour one of the wineries with a real cave. Stag's Leap has a cave and includes it in the tour. I believe Rutherford Hill/Terlato does as well. Rutherford Hill has a great picnic area open to the public on the hillside with nice views of the Rutherford area of Napa.

If you're into wine, I'll suggest Fleury Estate Winery. You won't taste better reserve wines than their Rutherford Cab (100% cab, which is rare), Passione and Howell Mountain BDX. Kenzo Estate is another lesser-known, but great stop. There is a restaurant play there too.

Don't forget about Sonoma, which is a 30 minute drive from Napa. There is a ton of great wine there. You also have The Russian River Brewery over in Santa Rosa. Healdsburg is a wonderful day trip with lots of shopping and dining.
 
Midnighter said:
Wife and I are planning a short trip to Napa in the fall (10 Year Anniversary) and instead of rummaging through Yelp and Trip Advisor for what I'm sure will be useless tips, I'm going to the All Knowing Board for first hand advice and experiences. The trip is in its early planning phase, but we'll likely stay in Napa and will have a rental car. We're interested in wineries (not too stuffy, but of quality and representative of the area - anything historical is good too) and local cuisine (will probably try to get a reservation at The French Laundry one night) and any other neat experiential adventures (drives, hikes, sightseeing, etc.). We'll likely fly into San Francisco and drive from there. Budget is not unlimited, but want to make sure whatever we spend is worth it (even if on the expensive side).

Thanks in advance....

tenor.gif
Click to expand...
When you say "short trip" I'm assuming it's only for 3 nights or so. If that's the case (and considering it's your anniversary celebration) I would actually consider staying in Yountville instead of Napa. The three hotels there have really nice romantic rooms and are easy walking distance to French Laundry and a few other restaurants. Yountville is very refined and quiet.

Not knowing your budget, my recommendations would be:

Hotel Yountville ($350/nt)
Bardessono ($500/nt)
Hotel Villagio ($250 - $300)

I'll defer to others on the wineries. After your 3rd winery tour or so, they become rather repetitive. I agree that the tour of the Sattui Castle

https://www.napatouristguide.com/castello-di-amorosa/

is a must do (the wines are not very good IMHO, but the grounds are) and Rutherford Hill Vineyards.....to me this is the best place for you and wife to enjoy a picnic lunch The below link lists the best places to stop in the morning for your picnic supplies.

https://winecountrygetaways.com/wine-regions/napa-valley/best-napa-valley-delis-picnic-goodies/

I also second the above recommendation to go exploring the neighboring towns of Sonoma, Healdsburg, Calistoga (close to the Sattui Castle) and St. Helena.

I found this "Local Wally" website to be very helpful when planning our last visit. If you dig around the site, you'll find all kinds of local recommendations for picnicing, tours restaurants etc..

https://www.napatouristguide.com
 
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My fiance and I went for the first time this past October and had a blast! Really enjoyed it and want to go back...haha BTW going in early October is the perfect time of the year...our weather was perfect.

I would recommend flying into Oakland and not San Francisco...so much easier to get into Napa.

If you like craft beer, definitely make an effort to hit Russian River for lunch on your way to Napa or on your way back to Oakland. Good food and incredible beer. Stone Brewery has a tap room in Napa you can also checkout.

There are a ton of wineries to choose from, but as mentioned earlier, really liked V. Sattui, probably my favorite of the ones we went too...you can do a tasting, they have a store so you can create your own picnic basket (cheeses, spreads, meats, fresh baked bread, crackers...), buy a bottle of wine and eat on their grounds which are beautiful. They also had a grill going that you could get BBQ or burgers the day we were there. Also really enjoyed our Saintsbury tour...they were harvesting grapes and got a full tour of there facility and had a tasting...really enjoyed the whole experience. We also really had a great time doing the Napa Valley Wine Trolley. We had 4 stops, all were enjoyable. (Booked through Trip Advisor)

Food...many great places...Oxbow market was a really neat place.

Breakfast - Boon Fly Cafe ( close to Saintsbury, went there for breakfast before our tour of Saintsbury, no reservations and was told there is was always a wait)

Dinner - Ristorante Allegria, Cole's Chop House, Napa Sport Steakhouse & Sports (eat in the bar area, good food and a bunch of TV's) & Napa Valley Bistro
We enjoyed all the place for dinner and I put them in order of how I would rank them. Also heard about several other places while we were there.

Snack/Lunch and a beverage - Bounty Hunter - really good also had a lunch at a place next door to Oxbow that was also really good.

Enjoy your trip!!!
 
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FYI, I know a chef who worked at the French Laundry, and he shared with me the list of restaurants that French Laundry chefs visit on their day off. None are in Napa, but they include La Taqueria on Mission in SF, Sushi Sam in San Mateo, Zuni Cafe in SF. I've been to all on frequent occasions, and they are worth the trip from Napa.
 
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For history - Beringer Brothers Winery- spectacular building
coppola winery - Great views and see a Tucker (hold that tiger) and great sausage sandwich for lunch
Chateau Montelana - historic building and story.
Great wineries - Opus one - Silver Oak best bets
Great view - Sterling sky tram up to the winery - great experience
Hope you have your reservation to French Laundry already (just kidding but not by much) Other great places Mustards Grill is a landmark
Michael Chiarello' Bottega
Brick is another great place. go at sunset for a great view.

If you want a side trip from SFO or going back, you can head out to the coast and see the Redwoods in Muir Woods.
 
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Can't recommend Yountville enough. Lots of really good places to eat besides The French Laundry. Hotel Yountville is awesome, as is Bardessono. Hotel Yountville will run you $500/night and Bardessono is close to $1,000/night.....I would recommend staying at Hotel Yountville, but eating one of your meals at Bardessono.....excellent restaurant. There is also a really good tasting room you can walk to in town near the French Laundry....Jessop Cellars. Thank me later...place has excellent wine. Yountville is also really centrally located to all of the wineries to North on Highway 29.....Joseph Phelps, Cakebread, etc. You can also walk to Domaine Chandon from Hotel Yountville....it's basically across the street.
 
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I much prefer the Sonoma Valley wineries, they tend to be not as snooty.

It has been about 20 years but I really enjoyed the Valley of the Moon Winery in Sonoma. The owner at the time was very free pouring glasses for you and himself.

My favorite place in Napa looks like it was shutdown-- Van der Heyden. The tasting room was nothing more than a shed but I loved the chardonnay and I am not a white wine drinker. The owner was a crotchety old man but that was the charm of the place.

I definitely second V. Sattui in Napa. Have a picnic lunch there. They have excellent bread and cheese.

Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve is nearby, definitely worth the trip.

Avoid the mega wineries like Christian brothers. Crappy wine and big crowds.
 
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You have received wonderful advice. Like a few others have mentioned, I prefer Sonoma to Napa. We were there in October and I got a bit of sticker shock at the price for tastings in Napa. We like to stay in the town of Sonoma. Easy to walk around with quite a few good restaurants. We stayed in Yountville years ago. When we checked it out recently I was amazed how it had changed. Still, had a great lunch there at Bottega.

3 recommendations. Trattore Winery in Geyserville. Wonderful patio, amazing views and awesome panini. Artessa Winery in southern Napa County. The place is built into the hillside. Gorgeous. We joined the club. Jack London state park. Great little hike to the remains of the home he and his wife built. It burned down right before they moved in. There is a museum with many things he and his wife accumulated on their world travels.
 
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LionGrad2001 said:
I spend a fair amount of time in Napa and want to share some of my favorite wineries with you.

1. Sattui - A gem in valley. Great cabs and some excellent dessert wines that you can not find in any stores. Go to the tasting room and enjoy the experience. It's free to taste and the Som there is amazing. Really engaging guy and pours nice tasters. Make sure to try their "Angelica", but give it a full nose first and try to discern how it will taste. Be prepared for a complete surprise (I buy this by the case).

2. Whatever you do, stay away from the wine train. At. All. Costs. Its all hype and you really miss the true Napa experience.

3. Silverado Winery is a great place. Its on the Silverado Trail and sits a little higher than the valley so their wines have different notes. I love this place not only for the great wine, but they have some fantastic art work. Take a tour or make nice with the Som and ask to see upstairs. Give a tip and you will get to see some amazing artwork (the biggest piece hung in Grand Central Station in NYC at the turn of the 20th Century.). I always make sure to visit here at least twice a year.

4. A lot of people will tell you that Opus One is great, but I've never really agreed. If you are going to pay 100+ for wine, the gold standard for the "name brand stuff" is Silver Oak. Try and find an '11 or splurge and get the '07. Both are magnificent and worthy of a 10 year anniversary (JUST MAKE SURE TO LET IT BREATH FOR AT LEAST 30 MINS)

5. Take some time walking the streets of St. Helena (north of Napa). Go into the shops and just enjoy the vibe.

6. Visit and have lunch at Gott's Roadside stand on Hwy 29 (Used to be called Taylors Refresher. Fun place to begin and the food is great. Get there early as it gets packed for lunch).

7. Find your way up past St. Helena to Calistoga and venture around there as well. Hit up Ballentine Vineyards and enjoy. Its also a very cool place and the winemaker there is a humble and down to earth dude.

8. Pay for the tour of the Sattui Castle (north of St. Helena) and make sure to pony up a few extra bucks to see the dungeon. Stay away from the wine here as they serve and sell the rejects. Its not as good as the prime store I mentioned earlier. The castle used to stand in England and they brought it over and reassembled it block by block over a 10 year span. It is truly awesome to explore. Its an experience so allow for at least 4 hours.

9. The Mustard Seed or Rutherford Grill would be my choice to take your lady to dinner if you want a nice meal and great selection of wine. The food is fantastic (unless you can sneak into the "French Laundry"... Google it. It carries 2 Michelin Stars...)

10. Take your time and just wander around the whole valley. We NorCal folks are spoiled with Napa, but it is a truly magical place. Shoot me a message if you would like more options.

Have fun and happy anniversary!!!
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Good post, LIonGrad2001. I have been to a whole lot of wineries in Napa, being a NorCal guy myself, but I have never been to V. Sattui Winery, even though I have driven by it on Highway 29 a bunch of times. I have always heard the wine is not very good, but it is a great place to picnic. Maybe I should reconsider.

Silverado Winery is a great call. (Don't confuse it with the Silverado Resort, which is at the south end of the Silverado Trail.) It is in the middle section of the Silverado Trail, and boasts great views from the tasting room. Tasting fee is reasonable. I think it is about $35-$40 for tasting, and we got a generous number of wines to taste. Walt Disney's daughter bankrolled the place, so you see a lot of Disney artwork and memorabilia on the walls.

Agree about Silver Oak being preferable to Opus One. I also happen to like Chimney Rock Winery (also on the Trail), although it is pricey at roughly $75 for a tasting. Someone mentioned Mumms Napa Valley (also on the Trail). Had a great tasting experience there. Rutherford Hill (just off the Trail and up in the hills above Rutherford) boasts phenomenal views of the valley, and a great picnic area). Clos Pegase (north end of the Valley) offers a great cave tour. Lastly, someone mentioned Sterling, and said it is in the Sonoma Valley. It is not. It is in the north end of the Napa Valley, between St. Helena and Calistoga. The tram ride from the parking lot up to the winery itself is novel, and the views over the Napa Velley to the south are really good. The wine is good, but not exceptional..

Gotts is a really interesting place to eat. It used to be a drive in back in the day, but it now features picnic tables to eat at. The food is gourmet for a drive in, and they offer a number of different wines. Good place for lunch. Gotts has a sister restaurant in the Ferry Building on the San Francisco waterfront.

To the OP: if you have never been to the Napa Valley, I would highly recommend going to Beringer's. They have a very old and iconic winery facility with cave storage originally dug out by Chinese workers in the late 19th century, when they used "gravity flow" technology in processing wine. And the Rhine House building on the property is a great place to drink wine, particularly if you pay a bit extra and go upstairs to taste premium wines. It is on the north end of St. Helena, right on Highway 29.
 
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Midnighter said:
PvSijkT.gif


Me at wine tastings (on left):

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One of my favorite movies.

I was up in San Francisco two years ago with my girlfriend and daughter so the wineries in Nappa were out of the question. But we did see the Redwoods, went to Monterey beach, Pebble beach golf course, visited Alcatraz Island and went to a SF Giants game. The next time we're out there we plan on visiting a few vineyards and maybe Yosemite.

Happy Anniversary!
 
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A lot of great suggestions. If you are planning to enjoy the wineries and may be worried about drinking and driving hire a driver. There are several services there where you can hire someone to drive your rental car. It takes the worry out. Typically the drivers are fully insured to drive your rental, are knowledgeable, and as i recall cost $50 an hour. Well worth it if you plan to indulge. BTW, Calistoga is awesome. Less pretentious and great vibe.
 
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Parf said:
A lot of great suggestions. If you are planning to enjoy the wineries and may be worried about drinking and driving hire a driver. There are several services there where you can hire someone to drive your rental car. It takes the worry out. Typically the drivers are fully insured to drive your rental, are knowledgeable, and as i recall cost $50 an hour. Well worth it if you plan to indulge. BTW, Calistoga is awesome. Less pretentious and great vibe.
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^^THIS^^. We’ve been several times and the most recent time we hired a driver. He was fantastic and took us to private tastings at some terrific smaller, lesser known wineries. Highly recommend booking with one of the companies that runs these. Yes, it’s pricy but our experience was exceptional. Here’s the one we used... napayourway.com. They provide the transportation and make all the arrangements.
 
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rohrmd9 said:
^^THIS^^. We’ve been several times and the most recent time we hired a driver. He was fantastic and took us to private tastings at some terrific smaller, lesser known wineries. Highly recommend booking with one of the companies that runs these. Yes, it’s pricy but our experience was exceptional. Here’s the one we used... napayourway.com. They provide the transportation and make all the arrangements.
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The fellow we have used is Tony Russo at Wine Country Confidential. Tony can get you into places that aren’t very accessible to the general public.
 
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