Pura Vida View
Napa and Sonoma
Northern California wine country is such a beautiful place, I find the wine industry so fascinating and it is always amazing to learn about the history and winemaking processes of the many different vineyards, and of course tasting wine is the best part! I have been a few times and visited many different vineyards, tried some amazing restaurants and enjoyed the breathtaking scenery that is around every corner.
So many beautiful wineries!
Sonoma and Napa counties border each other and are home to hundreds of wineries, incredible food, breathtaking scenery and so many memorable experiences. Sonoma County consists of more than 30 cities and towns, the most famous being Sonoma and Healdsburg. The wine making history dates back to the 1850s in Sonoma which is known for many delicious varietals especially their Pinot Noirs, Chardonnay, Zinfandels and sparkling wines. It is nearly double the size of Napa and is a bit more laid-back and less expensive.
Napa is smaller geographically but is considered one of the worlds most premier wine regions. Over a thousand brands of wine are produced in Napa Valley at over 400 wineries with tasting rooms. The main tourist towns are Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga. Around 4 million tourists visit Napa Valley each year and that number continues to grow.
Best
Time
To
Visit
The peak tourist season is during harvest season from August to October. It will be more expensive and crowded during these months so you will definitely want to plan ahead. But although it's busier, I love going during harvest, it is a great time to really see the wineries at work and the temperatures are perfect. If you want to save some money, the winter and spring months are far more affordable and you can avoid the crowds.
Getting
There
With several airports nearby, travelling to Napa/Sonoma is pretty easy! Many people choose to fly through San Francisco or Oakland which offer several flights a day and are only 60-70 miles from the wine country. I prefer to avoid those areas and like to fly into Sacramento International Airport which is also only around 70 miles and it's an easy drive and less busy.
The main airports you might consider flying to are:
Oakland International (OAK)
San Francisco International (SFO)
Sacramento International (SMF)
San Jose International (SJC)
Sonoma County Airport (STS)
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Wineries to Love
I love the history and story behind this beautiful winery that is located in both Sonoma and Napa counties. The county line runs right through the middle of the vineyard and through the middle of the bottling facility. The drive up to the vineyard is narrow and winding and can be a bit daunting, but it's beautiful and worth it! They even sell shirts that say "I survived the drive to Pride!"
Their wines are highly rated and delicious, the vineyard is breathtaking and the cave tour is informative and offers tastings along the way. I have visited this winery twice, and would definitely go back.
Located at 2000' elevation atop Spring Mountain, Barnett Vineyards is a beautiful winery with spectacular views. The family run winery's production is relatively limited, but they have been producing high-quality wines for over 30 years. They are known for their designate Cabernet Sauvignons. Barnett offers unique small group tastings by appointment only with one of the best views in Napa Valley! We really enjoyed our tasting and brought home some delicious wines.
I cannot say enough amazing things about this winery and the delicious wines they produce. We enjoyed it so much that we visited them two years in a row.
O'Shaughnessy spans three vineyards: Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Oakville. The winery is located in the hills above St. Helena, tastings are by appointment only and it is recommended that you book several weeks in advance. Get more information on visiting the winery.
We were lucky enough to attend a release party on our last visit and had the privilege of not only tasting many wines, but we also had the opportunity of meeting one of the Proprietors, Betty O'Shaughnessy Wools. She is a very interesting and kind woman and I love her story. Read about Betty and Paul
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Located in Napa Valley's Rutherford region, Round Pond has been producing some of the regions finest wines for over 40 years. The winery is operated by the MacDonnell family, their two generations of wine growing experience produces grapes that are appreciated by many esteemed wineries who buy the fruit from Round Pond. They also are home to 12 acres of olive trees of different varieties and have their own olive mill. There is also a beautiful garden on property where they grow all kinds of fruits and vegetables for their in house menu. When we visited Round Pond, we opted for the Il Pranzo farm-to-table experience where we had a beautifully plated and deliciously fresh and intimate lunch paired with Round Pond's wines. We enjoyed our tour, lunch and the wines so much we joined as members and love getting our deliveries every few months! Visit Round Pond
The Darioush Estate located in Napa Valley is beautiful and is a reflection of the Persian roots of it's owner Darioush Khaledi. The Napa Valley Estate is located right at the southern end of the Silverado Trail and is home to both the winery and their 33 acre estate vineyard. They also have the 22 acre Sage Vineyard located atop Mount Veeder. We enjoyed our tour of the winery and the intimate Sensory Sessions olive oil experience, which included tastings of their olive oil, wines and small bites, we brought home two bottles of the olive oil and are still enjoying it.
Del Dotto is one of my husband's favorite wineries and he was excited to share that tasting experience with me on one of our recent trips. He explained he loved the wines and really enjoyed the tastings and tour.
Dave and Yolanda Del Dotto purchased a 1912 Fank Lloyd Write house in Rutherford on the spot when discovering it on a trip to Napa in 1988 and for the past 30 years they have been continuing their family Del Dotto Legacy of winemaking that dates back to the 1400's.
They focus on small production premium wines from some of the best appellations in Napa. You can visit them at three different locations, reservations are required
Cliff Lede Vineyards is such a fun winery to visit. Located in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, Cliff Lede Vineyards was founded in 2002 by Cliff Lede. To keep track of all of the different soils and exposures of each of his plantings he named the different blocks after his favorite rocks songs and albums, known as the "Rock Blocks." We had fun walking around and reading the signs. The winery is modern with innovative technology used to sort and deliver the berries. They have a beautiful veranda where we enjoyed our tasting and learned about their story. Plan your visit and wine tasting experience.
If you like bubbles, Domaine Carneros is a great start to your day! We loved sipping on their sparkling wines on the terrace overlooking their beautiful gardens. Domaine Carneros was founded by the family behind Champagne Taittinger and was established in 1987 by Claude Taittinger. All of their wines come from the Carnerso appellation and 100% of the fruit is from their vineyards. The Chateau is beautiful and definitley worth a visit!
More Wineries I Love
Too many to list in detail, these are just a few of the other wineries I have visited, love and recommend:
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The wines are some of the best and the tasting is a fun experience!​
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Ladera ​
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I love this small family owned winery! Their Howell Mountain Reserve Cabernet is spectacular! Plan to visit them!​
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Beautiful wines, expressive art and masterful architecture. About Hall ~ Visit ​
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Silver Oak​
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Making award winning wine since 1975​
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Visit Silver Oak ​
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Rombauer
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Beautiful tasting of award winning wines overlooking Napa Valley​
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Burgess​
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Located on Howell Mountain. This is a beautiful winery with spectacular wines. Plan a Visit​
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Plan a visit to taste award-winning Duckhorn wines in beautiful St. Helena​
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Where to Stay
Plan your ultimate getaway
With amazing views and unique locations around every corner, Northern California's wine country has some beautiful hotels, B&B's, luxurious resorts, and unique spacious vacation rentals.
Downtown Napa has really been revamped in recent years and you will find some great hotels within walking distance to shops and restaurants and a short drive to wineries. Yountville is a popular luxury destination where you can experience high end shops, fine dining (lots of Michelin star restaurants) and five star accommodations. Calistoga is another beautiful popular place to stay and is a more laid-back destination. St. Helena, considered the "Beverly Hills" of Napa offers some of the most exclusive shops and luxury hotels, it is home to many highly acclaimed wineries!
Contemporary Urban Boutique Hotel
I have to give a shoutout to R INN NAPA because we discovered it a couple of years ago when looking for a hotel within walking distance to Oxbow River Stage where we planned to attend a Wide Spread Panic concert. We loved it so much we came back a year later and stayed there again in the exact same loft. It is a relatively small boutique hotel that features 5 loft suites (which is what we chose), 10 rooms surrounding a courtyards, and a free standing bungalow which has a full kitchen. There is a community kitchen and pantry where they offer all the amenities you might need and breakfast on the weekends. We absolutely love this place and cannot say enough good things and it is within walking distance to anything you might want to do in downtown Napa
Dining in the wine country
So many amazing restaurants
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From Michelin star and farm to table cuisine to food trucks and unique themed restaurants there are so many options to choose from in Northern California's wine country.
We have our favorite spots and so many more we look forward to trying.
Visit Napa Valley has put together a pretty comprehensive list of restaurants in and around Napa.
And I have listed just a few of our favorite spots below...
With so many amazing restaurants to choose from it's kind of hard to believe that we have been here three times, but I would still go back for a fourth or fifth time. The food is fresh and delicious! The homemade pasta and the pizzas are truly mouthwatering and the staff is so helpful and attentive. It is located in downtown Napa and has a beautiful atmosphere with a cozy terrace. They offer Lunch and Dinner and a beautiful wine list
This place is amazing, it is the oldest continuously operating grocery store in California. Stop by and grab a delicious lunch and a bottle of wine and sit out on their picnic tables for a relaxing lunch while out on your wine tours or have them pack it up and take it with you for a fun picnic along your way! They have a little bit of everything, but their sandwiches are my favorite!
They serve Breakfast and Lunch and have over 200 wines!
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A few years after opening his first Napa restaurant, The French Laundry, Chef Thomas Keller opened this very popular French Bistro in Yountville. We enjoyed brunch on their patio, everything was delicious. Make sure you get a reservation in advance!
Next door you will see a long line daily at the Bouchon Bakery where people line up to get coffee and Chef Keller's very popular French desserts, pastries and sandwiches.
This place is so cute and serves a delicious brunch! Located on the banks of the Napa River, you can dine riverfront in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere while noshing on their famous cornmeal pancakes or try the heuvos rancheros. They serve Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch
The shop is so cute and offers all kinds of merchandise and you can browse the store or shop online!
There are many things to do in Northern California's Wine Country besides visiting the wineries and eating at the incredible restaurants. Here are just a few...
I love renting bikes and taking a ride through Yountville and the surrounding vineyards. It's a beautiful ride and you get some exercise after all that great food and wine! Napa Valley Bike tours has a location in Yountville and downtown Napa, they offer guided tours, private groups, self guided tours, bike rentals for all abilities.
You can even stop along the way and visit wineries
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Hot Air Balloon rides floating above the valley is a unique and beautiful way to take in the breathtaking wine country.
Classic flights for groups, private flights for special occasions and flights inclusive of wine tastings are all some really fun ways to enjoy this amazing experience!
Napa Valley Balloons has been voted the best Balloon company in Napa and is the oldest in the valley.
The Napa Valley Wine Train is a really cool way to spend your day with so many different experiences available, there is something for everyone. You will enjoy gourmet cuisine and exquisite wines, and some of the journeys stop at wineries. Read the history and story of the wine train.
Spend some time exploring Oxbow Market in Napa. The 40,000 square foot marketplace is located beside the Napa River and features local artisans and purveyors, a scenic outdoor deck overlooking the water, and is a great place for shopping and enjoying food and wine. They are open every day from 7:30 am - 9 pm
Check out their list of vendors and view the map
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Attend the annual Napa Truffle Festival. Every January in Napa you can attend the festival and learn and experience the magic of truffles! They even offer a day-long journey where you can indulge with lots of truffle cuisine, have an interactive truffle experience, meet the truffle dogs, enjoy a cooking demonstration and more!
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Attend a concert at Oxbow Riverstage, we had the best time at this venue when we went to see Wide Spread Panic in concert. This is a very cool outdoor concert space with great views and is located conveniently right in the heart of Napa beside the Napa River.
