Emma @ theweekendabroad.com on Napa: 12 Wineries in One Day
After relocating from Vancouver, BC to California in August 2014, I was thrilled to hear my parents planned their first weekend trip to visit me. We only had 2.5 days together so I planned a weekend where they could see as much as possible (without the San Francisco touristy destinations, which they’ve already done).
After hiking and sightseeing around the Point Reyes National Seashore and Marin Headlands on the Saturday, we ventured bright and early to Napa the next morning. And when I say bright, that is no exaggeration – the temperature that day rose to over 40 degrees Celsius (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit). We couldn’t wait to hop into each winery for the strong winds of air conditioning.
As the title states, we managed to visit a total of 12 wineries in one day. Don’t worry – that doesn’t mean we had 12 wine tastings, but that we saw the grounds of 12 different places. Some of which are very worth seeing. If you’re looking to show some out-of-towners Napa in one day, feel free to take a page from our book:
Itinerary for Napa in One Day:
9:00AM – Arrive at the Napa Valley Welcome Center as soon as it opens for an extensive map and 2-for-1 tasting coupons.
10:30AM – Drive all the way up to the north end of Napa to the town of Calistoga and have brunch. I highly recommend the French/Cajun spot, Evangeline.
11:30AM-6:00PM – Explore the wineries as you make your way back to downtown Napa to your heart’s content! Here are the 12 we ventured to in order:
* Indicates what I’d recommend stopping at
- *Chateau Montelena ($25/person tasting)
- Sterling
- Clos Pegase
- Charles Krug
- Trinchero
- *Berringer
- *Sutter Home (free tasting)
- *Heitz (free tasting)
- Beaulieu Vineyard (BV)
- Andretti
- Darioush
- *Hess Collection
Note: you definitely want to start the wineries early, as many of them close at 4/4:30PM. Neither of these require reservations either.
6:00PM – Stop by Oxbow Public Market to check out some trinkets, fun shops, and unique food vendors.
6:30PM – Dinner in downtown Napa. I found Spanish tapas eatery, ZuZu, on Yelp and it did not disappoint. The tapas are quite small however, so maybe opt for dessert after. We got gelato from Frati Gelato Cafe around the corner.
The Day in Photos…
Evangeline for Brunch in Calistoga
Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict and the Waffle
Waiting for our Tasting at Chateau Montelena
Chateau Montelena
The Chinese-Inpspired Lake at Chateau Montelena
Private Tasting Section at Chateau Montelena
Unexpected Chalkboard at Sterling Vineyards
The Iconic Napa Valley Welcome Sign
At the Berringer Winery Grounds
Berringer
Heitz Winery
The Columns at Darioush
The Art Collection at Hess Collection
The Prawns and Octopus at Zuzu in Downtown Napa
Mexican Nachos and the Best Tapa – Flat Iron Steak
Downtown Napa
Thoughts on Napa? Let me know in the comments below!
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