For years I pined to go to Napa Valley and Sonoma. The mecca of wine, wine lovers, food lovers, just a lot of my loves wrapped up in one beautiful package. My chance finally came for my thirtieth birthday when my husband and I set off on a nine day adventure. What a lucky girl!
As I started to plan, overwhelm set in quickly. There were so many places I wanted to go that it became a juggling act of appointments, reservations, activities. I had a three ring binder with maps, winery info, restaurant details.(Maybe I shouldn’t admit that.) You’d think with nine days I’d have plenty of time to cover all that I wanted, but that was simply not the case. I over planned and overwhelmed myself.
That being said, I still had a wonderful time, and now my foibles can serve as helpful tips for any of you Napa newbies planning a trip.
Nine days is too long. Crazy, I know, but true. If you plan on drinking while you are there and eating and being indulgent, nine days is over the top. I suppose if you plan on taking some days to do unrelated wine activities (which there are plenty), then you’d be ok. However, I was there to go wine tasting and the idea of being in Napa and not drinking wine just didn’t sit right with me. So I made sure to every day! Anyway, I’d say 3-4 days is the perfect amount of time. With that in mind…
Pick a smaller area and spend your time there. I’m talking Sonoma, Yountville & St. Helena, wineries along Howell Mountain. Wait, what’s Howell Mountain? Exactly. There is so much to explore that there are areas you’re not even aware of as a first-timer. Go easy on yourself and just make it smaller. By condensing it down, it takes away not only the stress and overwhelm of planning but the frenzied travel once you get there. My husband and I were driving here, there, we’re late, we need to cancel this in order to make this. Oh wait, we came across this really cool winery we hadn’t planned on but we know we should stay. It will happen. Take the pressure off and add a little whimsy.
The city of Napa isn’t all that great. Napa Valley has a lot to offer but the city proper is underwhelming. You can see it in about an hour. Our hotel was in the city, so we had to return there every night. The downtown is pretty ho hum, honestly. The only place that stood out was The Bounty Hunter, which is a barbecue restaurant and wine shop in one. The place is a great combination of unique wine finds, cool people and excellent barbecue that you wouldn’t expect from wine country.
Spend your time north in the towns of Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga or head to Sonoma to experience the wine country you’ve been enviosioning.
Look for opportunities to take wine tasting one step further. Explore wine and food pairing tastings, sensory experiences, chocolate tastings or winemakers tours. You will understand and appreciate the wine so much more and learn the stories behind it all. That’s when wine really comes to life, and it’s what you’ll remember. Don’t get me wrong, popping into tasting rooms is great, but also pepper it with some in-depth experiences. Make sure to make reservations!
Build shipping costs into your budget. Many of you will have more wine to take home than will fit in your suitcase. Trust me. (If you don’t end up shipping anything, at least you were prepared.) Every state’s liquor laws are different, so wineries will be able to tell you whether or not they can ship to your home state. We used Buffalo’s Shipping Post and had a great experience. http://buffship.com/
Remember, don’t stress yourself out. There is so much to see and do that no matter what, you’ll miss some things. It’s unavoidable. Do some research to get a sense of what area resonates most with you and then plan from there. Choose a hotel that is central to the places you want to visit so you’re not driving all over the place. Only plan two tastings or activities a day so that you’re not racing around. In other words, start your planning with this in mind: I want to enjoy, savor and remember my time in beautiful Napa Valley and Sonoma.
While there are many places I can recommend, in keeping with my advice to stay small and manageable, here are a handful of my favorites:
Sonoma
The Girl and the Fig http://www.thegirlandthefig.com/
As they say, “country food with a French passion.” So quaint, so unpretentious, a perfect combination of what you’ve always wanted in a French restaurant. Right across from the darling Sonoma Square.
Gundlach Bundschu Winery and Vineyards http://www.gunbun.com/
Not only are their wines amazing but they have this great hill on the property where you can take a picnic and enjoy a beautiful view. A quick note: If you generally do not like Gewürztraminer because it is a bit too sweet, try Gundlach’s version. It’s truly unique and fairly dry for a Gewürztraminer.
Glen Ellen (Sonoma Valley)
Benziger Family Winery http://www.benziger.com/sonoma-wine-tours
Benziger’s Partners Vineyard Tour & Exclusive Wine Tasting was hands down my favorite tour. A behind the scenes look at their biodynamic estate vineyard, which ends with a sit-down tasting in their wine caves. A great way to get to know Benziger’s story, vision and of course, wines!
Rutherford (Napa Valley)
Cakebread Cellars http://www.cakebread.com/tours-and-tastings
Cakebread’s Wine & Food Pairing Tasting is a great way to understand the whole concept and science behind amazing pairings.
Oakville (Napa Valley)
Oakville Grocers http://www.oakvillegrocery.com/
The Disneyland of grocers for wine related fare! A serious case of eyes-bigger-than-stomach syndrome.
Angwin (Napa Valley)
Cade Winery http://www.cadewinery.com/plan-your-visit/
Cade’s Estate Private Lunch and Tour Experience was a favorite. The winery and tasting room’s location on top of Howell Mountain makes for a unique visit. Their tasting room feels more like a modern home where you can enjoy their amazing wines.
Yountville (Napa Valley)
The town of Yountville is really cute and quaint. I found it to be the best condensed area of restaurants and shops.
