Wineries in Napa Valley
How many in a day?
How many wineries to visit in a day depends on the wineries you choose and the pace you are comfortable with. For a regular tasting at a popular winery, allow about ½ to one hour, around 30 minutes more for reservations for a longer tour and tasting. Most wineries are open from around 9-10 AM until 4:30 or 5 PM. Allowing time for travel between wineries, a stop or two to appreciate the scenery and perhaps a nice lunch a fairly hectic day would be around 6-8 winery visits. A more relaxing day would be perhaps 4-6.
Where to visit?
One of the most frequently asked questions from guests is something along the lines of “what are the must see wineries”? With over 250 wineries in the valley it’s actually a tougher question to answer than you might think. In responding, we first try to find out what people are looking for so we can base our advice on their preferences. The following recommendations are a few personal favorites grouped around some themes that guests often find useful in putting together a list of wineries to visit. If there is a category you really like then choose several from there, alternatively choose a few from each to get a flavor of the valley’s diverse wineries. Also, please remember that even living here, we don’t know every winery and that part of the fun of the valley is the element of discovery. If you see something on your travels, or read something about it on a web site or hear something from a friend - try it out, that winery may just become the one you love that becomes your personal favorite to share with a friend – and so the cycle turns…..
Planning
A great web site to explore the many wineries of the valley and plan your excursions is the Napa Valley Vintners Association at:
www.napavintners.com/home
Winery |
Brief Description /Link |
High End |
Impressive Architecture |
Friendly |
Free Tasting |
Quintessa |
Beautiful modern architecture in an idyllic setting. |
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Darioush |
Ancient Persia meets Napa Valley www.darioush.com |
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Cakebread |
Great selection. www.cakebread.com/toc2.html |
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Far Niente |
Gardens, caves and classic cars. |
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Rubicon Estate |
Francis Ford Coppola’s high end wines at one of the valley’s oldest wineries. |
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Schramsberg |
Bubbly that is good enough for Presidents. Informative and entertaining cave tour. www.schramsberg.com |
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Berringer |
Grand old winery and caves. |
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Sterling |
Movies under the stars in Summer. Cable car to the winery, informative tour. |
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Castello di Amorosa |
Daryl Sattui’s incredible Tuscan castle. |
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Bennett Lane |
Great value wines, discover them now before they get pricier. Maximus blend is excellent. |
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Calistoga Cellars |
Love their Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc. Walk to their new tasting room in town. |
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August Briggs |
A true family winery and one of the friendliest we know. Try their great Charbono a very rare Calistoga find. |
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Attalon |
Part of a big corporate winery but has a nice welcoming atmosphere and good value wines. |
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Mumm |
Remember it’s “Napa Valley Sparkling Wine” NOT Champagne..but it still tastes great and is very affordable. |
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2 for 1 |
Cosentino |
Sinful Zinfandel and other huge wines. |
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2 for 1 |
Vincent Arroyo |
Fun, friendly wines and winery. Try the port or buy the futures. |
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Sequoia Grove |
Nice Cabernet Sauvignon. We love their White Burgundy style Chardonnay. |
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Summers |
Warm welcoming family winery with a great selection from Charbono to Muscat Canelli |
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Elizabeth Spencer |
Small and friendly with some Napa classics as well as lighter “patio wines”. |
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Miner |
Great views and wines. www.minerwines.com |
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Reverie |
Informative and picturesque tour that takes in the winery, caves redwoods and, of course, great wines. |
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Goosecross Cellars |
Eclectic collection from good value everyday wines to special occasion extravagancies. |
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Honig |
Many great wines, we especially like their late harvest sauvignon blanc. |
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