Napa Valley Travel Guide: Tips & Tricks

Cliff Lede Winery

One of my favorite places to travel to is wine country in northern California. My husband and I have gone a few times now, and while I do not consider us full Napa Valley experts we do have off the beaten path favorites and we love talking about the region with our friends that love to visit too. Here are a few tips that I have gathered from them but also discovered on my own.

Make appointments. It is important to book reservations at wineries before you get there. Many require advance appointments and/or deposits. I typically find that appointments are the most important when you visit smaller vineyards. When you visit these wineries it is an experience. You get to see their facilities, try multiple wines, interact with the owners, and at some places they even pair their wine with food. Plan on your appointments being anywhere between 1hr-2.5hrs and try not to book more than 5-6 appointments a day.

Hire a driver. Even though car sharing is beginning to make its way out there, I do not like to rely on it. It is becoming more common in Napa to hire a driver. Not even a car...just the driver. The driver then drives either your car or your rental car to your preferred vineyards and it is also much cheaper then reserving both a driver and a car. Many of these agencies will help you plan your winery visits, brief you with local history, or you can request to have a picnic packed for you! We used Napa Sonoma Wine Tasting Drivers last time we went and they were amazing.

Plan a picnic. Wine country can get expensive quickly. Between tasting fees and upscale restaurants you can spend a lot of money every day if you are not careful. One idea to save a few dollars is to pack a picnic and bring it with you when you go tasting. There are lots of gourmet grocery stores that have fun and unique items, but you can also find chains like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Many wineries have picnic areas, but do require you to book them ahead of time so plan ahead.

Dress in layers. For me, the biggest issue is what I am going to wear when I am wine tasting. Napa in the summer can be super hot, but in the spring and fall mornings and late afternoons can be breezy and down right chilly. If you want to wear a cute dress pack a jean jacket and scarf. Also make sure to wear comfortable shoes. You are walking around outside a lot, now is not the time to break in your new shoes.

Consider biking for the day. Napa Valley can be very easy to bike if you follow the maps they provide you with. You can even create your own route or pick up a tour. I liked creating my own route because I wanted to go to smaller wineries. The only downside was having to drive back to places to pick up the wine that I purchased. If you decide to bike, dress accordingly. I wore workout capris and a tank top and my husband wore workout shorts and a breathable workout shirt.

Before I travel I always make myself a Google map of places of interest. Below is my Napa Valley map that has a few wineries that I have tried or my friends have visited. I have also added restaurants (Torc and Oxbow Market are SO GOOD), bike rentals, and two stores if you need to pick up any essentials. If you have any places to recommend I would love to hear about them. 



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Stony Hill Winery

Benessere Vineyards (& our wine club! We picnicked here)

Chandon (our favorite "large" house)

Lived on iced coffee and macarons

Great way to fuel up for the day.