Happy Wine Wednesday! Today, I am bringing you a post on one of the most asked about topics – Napa. I have had so many people reach out to me in the last few months about Napa recommendations, so I figured I would put together a little guide for beginners.
This guide is geared towards anyone who has never been to Napa and doesn’t know a lot about wine. I specifically pieced together and chose wineries that would be good for beginners. These are all very good wineries that will provide a ton of great information about wine and the wine growing process. I also made sure to put together a variety of wineries so that you will have several different experiences.
For this post, I am giving you a full 2-day schedule including lunches and dinners. If you end up staying longer, you should check out some of my other posts about our trips to Napa and Sonoma. Also, if you need any recommendations on where to stay, feel free to send me an e-mail.
Day 1:
- Breakfast – Eat a light breakfast at the hotel or grab a quick granola bar.
- 10:00 AM – Robert Mondavi Winery Signature Tour and Tasting
- Cost: $50
- Time: 75 minutes
- Notes: They provide an amazing tour and overview of Napa, wine, the growing process, etc. It is the perfect tour and tasting to start with.
- Lunch – 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Gott’s Roadside
- Cost: $10 per person
- Get the garlic fries!
- 1:00 PM – Sterling General Admission Self-Guided Tour
- Cost: $35
- Time: 1 hour
- Notes: The views are absolutely incredible. You will take a tram up to the top of the hillside and this will probably be one of your favorite photo opportunities throughout the trip.
- 2:30 PM – Frog’s Leap Garden/Cellar Tasting
- Cost: $35
- Time: 1 hour
- Notes: I love this one because it is so unique with the gardens and a little farm. They have some animals and they grow a few crops as well. You can sit outside and relax in a chair while soaking in all the sights and sounds. Also, the cover photo for this post was taken at this winery!
- 4:00 PM – Mumm Patio and Tasting Salon
- Cost: $28-$35
- Time: 1 hour
- Notes: This winery is down the street from Frog’s Leap and you will probably want some bubbly! Mumm offers a variety of sparkling wines and their views are amazing. This is the perfect stop to end your first day in Napa.
- Dinner – Brix or Rutherford Grill
Day 2:
- Breakfast – Eat at your hotel/grab a snack
- 10:00 AM – Cakebread Current Release Tasting
- Cost: $25
- Time: 1 hour
- Notes: Cakebread offers amazing wines. We did this tasting once and we had a great experience with our hostess and she made us feels so welcome. We learned so much about their wines that day!
- 11 AM – V. Sattui Tasting and Picnic Lunch
- Cost: $20
- Time: 2 hours
- Notes: I could probably write an entire post about V. Sattui, so all I will really say is that you just have to go there. It’s one of the most popular wineries to visit in Napa and it is the perfect spot for an afternoon picnic. If they are doing the outdoor BBQ when you are there, make sure to try a pizza!
- Lunch – V. Sattui (see above)
- 1:30 PM – Rombauer
- Cost: $20
- Time: 1 hour
- Notes: I love Rombauer because it is tucked away on the Silverado Trail. They have beautiful grounds and their chardonnay is the best chardonnay I have ever had. It’s incredible.
- 2:30/3 PM – Duckhorn
- Cost: $40
- Time: 1 hour
- Notes: You can enjoy a tasting on their outdoor patio area that overlooks the vineyard. We went there on a beautiful December day, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. They have so many incredible wines – make sure to get a taste of ‘The Discussion’ – one of their finest red blends.
- Dinner – Explore Downtown Napa and eat at Azzurro Pizzeria
- Another dinner recommendation in downtown is Morimoto (sushi), so just wait and see what you feel like!
Other Resources:
- Napa Winery Map
- Downtown Napa Information
- Visiting Napa on a Budget
- Two Perfect Days in Napa
- Wine Country Weekend – Napa 2019
I hope this helps if you are planning your first trip to Napa. This is a really approachable 2-day schedule, and you should be able to hit all of the wineries I listed (unless you start signing up for all of the wine clubs – haha!)
Also, something I should mention is that you can split tastings between 2 or 3 people. Don’t feel like everyone in your group needs to get their own tasting! It will be more wine than you think, so I would try to split tastings at a few wineries.
If you have any questions, feel free to send me an e-mail! I am happy to help plan your perfect Napa trip.
Have you ever been to Napa? If so, what are some of your winery recommendations for first-timers? Let me know!
Went to Napa for a girls trip a couple years ago. We went to Palmaz Vineyards first and it was an amazing tour, beautiful scenery and a delicious tasting experience! It is a must see! Next we went to B. Cellars. We just did a tasting here and had such a great time. The staff was so friendly and the atmosphere was perfect. Our last stop was Mumm and it was a great way to end the day with a beautiful view of the vineyards and delicious sparkling wines!
I’ve heard great things about Palmaz, but have never been! I love Mumm for their bubbles and they have some great views on their patio! Nice to hear some of your recommendations 🙂
We are planning a girls trip and are thinking about using your awesome 2 day schedule – did you drive , park and walk or what is best transportation to use ?
Thank you
Hi Lisa! Thanks for reading the post. We have always rented a car and drove ourselves around Napa. It’s usually the cheapest option for us since it’s just my husband and me. A lot of people use a transportation service and get a hired driver/car for a day. They have everything from smaller cars to full on buses and what not. I think we used this company for some transportation when we got married there: https://www.nvtt.net ….Also, you could use Uber/Lyft! They are in the area, so that could be easy depending on your group size. Maybe do a combo of a rental car and then use Uber where you need it!
I’ll be in Napa the first week of Oct. The wineries I’ve selected are for the most part on 29 it looks like? I didn’t realize this was such a popular time do to harvesting. What will traffic ber like trying to get to Calistoga and work my way back. It’s hard to make reservations when you aren’t sure how long it will take to get from one place to the other. I’m planning on 3 wineries a day. Thanks for your help
Hi Barb – Yes, many wineries are on Hwy 29. Traffic can get bad around St. Helena in the middle of the day/afternoon if you are heading North. If you start the day in Calistoga and work your way back South, you should be better off. Traffic heading South on 29 is always better than North (from my experience). Also, if traffic is really bad on 29, you could take the Silverado Trail which runs parallel to 29 (it’s a little bit to the East). In terms of how many wineries for the day, 3 is a good number. That’s typically what we do too. Sometimes 4 if we can make it work. I’d budget at least an hour at each winery, but some tours/tastings are 90 minutes – 2 hours. Just depends which ones you booked! Let me know if you have further questions!
Catheryn
When you say cost, does that mean the cost of a tasting at each vineyard? Or just to get in?
The cost of a tasting at each vineyard. There isn’t really a cover charge or a cost to physically get into wineries. You pay for the tasting and/or tour.