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Touring Napa Valley
Enjoy a day touring and wine tasting.
by Mike Supple
published: 12 Aug 2009 | Comments
Lots of wine lovers inevitably make the trip to California's famous Napa Valley. Tasting and touring through the Valley can be a fantastic experience, but with so many different wineries to choose from, where does one begin? There are plenty of places that are open to the public and allow you to just drop in unannounced, but with a little planning ahead of time you're likely to have a more enjoyable experience (and you're less likely to encounter the jerks referenced in our 'Napa or Not?' video).
Everybody has their own preferences when it comes to wine likes and dislikes, so it's important to keep those in mind when visiting wineries. If you hate Chardonnay, it would be silly to waste your time and money visiting a winery that only produces Chardonnay. Although, if you are with a group of people and someone insists on going to a place that makes wines you think you don't like, try to keep an open mind - you just might come away with a new favorite.
Visiting too many places in one day can be exhausting, both mentally and physically. It's important to take breaks for food, water and simply to rest. You'll have a lot more fun if you don't overdo it. If a winery is worth visiting, it will still be around the next time you get to Napa.
The most difficult Napa trip always seems to be the first one. Where do you start? To help tackle that issue, I've put together a few of my favorite places to visit on a day trip to Napa. These places are not only friendly and inviting - they also make fantastic wine and will help put Napa into perspective for you. This is clearly not a comprehensive list, but this little tour will make for a great first trip to Napa.
Mike Supple's Napa Day Trip:
Sterling is pretty far north in the Valley, and you'll be working your way south, back towards San Francisco. This is a perfect place to start the day because the winery is on the top of a hill that offers views of almost the entire Valley. You can visualize the rest of your day while enjoying the fantastic view. Plus, the tram ride up to the top is included in your entrance fee. The tour is self-guided and there's plenty of room to just relax and explore.
Don't overdo it with the wine here, as you'll have plenty more to drink throughout the day. The wines that are included in the general admission are adequate but nothing to really write home about. This stop is more for the view than the quality of their entry level, mass production wines.
Fee: $20 - No appointment needed
Ladera is a little off the beaten path, which makes it a fantastic place to visit and one that none of your friends are likely to have been to. And as a bonus, their wine is outstanding. Make sure you have directions before you go, as cell phone coverage is very spotty at the top of the mountain near their winery. Ladera's flagship wine is a dark, tannic, powerful and delicious Cabernet from Howell Mountain. Here you will learn a little bit about what makes Napa so special, and why certain parts of Napa (like Howell Mountain) are even more unique. If you're not a big red wine fan, they also have an outstanding Sauvignon Blanc that is unlike most you've ever tried (it's made from a somewhat less common clone).
Fee: $15 to $25 - APPOINTMENT NEEDED - Must call ahead. Closed Sundays
Family run, Raymond has been producing high quality wines in Napa for five generations. They have different quality levels (priced from $15 to $50), with wines for every palate - white, rosé, red and dessert. The people who work the tasting bar are always very friendly and knowledgeable about their wines. If you want to tour a winery, they offer a good one - but you must call and book in advance.
Fee: $10 to $15 - No appointment needed
4) Lunch: Sandwiches at Oakville Grocery
If you want to sit down and burn money in a restaurant, Napa is a great place for it. There are tons of restaurants. But if you want an outstanding sandwich that you can relax and eat at your leisure, then look no further than Oakville Grocery. This place tends to get very crowded, but it is well worth the wait. Grab a sandwich to go and find a picnic table to enjoy.
As for where to eat your sandwiches, head back north a few miles, just above Raymond Vineyards. You will see big signs on your right for V. Sattui winery. They have nice grounds and lots of picnic tables. There are many signs that say not to bring in food and only to eat what you buy there, so of course do not take advantage of their many tables and large parking lot. Don't sit down with your friends and enjoy your delicious Oakville Grocery sandwich. It's important to obey the signs. And if you didn't quite get enough to eat from Oakville Grocery, there is a gourmet grocery store, Dean and Deluca, across the street from V. Sattui, where you can find plenty of pasta salads, dessert items and more.
For something a little different, Trefethen has one of California's few dry Rieslings. If you are unfamiliar with Riesling (a white wine) or think that they are always sickeningly sweet, then you must try this wine. It's a perfect after lunch refresher. They also run the gamut, and do Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a few smaller production wines as well. The winery itself is one of the older ones in Napa, built in 1886, and is now the only 19th-centrury, wooden, gravity-flow winery surviving in Napa County (ask them to explain gravity-flow to you).
Fee: $10 to $20 - No appointment needed
High quality sparkling wine can definitely be found outside of France, and Domaine Carneros offers some of the best that is produced in the US. It is owned by the famous Champagne house Taittinger. (If you don't think you like sparkling wine, keep reading and visit this place anyway - they make a mean Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and you just might like their bubbly anyway.) This is a perfect place to end any trip to Napa. Partly because ending the day outside on a gorgeous terrace while drinking bubbly and sampling some of their cheese, caviar or smoked salmon is just something worth experiencing, but also because most wineries close around 4:00 PM in Napa and Domaine Carneros is open until 6:00 PM.
Fee: $15 to $25 - No appointment needed (They do offer tours by appointment if you want to learn about the sparkling wine making process.)
Remember to bring a designated driver or hire a limo. Limos are surprisingly cheap when split among a group of friends.
