The Best Napa Wineries to Visit

As I mentioned in my San Fransisco Travel Guide, our next stop was to Napa Valley, California. The Napa landscape is like no other. It’s serene, breathtaking, and truly feels like you’ve traveled to another country. As a world-famous wine growing region, there are countless wineries to choose from. With only two days to enjoy the area, here are some of the best Napa wineries to visit!

This is a partnered post. All opinions are my own.

The Best Napa Wineries to Visit

Our visit was during the beginning of June when the weather is typically cooler (almost fall-like), however, we must’ve brought the Florida heat with us, as the temps were nearing 90 and 100 each day. We heard many grumbles from locals who were not particularly enthused about the warmer temps, but it felt like home to us. 😉

Napa Valley Tips:

• Bring a sweater or cardigan and a pair of pants due to the valley’s typical cooler temps, and wear comfortable walking shoes.
• We also suggest using a car service to get around. There are a variety of wine tour services, or you can create your own itinerary as we did, that way you can enjoy each winery without concern of driving under the influence.
• Start early. Many of the wineries close by 4 or 5 pm.
• Buy the wine. Most wineries do not sell to stores, or even online. While there, you can purchase wine and they will ship it home for you to enjoy.

Grgich Hills Estate

Miljenko “Mike” Grgich along with Hills Bros. Coffee family established Grgich Hills in 1977. When visiting this beautiful property, we highly recommend the Unforgettable Tour and Tasting where you’ll hear about Mike’s beginnings and his now-historic Paris Tasting that gave him the international recognition he deserved. The story is quite amazing! After the tour, you’ll enjoy a seated tasting of cheeses paired perfectly with five limited production and specialty wines from Grgich Hills. This is the best way to kick off your Napa wineries experience!

V. Sattui Winery and Market

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, V. Sattui is the place to stop for a beautiful picnic outdoors under the shaded trees. The property is stunning! Just head inside to order a sandwich or freshly made pasta right from the deli, and sample cheeses while you wait for your order. They also have dessert at the end of the counter where you can pick up a delicious treat.

After you’ve enjoyed your lunch, head back in to sample five unique wines of your choosing. V. Sattui has earned the highest recognition in both major national and international wine competitions.

Castello Di Amorosa

The Napa Castle is hands down one of the best Napa wineries and a must-see! Authentically built with bricks from Italy, this Tuscan castle-winery has an unforgettable property to enjoy with a moat, drawbridge, stables and much more. Talk about a picturesque backdrop! You can sample five authentic wines of your choosing at the wine tasting cellar down below.

You can spend hours walking around the beautiful property. And as a reminder, most wineries do not sell directly to stores, so now’s your chance to buy authentic Napa wines! Before you go, stop by the Castello Di Amorosa farm to see goats, ducks, and a few emus too.

Jacuzzi Vineyard & Cline Cellars

As you make your way in or out of Napa Valley, you drive through Sonoma where two vineyards greet you, those are Jacuzzi and Cline Cellars. These two sister properties are another must-visit. Jacuzzi Vineyard gets its name from the creators of the Jacuzzi spa, who also made wine! This Tuscan villa-inspired property has incredible views, along with delicious wine, and is the most highly awarded Olive Oil producer in the nation! There’s even a separate tasting room just for the olive oils.

Once you’ve had your fill of Napa Wineries, head downtown to visit beautiful gardens, boutique shops, and enjoy incredible food! We recommend Ristorante Allegria, an authentic Italian restaurant with an outstanding menu. Spend time walking around the downtown area and as you near the waterfront, you’ll find some tucked away gardens that offer beautiful photo opps.

Napa is a great adult-only vacation and we couldn’t recommend it enough. This is hands down one of our best vacations yet, and that’s saying something, considering we’ve visited Italy twice, as well as Paris, and other destinations.

That wraps up the best Napa Wineries to visit! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

 

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