My husband and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary this year and decided to mark this special milestone with a long weekend away in Napa Valley, California (without kids!) While we typically gravitate towards beach and adventure type trips as a family, we thought a weekend of wine tasting would be a great change of pace and a fun way to share a new experience together as a couple.
We booked our trip to Napa Valley during peak harvest season, which meant that nearly every vineyard was full of lush, ripe grapes ready to be picked. During our trip, we had fantastic weather in the mid-70’s, but as you can imagine, the fall harvest season draws large crowds and the hotels are more expensive than other times of the year. If you aren’t sure when to book, I would recommend taking all factors into consideration (ie. budget, weather, crowds) and determine which comes first on your priority list to make a decision.
THE HOTEL
To start, I wanted to share a little more about our boutique hotel, Harvest Inn. I must have looked at dozens of hotels before I finally decided on this one in St Helena. I wanted a hotel that was charming and authentic, yet romantic and luxurious. The hotel had to be centrally located, but I also wanted fantastic vineyard views right from my room. I can honestly say that Harvest Inn checked all of those boxes, and much more. We stayed in a Vineyard View King Room with a private patio and a brick, wood-burning fireplace. Our stay at Harvest Inn was quiet and relaxing and we loved having access to luxury resort amenities, without having to stay at a large, corporate hotel.
THE WINERIES
We put so much time and thought into researching the vineyards and wineries we visited during our trip to Napa Valley. Since it was our first time to this region, we definitely wanted to include some of the landmark wineries on our itinerary, but also wanted a mix of some smaller wineries as well. We loved seeing the differences between each of the properties and felt like we learned something new at each stop, whether it was about wine, food pairings or the history of Napa Valley. See below for my recap on each of the wineries we visited and keep scrolling to see our full trip itinerary.
Domaine Carneros
The property is truly impressive as you drive up to Domaine Carneros. It is set off of a main road in the Carneros region, which is known for growing many of the more delicate grapes used to make champagne and different kinds of pinot. We made a reservation for a terrace tasting at Domaine Carneros, which allowed us to sit at a private terrace table where we could order off of a menu with wines by the glass, flights of wine and a few appetizers. The view on the terrace was beautiful with rolling hills of vineyards all around the property. My only hesitation with recommending this winery is that it did feel a little touristy and busy, and was not quite as authentic as many of the other properties we visited during our trip.
Price: $30 for a flight of 5 wines. Reservations required.
Inglenook
We thought Inglenook was a true hidden gem in Napa Valley. Although they do offer a variety of tours, Inglenook also allows walk-ins, where you have the option to choose from a tasting, tour, or just wine by the glass in their bistro. We ended up with extra time on our first day in Napa Valley, so we decided to stop by Inglenook to see the property and try their wine. We loved that we could order a glass of wine at the bistro and then stroll around their beautiful property. The main building is covered in ivy and their trellised terrace acts as a frame to the rolling vineyards and mountains in the distance. Although reservations are not needed, the winery does require you to check in at a front reception to enter the gates of the property, which helps to limit crowds and prevent the experience from feeling touristy once on the property.
Price: Wine by the glass starting at $12. Reservations not required to enjoy the on-site bistro.
Chateau Montelena Winery
Chateau Montelena Winery is a stunning property featuring a historic stone castle built into a hillside. To me, it was the most beautiful winery we visited during our trip. This was our first stop of the day in Calistoga, which was about 20 miles north of where we stayed in St Helena. I wasn’t sure if the extra driving time would be worth it on our itinerary, but I can say with certainty that the drive was more than worth it. We did a walk-in tasting at Chateau Montelena and honestly learned so much in the 30 minutes we spent there. Each wine was better than the next and we thoroughly enjoyed hearing about how the different climate in Calistoga helps them to create the various types of wines they offer. It was also interesting to hear the story of how Chateau Montelena helped to put Napa Valley on the map after winning the “Judgment of Paris” wine competition in 1976.
Price: $30 per person for the current release tasting. Reservations not required for walk-in tasting.
Sterling Vineyards
While many of their wines are readily available for purchase at local stores all over the country, I heard so many wonderful things about Sterling Vineyards that we had to make it a stop during our stay in Napa Valley. Like Chateau Montelena, Sterling Vineyards was also located in Calistoga. Their property offers an aerial tram tour to the top of the mountain where you can choose from different types of tastings and tours. We chose the Diamond Mountain Terrace Experience, which included 7 wine samples, a self-guided tour of the wine making facility and beautiful vineyard views from two different terraces where you could sit and enjoy the wine and some snack plates too. The views were phenomenal and we loved being able to explore the property on our own with information at each stop to learn more about the wine making process.
Price: $45 per person. Reservations required.
V Sattui
V Sattui turned out to be our least favorite stop of the entire trip. It was incredibly crowded and extremely touristy. We hated the feeling of being shuffled around, rushed and forced to wait in endless lines that made it feel more like we were visiting a theme park, rather than enjoying a nice picnic lunch in a quaint winery, which was what we were expecting. The property is unique in the fact that they have a deli on-site, which we did not encounter at any other winery we visited. If you don’t do a formal tasting then you are asked to purchase a $20 voucher to enter the property. The voucher can be used towards any purchase of on-site food, wine or souvenirs. We ended up eating a flatbread pizza as quickly as we could, and left immediately afterwards, which gave us the opportunity to stop by our hotel room to rest before our afternoon winery reservations.
Price: $20 per person to enter property that goes towards any on-site purchase. Reservations not required.
Robert Mondavi
Robert Mondavi Winery is a true landmark of Napa Valley, and one we knew we did not want to miss since it was our first trip to this area. We went in a bit skeptical that it could be overly touristy and found ourselves pleasantly surprised with the experience. Rather than committing to a formal hour and a half tour, instead we elected to do a 30 minute walk-in tour that covered the history of the winery, the vineyards, a little about the wine making process and ended in the barrel room. The tour was led by a very knowledgeable and passionate staff member and included two tastings as we walked through the property with a group of 15 people. Robert Mondavi is a very large winery, but also a great one to see so you have a comparison to some of the smaller properties in Napa Valley.
Price: $25 per person for a 30 minute walk-in tour. Reservations not required.
Cakebread Cellers
When planning our trip, Cakebread Cellers was one of the wineries we were most excited to visit. My husband lived in California for nearly a decade and was familiar with their wines, so we decided to book a full tasting at this property. The current release tasting was semi-private at a small counter with five other people. While every wine we tasted was delicious, the experience was somewhat underwhelming. The winery is undergoing construction, so perhaps once that is complete, there will be something more memorable about the property.
Price: $50 per person for the current release tasting. Reservation required.
Stags’ Leap Winery
Without a doubt, Stags’ Leap Winery was our very favorite stop and also the most enlightening tour during our trip! We booked an hour and a half Estate Tour and Tasting at this property, which was truly an intimate experience. In fact, due to the remote road leading to the winery, the county only allows up to 40 visitors to the winery per day, so it is a vast change of pace from the larger wineries. Our tour guide was a wonderful host, who shared insight into the history of the 125 year old winery, the tale of how the name came to be, details on the estate vineyard, and most notably, kept the wine flowing throughout the entire tour. I especially loved learning that the property once had an underground speakeasy during the prohibition era. The wines were delicious and it was so relaxing to end the tour with wine and snacks at a table on the Manor House patio with gorgeous views of the mountains and vineyards.
Price: $65 per person. Reservations required.
Silverado Vineyards
A fun fact about this property is that it is actually owned by the Disney family! We very much enjoyed our time at Silverado Vineyards. We booked a private terrace tableside tasting, so we essentially were able to relax in the beautiful California weather while sipping a flight of five wines at our leisure. I wouldn’t say that the wines were my favorite or that we learned all that much, but it was nice to have a stop in our itinerary that was so relaxing. Despite the association with the Disney family, the property is not at all touristy and the views were some of the best of the trip.
Price: $50 per person. Reservations required for the terrace tasting, though there is an option for a walk-in casual tasting.
Robert Sinskey Vineyards
Robert Sinskey Vineyards came highly recommended to us, but despite our best efforts, we weren’t able to fit in a full tour, so instead we did a walk-in tasting. We loved that the walk-in wine tasting included a small plate of snacks with the flight of five wines. The atmosphere was lively and the servers behind the bar were knowledgeable and attentive. This was a quick and easy stop with high quality wine, which was exactly what we were hoping for to fill this slot in our itinerary.
Price: $40 for a flight of five wines. Reservations not required for walk-in tasting.
Frog’s Leap Winery
Walking into Frog’s Leap Winery felt something like walking into a family member’s home. It was charming and beautiful, and yet still homey and welcoming. We reserved a garden tasting for this winery and were delighted with the entire experience. Upon checking in with the host at the farmhouse, we were escorted outside to a bar in the middle of a lush garden. We were given our first tasting, and then had the opportunity to explore the grounds of property while sipping our wine, only returning when we needed our glasses refilled. There were flowers, fruit trees, fountains, a chicken coop, and around just about every corner, there were plenty of private seating options to just sit and breathe in the experience.
Price: $25 per person. Reservations required.
THE ITINERARY
THE DRIVER
One thing that greatly enhanced our trip was the decision to hire a private driver for two days of wine tasting. We visited 5-6 wineries each of those days, so it allowed us to sip, savor and enjoy the wine at each our stops without having to worry about how to get to our next destination. We hired Dennis from Napa Driving Services as our driver, and the experience was wonderful from the initial contact all the way through the final drop off at our hotel once our wine tastings concluded. Dennis was professional, friendly and very timely. With his service, he drives your rental car instead of his own car, which helps to keep the costs lower than using a limo service. Dennis offered suggestions of wineries to visit and carried menus of the local restaurants so we could pick our lunch stops each day. If you are considering hiring a driver for your Napa Valley trip, I highly recommend Dennis from Napa Valley Driving Services.
Price: $40 per hour, 6 hour minimum.
THE FOOD
One of my favorite things about traveling is trying new restaurants. There were so many great dining options to choose from in Napa Valley and we were thrilled with the three restaurants we chose for dinners during our getaway. We looked for restaurants that served top-notch food in a unique and inviting atmosphere (no drawn out 7-course meals for us!) We also tried to change up the cuisine each night for more variety. See below for my recap on each of the restaurants we enjoyed.
Farmstead
Located in the heart of St Helena, this farm-to-table concept restaurant was the epitome of understated elegance. The dishes on the menu boasted fresh, seasonal ingredients straight from their farm, ranch and vineyards. I enjoyed the yukon gold gnocchi dish, while my husband ordered the freshly smoked ribs. The service, ambience and food all made for a wonderful and memorable night.
Bouchon
Bouchon is Michelin star restaurant with a swanky and opulent Parisian atmosphere. The menu features authentic French bistro cuisine that is customarily found in Europe. The menu is packed with an array of creative dishes, however I settled on a pan-seared flat iron steak with truffle French fries and my husband went with the the Truite Amandine, a trout dish served with a toasted almond butter sauce. We ended the dinner with a crème brulee (which was delicious!) The food exceeded our expectations and the service was attentive, yet not overbearing, allowing us to enjoy a romantic dinner together.
Bottega
Bottega goes down as my favorite dinner of the trip. On the third night of dining out, we finally learned how great it was to take advantage of bringing our own wine to dinner. A little known fact about Napa Valley is that nearly every restaurant will allow you to bring your own wine to enjoy with your meal and charges a small fee to uncork the bottle. My husband and I sat in a corner booth near the patio and loved seeing the ambient lighting just outside the window. Our booth was private, our server was attentive and professional and most importantly, our meals were superb. My husband enjoyed a seafood pasta, while I opted for a browned butter ravioli dish.
If you have made it this far, thank you for taking time to read the recap of our anniversary getaway in Napa Valley! I hope you found some of the insight helpful and will bookmark this post to reference for a future trip. Please keep in mind that the purpose of this trip was to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary and not to create content, so you will notice that the photos in the post are simply personal iphone snaps that we took to remember our trip. We are already looking to returning to this beautiful wine country region in the future!
Brittney says
Love your gorgeous dresses in all the photos, thanks for your insight!
Dennis McClintick says
Thanks for the wonderful comments. You are a fun couple, can’t wait to drive for you again! 🍷🍷