If you’re reading this, hopefully you are planning a trip to Napa very soon. If you’re not, after reading this post, along with our other Travel Tuesday posts on San Francisco and Sonoma, you will plan a trip soon. The team at EatMore DrinkMore would like to remind you that all of us make excellent travel companions and would be willing to accept a free trip out west, if you are interested in having an expert and excellent companionship.
Before your trip to Napa, I would suggest you watch the movie Bottle Shock — a great film that covers a bit of the history of how California became so prominent in the global wine industry. I would suggest that you NOT watch Sideways, because if you do, you will likely only drink Pinot Noir on your visit and will skip any Merlot tastings. There are too many good wines in Napa to limit yourself to only drinking Pinot Noir.
Napa is a food and wine lover’s vacation paradise. Your days are spent leisurely visiting beautiful vineyards, drinking copious amount of wine, breaking for a quick nap, and finishing your day with a long, luxurious dinner at one of the many excellent restaurants in the Napa Valley.
Sleep:
Napa has a variety of hotels and B&B’s to fit every budget. We stayed at the Westin Napa Versara, partly because it is a beautiful hotel in a great location in downtown Napa, and partly because we are obsessed with Starwood (gotta rack up those points!). It is a fantastic hotel, beautiful furnished, and happened to be empty when we stayed there in March, which was nice for us. Our hotel room was actually a one-bedroom condo with a full kitchen. We took full advantage and had breakfast in our hotel room most days before departing on our wine tastings.
If your goal while in Napa is to dine at The French Laundry, I would suggest trying a hotel in Yountville. Many of the hotels there have connections with the restaurant and can help you secure a reservation at this fine dining institution.
If corporate hotels are not your thing, Britt recommends that you check out Masa House, a beautiful vacation rental, with a bocce ball court, that is very reasonably priced.
Eat:
With so many amazing restaurants in such a small area, we could not possibly cover all of the great restaurants to enjoy. This is a list of some of our favorites.
Ad Hoc – 6476 Washington Street, Yountville, CA
- One of the cheapest Thomas Keller restaurants, 4 courses $49 per person family style — a fantastic deal.
- If you have read this blog, you know that we adore this cookbook. The food is amazing. Be sure to check out their fried chicken dinners on Mondays. Note: They are closed Tuesday & Wednesday
Taylor Automatic Refresher -933 Main Street, St Helena, CA, or 644 First Street, Napa, CA
- Fantastic burgers. They are famous for their Ahi Tuna Burgers
- They serve sweet potato fries. My weakness.
Zuzu – 829 Main Street, Napa, CA
- Really great tapas located in downtown Napa.
- Try the ceviche…it features different seafood every night.
Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen – 1327 Railroad Ave, St. Helena, CA
- Chef Cindy Pawlcyn is a Napa Valley icon. She has a several restaurants in Napa, including Mustards Grill, Go Fish. Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen is her latest venture.
- Try the duck burger…AMAZING!
BarbersQ – 3900 D Bel Aire Plaza, Napa, CA
- Some of the best BBQ we’ve ever had. A great casual meal after a long day of wine tasting! Try the brisket sandwich. Sides are great, especially the mac and cheese.
Bouchon – 6534 Washington St, Yountville, CA
- Classic French fare by culinary god Chef Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame.
- We went there for lunch and sat on the open patio. The bread is delicious.
- If you can’t go to Bouchon, pick up a pastry from next door Bouchon Bakery!
- Nice spot for a light breakfast.
V. Sattui -111 White Lane, St Helena, CA
- Winery and Deli with really good sandwiches
- This is a perfect place to stop and enjoy a picnic or get some food in your stomach after all of those wine tastings.
Do:
Clearly, if you’re going to Napa you are going to be visiting wineries. Don’t worry, we have included a list of our favorites. However, if you need a break from drinking, make sure to check out the electric bike rentals in Yountville. Britt says that was the best part of her trip to Napa. I would also highly recommend that you drive to Muir Woods and explore the giant redwoods. While you’re there, head over to In-N-Out and get a “double-double-animal-style” for me.
As far as spas go, I don’t have one to recommend. If you want to a great spa, leave us a comment. I normally have a policy of “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”, BUT, I would caution against going to Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa. We went because they had a favorable Yelp review and, well, they were cheap. We had a horrible experience, and frankly, the mud baths they are famous for, grossed us out. It reminded us of the elephant room at the National Zoo. That’s all I have to say about that.
Make sure to have a designated driver when you are hopping from vineyard to vineyard. If you don’t want to drive, I would highly recommend you check out Platypus Tours. It’s a really good tour and they took us to several wineries off the beaten path that we really enjoyed.
Drink:
Vine Cliff
We visited both large and small wineries, and overall, we enjoyed the smaller wineries more. We appreciated the intimate feel of the wineries, and were able to chat with the actual wine makers rather than shuffle through a self-guided tour with 100 other tourists. Many wineries request that you make a reservation. Don’t be scared; go ahead and make a reservation. Chances are that you will have the place to yourself. Most of the wineries are easily accessible from the main road (29) and the Silverado Trail.
Napa Wineries:
Vine Cliff (by appt)- 7400 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA
- Small vineyard with gorgeous grounds off the Silverado Trail.
- Amazing Cabernet. Ilyssa and I are wine members of their wine club.
- Very small tasting room that was recently remodeled, an appointment lets you have a much personal tasting experience.
Sterling – 1111 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga, CA
- One of the larger vineyards we visited.
- They are known for their cable car ride which offers unparalleled views of the Napa Valley.
Cakebread (by appt) – 8300 St.Helena Hwy, Rutherford, CA
- Who doesn’t love Cakebread wine? Great tour, and even better wine.
- Try the Rubaiyat.
Domain Chandon 1 California Drive, Yountville, CA
- Sparkling wine. Their wine is readily available in the DC area, so you will be able to purchase it once you get home.
- Gorgeous grounds.
Jessup Cellars – 6740 Washington St, Yountville, CA
- Not a winery, but a tasting room located down the street from the French Laundry in Yountville.
- Every wine is exceptional; the winemaker here used to work at Opus One.
- Get information on the wine club; Missy is a member.
- Call ahead for a table where they provide a gorgeous cheese plate!
Lava Vine – 965 Silverado Trail, Calistoga, CA
- Exclusive, small production winery. All organic.
- We bought a bottle of the Syrah. It was delicious.
Arger-Martucci Winery - 1455 Inglewood Avenue, St. Helena, CA
- Beautiful outdoor (poolside) tastings; great in the summer!
Trefethen Family Vineyards – 1160 Oak Knoll Avenue, Napa, CA
- Gorgeous vineyard – feels like you are in Tuscany
Hagafen Cellars – 4160 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA
- One of two kosher wineries in Napa
- Take the tour and learn about the process of making wines
- Really wonderful wines; many have been served in the White House!
Hill Family Vineyards – 6512 Washington St, Yountville, CA
- Tasting room in Yountville, combined with a lovely antique shop
- Excellent Syrah
Vintner’s Collective – 1245 Main St, Napa, VA
- Features 18 different wineries
- Housed in the oldest stone building in Napa
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
is it possible to get mustards grill recipe for 3 cheese mac n cheese with the bread crumbs?
We can try. I will reach out to them and let you know.
Would it be possible to get the Mustard’s Grill recipe for three cheese mac n cheese with bread crumbs, please? This was the best I have ever tasted.
Thank you
Roy Schoen
I emailed them, and never heard back