Grab some wine because it’s going to be a long read!
Wow, what an amazing trip! Going to Napa has always been on my bucket list and I’m so happy I checked it off so soon! (I reallyyyy hope to check it off a few more times in the near future too! Hint hint, Blake!) LOL!
Let me start by saying Napa was absolutely beautiful! It was incredibly clean and also so quaint! We were unfortunately visiting a day or so after the devastating wildfire took place in California. The air quality was extremely smokey and thick which limited the views and outside experience. People were even wearing masks because the air quality was deemed to be unsafe. This issue limited our tasting experience outside, but we did our best to push through explore even though air quality was an issue.
Brix Napa Valley Grille
The first full day after traveling we had lunch at Brix Napa Valley Grille. The food was excellent and the restaurant overlooked their personal garden. We were allowed to walk around and explore the grounds before and after our meal. Brix uses this garden for mostly all their cooking ingredients. Here are some images below of the space.
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Far Niente
After lunch we had our first tasting at Far Niente. This winery was by far my favorite experience we had in Napa. The property looked like it was straight out of a fairytale! The landscaping was outstanding and the tour was very detailed. Our tour guide took us down into the caves that were multiple football fields long. The caves are where the vineyard stores the wine… and it smelled absolutely incredible! We joked that the Far Niente needed to bottle up the scent and sell it in candle form! We topped off our personal tour with a wine tasting and cheese pairing. The view from our tasting spot was perfect and the wine was even better. This first stop to Far Niente really set the bar so high for the following tastings.
Talk about a grand entrance driveway!
After the tasting I made Blake take pictures with me by the pond! LOL It was so pretty – I couldn’t pass it up!
This whole estate was so magical! If you only pick one spot to visit, put this on your list! 🙂
Turnbull
The next stop of the day was to Turnbull vineyard. We had a great time here as well, but by this point we were feeling pretty warm and fuzzy. We enjoyed our tour, but this vineyard had a totally different feel to it. The whole production of Turnbull takes place on the property – including bottling. It was neat to see how they create their delicious wine. Our tour guide even let us pick a few grapes off the vines to eat on site! The grapes tasted so good – we all wished we could have had more than one!
https://www.turnbullwines.com/visit-us/
Hi, Erin! (Erin was one of the wives/friends we traveled with)
This was Napa! Laughing and an empty glass of wine
We capped off the day with dinner at the Farm at Carneros. I somehow did not take any pictures of the evening. However, the food and wine (of course) were outstanding and we had a great time.
Full Second day – OXBOW Public Market
The second day started out with an early breakfast and stroll around town. It was freezing on this morning and the sun was still shielded by thick smoke in the air. If you ever stay in downtown Napa… you must walk to the OXBOW public market. We got coffee at a cute little bakery called Model Bakery and the line was out the door.
Inside of OXBOW market are a handful of shops and several places to eat breakfast. Visiting the market was a great way to explore the town, do a little early morning shopping, and get breakfast. Here are some images below from our stroll around town that morning.
Cru at the Annex is a wine lounge. We didn’t go inside during this visit but it has such a cute vibe to it.
V. Sattui Winery
For lunch we went to this beautiful and charming spot called V. Sattui Winery. This winery is located in St. Helena and they offer a few different things to do there. Of course they host wine tours and pairings, but there is also have an Artisan Deli and Marketplace on location. We decided to purchase food at the deli and had a picnic on their stunning and spacious grounds. (They offer weddings here if you’re interested! LOL I joked to Blake I wanted to renew our vows there because it was SO BEAUTIFUL!)
Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Our first tasting stop for day two was at Joseph Phelps Vineyards. This location was one of the best sites to see. As you pull up you immediately enter this beautiful structure and greenery you see below. Then you walk out to a balcony that overlooks their own vineyard. The view was a jaw dropper, but it was hard for us to see far from the wildfire smoke. We were told we had to complete our tasting inside due to the air quality. However, we did sneak outside for a bit towards the end. Joseph Phelps offers lounge seating with sun umbrellas overlooking the vineyard were you can take in the view with a bottle of wine.
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Heitz Cellar
Our second tasting stop of the day was to Heitz Cellar. I found it interesting how each vineyard and tasting space has their own distinct aesthetic that fits their brand so well. Not a single visit was the same which made it so much fun! At this location we pulled up and it was directly across from Hall Vineyard. They had a massive bunny statue that you could see all the way onto the Heitz property. It was beautiful, but talk about a power play! LOL
This tasting had a smaller more intimate feel to it. The wine was excellent (as it also was everywhere else). We found the prices here to be more friendly as well. We were a group of six so we had to stand and taste. (Napa tastings spaces are designed more friendly for couples or a group of four.)
Rombauer Vineyards
The last tasting spot of day two was an impromptu visit – which is always the best kind of fun! We were in the mood to sit and share a bottle or two of wine with a view. Most of these vineyards I’ve listed previously allow you to buy a bottle and drink at their location as well. However, we always had another tasting appointment to get to.
Visiting Rombauer was so fun! It was more of a (classy) bar vibe then a tasting experience I would say. (Which there is nothing wrong with that!) The view was great from their balcony since the location was high in the hills – even though it was obstructed from all the wildfire smoke in the air.
Dinner
After a long day out and about, we picked a dinner location that was close to our hotel. The couples decided to each have a date night this evening, so Blake took me to sushi restaurant called Eiko’s. The food was good and the perfect meal after a long weekend of heavy eating.
Downtown Napa
We stayed in the heart of downtown Napa. This was a fun experience to be able to walk around the town and explore. I was impressed how clean the streets were! During our visit, Napa was also hosting the Napa Film Festival. There was a little bit of a buzz going around about all the actors in town!
While exploring, I also found a really cute antique shop! I love antique shopping- especially when I’m in another town or state. Unfortunately, the shop was closed while we were out that morning, so I didn’t get to go in. Although, I did peep into the window and it looked like they had some great treasures! If you’re ever in town- stop by the shop Antiques on Second.
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Breakfast – Downtown Napa
For breakfast on our last day we stopped into Jax Diner. It was incredibleeeee! I highly recommend breakfast here if you are looking for a good morning cocktail and delicious food!
Hotel Stay
The first few days we stayed at the Hilton. It was nice but the rooms weren’t as beautiful as the lobby. We had already planned to switch hotels on our last evening there due to a booking availability issue.
Our second hotel was called the Andaz, and I secretly wished we had stayed there the whole weekend. The lobby and rooms had a more modern feel and it was more of a boutique hotel vibe.
Don’t get me wrong… The Westin was beautiful place to stay too, but the Andaz hotel had a more unique feel to it.
It felt like we could have stayed one more day and it would have been the perfect length! We can’t wait to visit Napa again one day soon!
Until then… Cheers, friends!