The Perfect First Time to Napa Valley Itinerary
As an avid wine drinker, I thought it was only fitting that I finally visit the world famous Napa Valley and see some wineries. My first time in Napa Valley was so much more fun than I could have ever imagined. It was the perfect mix of drinking wine, relaxing, learning, good food, and perfect weather. I would highly recommend it if you’re a wine lover and I’ll definitely be back. If it’s your first time in Napa Valley, I’ve compiled the perfect first time to Napa Valley itinerary.
Getting Around Napa Valley
While we were visiting Napa, we had rented a car and it was perfect. If you don’t have someone who’s willing to spit and skip extra pours, definitely get a driver. I have seen bloggers say that you can Uber, and that’s the case IF you only stay in Napa proper. But if you plan to go out to any vineyards, while the odds of you getting a ride out there are pretty good, the odds of you getting a ride home, that’s a longer shot! And if you head out to St. Helena or Spring Mountain (which you totally have to), it’s likely you will get stranded. Although there are uglier places to be trapped, don’t end up in this situation.
Where to Stay in Napa Valley
For your first time in Napa Valley, staying downtown is definitely the way to go. It keeps you close to everything–restaurants, shopping, bars, and of course, tasting rooms.
Being downtown also means you’re walkable to most things, which is always nice, but especially when you want to enjoy a glass of rosé starting at 11am. We opted to stay at the Archer, and it was a wonderful experience. The rooms were big, and the beds were so comfy. The decor was modern and fresh. My favorite parts were the huge bathtub (the largest we had ever seen) and the balcony with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. California is all about indoor-outdoor living, so the balcony made this room the best. The hotel gym was incredible, the restaurants were tasty (we ate breakfast there everyday), and I would definitely stay there again.
If you’ve been to Napa several times, you may want to stay somewhere farther out of downtown and closer to vineyards. If you do, you’ll have fewer options for food and shopping. It will also make driving a must. This is why downtown is the best choice if it’s your first time to Napa, so you can experience all that Napa has to offer.
Napa definitely has the party scene that reminds me of my years living in Vegas. There are a lot of 20-somethings and bachelorette parties of people trying to drink as much as possible. But there’s also the flip side of people who take their wine education and drinking very seriously.
I love being around people who have a passion for wine.
It makes wine tasting that much more fun, and it’s so enjoyable to taste with people who treat wine-tasting like a sport. They get up early, are at the gym by 6am, and ready in the hotel lobby by 8:30am with a full breakfast in their bellies so they can start drinking red wine.
First time to Napa Valley Must See Wineries
Smith Madrone -The Best Family Run Winery in Napa Valley
I love a family business and had heard a great interview with Stu Smith on Wine for Normal People on Smith Madrone about the very real challenges for the small wineries in Napa. This made me want to support a small winery and go taste the wine of Smith’s, someone who is so deeply rooted in Napa’s wine culture and has been there since it came to life in the 70’s.
Smith Madrone is located on Spring Mountain. The roads are very windy, turning up and down the mountain. One minute you’re in the foliage and the next you make a turn that overlooks the valley with endless rows of vines. The drive to the winery was just as scenic as the view from the top of the hill. This road to Spring Mountain used to be called the prettiest road in California, but the wildfires in 2020 have taken their toll. And while you can tell the fires were there, it’s still an incredible drive. There are burn scars here and there, but there are still plenty of trees and rows of vines that curve all up and down the hills.
As soon as we arrived at Smith Madrone, we were greeted by the winery dog, Tucker, who belongs to Stu, one of the owners who are brothers. I’m a huge dog person, so being greeted by Tucker already made me feel at home. Stu does a lot of the work on the vines and Charlie runs the tours. I could tell the winery was special by the group of people at the tasting. While many wineries in Napa attract bachelorette parties, girls’ trips, and couples, our group was eclectic and even had an Italian nonna who didn’t speak any English.
The tasting was in the room where they age all of the wine. In fact, that’s their only room on the vineyard. It was cool and dark inside, with a cement floor and lined with barrels. It was the perfect backdrop to our tasting. The tasting was informative, telling us about the history of Napa and the way they make wine. Charlie is such a character and a wonderful host. When it came to tasting, the riesling there was my favorite.
During the tasting we learned that you can age their award-winning riesling for years and years–so we bought a few bottles to try it out. Charlie took us out to the vineyard to look at the vines and also to see the spectacular view at the top of the hill of the vines curving over the hillside. The whole experience was so much fun–we could have been there for hours, but had another reservation to get to.
If you’re looking for a small family-owned winery that’s down to earth where you get to learn a lot, you need to head to Smith Madrone to experience the views, the wine, and the education for yourself. Make sure to make a reservation in advance, because as a small winery, space is very limited and you’ll want to add it to your Napa Valley itinerary.
Opus One–the must-see luxury wine estate in Napa Valley
One of the must-see wineries in Napa if you’re looking for a luxurious experience is Opus One. Opus only makes one wine a year, and the blend always varies based on the grapes and winemaker’s preference. It’s delicious wine and very expensive. Since Opus (or wines like it) aren’t a price point of wine we can drink frequently, I thought it would be fun to check out the estate.
The architecture of the estate is not just stunning, but clever. A bird’s-eye view of the estate shows that it’s shaped like a wine glass, and the cellars with the barrels all sitting in the glass. Inside the estate it’s as much a tasting house as it is a work of art and museum.
The tasting was a one-of-a-kind experience.
Visiting Opus is definitely a splurge, but it’s worth it. Do it when you don’t have to be anywhere afterwards–you can hang out on the grounds and take your time sipping, taking it all in, and snapping photos.
When you make an appointment at Opus (no walk-ins), splurge on the “Opus One Experience”. For this tasting you are set up with your own personal Estate Ambassador. We had Caleb, and he stayed with us for the entirety of our tasting. He was wonderful, teaching us about the wines and bringing us a new glass when we moved from inside to the patio outside. He also took us on a tour of the tanks and barrels. The service at Opus is special because being a host at Opus is a coveted position–many sommeliers have worked there for 20+ years. Connecting with Caleb and learning about his career and his goals of retiring in wine country were just as much fun as the tasting. This to me is what wine tasting is about. Opus provided both unparalleled service and an experience I’ll never forget.
Chateau Montelena–The most scenic winery and beautiful views
Chateau Montelena is the famous winery whose Chardonnay put Napa Valley on the map for international wine recognition back in the 70’s. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, immediately drop everything and watch the story of California wineries on Amazon Prime, Bottle Shock. The movie was filmed on site, so you can appreciate the wonderful architecture of the building, a modern chateau-esque style–think French chateau meets English Gothic castle.
We were lucky enough to drop in without an appointment and get right into a tasting. (You can book an appointment online, but they also do take some walk-ins.) Tash, the sommelier who helped us, has worked there for years. He was so energetic and passionate–one of those knowledgeable service industry pros who loves what they do and makes you fall in love with the whole place. Once he found out we were from Seattle, we started chatting about Walla Walla wine (and how it’s definitely the best in the country😉) which was SO fun. Wine tasting is fun, but to me, wine education while tasting is what wine is really all about.
Best Eclectic Tasting Room in Napa Valley-Vintner’s Collective
Besides Chateau Montelena, Smith Madrone, and Opus, I wasn’t sure where else I wanted to go. I’m a big Washington wine fan and I wanted to book another tasting for Napa, but I wanted something close to downtown so that my partner would get a break from driving. I’m so happy I stumbled upon Vintner’s Collective downtown. They do customized tastings, and you can just walk in.
This is exactly what we did, and I’m so glad this was a part of our downtown Napa Valley itinerary. The bartender was awesome. She asked us what we wanted and poured my partner and me different things so we could try different wines. Once she learned we had our sommelier level 1’s, it was game on! We got to try so many different things. Some I loved, some I didn’t. But with each pour, she learned what our palates preferred, and we got to try more and more things we liked.
One of the local winemakers was even behind the bar that day. He makes all his own wine and has no employees–he does it all himself! Of course we tried some of his wine. It was so cool to chat and sip his wine. We bought a bottle of dessert wine since it was different and we needed a souvenir (obviously), and we ended up filling up our box of souvenir wine to take home.
Little known fact–if you fly Alaska Airlines, you can check a case of wine for free on any domestic flight. So of course we had a box for 12 wines and slowly filled it up over the trip.
Best food stops for your Itinerary in Napa Valley
Torc Napa
I had read so much about Torc Napa that I thought it was going to be my favorite in Napa. It’s a contemporary American restaurant. And while it was good and worth a visit, I think Los Agaves and Scala Osteria are the ones NOT to be missed.
Los Agaves
Los Agaves is a must-visit in Napa. We discovered this place when we were on the street talking about where to eat when a local woman in a Napa Ambassador tee overhead us talking about food. She told us we had to head to Los Agaves. At Los Agaves, I was delighted to find that the salsa was fresh, the tacos were to die for, and wow I loved that spicy pineapple margarita after a long day of red wine. My only wish is that we had discovered this stop before our last night so we could have gone there more than once.
Scala Osteria
Scala Osteria is an Amalfi Coast inspired restaurant with fresh seafood, pasta, and pizza. The lemon ravioli and pizza are both phenomenal. It was nice to find a spot with good Italian because we can never get enough of it, but we also had some great cocktails and service. I had a classic negroni and it was delicious. For dessert I tried the tiramisu espresso martini which was also super tasty–and filling!
Oxbow Public Market
Oxbow Public Market is the best spot if you’ve got a group that wants options. It’s a large indoor market, and they have everything from coffee to Mexican food. It’s easily walkable from downtown and a good spot for lunch or shopping if you’re looking for a non-wine activity.
We bought souvenirs and some Italian pasta to take home, and we had lunch at Gott’s Roadside.
If you’re looking for a great burger, milkshake, and fries at the market, Gott’s Roadside is a terrific find. It’s quick and casual–a perfect lunch spot for between tastings. They have locations in both Napa and in St. Helena.
My favorite sweet treat stop in all of Napa was also at the market– Kara’s Cupcakes. The cupcakes were fresh and they had all types of yummy flavors. We got several minis to try different flavors.
Brix
On our travels between tastings, we stopped for a farm-to-table lunch at Brix–which is gorgeous. It’s in St. Helena, close to Opus One. The patio overlooks their garden full of roses, flowers, herbs, and veggies. It spans 16 acres and if the weather is right you need to sit outside. The service is good, the food is fresh, and the wine list is extensive. We ordered burgers and fries, and they were great.
My first time in Napa Valley was a blast.
From the downtown charm to the stunning views I loved every minute of our Napa itinerary. I’ll always be a Washington wine girlie, but Napa, you’ve definitely stolen a piece of my heart. And of course, we have that box of Napa wine to hold us over until the next trip!
