How to tackle Napa in a day + Cali Update!

Before we talk Napa…a little update!

As some of you may know that I recently relocated to the West Coast for a new job opportunity. I have been here for about 3 months, and can’t believe I’ve lasted this long 🙂 In the three months, I have moved into my very own first apartment, and have been adulting every bit of the way. I wish I could go back in time, and be a young girl with no worries. Since that is not my reality I am taking it one day at a time, and adjusting to West Coast Living. It takes time to adapt to this new life of mine so please excuse me as I get my life together.

Some of the pluses I have experienced so far is being able to have Napa in my backyard! During this time I have made two trips to Napa and don’t see myself getting sick of it anytime soon! There is so much to do and see in Napa, and you can spend more than a day eating and drinking…drinking and eating! The food is fantastic in Napa, and You know the wine is out of this world. By no means am I a Napa expert but I have learned a few things during my two trips, and want to share them with you all.

Have a Budget:

Wine tasting in Napa can get expensive real quick if you don’t have a plan. For starters, most tastings range from $20-30. When I went both times, I planned to hit 4-5 wineries in a day with plans to stop for lunch. Sometimes we would add charcuterie plate to our tasting because when in Rome, right? Once you add the food and fall in love with $25 bottle of wine, you have easily spent $50 at one location. Which is not necessarily a bad thing if you budget to splurge in some places. I also found out that some wineries will offer you tastings for FREE! Yes, girl free 99! I have not had the pleasure of going to a free tasting, but I have had a friend who told me that they were able to check out some free wineries in Napa and Sonoma. Check out an example of free wineries here.

Call Ahead:

When going to Napa, you will run into two types of wineries. Vineyards that require reservations and ones that don’t. The best thing for you to do is map out your wineries, and give them a call and see if reservations are required. It also helps to have a sense of how far each winery is from each other. For both of my trips, we started with the furthest winery and worked our way down.

Castello di Rosa

Designate a Driver or Set up Transportation:

Most of the wineries are spread out, and you can find yourself driving for 20 minutes. The speed limit in Napa is also around 30 miles, and they will pull you over if your speeding. So safety first, and make sure you rotate your drivers or have 1 person be DD for the day. I also saw a lot of buses and limos at wineries so I’m sure there are a bunch of deals where you can arrange transportation and tours with a company. Check out Groupon there are plenty options on there, and you can save a little coin! The only restriction is that you are on a set schedule with little flexibility. The beauty of going to the wineries in Napa most of the vineyards have beautiful outdoor space where you can arrange a picnic or enjoy your tasting out on the lawn and layout. Be sure to pack a blanket!

Do your research:

To help you narrow down on your choices find out what is important to you? Do you want to explore more red options, find a new white, or get a whole tour of a winery? Most vineyards will have their pricing and offerings listed on their website. Checking the site ahead of the time will also help familiarize yourself with the pricing. There are plenty of photo ops in Napa as well.

Early Bird gets all the good wine:

Leave early to head to your Napa trip. Most wineries open up at 10, and is there a rule that you can’t drink wine at 10? Nope! I found that I got the best service and most knowledge from my wine connoisseur when the vineyards were less busy. I especially love when the wine lady purposefully forgets to count and gives you extra tastings because they want you to enjoy your experience! Talk about getting your money’s worth 🙂 You will still have a blast when you get to the wineries in the afternoon, but they tend to be busy and stick to the rules when others are around.

Bonus Gems:

What is a good amount to spend during your trip?

I think its safe to say you can budget around $200 and this will give you enough to head to 4 to 5 wineries. At some wineries, you don’t have to do a complete tasting and can enjoy a glass. This budget will allow you to have money for lunch, and being able to purchase 1-2 bottles of your favorite wine. Most wines will run you about $25-30 on the low-end, and I even tasted a $250 bottle at one vineyard. I always opt to taste an expensive wine because we all need to have a treat. If you intend to stay the night in Napa make sure to add that to your budget.

Can you get food at the wineries?

Most wineries will have small plates for you to have with your wine. There are only two wineries that offer food in Napa and V.Siuttu is one of them. I LOVE V.Sattui so much I ended up becoming a member. Their wine is fantastic, and I am a huge fan of their Riesling! The winery has a private room where you can take your tastings at the bar, or you could walk up and bring them to the marketplace. There is also a grill here, and they make amazing sandwiches!

I had this steak sandwich with chimichurri sauce, and it was EVERYTHING! I would recommend having your tasting around lunch, and then grab some food and enjoy.

Can you ship wine from the vineyards?

If you are anything like my friends and me, you will end up falling in love and attempt to buy a bottle at every winery, and then reality sets in. If you end up getting anywhere from 5-6 bottles, you may not have room in your suitcase for your new Napa Wines. Luckily most wineries will pack and ship your wine for you. You can also find authorized dealers to send the wine back home. If you have to travel with your wine, I recommend getting this wineskin. This will make sure your wine stays nice and secure. They also sell them at most vineyards, but they are a little pricey.

Where to crash in Napa:

The first time I went to Napa we ended up spending the night. After all the wine drinking and eating it was one of the best decisions we made. We went to 4 wineries and then had dinner at Celadon.

Dinner was amazing, but you could only imagine how tired we were from all the wine and good food. We stayed at Spring Hill Suites it is part of the Marriott family, and it was a standard hotel and served the purpose for a 1-night stay. The hotel had a pool, and serves real FREE continental breakfast! I feel like free breakfast in hotels isn’t a thing anymore.

List of Wineries & Cost:

Castello di Rosa $30 (Walk-In)

V. Sattui – $35 (Reservation Required)

Domaine Chandon $25 (Walk-In)  

Brown Tasting Room:

During my first visit to Napa, I made sure to visit the Brown Tasting room. The Brown Winery is the first black-owned winery in Napa. The tasting room is located downtown, and they encourage people to visit the tasting room instead of the actual winery. If you do become a member of the winery, you can visit the vineyard and get a tour of the estate.

I love the story of how the Brown Estate came about, and how the winery is still family owned to this day. Be sure to check out the website to book a visit, and learn more about the estate. Brown Estate was one of my favorite wineries, and I would add it to the list. The tastings only cost $40, and is well worth it!

Grab your squad and head to Napa to enjoy some of the finest wines the West Coast has to offer!