Napa
Valley hit the scene when a California red and white wine each took first prize
in the 1976 Judgment of Paris wine competition. Stags Leap won for its Cabernet
and Chateau Montelena won for its Chardonnay. Up until then most thought of
California wines as inferior to wines from Europe. Look at what we drank; Mateus,
Lancers and Blue Nun all from Europe were very popular. People who collected
fine wine couldn’t wait as the newest vintages came out from Europe of
Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Beaujolais. Gallo and Carlo Rossi were considered jug
wines and I drank my fair share. Then there were Mondavi, Christian Brothers, and
Charles Krug from Napa who produced a lot of wine and the very small (boutique)
wineries like David Bruce and Chateau Montelena. People thought of the boutique
wineries as someone’s hobby but they actually produced some of the best wine
out there. These were known in California but not far beyond. Now Napa Valley
is famous all around the world. It is definitely a tourist destination.
Starting
in Napa there are two ways to travel north in the valley. Hwy 29 is the main
route on the western side and the Silverado Trail is the other route on the
eastern side. The Silverado Trail connects again with Hwy 29 in St Helena. On
Hwy 29 you will pass through many towns, some just a train stop and others
bigger. You will see Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, St Helena and
Calistoga. Napa, St Helena and Calistoga are three of the bigger cities. You
will also see winery names that are recognized as making Napa Valley famous and
then a lot of newer wineries as a new winery is opening all the time. The older
names you will recognize such as Mondavi, Beringer, Charles Krug and V Sattui.
Some like Christian Brothers no longer exist, Christian Brothers is now a
culinary institute, and others have changed names. There are so many wineries
to choose from it is hard to single any out.
On
the Silverado Trail you will find wineries such as Clos Du Val, Joseph Phelps
and Duckhorn. You will find the Silverado Trail to be less crowded than Hwy
29. There is also the Silverado Country
Club for golfing, tennis, lodging and eating.
Getting around: On weekends and during the
summer Napa Valley can be very crowded. Traffic gets backed up and tasting
rooms are full. The three modes of getting around are drive yourself, hire a
limo and ride a bike. (There is also the Wine Train I will talk about in my
next post)
If
you have the time and are physically able to do so riding a bike is an
excellent option. The landscape is beautiful and you can pick a cluster of
wineries to see where the distance won’t be that great. The valley is pretty
flat so it shouldn’t be hard to do.
Another
option is to drive yourself. Driving you can cover a greater distance in a day
but on busy days you’ll have to fight the traffic.
My
favorite option is to lease a limo. That way you can cover more ground, you
don’t have to fight the traffic and since you will be tasting you don’t have to
worry about driving. The cost is high but it is safer and more relaxing. If you
have a big group then that can help with the cost. Also, the limo driver knows
the area and will make suggestions.
Places to Stay: On the Silverado Trail you have
the Silverado Country Club. You can book a room or also book a condo. I stayed
at a condo one weekend on a par 3 hole. Before leaving for a day of wine
tasting I enjoyed a cup of coffee on the balcony and watched the golfers tackle
the hole. From my vantage point I could watch them tee off and putting on the
green. It was a relaxing way to start the day. Our condo had a fireplace and at
night it was nice to sit back with a glass of wine by the fire.
Along
Hwy 29 there are many options from resorts to bed and breakfast. I have stayed
in Yountville and talked about those in the post on Yountville. My only advice
would be that if you are seeing Napa Valley by bike is to pick a central
location for that day so you aren’t riding to get to the wineries. Stay at
different locations on your vacation.
Places to Eat: I’ve talked about the
Yountville restaurants already. Other choices in the valley are the Rutherford
Grill (Rutherford), Market, Press (St Helena), Mustards Grill (Napa), and JoLe
(Calistoga). These are some of the highly rated restaurants in the valley,
there are a lot more. Ask the place you are staying for more recommendations.
Attractions: Just like Sonoma Valley you
will find golfing, hot springs, spas, and of course wine and food. See if you
get the same feeling that I do of having left the US and entering another
country. Relax and enjoy!
Summary: My favorite time to visit is in the spring or fall. The weather is the
best and the crowds are fewer. Every winery has something to offer. In tasting
wine it is all in what you like. If you are traveling a great distance to get
to Napa Valley I would spend an entire week there. I know for some it is
attached to a Bay Area vacation and you won’t have a week. Then, go by what you
drink at home or what you have had at a restaurant back home. If you liked that
wine visit the winery. Otherwise try as many different wineries as you can and
find your favorite.
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