Napa Valley, California
February in Napa Valley is a beautiful time to visit - Mustard season is in full swing and there is a hint of Spring in the air. Sweaters & light jackets are recommended - with average highs around 62 degrees and lows around 37 degrees!
STAY
Vintage House
Vintage House is a lovely property in the picturesque town of Yountville. The hotel has a California feel with a warm and inviting ambiance...almost like you are staying in someone's home. Note: breakfast is included in your stay!
EAT
Light Bites + Lunch
Baked Goods: Bouchon Bakery
Famed chef Thomas Keller opened Bouchon Bakery to make one-of-a-kind breads for nearby restaurants Bouchon Bistro and the French Laundry. In the style of classic French boulangeries, the bakery features a wide selection of artisanal breads and classic desserts - perfect for a morning or afternoon snack in Yountville!
Upscale Diner: Boon Fly Café
In this red barn right on the Carneros Resort property, lunch is a favorite for both visitors and locals, thanks to diner favorites like green eggs and ham, a triple stack of griddle cakes, and breakfast tacos. Tip: don’t miss the made-to-order cinnamon doughnuts, or the bacon Bloody Mary :)
Taste of the Bay: Oxbow Public Market
Visit Napa’s Oxbow Public market for a taste of Bay Area restaurants all under one roof. Hog Island Oysters, Chef Todd Humphries’ Kitchen Door, Live Fire Pizza, Fatted Calf Charcuterie, Gott’s Roadside, and Model Bakery are all worth a visit. There are also a host of shops selling edible retail goods like Napa olive oil, chocolate, cheese, and spirits. Ritual Coffee, Kara’s Cupcakes, and Three Twins Ice Cream round things out. Tip: pick up a few things for a vineyard picnic!
Seaside Lunch: Hog Island Oyster Co.
Napa is a short drive from some of the country’s best oyster beds, so it’s worth taking a break from wine country to check out the offerings from the nearby ocean. If you have time, head over to Point Reyes National Seashore and stop at their oyster farm for a taste of the bounty fresh out of the ocean!
Dinner
Local Spot: Bistro Jeanty
At Bistro Jeanty, hearty, country-style French classics are prepared to perfection. Favorites include the rich tomato soup in a flaky puff pastry, the sole meunière, coq au vin, and the warm apple tarte tatin.
Californian: Mustard’s Grill
Just up the road from the actual town of Yountville, Mustard’s Grill is a must-visit. Come here for lunch or dinner and eat the legendary Mongolian pork chop - an enormous chop with sweet and sour cabbage, mashed potatoes, and homemade mustard sauce.
French Dining: Bouchon Bistro
Bouchon is famed chef Thomas Keller’s take on casual French bistro food. It’s sort of impossible to call out the best menu items because everything is great. Bonus: they have a late-night menu, which can be a game-changer on a long Napa night after too many wine tastings.
Buzzy Italian: Bottega
For an upbeat scene and fantastic Italian fare, Bottega is the place to go. The old fir floors, timber beams and brick walls remain, but Italy inspired almost everything else, from the Venetian plaster walls and Murano glass chandeliers. The menu is excellent - tip: order the signature ricotta gnocchi.
SEE + DO
Wineries
Tasting + Lunch: Stewart Cellars
A new addition to the California wine trail, Stewart has quickly become a favorite for its top-notch Napa varietals. The Yountville-based wine business is a family affair—run by Michael Stewart and his children—so it’s only natural they wanted to open a tasting room with a convivial, easygoing vibe. The property includes a café and a library, lots of outdoor space, and a wood-burning fireplace. No reservations required!
Cabernet: Turnbull Cellars
This small, family-owned and operated winemaker doubles down on its small-but-mighty Cabernet Sauvignon. Here, a tasting gallery features a rotating series of artwork, while a more elaborate private tasting and pairing program leans heavily on what’s freshest from the garden. It goes without saying that the vineyard views are great from just about everywhere on property, too. No reservations required!
Art, Wine, & History: HALL St. Helena
Located at the historic Bergfeld Vineyard at the base of the Mayacama Mountains, HALL is a vibrant, 33-acre property in the charming town of St. Helena. Guests have a choice of winery tours and tastings for the novice wine drinker to the expert cab collector. With over 35 pieces of contemporary art, the 150 year old site has something for everyone - wine, art, history, architecture, lush landscaping and a Great Lawn for relaxing and unwinding. Reservations not required, but recommended.
Stags Leap District: Clos du Val
In 1972, Clos Du Val acquired 150 acres of estate vineyards in the heart of the Stags Leap District, and made its first wines, including Clos Du Val’s legendary debut 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon—one of only six California Cabernets selected for the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris Tasting. Today, Clos Du Val makes a small portfolio of estate-grown wines, with an emphasis on exceptional Cabernet Sauvignons. Spend the afternoon on the beautiful terrace or in the contemporary tasting room. Reservations not required, but recommended.
Modern Luxury: Trinchero Napa Valley
The Trinchero Napa Valley estate sits on 22 acres of expansive vineyards - home to tasting areas, an outdoor veranda and fire pit for guests to enjoy. The look and feel of the space is modern Californian, a vision that started in 1948 by the Trinchero family. The esteemed Napa Valley vintners craft wines with estate-grown fruit, hand-selected from the family’s sustainably farmed vineyards throughout Napa Valley. The state-of-the-art winemaking facility and picturesque estate in St. Helena offers visitors a modern, luxurious experience. Reservations are not required for tastings but are required for private experiences and tours.
Over-the-top: JCB Tasting Salon
Jean-Charles Boisset, proprietor of the colorful Raymond Vineyards, dreamed up a vision for a wild tasting salon in Yountville, which recently opened in 2016. The leopard print-covered, velvet tasseled, gold-gilded space sits below several major Baccarat crystal chandeliers. Wine tasting here is a fun, extravagant, over-the-top experience, and the decor pushes extravagance and indulgence limits. You can buy wine, of course — and you can also admire the handbags, crystal wine decanters, and accessories as you sample JCB’s sparkling wines, chardonnay and pinot noir offerings.
Experiences
Foodie Central: Yountville Food + Wine Tour
For years the small town of Yountville has been known for some of the best restaurants in country. Sample the creations of Yountville's most famous chefs in an afternoon tour, led by Gourmet Food + Wine Tours. The tour is the best way of scoring a reservation at the 3-Michelin-starred French Laundry, among other fabulous restaurants. Note: tickets are $175 - food & wine is included in tour price and is plenty for lunch.
Spa Day: Vintage House
Spend a late afternoon relaxing at the Vintage House spa. Treatments vary from full-on massages and facials, to “tasting menus” of treatments if you can’t choose one!
Sweeping Views: Napa Valley Balloons
There’s almost no better way to experience the rolling hills of the landscape here than to see them from above—between the views and the close quarters, a balloon ride is surprisingly romantic, too. The folks at Napa Valley Balloons have been in the business forever—and since these trips typically start at ungodly early hours, they’re considerate enough to arrive with plenty of coffee in hand.
Pacific Coast Drive: Point Reyes National Seashore
Spend a morning or afternoon driving over to Point Reyes National Seashore. The drive takes you through beautiful wine country, Petaluma farmland, and the Pacific ocean coastline. Cap it off with a hearty meal at Hog Island Oyster Co. before heading back to Napa!
Map
LOGISTICS
Flights
Car Rental