Today I'm taking a short detour from wine making talk to share an itinerary for visiting Napa Valley. There are innumerable possibilities for wine country itineraries, but not all maximize your time in Napa Valley without feeling rushed or spending a lot of time in the car (although, even time in the car in Napa Valley allows great views of passing vineyards).
Here is one itinerary that I created and experienced just last weekend. It's flexible, relaxed, and includes these benefits:
- A famous bakery
- Lunch or brunch at a great restaurant with vineyard and mountain vistas
- Top-tier Napa Cabs
- Winery tour
- A Sparkling wine stop on your way to S.F.
Use this link to a Google Map to see the sequence of destinations and to get addresses and directions: http://goo.gl/Q0vmaL
Bouchon Bakery
6528 Washington St, Yountville, CA
http://bouchonbakery.com/
2ND STOP: Chimney Rock Winery. This winery makes my favorite Napa Cabs; they're expensive, but mind-blowing. You might choose to replace this stop with another nearby Stag's Leap District winery, like Clos Du Val, or Cliff Lede, or Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.
Chimney Rock Winery
5350 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA
http://www.chimneyrock.com/
Brix Restaurant
7377 St Helena Hwy, Napa, CA
http://www.brix.com/
4TH STOP: Bell Wine Cellars. The tour here was inexpensive, at $30 per person, but was nothing special. Next time, I'll plan earlier and try a tour at Hopper Creek Winery - they were booked when I called a few days prior.
Bell Wine Cellars
6200 Washington Street, Napa CA 94558
http://www.bellwine.com/
5TH STOP: Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards. If you have time (we didn't), you might stop at Gloria Ferrer or Domaine Carneros - both sparkling wine houses - both on the road to S.F. They close at 4:45 or 5:00, so you'd have to leave your previous stop around 3:30, which would be hard if your previous stop included an hour-long tour.
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards
23555 Carneros Hwy, Sonoma, CA
http://www.gloriaferrer.com/
Remember - it's a flexible itinerary, so replace the restaurant or wineries with any others nearby. But don't add something 20 miles away if you want to keep it relaxed and fun! We enjoyed the laid-back time right up until the end, when we didn't have time for a 5th stop before dinner in San Francisco. Enjoy!
