Napa Valley
Updating Napa
California has so many wine countries to explore that it is easy for veterans to forget about Napa Valley. There are many reasons for that, some of them quite sound. It’s expensive; it can be crowded; it can be snobby; the list goes on. But, there are a lot of great things about Napa Valley and I was happy to have spent several days there in November. This column updates the one from 2 years ago, which I have now posted that on my webpage so you can get the basics in case you missed it. That column was pre-pandemic and before the devasting fires of 2020.
My first update: I planned early enough to finally stay at the El Bonita Hotel. It is in the heart of the Valley on Hwy 29. There is no Napa Valley luxury here, just a simple, clean motel in the heart of it all. The location was amazing for morning walks by famous vineyards, short drives to outstanding restaurants and easy access to wineries throughout the valley and even to Healdsburg over the mountains (go north and crossover on Hwy 128). We booked 2 months in advance and got the room for $189/night. A true Napa miracle.
In March 2021, the San Francisco Chronicle published a story on the Top 25 Wineries to Visit Napa and Sonoma. Given that we weren’t traveling in March 21, I thought it was a little bit cruel to publish that, but I created a doc where I rated them 1-3. Since wineries re-opened I’ve been chipping away at my “1s” every time I go up there. BTW, I’m happy to share this list with you if you drop me an email. On this trip I was able to visit a few of them and some off-list that I recommend. I will warn you that almost every winery requires reservations now and that they fill up early. I planned early and was disappointed to not be able to get into some of the wineries I wanted to visit, even after I dropped my industry-insider status I got the big “sorry!”
My first find from this list was Lola Wines. Wow did I love this place. It’s in a tiny historic house (1892) on Hwy 29 just before you get to Calistoga. Wine maker, Seth, specializes in low-alcohol wines, quite a contrast from the Napa Valley norm. He also had a bunch of Pinots- another anomaly. He is producing some of the last Rieslings that will come out of the Valley and they were beautiful, which makes it a shame that those vines will be pulled to make room for more Cabernet. Seth and his brother created Cortez Conservas, forms of cured mullet, tuna and mullet roe from Florida island. The table next to us was gobbling this up. I’m intrigued.
Schramsberg Vineyards is one of the oldest sparkling wine producers in California and most agree that they are the best. A visit to their historic cellars is special and everyone should try to get there once, but it is hard to get a reservation. However, they have opened a beautiful facility for their Davies Vineyard brand that is right across from St. Helena High- a short walk from the El Bonita. It’s much easier to get a reservation here (but you still must have one) and the bonus is that you can select flights that feature the same sparklers they have at the cellar and/or one that features the Davies still wines.
I visited old favorite Mumm Napa in the heart of the valley floor, proving that even huge wine companies can continue to offer great experiences. While over on the Silverado Trail I also tried Failla Wines. I have been selling their Oregon Pinot and everyone loves that wine. It was great to taste their full range including select Zins in their Day line of wines their sparkler and the wide range of excellent Pinots made from Sonoma Counties most select vineyards. Their tasting room is an 90+year old craftsman set among redwoods that is a wonder to explore. The house was saved in the 2020 fire, but the charred redwood forest view over their hillside cellar a constant reminder of the fire. It’s still chilling to drive in that part of the valley and come face-to-face with all that was lost.
A great mini-trip from the heart of Napa Valley involves taking the scenic Hwy 128 over the Mayacamas mountains to Chalk Hill Road- where it’s very easy to do a compact day of tasting at Chalk Hill, Lancaster and Roth Wineries. If you have more time and energy you can continue on 128 through Alexander Valley and head to Healdsburg where tasting rooms abound. Just remember that you have to get back to the Valley.
One last new find that I want to highlight is the Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena. I experienced this as a wine and food amusement park. The have several ranches in coastal Northern Cal that produce nearly everything you consume at the Farmstead Kitchen (the restaurant), general store, their weekly farmer’s market and their wine tasting room. We went there twice and loved the food, the cocktails, the wine- everything about it. Because we were staying so close to St. Helena, we concentrated our dining there. The old school diner, Grillwoods Café was ideal for breakfast, Cook St. Helena for lunch or dinner, and The Model Bakery for the breakfast sandwich to take you over the mountains to Chalk Hill. We were disappointed not to be able to try the Goose & Gander Pub or the classic Market- because we didn’t make our reservations early enough. That serves as my on-going reminder that as we head toward a full-travel summer, reservations for everything- wineries, hotels, restaurants especially on the weekends are absolutely necessary.
We finished the trip with a quick jaunt through the city of Napa. In Napa’s industrial parks, just like those of other wine regions, wineries are open tasting rooms in their production facilities. I finally got to go to Mi Sueno, a Latinx-owned winery that I have been trying to visit for years. Their festive tasting room is nestled in their barrel room. To get there you walk through the winery offices where you will see co-owner Rolando Herrera’s collection of signed bay-area team jersey’s. Excellent wines- I picked up a couple of bottles for a fall tasting. We ended at the great Be Bubbly bar in downtown Napa and ate an amazing cassoulet at Grace’s Table. In your summer travels if you find a winery or restaurant that you want to share, be sure to tag MyWineAdvisor on Insta or FB. Happy travels!
From January 2020
The heart of it all for U.S. wine. You may have a love/hate relationship with it, but it remains the gold standard of domestic wine and it holds this kind of Valhalla status among all wine regions- right up there with Bordeaux, Burgundy and Barolo. I realized I've never written about Napa in this column. I grew up on the other side of the mountains that flank the east side of the valley, so I've been going there since I was a kid. I distinctly remember my first wine tour- it was at Beringer, I was 15. Now you know where it all started. But enough about me...
There are more than 400 wineries in Napa County. Many feel that tasting rooms are intimidating and Napa has to lead the pack in that category. You often feel that you have to know a lot about wine and you might be afraid to ask, what you think is, a stupid question. And they can be really expensive. I don't really like paying more than $25 to taste, but in Napa that's a bargain. And then there are the other people in the tasting room- and they can be really snobby. The good news is that I have almost always found the tasting room staff to be kind, welcoming and appreciative if you are kind, patient and inquisitive. Here are the basics for your next or first visit.
The valley is actually very small, only 30 miles long and 5 miles wide. There are 2 main roads: Hwy 29 and the Silverado Trail. The big wineries are on 29 and many, many smaller ones- it's a busy road where a left turn on or off is almost impossible in summer. Silverado Trail is more scenic and quieter, but there are still plenty of wineries. A series of crossroads connect the two making it easy to go back and forth. The valley has 3 small towns: Yountville- just before it begins; St. Helena about 2/3 of the way up; and Calistoga at the top. Calistoga has hot springs; Yountville the best restaurants; the major luxury resorts are on either side of St. Helena in the hills. Now that you know where everything is...
I think the most important thing is to have a plan on what you want to taste. Are your favorite wines here? Then call and make a reservation. Many of the boutique places that have tastings are by appointment only. You could also just drive up the valley, taste as you go and then mid-day turn around and taste on the way back. You are still going to have a good time. Here I offer you my favorites. Remember that there are 400+ wineries so this is definitely opinionated and you will see there are not any "cult" wineries on my list here.
Take a Tour- If this is your first visit, definitely take a tour. You will learn a lot about wine making and the history of the valley. Beringer in St. Helena is my favorite. Not going that far up? Mondavi does a great tour as well. Want something really special? Schramsberg is simply the best for history and bubbles. Cabernet fan? Chappellet up on Pritchett Hill offers an outstanding tour in a remote setting w/ excellent wines.
Ride a Bike- Biking up and down the valley is easy and fun- but try not to do it on a summer weekend. At Clif Family Wines (yes, the Clif Bar folks) you can rent a bike and follow their thoughtful map through the vineyards of St. Helena. Come back for a tasting and a gourmet lunch from their food truck.
Must Taste Bubbles- Short on time? Domaine Chandon is just south of the valley near Yountville. More time? Enjoy the valley floor at Mumm Napa on the Silverado Trail.
Coming for Cab- Cab is king in Napa and you can get it almost everywhere. If you don't have a favorite, I suggest Sequoia Grove, Cakebread, Provenance or Peju Province. These have all been here a while, but I find that they still retain value and have low key experiences. And they are pretty much all in a row. Frank Family is up the valley on a crossroad. Some of it is old Hollywood- as they are related to the Disney's. You get Cab and bubbles here. The last time we were here we had an absolute blast with the servers and the other tasters.
Uber for the Day- It's Northern Cal, you can uber/lyft anywhere. You have two choices here. The city/town of Napa is a great option to taste and eat well. There are ever-changing tasting rooms throughout the old town, just ask for a map at one of the hotels or well-stocked visitor center and take off. Spend a little more and head to Yountville for more of a Napa Valley experience. This little town is the home to Thomas Keller- he has 4 restaurants there, including the French Laundry. But there are also many other outstanding restaurants and there are little tasting rooms throughout. I love me some Hope and Grace and Hill Family- and I can't wait to taste at the JCB Tasting room.
You can do Napa in a day from San Francisco, especially if you have a driver, but it is better to stay the night. You will spend a lot of money staying in Napa Valley. There are hotels in all the towns and staying in one of them means walking, not driving to dinner and such. Napa town has bargain brands. I've stayed at the Hampton Inn more than once and it's a little more convenient to the Silverado Trail. My recommendation is to set a budget and start looking early. There is one little quirky 2-star hotel on the Valley floor in the middle of the wineries on Hwy 29: El Bonita Hotel. It's old school, but what a location and what prices! You must plan in advance which is probably why I've never stayed there, but I just checked out a weekend in March and the price was $450 for TWO nights, breakfast included. I'm pretty sure the Hampton Inn is more expensive than that!
Whatever you decide to do, remember that you are paying a tasting fee, just like everyone else and you deserve to be there. Be nice and go with the flow. Write me before you go if you have questions or text me while you are there and I can try to give you some just-in-time advice. I think I have motivated myself to visit soon.