My friends and I were looking for a fun way to have a kid-free girls trip with great drinks, food, and views and Napa just stood out as the most obvious choice.
When planning a trip to Napa or Sonoma the first thing you will probably do is google “Best Winery in Napa” and find 100s of articles telling you every different winery in the area is best and why. I scoured through dozens of these myself as well as recommendations from friends as I planned our trip. There are spots I would hit again, some I would skip, and some I would do differently.
First off, where to stay?
Almost just as overwhelming is finding where to stay because wineries are EVERYWHERE. We had a rental car so we wanted to stay essentially within 10-15 minutes of everywhere we wanted to be with the exception of the day in Sonoma. We wanted something in a mid-range budget that felt cozy. With just 3 of us I looked at dozens of BnBs but it was almost impossible to find something with 3 beds or an equal-share experience vibe so I switched to hotels instead.
Ultimately we chose the Napa Valley Lodge and it was perfect! The room was spacious enough for 3 women to spread out their clothes without overlapping/feeling on top of each other, the pool and fire-pit area, although we didn’t use is, was stunning and would have been used if we added an extra day onto the trip. The best part was the complimentary breakfast buffet in a beautiful cottage like room with a fireplace. We all immediately noted how much it reminded us of Europe, especially with the selections of pastries, meats & cheeses. There were also of course complimentary mimosas, any form of coffee, and all the other delicious breakfast foods you would like.
Between being generally busy and all of the Covid/Post-Covid changes, reservations at each winery is recommended and several say it is required. We were able to wing a couple at the end with day-of reservations but most of them we made in advance for easy planning.
So now for the itinerary!
Day One
We landed in San Francisco at 12:30pm the first day which was more than enough time to head straight to downtown Napa for drinks and dinner. We chose to change at the airport versus take time stopping at the hotel (which thanks to virtual check-in took 15 seconds to pick up our keys and welcome bag). The first winery was originally booked for 3pm but between the rental car and traffic we were able to push it back to 3:30pm.
John Anthony Tasting Room
We arrived on a Wednesday so that probably helped that they were so available to push the reservation back 30 minutes. John Anthony was a place recommended to us by friends and while the wine was nice, the aesthetic was lacking, especially for your first stop in Napa. We were also STARVING and a little unsure when the host told us the only food option they had was “chips with cheese and truffle salt” until she explained it as “a literal mountain of shredded sheep cheese” and boy was she right, and it was incredible. This may be my next party trick for parties because crisp chips loaded with soft fluffy cheese was divine. The pours here were also very heavy which I respect. Our 6-wine tasting was a bit like 3 glasses of wine… so we needed those chips.
JAM Tasting room
We decided we had some more time so we went next door to JAM, the cheaper label of John Anthony to share a tasting between the 3 of us (we didn’t want to be trashed at dinner) and this place is a vibe! they have lots of music details and even a disco ball that works. It was a much more laid back spot, the host was the sweetest, and the wines were nice.
Morimoto
We had an incredible dinner at Morimoto with salmon tartare, duck fat fries, and delicious apple soufflé dessert.
We went home after dinner and were definitely in bed by 9pm lol
Day Two
The wineries all open at 10am so we tried to space them out with a 10am, 1pm, and 3pm reservation and then dinners between 630-730pm reservations so that we weren’t rushing and also weren’t drinking non-stop. We had a full breakfast at the hotel each morning and a coffee to go and never drank wine at lunch, both choices I think that led to the overall enjoyment of the trip. None of us were interested in hangovers.
Mumm Napa
This winery came recommended by anyone who has been there and several lists of top Napa places. We started with Mumm at 10 am since they are a champagne house (and actually allowed to call it champagne due to the grape vines originating in the Champagne region of France) and bubbles are a fun way to start the day. They offer a free-tasting for military as well as a 30% discount which was amazing. They also do free shipping on orders over $100 so we all got in on that. Which is to say, we loved the champagnes. We each had one flight and then shared a second between the three of us because we enjoyed them so much. Unfortunately it was raining while we were there so we didn’t get to take in the great views but I know they are there.
The Restaurant at Auberge de Soleil
So we were at Mumm and realized we needed a quick lunch and I saw “The Restaurant” opened at 1145 and was close by. I called them when they opened/as we were driving there and were able to get a reservation. After I told my friends what I picked we realized it was the Michelin starred restaurant we hadn’t been able to book for dinner. Lunch has a 2 or 3 course option so you get the Michelin quality food at a much better price point which was perfect. We all had a burrata appetizer that was so refreshing and while my friend and I had nice chicken and scallops respectfully, our friend’s squid-ink risotto was mind-blowing.
Frogs Leap
Another winery regularly recommended on lists and close to Mumm, Frogs Leap has a long history in Napa and has the rustic aesthetic that makes you want to grab a glass a frolic through the gardens or by the fountain. We enjoyed their Chardonnay and Zinfandel best.
Miner
We wanted to do one tour with caves and Miner seemed newer, a little more different, and just had a nice feel on their site so I booked them over other pricier options. Our host Noemi, took the 3 of us down to the caves for our own private tour where we sat at this amazing table and tried some really great wines. She also added 2 more wines to the tasting and a piece of chocolate, probably because we were all so interactive and involved in the conversation and learning. The caves are man-made and way larger than expected. We got to smell some wine-barrels as well which is probably one of the most divine scents I have ever smelled lol I need it to be in a candle ASAP.
RH Yountville
We had a bit more time after going back to the hotel to change so we took a walk down the street from the hotel and found RH, a chic spot filled with trees & chandeliers where we shared a 6-wine tasting between the 3 of us.
Press
Then we made our way to Press which is a beautiful contemporary American restaurant. Two of us shared gnudi (parmesan filled pillows of dough, amazing), beef tartare, and salmon tartare before an amazing plate of risotto. Unfortunately they forgot our other friends order and then brought out the wrong thing. However, they immediately corrected the mistake, brought out more appetizers, comped her entree, and provided us with the most delicious espresso martini I have ever had. It wasn’t heavy with cream, it was like a light cold-brew laced with a bright liquor. A perfect ending and I would definitely recommend this place.
Day Three
Napa and Sonoma are so close to each other because both (& the entire wine country) are really just small town after small town all lined with wineries.
Artesa
Artesa is the most unique winery we visited aesthetically. At the top of a mountain and essentially built into the hill, it is a piece of modern art. The drive up to the winery was stunning and all of the views from the top were as well. Unfortunately our host here was not as engaging as other places and as beautiful as this spot was, we didn’t really connect with it. He warmed up a bit toward the end since we kept asking more questions and did add another 2 wines to our tasting to try which was nice. The wines weren’t bad (is there such a thing in wine country?) but we weren’t blown away by the experience.
Tasca Tasca
Our host from Miner suggested this small Portuguese tapas restaurant in downtown Sonoma and it was AMAZING. They do 7 tapas for $40 and we ended up adding an unnecessary 3 more for $19 but it really tasted like authentic Portuguese and was perfect for sharing. Our only regret was not doing a double order of the crab empanadas because they were the star of the show.
Gundlach Bundshu
This hit the list for having great reds and honestly the german name and heritage pulled us in since that was the last place we all went winery hopping. We had an outdoor tasting at the Donkey Bar and this spot had the most “relaxed just here to drink wine and chat” vibe of any of them. So maybe not the right spot if you’re trying to learn about wine, but a great one for the end of the trip when you’ve heard about a lot of wines and are just wanting to sit around and chat without the host staying right there with you. The aesthetic also reminded us of German wine-walks and wine country.
V. Sattui
We probably should have stayed in downtown Sonoma and explored it more because it is SO cute but we wanted at least one winery with that castle vibe so we booked V. Sattui. Unfortunately it was chilly outside so we booked an indoor tasting and it was a bit of an underwhelming experience at the bar because you have no real views of anything. What we did appreciate was the fact that you can pick your 5 tastings from a full menu so you really get to try what you think you will like. Our host was a bit sales-pitchy for us though which really turned us off.
Grgich
This wasn’t really a planned/booked tasting. We rolled in at 420 and they close at 430 but we said we were just there to buy bottles and so the host took us in and we essentially ended up getting a free tasting of about 5 different cabs and we did all buy bottles. Of all the wineries I do think Grgich was the priciest but they also seemed to have the most of those bold Napa cabs you expect.
Ad Hoc
The French Laundry wasn’t an option for us due to budget so we were excited to try Ad Hoc, the more relaxed restaurant by Thomas Keller. This was a prix fete meal and while the food was tasty, our service was super sub-par which I attributed to the fact that we didn’t buy drinks and so our bill wasn’t as high as others. We ended up speaking to the manager about this as well and he did take care of us but we were really all pretty sad about our experience there so I would probably recommend Press over Ad Hoc to anyone who asks.
If we had added any more days to our trip, it would have had to be a spa/relaxation day, which would have been pretty awesome. 3 wineries (kind of 4 though) was definitely enough and they were spread out enough that none of us were ever drunk but even still, that amount of drinking just isn’t enjoyable over a sustained period of time for me. It was an awesome trip though and I hope this itinerary and feedback will help someone else plan another fantastic trip!
Xx
Kali
