Napa Valley has long been a mecca for wine lovers. Who doesn’t fantasize about sipping wine while overlooking a vineyard? But wine country vacations are getting expensive: tasting room fees have risen sharply since 2019, according to Silicon Valley Bank’s 2023 Direct to Consumer report. With premium tasting experiences often costing an average of $128 per person per winery, a weekend getaway can quickly add up. And long gone are the days of traversing Highway 29 and popping into places on a whim; reservations, a practice that gained traction during the pandemic, remain firmly in place.
However, the town of Napa—now often overshadowed by the culinary prowess of Yountville or the luxury of St. Helena—is having a bit of a renaissance. More than 55 tasting rooms dot the downtown area, and along with classic producers who are setting up shop, young labels find the scene conducive to getting their name out to a wider audience (pssst, it’s not all Cabernet, either). The average flight of wine downtown hovers around $35, making it one of the most affordable ways to get your wine country on.
Add a slew of new shops and restaurants into the mix, and this kid sister of a town is coming into its own. "The transformation we've witnessed in downtown Napa is astounding,” says Aubrey Bailey, co-founder of Cadet Wine and Beer Bar and Chispa Bar. “Ten years ago, visitors drove past Napa on their way to up-valley destinations. Today, Downtown Napa is the destination. The diversity of things to do in downtown Napa has expanded to capture the attention of more people visiting for the day or the weekend.”
Getting around & where to stay
From San Francisco International Airport, either rent a car or arrange a driver (Uber and Lyft are options) for the hour-plus ride to Napa. The city of Napa itself is extremely pedestrian-friendly, and unless you plan on traveling elsewhere in the Valley a vehicle isn’t necessary.
Two great hotel options, the Andaz Napa and the Archer Hotel, are mere blocks from each other on First Street, the town's main thoroughfare. A stay at either boutique property puts you in the center of the action; both offer suites with private balconies worth the upgrade, and both have alfresco bars and restaurants.
Day 1: Classic Napa
Orient yourself to Napa with a day of classic varietals. Start your morning at Mayacamas’ downtown tasting room, an urban offshoot of the producer’s Mt. Veeder estate, where the focus is on chardonnay, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. Often, they’ll have older vintages on hand so you can taste why the estate has been an enduring Napa staple.
Nothing gets the hunger going like a little breakfast chardonnay: Walk over the Napa River bridge on First Street and make your way to Oxbow Public Market, a 40,000-square-foot marketplace that’s jam-packed with tempting food options. Locals may swing by to pick up meat, spices, and other sundries, but you’re there to pull up a chair at one of the many restaurant counters. Oysters at Hog Island Oyster? Matzoh ball soup at Loveski Deli? Sashimi at Eiko’s market outpost? Why not do it all? Afterward, grab a coffee from Ritual Coffee and browse Napa Bookmine for your next read.
Come happy hour, head to Robert Mondavi’s Arch and Tower, located on Third Street. The old factory was recently converted into a stunning new multilevel tasting room. Originally meant to serve as a temporary hospitality venue as the historic winery on Highway 29 undergoes renovations, rumors are swirling it might become permanent. Many of the signature tasting flights have made the move over here, including a flight from the To Kalon vineyard, which many consider to be the Grand Cru of Napa. If you’re not up to making a reservation for a guided flight, they offer glasses of wine and small bites on the river-view terrace from 4:00 until 7:00 pm. (Did you know that cabernet pairs exceptionally well with waffle fries?)
Save some stomach space, though, because dinner is going to be epic. For a true Napa classic, you’re heading to La Toque, which celebrates 45 years in business this year. The tasting menu focuses on what’s in season and if you go in January or July, definitely splash out for the all-truffle tasting menu. Or, for something more casual, settle in at Compline, a restaurant many consider a new Napa staple. The wine list rolls deep with international offerings but also gives handshakes to “Napa and nearby” producers. Post dinner, check out a show at the Art Deco-era Uptown Theatre. Built in 1937, it regularly features well-known musical and comedy acts.
Day 2: New-wave Napa
The vibes and location of downtown Napa are alluring to new producers, many of whom showcase a fresh shift in California wine styles. It’s also a day to explore other pockets of Napa. Start your morning with a coffee at Barnhouse Brews then walk a few doors down to Azur Wines. If you ask nicely, proprietor Elan Fayard may lead you to the private tasting room, hidden, speakeasy-style, behind a bookshelf. But no password is required to sample her Provence-inspired rosés. Where to next? She pointed me to No Love Lost, located just a block away. Bright textured white wines, crushable light reds, and Cabernets done with a deft touch define the label’s style ethos. Like other upstarts, winemaker Jay Nunez works with vineyards from throughout the entire state, which gives him a breadth of varieties to play around with.
When hunger strikes, grab a seat at Scala Osteria and Bar for lunch. The seafood-focused Southern Italian restaurant comes from the owners of the 30-year-old dining institution Don Giovanni and has been jumping ever since it opened a year ago.
Your next destination is the up-and-coming area of SoFi (South of First). As a New Yorker, I was amused that going a mere block south constituted a whole new ‘hood, but as I was told by Faith Henschel-Ventrello, co-owner of Folklore, a record store/restaurant/wine bar/cocktail bar/radio station mashup, “The tourists never leave First Street.” Indeed, Henschel-Ventrello, a former music industry executive, and her husband, Steve Ventrello, a wine importer and marketer, founded their multihyphenate business several months ago and have already attracted a loyal clientele.
Zig-zag over to Benevolent Neglect where a large record console greets guests proudly. Like No Love Lost, they source from vineyards throughout California for a range of varieties and follow a similar low-intervention style. End your SoFi jaunt at Maison Fayard, the showroom for winemaking consultant Julian Fayard’s many projects. Camille Gaio, director of winemaking, notes they bring their French sensibilities to the wines and prefer balanced, lower-alcohol styles.
Dinner takes you to the other end of town, and to the new Napa outpost of San Francisco’s renowned Slanted Door, where the famed shaking beef made the journey to this sleek, minimalist dining room.
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Day 3: Brunch, bubbles, and more music
Wine may be Napa’s signature beverage, but for a different kind of buzz, book a reservation for a social tea at Ackerman Heritage House. Built in 1888, the Queen Anne Victorian mansion received extensive renovations over a decade ago to bring it back to its former glory. Nibble on finger sandwiches and scones while sipping on a cuppa under stained-glass windows in the ornate dining room.
Tuck your pinky back into place once you arrive at Feast It Forward, an ambitious, lively project that houses a tasting room, outdoor concert stage, music recording studio, and web-based media network all on its property. Sample wines from B. Wise Vineyards, as well a rotating list of small producers year-round in what founder Katie Hamilton Shaffer dubs “the experiential showroom.” In warmer weather, bands take to the al fresco stage in the adjacent courtyard.
When on vacation, every time is the right time for bubbly, so head over to Be Bubbly, a Champagne and sparkling wine-focused wine bar. Order a flight and compare the French nectar to traditional method sparklers from all around the world. Pair the wines with a caviar sampler.
Come dinner time, eschew wine altogether and opt for cocktails at Chispa restaurant. This newly opened tequila-focused venture comes from the vets of decade-old Cadet Wine and Beer Bar, a wine industry gathering spot. The menu nods to Mexican cuisine but takes a much more global purview. Not to miss are the Kung Pao Octopus and Oyster Mushrooms dishes. With the mezcal-based La Flama Piña cocktail in hand, it’s a good time to reflect on how wine country is full of affordable surprises. You didn’t even miss those vineyard views.
