How to See Napa Valley & Sonoma in 4 Days
For my 21st birthday, my mom took me to Napa Valley. Can you think of a classier way to spend your 21st birthday? Ok, do not answer that! We had never been to Northern California and we were in for quite a treat.
From August through October, winemaker & workers race against the clock to pick grapes at the peak of ripeness and get them into the fermenting system to start making wine! This time is called “Crush”. Crust is one one of the most exciting times to be in Napa Valley. With it being the peak season, there is so much to do!
While wine has such a delicious taste… the process in making it can be quite smelly, literally. The air was pretty stinky during the “stomp”.
We decided not to do any particular tours or tastings that required reservations and just do our own thing. Some of the tastings can be pricey and we wanted to see all we could in our short 4 day stay and we felt reservations would hold us up.
Napa Stops
Our first stop was the Castello di Amorosa which is located just north of Napa in Calistoga. We really should have made this our last stop because nothing else compared. It was beautiful, rich with history, the wine was delicious, and we loved every minute we were there.
We visited Beringer, V. Sattui, Sterling, Chateau Montelena, and Robert Mondovi. While we did not participate in tastings at each one of these, we did want to walk the grounds for the incredible views!
Last was the Francis Ford Coppola winery. This winery was different from the others we had visited that day, in a good way. When you walk up to the winery, there is a huge swimming pool with old Hollywood type cabanas all around it. It was fantastic. I felt like I had stepped back in time. I do wish we had known and could have planned a day to stay there. The pool idea came from Francis himself. He wanted this winery to be family friendly and he knew the kids would want to swim in the summer. Inside we were treated to wonderful movie memorabilia displays from Francis Coppola’s most famous films. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Godfather, Marie Antoinette, and The Outsiders just to name a few.
Sonoma Stops
We ended up with only one day to explore Sonoma. The wineries there seem more rural and laid back. I enjoyed this area just as much as Napa. We visited Ledson, & Chateau St. Jean. The Chateau St. Jean has a wonderful picnic area that you can bring your own food and enjoy the grounds. I loved this aspect of this winery. We wanted to stayed there for quite sometime exploring and enjoying the grounds. You truly feel a world away.
Tips
If you plan a trip to Napa, here are a few tips:
- Bring a small cooler to keep water and snacks in the car, you will be driving around a good bit.
- Call ahead to be certain you don’t need a reservation so you aren’t disappointed if there are particular wineries you must see.
- Wear comfortable shoes, you walk everywhere.
- Visit the small towns of Calistoga and St. Helena for good food and great shopping!
Also check out Napa Must Eats for great places to grab a bite while in the area!
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