When your father invites you and your boyfriend to Napa Valley, you say YES! We haven’t yet toured the wine country, so we packed our bags and off we went. My dad and his girlfriend have been to Napa many times which made it nice to have an unofficial tour guide with us during our weekend trip.

There’s definitely something romantic about walking through acres of vineyards while sipping the newest varietals.

If you’re planning on a weekend getaway here’s my savvy travel guide to Napa Valley, California.

Hotel

Hampton Inn & Suites Napa

We stayed at Hampton Inn & Suites Napa. This hotel is about 20-30 minutes from the main wineries. We wanted to stay in an area where we would be close enough to the wineries since we were on a budget.

Staying in downtown Napa can get pricey, that’s why we opted for Hampton Inn which has great reviews. The front desk and concierge are really helpful and gave us recommendations on where to eat and book dinner reservations.

Overall, it was a nice and affordable place to stay.

Dinning in Napa

Dinning in Napa is quite the experience. We had the most delicious food ever. I love having options when it comes to food and to my surprise, Napa boasts a great selection of restaurants.

I’m not very picky when it comes to food. You will catch me eating absolutely anything or at least 99% of the foods presented to me. I highly suggest pre-booking reservations prior to your trip to Napa.

I also recommend making multiple restaurant reservations in case you change your mind and don’t want to eat at the one you first reserved. All the food in Napa is amazing! You will not be disappointed.

Morimoto

This Japanese-style restaurant has the best sushi, caviar and tuna. My favorite dish was the toro tartare, wasabi, nori paste, sour cream topped with Morimoto sturgeon caviar. It was absolutely delicious!

We love Japanese food and sushi in general so I highly recommend this place. All the food was perfection. Definitely make reservations.

Bottega

This Italian restaurant has a beautiful and expansive outdoor patio for dining, perfect on a warm Spring/Summer evening. The atmosphere has a lovely combination of rustic California vineyards meets Tuscany Villa.

We ordered the Rigatoni al Coniglio, a balsamic marinated rabbit and
caramelized mushrooms with pancetta and house made ricotta. It was too die.

I’m so glad my dad suggested this resto since we love Italian food!

Dessert

Bouchon Bakery

This is a French style bakery owned by Thomas Keller, the owner of French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley. Everything we got here was so delicious.

Bouchon Bakery has one-of-a-kind bread, in my opinion, the most delicious bread you will ever try. Although they are known for their bread, we also tried their espresso coffee and chocolate croissant. Definitely one of the best!

I highly recommend stopping here for a small bite or a dessert.

Anette’s Chocolates

The best chocolate in town! Annette’s chocolate is the spot if you are craving something sweet. Also, wine and chocolate pair well together (depending on the wine). I love the vibe of this little shop. If you have a craving for ice cream, chocolates, candy or any type of sweets – this is the place to get it.

Wineries

Experiencing Napa and all the varieties of wine is such a unique experience. We visited a few of the best wineries in Napa during our weekend trip. I preferred some more than others.

If you had to pick three to tour, I recommend going to Opus One, Cakebread and Jarvis. Castillo Di Amorosa is another one that’s high on my list.

They’re all unique and great in their own individual way. Here are some of our favorites in no particular order.

Doman Carneros

Doman Carneros was the first winery we visited. If you love champagne this is the spot for you. Thankfully they had other varietals, since my boyfriend and I are both fans of red wine. This winery is famous for their Champagne and Sparkly wines. If bubbles are your thing Doman Carneros is the vibe for you.

Opus One

Opus One was one of our favorite wineries to visit. The wines here have a smooth finish, very easy going down. We tried a 2017 Opus One which ended up being our favorite. Opus was one of the most bougie winery experiences. Their wines are pretty pricey but definitely worth every penny. I highly suggest booking ahead. This is a must go!

Mumm

Mumm Napa is all about champagne. If you love your bubbly, I suggest checking out this winery. Even though I’m not a champagne fan, I gave it a go.

They have an exclusive bubbly that’s reserved for their members only. Since it was our first time visiting, the Sommelier let us have a glass of the member exclusive champagne.

The sparkling Pinot Noir was to die for. It tasted like a red Pinot with a hint of bubbles. It didn’t have that immense bubble factor that most champagnes have. I highly recommend trying this varietal.

Cakebread

Cakebread was our absolute favorite! First of all, we had a food and wine paring created by Chef Tom Sixsmith. We started with the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley paired with a peppercorn cured salmon topped with beet vinaigrette, cucumber, focaccia, and chives. Absolutely tasty!

Next we tasted a 2018 Chardonnay Reserve Carneros accompanied by a red Flint corn polenta topped with burrata, cherry tomatoes and garden basil. All the ingredients came from their garden. We got lucky and had the pleasure of touring the garden after our magnificent experience.

The 2018 Chardonnay Reserve was exclusive and one of the finest chardonnays I have ever tasted. And I’m not a big fan of chardonnay typically.

Next up was a 2018 Pinot Noir Apple Barn Anderson Valley with Patats Bravas (fried potatoes) topped with Meyer lemon aioli, Romesco, smoked paprika and parsley. Just writing about it reminds me how delicious this was.

Lastly, we tried a 2017 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley paired with Korean-style shortribs, Tokyo turnip kimchi, sesame seeds and scallions. Such a unique and delicious pairing.

All the wine selections were amazing. The fact that they pair each wine with food just makes the experience very luxe and ultra special.

This was by far the most elite experience. We learned so much about the varietals and history behind this fascinating winery. You can purchase their wines at this winery only or online as a member of Cakebread Cellars.

Jarvis

Jarvis was another unbelievable winery. The winery itself was underground in a cave. Definitely a very interesting and different experience.

This winery is a little farther away from the other wineries, making it about a 40 minute drive from our hotel.

When we arrived to Jarvis winery we had a tasting of seven different wines one white and the rest red all accompanied with cheese, crackers, nuts and a few dry berries.

The best by far was their 2018 Tempranillo which we shipped to my boyfriend’s grandparents who love their Italian wine. The lady even printed a photo we had taken and added it to the package.

If you are looking to drink some wine in caves this is the spot for you!

Beaulieu Vineyard

Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) was another winery we decided to check out. We also enjoyed their wines. Their service was impeccable as well. I recommend making a stop here if you’re wanting more vineyards to explore. We loved that they have a great selection of wines.

Castillo Di Amorosa

Castillo Di Amorosa was the last winery we toured. This is one of the most unique ‘looking’ wineries. This winery books fast, definitely make reservations ahead of time. We tried a good range of wines. Their selection is vast and we fell in love with a few Italian ones. I believe this should be a ‘must’ when you’re planning your winery itinerary.

Sharing this Napa Valley wine tour experience with my boyfriend was so special. Each winery has its specialty and unique in their own way. I loved the fact that we were able to visit all these wineries and compare their differences.

Although Napa is known for vino, don’t forget that they have some of the best restaurants in California. So if you’re more of a foodie than a wino, this still makes for a great weekend getaway.