Napa for Dummies - A Beginner’s Guide to Napa Valley

Travel Adventures
Written By Madalyn Meyers

Use this guide to learn everything there is to know about Napa Valley so that you can visit the region like a true sommelier!

This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission when you make a purchase using the links at no additional cost to you.

📍- Napa Valley, California

Nestled between the Vaca and Mayacamas mountains and just 70 miles north of San Francisco there hides hundreds of hillside vineyards. This valley, with mountainous walls that shield it from the excessive California heat, is also known to be a basin of pre-historic volcanic soils which make it one of the best environments in the world for winemaking grapes to flourish.

Napa Valley is famous for producing some of the most intricate and uniquely complex wines in the world. It attracts nearly 4 million visitors every year, each of which hopes to catch a glimpse of the vineyards which tapestry the golden California hillsides and taste the robust wine that is created there.

If you’re anything like me, however, you might feel overwhelmed, and perhaps a bit undeserving to sample some of this wine while rubbing elbows with wine connoisseurs and blossoming sommeliers. Please, oh please, don’t let that fear stop you from planning the trip to Napa Valley that you’ve always dreamt of. I felt that same intimidation before our recent two-week stay in Napa, but after spending that time learning everything I could about the area, I’ve discovered some secrets which should help you experience this wine country with confidence. So, if that sounds like just the thing you’ve been searching for, continue reading this beginner’s guide to Napa Valley so that you can visit Napa like a true professional.

Weather in Napa Valley
The weather in Napa is not only the perfect environment for grapes to grow but it also just so happens to be some of the most consistent and temperate weather in the country. Perfect one day and beautiful the next, you can expect crisp mornings and warm afternoons from April through October with little chance of rain. From November to March, you can expect 6 to 8 rainy days a month, with temperatures cooling off but rarely dipping below freezing.
Best Time to Visit Napa Valley
Napa’s year-round temperate weather means that you can have a lovely experience any time of the year with each season yielding its own unique benefits. A spring visit, between March and June, will gift visitors with mild temperatures and hillside wildflowers. The summer months mean little to no chance of rain, warm days, and the opportunity to enjoy outdoor tastings overlooking the many beautiful landscapes that these wineries sit on. If you are eager to see the vineyards heavy with mature grapes, then you should plan to visit between late August and October which corresponds to the area’s harvest season. Do keep in mind that harvest season is Napa’s peak time for tourism, so you will likely run into crowds. Winter is the time to come if you want to escape those crowds and don’t mind temperatures dropping down to the 30s and 40s (°F).
Where to Stay While Visiting Napa Valley
The City of Napa is where you will find a plethora of hotels, Airbnbs, and even a few campgrounds such as Skyline Wilderness Park which is where we ended up staying. It is centrally located near some of the best restaurants in Napa and is an excellent base camp for exploring the vineyard-dense valley which lies next door.

How to do a Napa Wine Tasting

It’s best to educate yourself on how to do a proper wine tasting before you sit down in a formal Napa tasting room. With just a few steps to remember, taking the time to observe the qualities of the wine you are about to drink will help you appreciate its complexity and subtleties. If you do forget any of these steps, though, you will likely be assigned a wine expert at each winery you attend, and they are always willing and eager to answer any of your questions.

1. First things first, just listen to your wine expert. They will likely pour you a small glass of wine and then follow up by telling you where the grapes that made the wine were grown, what flavors you should observe when drinking the wine and what types of food the wine pairs well with. Try to actively listen and ask them any questions you may have. The wine experts in Napa are passionate about their craft and will love to educate you on the wine you have in front of you.

2. We’ll start things off by simply looking at the wine. Hold your glass at a 45-degree angle, ideally in front of something white such as a table cloth or a menu. The color of wines will change depending on age, variety of grape used, acidity, and density of flavor. The wine’s opacity will tell you about its flavor intensity, with more opaque wines having a fuller body.

3. Next, smell the wine. We recommend smelling it by putting your nose just above the rim of the glass. Smell it first without disturbing it, then a second time after swirling the wine to allow it to oxidize. Swirling the wine will help release the aromas and allow you to detect some of its more subtitle scents.

4. Now it’s time to drink! This is many people’s favorite steps but try your best not to rush it. Take small sips of your wine, swirling it around in your mouth to allow it to reach your full palette. Some wine experts will recommend aerating the wine in your mouth by sucking in some air after taking a sip. Additionally, try to continually swirl the wine in your glass between sips to allow it to oxidize. You will be amazed at how doing this will actually change the flavor of the wine between sips.

5. Be honest with your wine expert about how you like each wine. Many of them will take your feedback and bring you different wines to taste that they think you will enjoy. This aspect really adds to the Napa tasting experience, but only works well if you are being truthful about your thoughts on each wine that you taste.

6. Experiment. Repeat, and enjoy. Hopefully, you will have some sort of food with your tasting. If that is the case, try pairing your food with different wines throughout the tastings, focusing on how the wine is able to emphasize some different flavors throughout the experience.

Overall, we recommend not taking these tastings too seriously. While some wineries may be on the formal side, they welcome visitors of all types and actually enjoy educating guests who may be inexperienced.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do wine tastings cost?
Napa wine tastings are typically anywhere between $20 to $100 a person with options to add on select reserve wines and charcuterie boards. While this can add up quickly, many vineyards will comp you the tasting fee if you purchase enough wine before you leave. Be sure to check if any vineyards you will be visiting offer this type of promotion because it can help significantly decrease what you spend on tasting fees.
Do you need reservations for tastings?
Aside from a few exceptions, such as Bouchaine and Artesa, the vast majority of tasting rooms within Napa Valley require advanced reservations. The ones that do not require reservations will undoubtedly be extremely crowded, so unless you’re dying to visit one of their tasting rooms for one reason or another, we recommend getting reservations for alternative wineries in advance.
How far in advance should you make a reservation?
How far in advance you need to make your reservations will depend on which wineries you are looking to sample and which season you will be visiting Napa. For our trip in early July, we were able to secure all of our tastings, on a holiday weekend, just one month in advance. Wineries that are short on seating, or are extremely popular, such as Stags Leap, will book months in advance. If you are visiting Napa during the peak harvest season, we recommend booking your tastings 3 months in advance.
How long do wine tastings take?
The websites of many of these wineries will tell you that tastings take one hour, but we actually recommend that you plan each of your tastings two hours apart. All of our tastings ran over the hour mark, and every one of our wine experts seemed extremely happy to let us sit and take our time to enjoy the experience. Two hours will give you ample opportunity to enjoy your tasting, wander around the gift shop, and make it to your next destination without feeling rushed.
How many Napa tastings should you do in one day?
Of course, you will find many varying opinions on this front. For us, and according to a few friends who have also visited Napa, three tastings in one day seem to be the sweet spot. This is also the number of wineries that most wine tours will take you to so we feel like we’re onto something here. With two hours planned for each vineyard, just three tastings will take up most of your day, will still leave you with enough time for dinner, and will hopefully mean you wake up hangover free on the following day.
Should you book a wine tasting tour?
I have personally never been a fan of prearranged tours because it doesn’t allow you to customize your experience. The wine tours in Napa can also be pretty expensive, hovering around $150 a person which doesn’t even include the wine tasting fees. However, if you don’t want to have to deal with the pressure of picking which vineyards to visit, or don’t feel like driving yourself, then there are plenty of wine tours that will transport you via trolley, bus, or van. There is even the famous Napa Valley Wine Train where you can sip Napa wine while traveling through the valley inside a vintage train.
Can you bring your own food to tastings?

Whether you can bring your own snacks to a wine tasting will depend on the policies of each winery. Generally, more relaxed wineries such as Hagafen Cellars that do not serve their own food will let you bring your own snacks along to the tasting. Any that offers charcuterie selections or has their own kitchen will ask you to leave outside food off the premises. These policies are typically listed on their websites for easy reference.

Are dogs allowed at the vineyards?
Once again, this will depend on the vineyard! From our experience, wineries that have horses on the premises, such as Shadybrook Estate, will not allow dogs on their property to avoid spooking any of the horses or their riders. Many wineries that have outdoor seating options will allow dogs though. Be sure to verify their policies and make sure it is clear if you will be bringing a dog along when you make your reservation so that they do not accidentally seat you inside.

Vineyard and Winery Recommendations

Robert Mondavi Winery

Robert Mondavi was the very first winery that we tried while in Napa Valley and it remains memorable for its exquisite estate, notable wines, and top-notch service. Upon entering their vineyard, the host immediately offered to take our photo in front of the vineyards. We were seated immediately on their white tablecloth patio and were quickly met with a wine expert who took the time to teach us how to do a proper Napa tasting before leading us through a personalized tasting of their wines. This was one of the more expensive tastings that we did, at $85 a person excluding our charcuterie board, but the experience was definitely worth it.

Hagafen Cellars

Hagafen was the winery where I felt like I could be my most authentic self. With bench seating within their fairytale garden, we were welcomed with a glass of champagne while listening to wind chimes and overlooking their newly replanted vineyard. This organic, award-winning, family-owned winery has an intimate feel and is recognized as the only kosher winery in Napa Valley. As a bonus, they take their commitment to sustainability seriously. They hold the badge of being a Napa Green certified winery, are solar powered, and even have an electric vehicle charging station in their parking lot. While there is a pre-set tasting menu here, they encourage you to swap any wines you aren’t interested in with any of their others. This winery had a 2019 Sauvignon blanc which ended up being one of our favorite wines that we tried while in Napa.

Shadybrook Estate

Aside from having one of the best Pinot Noirs I have ever tasted, Shadybrook is a newer winery that has already reached international fame due to its standards and quality. If you visit in the summer months, you will likely be seated in one of their large and comfortable outdoor seats set within their spacious patio. The service here is very intimate with the servers taking the time to sit and discuss the wines with you in between moments where you have the opportunity to look out onto their 12-acre, premium vineyard. It was here that we had one of the best charcuterie boards we had ever tried which included a truffle cheese that I can almost taste again if I concentrate hard enough. While we didn’t opt for the experience, you can actually tour their estate atop horseback before your tasting which I can only imagine being a fun and unique way to introduce you to this Napa Valley gem.

Restaurant Recommendations

Gott’s Roadside

If you’re hankering for a bite to eat and don’t have a reservation anywhere, you would be hard pressed to find a casual restaurant that serves up anything tastier than what you’ll find at Gott’s Roadside. In a relaxed and friendly environment, this burger joint serves elevated American fare which is so good it brought us back for seconds. Our favorites here included the California burger, the black and white milkshake, the garlic parmesan fries, and the ahi tuna tacos. The excellence of this place is no secret so you will come upon a line to place your order. The queue tends to move quickly though, and shouldn’t leave you waiting for too long.

Hal Yamashita

If you are a sushi lover then Hal Yamashita is the place for you. We had been dreaming of fresh California seafood after traveling inland for months, and this restaurant checked all the boxes. Hal Yamashita serves some of the freshest seafood in Napa Valley within a modern, sophisticated and upscale atmosphere. Their menu has options from simple traditional rolls to 6-course dining experiences that will leave your tastebuds feeling like they’re in an amusement park. If that isn’t enough, their menu features a wide assortment of Japanese Sake, some of which have Hal Yamashita as their exclusive home within the United States.

Mustards Grill

Mustards Grill is a favorite in the area, known for its infamously dense wine menu that you could easily get lost in, and its one-of-a-king pork chop that will surely blow your socks right off your feet. From start to finish, we loved absolutely everything that touched our table throughout our dining experience. From the ahi tuna crackers, Mongolian pork chop, grilled salmon drizzled with sundried tomato butter, and a healthy serving of pineapple upside-down cake, we left Mustards feeling satisfied on every culinary level. In the summer, its outdoor patio is decorated with hallways of blooming sunflowers while the winter allows guests to marvel at the blossoming mustard flowers which surround the restaurant. We recommend booking reservations a week ahead of time.

Other Activities in Napa Valley

Vine Trail

The Napa Valley Vine Trail is currently a 12.5-mile bike trail leading from Kennedy Park in Napa City to Yountville. The ultimate goal is to continue the trail north for a total of 47 miles, connecting Napa to Calistoga’s Hot Springs in a stunning path that will weave through the world-renowned vineyards of Napa Valley. If you enjoy biking, or if you would prefer to walk, this path is relatively flat and gives tourists a great way to appreciate the beauty of nature while getting in some exercise to counteract the overconsumption that has likely filled the rest of your time here.

Skyline Wilderness Park

Another area that offers a bounty of fresh air and outdoor recreation is Skyline Wilderness Park. We camped our RV here for two weeks during our stay in Napa which helped make the trip a lot more affordable than it would have been otherwise. The park offers plenty of opportunities for biking, walking, and hiking, even featuring a well-used disc golf course that you can take a stab at completing if you feel so inclined.

Oxbow Public Market

If you’re looking for a social hub with great shopping, dining, and occasional entertainment, then we suggest checking out the Oxbow Public Market. We stopped here several times to take a walk and grab a casual bite to eat, but it's also a fabulous place to find a souvenir. Its riverside deck offers great views where you can sample a couple of locally harvested oysters. When we were there during the Fourth of July weekend, the marketplace even hosted a concert which was complete with a fireworks show. 

We hope you enjoyed this guide to the beautiful Napa Valley wine country. If you have any questions or perhaps a tip that I may have missed, please share it in the comments below so that we can help future travelers together!

Thank you for joining us at Discovery Detour, where the destination is always unknown.

Madalyn Meyers

Madalyn is an author, trained ecologist, and advocate for science communication. As a resident of the road, she travels the country in her home on wheels, pausing to learn about stories of culture and science along the way. She documents these discoveries on her science driven travel blog, Discovery Detour.

Previous

Vanlife and Mental Health: How to Keep Your Sanity While Living on The Road
Next

Discover Your Ultimate Guide to Yosemite National Park - Best Things to See There