Napa Valley Wineries
Location: Napa Valley is located 45 miles north of San Francisco via highways 80 or 101 to Highway 29.
One
of the most celebrated wine growing regions in the world, Napa is known
for its bold Cabernet Sauvignons in the north and its smooth Pinot
Noirs and Chardonnays in the south.
Almost
all of the Napa Valley wineries are located along the scenic farmland of Highway
29, which runs from Napa up to Calistoga. It's about 26 miles, or 40
minutes from start to finish.
There
are more than 195 wineries in Napa Valley. The Neighboring region of
Sonoma has more than 75 vineyards and tasting rooms. And the numbers
keep on growing.
Clearly,
it's impossible to visit every Napa Valley winery in one visit, so try
to focus on about 2-3 per day. Many wineries are pet and child friendly!
Many hotels, such as Villagio and Vintage Inn, offer guests a Napa Valley wineries map, which is extremely helpful when exploring wine country.
One
of the best winery tours through the area is Napa Valley Bike Tours
in Yountville. The Ride, Wine and Dine Tour — at about 15 miles for the
entire day — offers an easy, breezy view of wine country, complete with
an alfresco lunch in the vineyards and tasting at 4-6 wineries. On the Napa Valley Wine Train, you can dine aboard a rail car while enjoying gorgeous views of the vineyards through Napa, Yountville, Calistoga and Oakville.
For
a relaxed and educational tasting room experience, don't miss St.
Supery's Wine Discovery Center, where you learn how the grape goes from
vineyard to bottle in less than 30 minutes. It’s one of the best
primers on Wine 101 in the valley.
If
you want to enjoy the day in true Napa style, pack a gourmet picnic
lunch from Yountville's Ranch Market Too or Thomas Keller's famed
Bouchon Bakery and hit the road with your Napa Valley winery map.
The
best time to visit Napa Valley and its main towns of Napa, Yountville,
Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena is during the fall crush, which
happens between September and November with food fairs, wine auctions
and many festivals.
Napa Valley weather is usually mild during the winter with occasional rainstorms and chilly nights, and hot during the summer.
