Where to go with only 2.5 days in Napa Valley?

By Jennifer Primrose & Dathan Kazsuk 
Twitter: TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: trianglearoundtown | Pinterest: TriangleAT | Email: trianglearoundtown@gmail.com

It's Wine Capital of the World. Napa Valley. Home to 460-plus wineries. Some of those top notch wines we have all heard of – Opus One, Stag's Leap, Silver Oak, Del Dotto and Screaming Eagle – to name a few. And it's so overwhelming. You can't do them all. You have to pick and choose. But which ones? Do you make appointments the whole time, or play it by ear and crash the party of those non-appointment wineries such as Peju, Sterling or Chateau Montelena? 

We were fortunate enough to have some contacts with a few of the wineries here in Napa, which made our experience a little more enjoyable. But contacts or not, you probably can't go wrong visiting any of these spectacular wineries. 

We were in Napa Valley for two-and-a-half days – and here is a recap of our adventures. Be sure to click on the links inside this recap to view the full length reviews on many of our stops at each of the wineries.

Check out our 5 helpful tips while visiting Napa Valley!

Here we go!

Day 1

JaM Cellars: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Our first stop of day one took us to JaM Cellars to test out our Downtown Napa Wine Tasting Cards we picked up at the Napa welcome center. If you're a fan of Chardonnay, you've probably seen or tasted JaM's Butter Chardonnay before, or even its Cabernet Sauvignon titled Jam. We were familiar with the winery, since we've poured some of its wine at one of our wine club events. The atmosphere in here was very cool and hip – with music icons plastered all over the walls, and the urban-style tasting room looking more like a recording studio. 

With the tasting cards our drinks were essentially two for the price of one! You can't beat that. We enjoyed a flight of 5 wines. With the Butter and Jam, they poured the grocery store versions (both good wines, we might add) and then the special reserve that you can only buy at the shop, to compare the two. We had a great time there, and actually went back the following night since they're open later than all the other downtown Napa tasting rooms.

Plumpjack: 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Plumpjack was next during our two-and-a-half day romp through Napa Valley. Prior to our visit, Dathan was corresponding with Plumpjack’s Rick Ratliff via Facebook about the wines we liked and the best time to arrive.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW OF PLUMPJACK WINERY HERE!

Rick led us through the winery's current releases at the tasting bar. There we sampled 5 wines on the list. Rick also offered us a trio of additional wines from Plumpjack’s sister wineries Odetta and Cade (everything was delicious). After the tasting Rick gave us a quick tour of the winery and told us a little history about the area – which included pointing out Screaming Eagle Winery atop a hill in the distance. 

Before we left, we asked for a few nearby recommendations which didn’t need a reservation. In case you didn’t know, more than half of Napa Valley's 460-plus wineries require advance notice prior to arrival. Two of the more popular wineries in the Oakville-area include Caymus Family Vineyards and Miner Family Wines. Rick suggested out of the two he’d pick Caymus. So off we went.

 Caymus Family Vineyards: 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Caymus brand of wines are all great. From the white table wine, Conundrum, to those very dark and fruity Cabs – we like them all. And since we didn’t need a reservation to taste, we got in our car and traveled right down the road to end up at our second winery of the day.

We sampled that day’s wine flight, which consisted of two Emmolo wines, one Mer Soleil wine and two Caymus selections. Our favorites were the 2015 Cab and 2014 Special Selection Cab from Caymus. All this while sitting outside during a perfect day while our server kept the wine flowing. The only thing we had to be mindful of was the mamma bird perched above us keeping people at bay from her nest of two baby birds.

Gott's Roadside + Oxbow Public Market: 6:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Sure this is our first time to Napa, but we have a feeling that the Oxbow Public Market will be one of our favorite stops. Wine. Beer. Cheese. Coffee. Distillery. And one of the best burgers we've ever had! Eat your heart out In-N-Out and Five Guys – Gott's Roadside is the place to eat! The burgers there have everything from fried eggs, kimchi, blue cheese, onion rings and grilled Anaheim chiles (which Dathan had on his burger). Imagine eating a mouth-watering burger with a great glass of local wine or beer.

Day 2

Italics Wine Growers: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

 
After a quick breakfast at our hotel in downtown Napa we made our way to Italics Winegrowers for our 10 a.m. appointment. We were greeted by David Gunkle, who just moved from Garner, North Carolina, to Napa three weeks prior to our visit. David started us off with a white table wine, as he told us the history behind the Taylor family who owns the winery, and about their winemaker, Steve Reynolds, of Reynolds Family Winery.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW OF ITALICS WINE GROWERS HERE! 

We did a tour of Italics' wine caves and were able to sample a Chardonnay from one of the barrels before heading to a table to conduct our tasting. There were five wines on our tasting menu, but David poured us a couple others not on the list including an incredible Cabernet Franc. 

We ended up talking a lot about N.C. including a couple of our favorite Raleigh-area breweries and us having a couple mutual friends back in town as well as our memberships to Jones Von Drehle Winery in Thurmond, North Carolina. It really is such a small world.

Reynolds Family Winery: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Us and Reynolds Family Winery go way back. Well, at least the past 5 years. We first met owner/winemaker Steve Reynolds in Raleigh during the annual Triangle Wine Experience weekend that raises money for the Frankie Lemmon School. From the Sip and Signs, to wine dinners, to the big Gala, we always seem to run into him. It doesn't hurt that he has some great wines and is such a good person. 

So we decided to return the favor and say "hi" to him at his winery in Napa Valley. We both decided on the Red Lovers tasting which consisted of a 2012 Pinot Noir, 2015 Merlot, 2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014 Persistence and a 2013 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. While we drank we enjoyed the sun and waited for Steve. Unfortunately, he was out running errands for his Cinco de Mayo celebration at the winery later in the week. Maybe next time.

Mark Herold Winery: 1:20 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.

Mark Herold Winery was another downtown winery that was a part of our Downtown Napa Wine Tasting Cards. The winery is right next to the Oxbow Public Market. We took a couple seats near the front window and enjoyed the wines. Brie told us the story behind Mark and all the wines we sampled. We enjoyed the Flux Grenache Blanc and Grenache Rosé to begin our flight. But our favorite was the bold taste of the 2014 Acha Grenacha with its hints of Créme de Cassis and black cherries. We also learned that Brie was at one time the tasting room manager at Reynolds Family Winery – where we just came from.

After leaving Mark Herold we crossed the street to Trade Brewing were we split a flight of beer and had a soft pretzel with beer cheese.

Wines on First: 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Wines on First was a nice little find downtown that features wines by Mitch Cosentino's PureCru label as well as J. McClelland wines from Steele Canyon Cellars. And as part of the Napa Wine Card we got our tastings for half off. For $10 each (which included the half off card), we were able to sample through all 8 of the PureCru. That included the likes of a 2014 Chardonnay, 2014 Pinot Noir, 2013 Sangio Vetta and the 2012 releases of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. 

By this time, a lot of the wines were tasting the same – good. But we really enjoyed the 2012 CFM (Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend). After we finished our tasting our server didn't want us to leave until we tried a couple more of Mitch's wines, the 2010 MCoz and the 2012 Secret 7 both at $125 a bottle. 

Day 3

Chateau Montelena: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

 
If you're a fan on the movie Bottle Shock, or know anything about the Judgment of Paris, then you probably know what Chateau Montelena means to Napa Valley. Without Steven Spurrier Napa might not be all that it is today. And because of these, we drove to the northern most part of the valley to walk the grounds here and taste some wine. 

READ OUR SPOTLIGHT ON CHATEAU MONTELENA HERE!

Because this is such a tourist attraction, no reservations are required, so we walked right in and took part in the day's tasting. It's funny that the gift shop even sells copies of the movie Bottle Shock that stars the late Alan Rickman as Spurrier.

Vineyard 36 (via Vineyard 29): 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

We enjoy our hockey, but lately the Hurricanes haven't given us much to cheer for. But goalie Cam Ward has teamed up with ex-Hurricane Tim Gleason and a few others to create some good wine in the form of Vineyard 36. Taking their name from Ward's #30 and Gleason's #6 jerseys, the two don't have a vineyard/tasting room, but with the help of their winemaker Keith Emerson at Vineyard 29 they're making a handful of select wine.

We reached out to Vineyard 36 and were able to get a private tour and tasting thanks to the winery's hospitality/sommelier guru Scott Barber. After just leaving the old, castle-like structure at Chateau Montelena, it was quite a eye-popper to see the modern-day twist of Vineyard 29 after coming through the front entrance gates.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW OF VINEYARD 36 HERE! 

Barber showed us around the winery and the state-of-the-art equipment before leading us to the nice, cool caves where we tried some V36 releases that won't see the light of day until 2019. We were also fortunate enough to try and buy several bottles of the winery's new release, Resilience Rosé, which is already sold out!

We said our goodbyes to Scott and realized it was time to finally end our time in Napa. We had a 2.5 hour drive back to Atwater as well as a layover at the Jelly Belly Candy Company in Fairfield. Until next time, Napa. I'm sure the two of us will see you again!

And thanks to all the wonderful people that helped make this experience one to remember!

Winery Spotlight: Chateau Montelena

Chateau Montelena's history dates back to 1882.

By Jennifer Primrose

Thursday, May 31

If you know your wine history, you know that Chateau Montelena in Calistoga, California, essentially put Napa Valley on the map! With that being said, we decided to pay a visit to the famous chateau during our vacation in California this past May. Walking up to the chateau is pretty impressive and breathtaking, and just knowing the antiquity behind the family and its legend made it one of our favorite stops.

We decided instead of reviewing the wines at Chateau Montelena, we would spend a moment to tell a little bit about the history behind the chateau and the people that put this wine and Napa on the forefront in the wine industry.

THE HISTORY OF CHATEAU MONTELENA

Chateau Montelena has a long history dating back to 1882, when Alfred Tubbs, a San Francisco entrepreneur, became the original owner of the winery, then named A. L. Tubbs Winery. In 1886 he brought on a French-born winemaker and constructed the English Gothic-style castle and by 1896 the winery was the seventh largest in Napa Valley. Then came Prohibition and subsequently, the end of the winery.

Post-Prohibition, Tubbs grandson, Chapin Tubbs, decided to continue with the legacy of growing grapes and making wine and in 1940 changed the name to Chateau Montelena. After Tubbs' death in 1947, the winery did not function again for two decades.

Chateau Montelena is located in Calistoga, California.

In 1958, the Chateau was sold to York and Jeanie Frank who emigrated from Hong Kong prior to World War II. It was during this time that they constructed the Chinese gardens and Jade Lake. During a visit, guests are invited to walk the grounds and take in the serenity of the gardens.

Jade Lake at Chateau Montelena.

By the early 1970s the winery once again found itself under a new owner by the name of Jim Barrett. Today, the leadership continues under Jim's son, Bo Barrett.

THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS

The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, or better known as the Judgment of Paris, has changed how Napa Valley wines were viewed against European and French wines.

The event took place on May 24, and put some of the best wines in France against, at the time, a little known region in California – Napa Valley. The judges included some of the best sommeliers in the business. In the white wine category, a total of four white Burgundy wines went toe-to-toe with six Chardonnays from California.

There was never any doubt amongst the judges that France would win hands down. In fact, only one journalist even bothered to show up for the event that day. And then came the surprise. The shock of all shocks! The winner of the blind white wine tasting was the 1973 Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena. But it didn't end there. California also won in the red category with a 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars – once again beating the French.

We can all thank a fellow by the name of Steven Spurrier (no, not the Heisman Trophy football coach), an English wine shop owner living in Paris who decided to hold this competition in the hopes of showcasing what was going on in California at the time. This event changed the world of wine as we know it. Today, California is now home to more than 4,200 wineries – followed by Washington state, Oregon and New York.

We had a fantastic time visiting Chateau Montelena in Calistoga, where we sampled 6 wines that day. Our favorite was the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, which made an appearance in the tasting room that afternoon. Unfortunately, we do not have a bottle of the winning 1973 Chardonnay of which can only be found in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

And there is your history lesson for the day. How a wine competition changed the world of wine. Cheers!

Winery Profile: NHL Players draw success with Vineyard 36

By Dathan Kazsuk and Jennifer Primrose
Wednesday, May 23, 2018

If you're a fan of the NHL and follow Carolina Hurricanes' hockey – you know that we haven't had much to cheer for since they won the Stanley Cup back in 2006. And if you are a fan like we are, you should know that goalie Cam Ward along with former Hurricane's D-man Tim Gleason co-own a winery in the Napa Valley called Vineyard 36.

But just how did we find out about this awesome collaboration? Once again, our friend Ben Cash at Taylor's Wine Shop had a tasting a couple years ago featuring Vineyard 36 and brought in co-owners Ward, Gleason and Jason Earnest. We came in and tried the wines and were able to chat with all three owners about their wines and what direction they planned on taking the winery.

Vineyard 36's barrels are actually stored at Vineyard 29's facility in St. Helena, California.

So, when we were planning our Napa vacation, we decided to reach out to Vineyard 36 to see if we could get a private tour and tasting of their wines. Through a few emails back and forth, we were eventually able to set up a time and date with Vineyard 36's director of hospitality, Scott Barber.

Note: For all you non-Hurricanes' fans out there, the name Vineyard 36 comes from Ward's jersey number "30" as well as Gleason's number "6" jersey. The trio previously wanted to name the winery CANES, but were advised to forego that due to Cain Vineyard & Winery that subsides down the road.

Being a very small winery, Vineyard 36 doesn't actually have a facility or tasting room, so they produce and store their wines inside Vineyard 29. It just happened to be fate for Vineyard 36, since its current winemaker, Keith Emerson, is also the director of winemaking at Vineyard 29. 

Yes, there's a lot of numbers going on here ... Vineyard 36 at Vineyard 29 and the address is 2929 St. Helena Highway. The winery is nestled in an area of St. Helena that's near wineries such as William Cole, Revana Family Vineyards and Markham Vineyards. 

We came to the closed gate at V29 and said we were there to see Scott from V36. "OK. Make your way up the hill and make your first right," said the voice behind the intercom. As we were parking, Scott was standing outside to greet us. 

Once inside he showed us around the facility while pouring us the winery's latest release – its first ever Rosé release – Resilience. This rosé was released to its wine club members, and as of the release of this blog, has officially sold out! At least we were fortunate enough to buy a couple bottles that day.

That afternoon, while in the chilly caves of Vineyard 29 we were able to sample three new wines resting in the barrels. One of which will be new to the market beginning in 2019, when Vineyard 36 releases its Black Aces signature red wine blend. Scott asked us if we know the meaning behind Black Aces – which we didn't. We were told that it's a hockey term that means the following:

Players who are recalled to the NHL from their AHL or junior teams when those teams own seasons end. Since the NHL has no roster limits after the trade deadline, any of these players would be eligible to come into a game, but usually don't unless there are injuries.

After we sampled from the barrels we moved over to sample several wines from the current release, which included the UnMask and Cross Check red blends. We currently had two years of the Cross Check in our wine cellar at home, and after leaving the cave, we will be adding the latest vintage to the cellar.

Vineyard 36 is open for visits on a limited basis by appointment only. Priority is given to mailing list customers and members of the trade. They can be reached at info@vineyard36.com.

Winery Review: Plumpjack Winery

Sir John Falstaff, a fictional character that's appeared in a handful of William Shakespeare plays. A plump and vain man, who is the sidekick to Prince Hal – the future King Henry V. Spending most of his time drinking at the Boar's Head Inn. This is the character that was coined "Plumpjack" by Queen Elizabeth. And this is where we spent part of a perfect Napa afternoon drinking some fine wines.

We were both familiar with the name, but never had any of the wine prior to our visit. One day we were talking with our friend Ben Cash of Taylor's Wine Shop in Raleigh, and he mentioned if we're going to Napa, we need to reach out to his friend Rick Ratliff at Plumpjack and pay him a visit. And that's exactly what we did.

The Plumpjack winery and group was founded by ex-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and friend/investor Gordon Getty. The winery was founded back in 1997 when Newsom and Getty acquired roughly 53-acres of land in Napa Valley. Plumpjack was the first Napa winery to start using screwcap closures for its wine – something you wouldn't expect from a winery in Napa Valley. 


Upon entering the winery, we promptly met Rick, who was working behind the tasting bar. Rick asked when we arrived in town, and we told him just a couple of hours ago from our trek from Santa Rosa to Napa. He asked if we paid a visit to the Russian River Brewing Company, which of course we did. "Dathan love his beer," said Jen ... "So of course we stopped there."

I told him we picked up a 6-pack of its very popular Pliny the Elder pale ale to bring home with us. I think Rick approved of the purchase.

We decided on the current release tasting, starting with the 2016 Reserve Chardonnay. The taste of apples, pears and lemon zest were all prominent with this Chardonnay. Made with 100 percent Chardonnay and only 248 barrels produced, it was one of the best Chardonnay's we tasted on our vacation. We followed that up with the 2015 Merlot – a wine very rich in dark fruits. There would be no vulgar quotes from the movie Sideways coming out of our mouths from this full-bodied Merlot.

Next we sampled the 2015 Adaptation Cabernet Sauvignon – which we had to pick up a bottle of this to bring back home. This blend of 78 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 22 percent Merlot was a unique blend of berries, chocolate and just that perfect amount of acidity. Our final wine – at least on the list was the 2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. But with Petit Verdot being the second grape instead of Merlot, we got a little more of a herbal garden in the aftertaste – sage or maybe some mint. 

We now follow Rick out the backdoor to check out the patio and the view of the mountains in the distance as he pours us a Stag's Leap district Cabernet Sauvignon from Plumpjack's sister winery down the road, Odette. This wine tasted of overly ripe cherries, violets and pencil shavings. I think Jen and my eyes grew twice the size when we tried this lavish wine. We also sampled a Sauvignon Blanc from another sister winery, Cade. A nice vibrantly acidic white wine to end our tasting for the afternoon.

After our tasting, Rick had a few moments to show us around the facility and inside the winery itself. He pointed out where Screaming Eagle Winery rested on the hill above Plumpjack, and even further up the hill where the Starkist Tuna family lived. 

It's people like Rick that make visits to Napa so enjoyable. People want to feel special and that's exactly what Rick did for us. From the history of the winery and its owners – to the wine – the hospitality and even at the end, helping us find out our next location to visit. And just like our visit to Italics Winegrowers during our stay in Napa, we suggest dropping into Plumpjack and let them show you the great assortment of wine. We promise you won't be disappointed. 

TAT's own Dathan and Jennifer take a selfie with Plumpjack's Rick Ratliff (left to right).

Winery Review: Italics Winegrowers

By Dathan Kazsuk

"It's true, the winery is new. But the soil is as old as dirt."

That's the motto used by Italics Winegrowers, one of Coombsville AVA's newest wineries on the block. This viticultural area lies just east of the city of Napa and is home to a whopping 34 wineries. These wineries are all small producers and family-owned – and visits are by appointment only. Out of all these wineries we selected Italics because, as I like to say, 'Go with what you know.' 

We've tasted Italics here in Raleigh several times during the annual Triangle Wine Experience weekend, had the opportunity to talk to managing partner Taylor Martin in Wake Forest, and we're both familiar with the wines produced by Italics' winemaker, Steve Reynolds of Reynolds Family Winery. So visiting Italics was a no-brainer.

Upon our arrival at Italics, we slithered up a pathway to the top of a hill. Behind us a body of grapevines running in different directions, each lots fruit just beginning to bud with the end of spring just around a month away. The morning fog hangs over the ridge of the Vaca mountain range in the distance. The brisk, morning air feels good, as a slight shiver chills the body. Or maybe it is the anticipation as we finally make our way to the crest of the hill and view the three large concrete caves that penetrate the hillside.

The picturesque view behind us led to snapping a few photos before we made our way to the entrance of the cave's main tasting room. As we walked into the room we were met by our host for the tasting, David Gunkle. After we confirm that we're in the right location he starts by pouring us a sample of the winery's Proprietary White Wine, a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Gunkle walks us back outside to tell us the history of the grounds and the Taylor family who owns the winery. 

"We have several things in common," Gunkle tells the two of us while still enjoying the view outside. "I'm from North Carolina, too. I just moved from Garner to Napa three weeks ago," he says. It always seems no matter how far we stray from Raleigh or North Carolina, we always find some connection back home. Gunkle then goes on to tell us that he used to be the wine manager at our local Total Wine down the road, and that we even have mutual friends back in Raleigh. What a small world.  


As we made our way into one of the entrances on the side of the hill I think to myself, 'We are now entering a Hobbit hole filled with outstanding wine.' But this was a little more high-tech than any Hobbit hole I've ever seen. David proceeds to tells us all about the equipment inside the cave, as well as what juice is in each barrel, and we even get a quick lesson on how to read the labels on the head of the barrels. 

Shortly after our tour of the caves we made our way to the main tasting room, where set up lie before us. Four wines glasses, our tasting sheets and note pads. David pour the first red for us, the 2013 Italics Sixteen Appellations. Made up from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 

That was followed by the 2015 Italics Proprietary Red Wine, 2014 Italics One of Sixteen Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain and the 2014 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. All these wines were just as great as the last one David poured. As we enjoyed our wine, we continued to discuss all-things-Raleigh. We discussed two of our favorite Raleigh-area breweries, which David and Dathan both agreed on Trophy Brewing and Bond Brothers. And we even discussed some North Carolina wine – and how there are some good wineries in our state that could fit right in the friendly confides of Napa Valley.

"I really like Jones von Drehle," David says. "We are club members, and I'm actually keeping my membership with the winery." Again, such a small world. We are also club members of Jones von Drehle, and told him we're looking forward to the winery's pick up party this June.

The tasting continued as David then decided he was going to pour for us the estate-grown 2015 Cabernet Franc. This rare wine grows on roughly 1-acre of land on the property and it allocated exclusively for wine club members. The nose of this wine was like smelling fresh, ripe plums with a bouquet of violets – and was pretty mind-blowing.

When all the wine was consumed and we made our purchase and said our goodbyes, we came to the conclusion at the end of our Napa excursion that this was one of our best experiences of the trip. The hospitality we received from the winery (from one of its co-owners prior to arriving, to David's reception and email conversations with Italics' Victoria Stewart) was second to none. If anyone reading this plans a visit to the Napa-area, do yourself a favor and make Italics one of your stops. You'll fall in love with the product produced by this winery just like we have!



























Italics Winegrowers is located at 70 Rapp Lane in Napa. They can be reached at 707-258-0106 or my email at info@italicswine.com

5 Helpful Tips when Visiting Napa Valley

By Dathan Kazsuk and Jennifer Primrose
Twitter: TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: trianglearoundtown | Pinterest: TriangleAT | Email: trianglearoundtown@gmail.com

Napa Valley, a wine lovers and bloggers paradise with vineyards as far as the eye can see. With over 400-plus wineries, what's not to love? Varietals for all palates and experiences from private cave tastings to Sterling Vineyards' gondola ride to the tasting room to the more traditional tastings around a tasting bar.

In one day, we enjoyed a tasting at Chateau Montelena. Best known for winning in a blind taste test during the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, or better known as the Judgment of Paris. That event put Napa Valley on the map. We followed that up with our next stop that took us to the modern and high-tech Vineyard 29 for a private barrel-tasting of wines by Vineyard 36 co-owned by Carolina Hurricane's goalie, Cam Ward.

Napa Valley has so much to offer that it can be an overwhelming task to plan for that perfect wine tasting experience. With our first visit now out of the way, we thought we would share a couple of our tips and tricks for planning your first trip to Napa Valley. What we learned, things we would do differently and things we wish we had the time to do – which only means we need to start planning the next adventure to wine country.

1. NAPA VALLEY IS NOT CHEAP! 

Wine tastings in Napa Valley could range anywhere from $25 up to $100-plus depending on the experience. Some wineries do offer free tastings. This is where intensive research is required. And remember, Google is your friend. 

Decide on how many wineries you wish to visit each day and find out ahead of time what the cost will be and plan accordingly. The last thing you want to do is find yourself paying off your Napa Valley vacation 2-3 years down the road. If you're looking to have an afternoon experience at 2 to 4 wineries, expect to easily drop $300 or more a day.

2. RESERVATIONS MY BE REQUIRED

That’s right. Who knew? But many of the wineries do require a reservation ahead of time. That does not mean you cannot call the day of to see if there are any openings. When we first learned about this we weren’t sure what to think. Having now experienced it, Napa knows what they are doing. With a reservation, you will not feel rushed, the tastings are spaced accordingly and for what you are paying, you certainly want the best experience there is!

Calling ahead you are guaranteed a small setting with your Napa host and sometimes personalized tastings notes – which adds to the charm of your visit to Napa Valley.

3. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO 

We already mentioned our friend Google, but also ask your local bottle shops for recommendations and advice. Many shop owners or wine managers have been to the Valley before and can offer up suggestions, especially if they know your taste in wine. We were fortunate to have a friend at a local bottle shop connect us with someone at Plumpjack Winery (thanks Ben). 

4. FIRST STOP ... WELCOME CENTER 

 
May be somewhat obvious, but even with our planning ahead, we still opted to make our first stop at the Welcome Center in downtown Napa. This turned out to be an excellent idea. They are very knowledgeable, showed us on a map the wineries we were going to be visiting, gave other recommendations and handed us a map of the valley that shows all the wineries and which ones are walk-ins and reservations only. A very helpful map when in between appointments and want to do more tasting.

5. DOWNTOWN NAPA WINE TASTING CARD 

When you go to the Welcome Center, you can also purchase a Tasting Card for $15. This card will allow you to go to the tasting rooms in downtown Napa, all within walking distance, to try some wines you may never have had the chance to. The card gave us half off the tastings. We went to three different tasting rooms and more than made up the money we spent on the card.The tasting card features a total of 10 different "urban-style" wineries located downtown. And the best part, these cards are good for an entire year!

So, there you have it! A few lessons learned for us. As we are sure there are so many more, please feel free to leave us comments if you also have some friendly tips to share.