Our Napa Guide
We called Napa home for years before we sold everything to travel. These are our places — the ones we send friends to, celebrate at, and fly back for.
I. Wineries — Wine Guy’s Recos
Sparkling
Domaine Carneros — A French château in the heart of Napa Valley — this is where we start our days, with sparkling flights on the terrace above Carneros.
Schramsberg — Founded in 1862, with historic caves hand-dug into the Calistoga hillside in the 1800s that still age every bottle.
Wine Guy Pro TipAsk for the late disgorged Blanc de Noirs — years on the lees in those caves, and worth every penny.
The Experience
Cimarossa — Ride an ATV up Howell Mountain, through the vineyards, to a private tasting chalet — the Cabernet tastes even better after the climb.
Donum — Ride an ATV through the vineyards past bigger-than-life art installations scattered across the estate — world-class Pinot Noir with museum-scale sculpture.
Del Dotto — Incredibly ornate: a Venetian palace of marble, mosaics and candlelit caves, pouring straight from the barrel at two estates — Napa and St. Helena.
Food & Wine
B Cellars — The cave experience pairs estate wines with bites from the winery’s own kitchen and garden — come hungry, this is lunch disguised as a tasting.
Peju — The Chef’s Tasting Experience with Chef Nic: five courses, five estate wines, one very happy afternoon in Rutherford.
The Views
Chappellet — Arrive early and walk the property first — the views are the appetizer — then taste in a barrel room lined with art.
Silverado Vineyards — Estate Cabernet on a terrace above the Stags Leap District, with a front-row view of the palisades.
Downtown Napa Tasting Rooms
Krupp Brothers — Serious estate Cabernet in an elegant downtown salon — no drive up-valley required.
Bazán Cellars — Mario Bazán went from vineyard worker to owner, and every glass pours that story — ask for manager Bob Magnani while you’re there.
II. Restaurants
Italian
Scala — Handmade pastas, a welcoming atmosphere, and a lively bar — our Italian night out downtown.
Steakhouse
Cole’s Chop House — The Napa original: classic steakhouse cooking in one of downtown’s grand old stone buildings, and a martini that means business.
BOA Steakhouse — The newcomer: big-city steakhouse glamour lands in Napa — splurge on the Westholme wagyu.
French
Angèle — Downtown’s French corner: escargots and duck on the riverfront — and the croque madame with a glass of Champagne makes it an everyday brunch option, too.
Bistro Jeanty — Up valley in Yountville, the bistro we send everyone to — get the tomato soup in puff pastry.
Sushi
Morimoto — Iron Chef sushi on the riverfront: toro tartare, tuna pizza, and a room that buzzes.
Money Chick Pro TipHit the happy hour menu on Tuesdays, 4 to 6, and bring your own wine — corkage is waived on Tuesdays only.
Brunch
Sunshine Cafe — Casual, cheerful, all-day brunch every single day in North Napa.
Pro TipOrder the classic Benedict and sub sausage for the Canadian bacon.
FARM — The elevated one: Sunday brunch at Carneros Resort is a shared feast — everyone at the table picks a dish and everything lands in the middle to share, so strategize and book ahead.
BBQ
The Q — Known for the BBQ, but the Cobb and Asian chicken salads are the hidden secret — go naughty and ask for the chicken fried, not grilled.
Bar Dining
Kitchen Door — Grab a stool at Chef Todd Humphries’ bar downtown — you can’t go wrong with the burger, the pizzas, the banh mi, or the pho.
Breakfast Sandwich
Model Bakery — Home of the famous English muffin breakfast sandwich.
Money Chick Pro TipOrder ahead and skip the line — it wraps around the corner for a reason.
Can’t Decide?
Oxbow Public Market — Don’t decide. One roof, every craving: oysters at Hog Island, tacos at C Casa, a Gott’s burger, poke at Eiko’s, pizza at LiveFire, a bagel at Loveski, coffee at Ritual.
III. Local Favorites
Theatre
Lucky Penny — Our community theatre: Lucky Penny Productions stages plays and musicals in an intimate space — catch a show and feel like a local, not a tourist.
Drinks with a View
Sky & Vine (Archer Hotel) — The Archer’s rooftop bar is downtown’s best perch for a sunset glass.
Live Music
JaM Cellars — Live music Thursday through Sunday in a downtown tasting room that feels like a vinyl listening lounge — tell Irie Raymond we sent you.
Late Night
Downtown Joe’s — Napa’s living room: house-brewed beers, karaoke on Tuesdays, live music Thursday through Saturday, wall-to-wall TVs for the game, a new outdoor bar — and open every day of the year.
Classic Napa
Napa Valley Wine Train — A lovingly restored vintage train with genuinely elegant, old-world ambience and food far better than it needs to be — lunch rolling through the vineyards is Napa at its most romantic.
Napa Valley Aloft — Book the sunrise balloon ride and request Chad Eckerman as your pilot if you can — drifting over the vineyards at dawn is the valley’s greatest show.
On the River
Napa Valley Paddle — Kayak or paddleboard the Napa River at water level — request Drew Dickson and tell him we sent you.