If you have just one day to visit Napa Valley for wine tasting, you might want to sample a single winery from each region of the greater valley. Each winery you visit should offer something noteworthy, whether it is impressive architecture, impressive scenery, an impressive art collection, or simply impressive wines. The following wineries are the places I would want to visit if I only had one day in the valley. Keep in mind that most winery tasting rooms operate during the daytime from about 11:00am until 5:00pm (some start earlier, others close earlier). None of the wineries on this list requires a tasting appointment in advance, so you are free to arrive or depart as you wish. You should allow one hour for each visit, and about thirty minutes of driving between each. With this list, you can travel South to North if you are starting from the city of Napa, or North to South if you are starting from Calistoga or St. Helena.
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| Layout of Napa Valley's wine-growing districts (AVA's) |
Domain Carneros (Carneros – Highway 121) www.domaincarneros.com
Enjoy sparkling wines or Pinot Noir from the balcony of this winery in the heart of Carneros. Architected to resemble a French chateau, the gardens and building provide a starting point for the spectacular views of the surrounding rolling hills all neatly fitted with vineyards.
Enjoy sparkling wines or Pinot Noir from the balcony of this winery in the heart of Carneros. Architected to resemble a French chateau, the gardens and building provide a starting point for the spectacular views of the surrounding rolling hills all neatly fitted with vineyards.
Hess Collection (Mt. Veeder – Redwood Rd.) www.hesscollection.com
If you don’t mind a few curves in the road and watch carefully for the well-marked left turn, the trip to this mountain winery is well worth the effort. From well-manicured gardens, to inspiring architecture, to the upstairs art collection, there is much to enjoy about this winery (including the wines). Ask about visiting the barrel room.
If you don’t mind a few curves in the road and watch carefully for the well-marked left turn, the trip to this mountain winery is well worth the effort. From well-manicured gardens, to inspiring architecture, to the upstairs art collection, there is much to enjoy about this winery (including the wines). Ask about visiting the barrel room.
Provenance Vineyards (Rutherford – Highway 29) www.provenancevineyards.com
Each of the wineries in this list offers something special. In this case, it is the wine. I often recommend folks visit Provenance for the quality of their wines. Not only do they make excellent Cabernets that express the different growing areas in the valley, they also produce some terrific Merlots and Sauvignon Blancs. Check out the hardwood floor made from the staves of old wine barrels.
Each of the wineries in this list offers something special. In this case, it is the wine. I often recommend folks visit Provenance for the quality of their wines. Not only do they make excellent Cabernets that express the different growing areas in the valley, they also produce some terrific Merlots and Sauvignon Blancs. Check out the hardwood floor made from the staves of old wine barrels.
St. Clement Winery (St. Helena – Highway 29) www.stclement.com
This beautifully maintained nineteenth-century farm house is the ideal setting for a winery, perched about 100 feet (30 meters) above the valley floor. The surrounding patio makes the perfect setting to enjoy your wine under the shade of the sturdy old oaks looking out across the valley floor below.
This beautifully maintained nineteenth-century farm house is the ideal setting for a winery, perched about 100 feet (30 meters) above the valley floor. The surrounding patio makes the perfect setting to enjoy your wine under the shade of the sturdy old oaks looking out across the valley floor below.
I would say Franciscan and Rubicon Estate in Rutherford, Etude in Carneros and Miner in Oakville are also among the best to give a pretty accurate idea of Napa.But of course, Provenance and St Clement are two must in this list.
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