Napa Valley Wineries

With over 500 wineries, Napa County is by far California's best known wine county - and includes Napa Valley, Stag's Leap, Calistoga, and five other appellations.

TravelCurious Tip

You can even get a mud bath at Dr. Wilkonson’s, where you will be slathered in volcanic ash and peat moss. Then to the whirlpool bath and the massage table

Napa Valley is world famous for its wines. The grapes that grow here are transformed into fruity Merlots and buttery Chardonnays, among many, many other varieties of wine from the more than 400 wineries that pepper the valley.


The valley itself is 40 miles north of San Francisco and 40 miles inland. Overall, it holds more than 45,000 acres of vineyards that grow about a dozen key grapes, from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. The very first vines were planted in the 1850s, but the budding wine industry was almost stamped out for 50 years by two things: phylloxera, a grape root eating louse, and the dreaded Prohibition.


However, in the 1940s the valley was reborn. The dwindling number of wineries skyrocketed, and when the Napa wines earned top honours at a 1976 blind tasting in Paris, the wine world took notice, and things really took off.


The city of Napa anchors the valley, but the real attractions are up-valley. If you are looking for the good life - food, wine, swimming pools, great weather, silk sheets and all those lovely bourgeois things - then look no further than Napa Valley and its wineries. Two highlights are HALL St. Helene and Castello di Amorosa.


HALL St. Helene is an example of a fusion between wine and art. Marked by a 35-foot gleaming stainless steel bunny, here your wines are taken with works of art by John Baldessari, Peter Wegner and Nick Cave. Alternatively, Castello di Amorosa was inspired by a 13th century Tuscan-style castle. Within its 121,000 square feet walls, built with one million handmade bricks from old Hapsburg palaces, you can enjoy a rich and wide array of wine and grape juice tastings.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in San Francisco
Sonoma County Wineries
Neighboring Napa, Sonoma County has equally famous wineries and appellations, including the Russian River Valley.
Wine Making Process
Throughout your tour, your guide will explain the wine making process from planting through distribution, and the ways in which it differs around the world.
Sonoma Wine Country
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Tastings at 2 Napa Wineries
Known predominantly for their full-bodied cabernets and buttery chardonnays, Napa is full of producers who are constantly experimenting and further developing 'new world wine'.
California Chardonnay
After massive popularity for af ew decades, Chardonnay has gained a bad reputation of being 'buttery and oaky', and it's become trendy to dislike it. But keep an open mind as vintners continue to experiment with new flavor profiles for the grape.
Bordeaux style California reds
Bordeaux wines are always blends comprised of 6 grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Carmenere. Bordeaux-style reds are typical of Northern California because of its' similarities in climate to Bordeaux.

Related Tours

Wine Tasting in Napa Valley: Private Excursion
Discover the iconic Napa Valley scenery and world-famous wine, in this private excursion with tastings included.  

On your private excursion, you will:

  • Enjoy hotel pick-up and a scenic drive from the city to the rolling landscapes of Napa Valley Wine Country;
  • Enjoy tastings at two different wineries, learning about their varietals; 
  • Learn about tasting wine, principles of viticulture and oenology, and the history of Napa Valley;
  • Hear the story of the famous 'Judgment of Paris' when Chateau Montelena wine was selected as one of the world's best wines, in a blind taste test against the French winemakers;
  • Indulge in new world wines, and learn what makes Napa's appellations unique, with countless awards given to the county's winemakers;
  • Seize the opportunity to become wine club members of wineries and have wine arrive at your door throughout the year;
  • Indulge in lunch in one of the valley's historic towns and sample some of the best of California's farm-to-table foods. Your driver will drop you off after your first tasting and pick you up in time for your second tasting. Please note: the cost of lunch is not included. 

A trip to Northern California is incomplete without visiting its most famous wine county - Napa, and luxuriating in the juice of the valley's grapes. Whether you're a wine connoisseur or a novice, your private experience will be tailored to meet you where you are. All the details are handled - from hotel pick-up to hotel drop-off, so sit back, relax, and enjoy your all-inclusive wine-tasting experience. 
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