Visiting Napa

Napa is built around two main roads, Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, connected by a handful of cross roads. Wineries line both highways and the roads between them. You genuinely can't drive far in Napa without passing a winery.

That's exactly why so many visitors show up without a plan, and honestly, it kind of works. You'll pass plenty of wineries with a sign reading "Tasting 10 to 4," and you'll also pass gated ones marked "By Appointment Only." No plan usually still means a decent day of wine tasting. What it doesn't guarantee is finding the wineries worth remembering.

The well-known names, Robert Mondavi, Beringer Vineyards, are easy to find because they're built to be found. The smaller, better ones take a bit more effort. Producers like Prager Port and Andretti aren't sitting on the main highway with a big sign, but they're worth the extra turn.

One of the best ways to find them is to ask. If you're already at a winery for a scheduled tasting, ask the staff which other wineries they'd recommend. Winemakers tend to know exactly which of their neighbors are worth a stop, and it's usually not the biggest name in the valley.

If you'd rather start from a route that's already done that legwork, the Napa Northern Tour covers St. Helena and Calistoga with a Spring Mountain cave tasting, the Napa Central Tour digs into the Stag's Leap District and Howell Mountain, and the Napa Southern Tour focuses on Carneros for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. All three, along with the rest of Napa and Sonoma, are on the Regional Tours page, or browse the full winery directory if you'd rather build your own day from scratch.

Happy tasting.