I’ve been visiting Napa Valley for about 15 years, and it’s become one of my favorite places in California. But I remember feeling lost when trying to choose which wineries to visit in Napa. Because there are so many wineries (about 400!), it can be difficult to know where to taste wine in Napa Valley. That’s why I’m sharing my favorite wineries to visit in Napa Valley, divided into categories depending on what you’re looking for. You can use this Google Map to help you find all 30 best wineries in Napa Valley:
Read more: 30 things to do in Napa Valley
If you’re looking for history:
Biale Vineyards
Unlike most wineries in Napa Valley, Biale Vineyards doesn’t focus on Cabernet Sauvignon. Instead, it’s devoted to one of the area’s original grapes, Zinfandel. Because of the winery’s work to preserve heritage vineyards (including the oldest Barbera grapes in Napa Valley and Zinfandel from the 1920s and 30s), this is an excellent place to learn about the history of grape growing in this region. Tasting on their outdoor patio with views of the vineyards and Vaca mountain range start at $30 per person. Biale is one of the most welcoming wineries I’ve visited in Napa Valley, but please note that reservations are required.
Robert Mondavi
It’s hard to classify this iconic winery — it’s known for its art, history, architecture, and culinary experiences. Robert Mondavi Winery is a good choice for first-time visitors to get acquainted with Napa Valley and for return visitors to dive deeper into Napa history through Mondavi’s vision. And if you’re looking for a tour, the winery offers many options, from kid-friendly mini tours to evening visits and tours focused on the art collection. Check out the winery’s Summer Concert Series (proceeds benefiting local school music programs) and other special events.
Open daily 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Tasting and tours starting at $25; reservations required for some tours but walk-in options are available.
Read more: Napa Valley for History Lovers
Stags’ Leap
Stags’ Leap Winery is not just one of the most beautiful properties in Napa Valley, it’s also one of the most historic wineries in Napa Valley. Dating back to 1872 when grapes were first planted here, the winery has welcomed an array of elite guests over the decades. Nowadays the winery continues its heritage by producing top-notch wines and offering special tours in a quiet location in the hills behind the Silverado Trail, one of the Napa Valley scenic drives.
The winery offers two tasting experiences by appointment only. One is a 90-minute tour of the property that ends with a seated tasting in the historic Manor House. The second is the Seasonal Estate Experience, a more intimate tour that changes with the seasons. November through June it focuses on the heritage library wines, while July through October it focuses on a vineyard tour. Pets and children are not allowed on the property.
If you happen to be in the area in late April, consider visiting for the annual Vineyard to Vintner event when the Stags Leap District wineries open their doors and pour their favorite wines alongside specially prepared food.
Read more: A Visit to the Stags Leap District
Beringer Vineyards
Beringer holds a place in California wine history as the state’s oldest continually operating winery. The entire estate is designated a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. Visit the Victorian Rhine House to see what life was like for the winery owner, Frederick Beringer, in the late 19th century.
Try one of their tasting tours, which start at $25 per person, and leave time to stroll through their beautiful gardens. Open daily 10:00-5:30. Walk-in tastings and tours are welcome, but reservations are required for some tours. Note that this is one of the most popular wineries in Napa Valley, so visit on a weekday or in the morning or late afternoon on weekends.
If you love art or architecture:
Cliff Lede Vineyards
Cliff Lede is one of my favorites to recommend to people visiting Napa Valley. The winery may be fairly small but packs a punch with excellent wine, a superb location on the Silverado Trail, and bonus points for sustainability with its Napa Green Land and Napa Green Winery certification. But for me what especially stands out is the sculptures by Pop artist Jim Dine that decorate the property. He’s known for the hearts that he painted and sculpted in the 1960s, but don’t miss Dine’s headless bronze sculptures outside the tasting room.
Cliff Lede offers several tasting options starting at $35 per person, and reservations are needed for groups of 6 or more. The tasting room offers wine not only from Cliff Lede but also from FEL, their sister brand in honor of Cliff’s mother. If you’re a fan of Pinot, be sure to ask about the FEL Pinot Noir.
Quixote Winery
One of the most unique properties in the Napa Valley is Quixote Winery, designed by the famous Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. In fact, it’s the only building designed by Hundertwasser in the Americas. Hundertwasser was known for his colorful, whimsical style influenced by Gustav Klimt. Like his other works, this winery’s architecture includes brightly colored tiles, undulating walls with no straight lines, and a purposeful blend with the nature around it.
The property includes acres of beautiful designed landscapes and fruit trees as well as the estate’s organically grown vineyards of Bordeaux variety grapes.
Quixote Winery is open 7 days a week 10:00-5:00. Reservations are required but don’t let that scare you away — appointments can even be made at the last minute when availability allows.
Castello di Amorosa
One of the castles of California, Castello di Amorosa is one of Napa Valley’s most unique wineries and one of . The castle was built with meticulous detail to mimic great castles of Europe; construction took 15 years, and almost one million bricks were brought over from Europe!
If you’re curious about the construction and all the castle-like details (like the room of armor), try the longer guided tour ($45 per adult, $35 per child, with no children under 5 allowed). For a quicker visit, the self-guided tour costs $30 per adult, $20 per child over 5, and includes a tasting of five wines and grape juice for kids.
Reservations for these tours are recommended but not required. Note that this winery gets really crowded, especially on weekends, so I recommend arriving when it opens or trying later in the afternoon.
Read more: What to do in Napa Valley with kids
Clos Pegase
Clos Pegase was one of the first wineries I visited in Napa Valley, and I immediately fell in love with its aesthetic. Before it opened, the forward-thinking winery founders and art lovers, Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem, held a competition for the design of the winery, and architect Michael Graves beat out more than 96 other designs to win.
Nowadays, besides the impressive Postmodern architecture, the winery also boasts a beautiful heritage garden of rare drought-tolerant plants. Tastings here start at $30 and cave tours start at $45 ; reservations are not required for the tasting room but are required for tours.
Hess Collection & Winery
The Hess Collection Winery houses a world-class collection of contemporary art “considered by ARTnews Magazine to be one of the top 200 in the world.” The art museum and winery are open to the public daily 10:00– 5:00, and several wine tasting experiences are offered, from an ATV ride to wine and food or chocolate pairings.
For those who want to focus on the art, consider the Museum Walk experience, a guided tour of the art collection followed by a wine tasting, offerd daily at 10:15 a.m. for $45 per person (reservations required). And on a side note, this winery has endured a challenging few years after dealing with losses from a fire, landslide and earthquake!
di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art
(Note that di Rosa is not a winery.) Art collectors Rene and Veronica di Rosa made the commitment to ensure that their art is accessible to the public. They now have a collection of over 2000 works, mostly by Bay Area artists, displayed in their outdoor sculpture garden and inside two large galleries with changing exhibitions of contemporary art.
Year-round programs include artist talks, nature hikes, school tours and special performances. In addition to the art spaces, the property has a 35-acre lake and a wildlife preserve.
From April through October, visitors can take a self-guided walk through the grounds Friday-Sunday. Guided tours are offered Wednesday-Sunday 10:00-4:00; tours cost $18 per adult ($15 for students, free for 17 and under), and reservations are recommended. Horseback riding tours are also available for $145 ($165 with a picnic lunch) Thursdays through Sundays.
If you want to pair wine with food:
Clif Family
One of my favorite experiences in Napa Valley is the food and wine pairing at the Clif Family Vineyards tasting room. The founders (of the Clif Bar company) have brought their passion for wine, food and sustainability together to create a unique experience for visitors. Try the King of the Mountain tasting to sample their excellent Howell Mountain estate reds and a selection of cheeses paired with their artisan jam ($40 per person), or add a cheese board to any tasting for $25.
The winery, located on Highway 29 in St. Helena, also has its own “bruschetteria” food truck serving salads, bruschetta, desserts and other Italian-inspired bites made with organic ingredients from their nearby farm. Open daily 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., and open until 7:30 on Wednesdays.
Artesa Winery
Artesa, a Spanish-owned winery located in Carneros, gives visitors four choices for pairing food with their small batch wines: tapas, caviar, cheese, or chocolate. The first is a pairing of eight wines with Basque-style small bites called Pintxos for $60 per person.
The second is a pairing of four wines served in tulip glasses with a Tsar Nicoulai American White Sturgeon caviar plate, potato crisps and crême fraiche for $75 per person.
The third option, “Vino con Queso,” is a pairing of five wines with artisanal cheeses for $60 per person. Finally, the Chocolate Indulgence includes five red wines paired with chocolates from local chocolate maker Kollar Chocolates for $60 per person. All of these are for small groups of 1-4 people.
Cakebread Cellars
At Cakebread Cellars, the food that grows in the winery’s estate garden is the focus. Chef Tom Sixsmith uses the fresh ingredients and his creativity to craft four recipes that pair perfectly with the wines. The tasting begins with a brief tour of the winery before the wine and food pairing. Guests are treated to a discussion of why the characteristics of the wine and food pair well together.
The Wine & Food Experience costs $55 per person and is for 21 and over only. It takes place Monday through Friday at 10:30 am for approximately 90 minutes from May through October, and in November, it’s offered on Thursdays and Fridays. Any guests who have food allergies will be accommodated (just call in advance to let them know).
If you’re looking for what’s new in Napa Valley:
Clos du Val
Clos du Val sits on the valley floor surrounded by vineyards on the east side of the Silverado Trail. This is one of the Stags Leap District‘s classic wineries (its Cabernet Sauvignon won the 1986 Judgment of Paris), but the winery’s contemporary design is a big draw. It recently opened its impressive tasting patio and offers an indoor tasting area decorated in dark hues by Erin Martin. Tasting experiences start at $35 per person.
If you’re looking for small wineries:
Napa Valley has many boutique wineries that produce just a few thousand cases of wine per year, often from estate vineyards (meaning that they make wine from the grapes that grow in the vineyards on property, not a vineyard located in another part of Napa Valley or another part of the state). At these wineries you can expect more personalized service, fewer crowds, and wine that evokes a strong sense of place. Here are a few of my favorite small wineries in Napa Valley:
Cuvaison
Cuvaison is located in the less-visited area of Los Carneros, the southernmost end of the valley where temperatures are cooler and morning fog lingers. This location means that cool climate grapes thrive here, making this the place to try Napa Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. All wines come from their historic estate vineyard and reflect the terroir of this location. Tastings start at $45 per person and include the option of adding cheese or caviar tasting. Open daily by prior appointment, Sunday-Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 21 and over only.
Benessere Vineyards
Benessere Vineyards is the place for you if you’re looking for something a little different. I recently visited and found it so refreshing — a friendly, peaceful atmosphere and lovely red wines! As the Italian name implies, this winery focuses on Italian varieties like Sangiovese and Aglianico (the only one made in Napa Valley).
Starting at $35, tastings here are relatively affordable, and you can request a vineyard tour when booking your tasting. Reservations are required, but you can even make same-day appointments. Picnics and leashed dogs are allowed on property.
Read more: 17 tips to save money on a Napa Valley visit
Bennett Lane Winery
Bennett Lane sits at the northernmost tip of the Napa Valley, just past the town of Calistoga where the eastern Vaca mountains meet the western Mayacamas. This peaceful location means more personalized service at this small winery. Bennett Lane prides itself on producing more than 60 wines with 90+ scores; the Maximus red blend is a great wine for the price, but the star here is the Cabernet Sauvignons.
The winery offers three tasting experiences priced between $20 and $40 per person and a private wine blending workshop, but the Private Seated Tasting is one of the best value tastings in the valley at just $30.
Crocker & Starr
If you’re a wine aficionado, or just want to learn about Napa Valley wine at a small estate winery, don’t miss a tasting at Crocker & Starr. A boutique winery located on a historic property (dating from 1870), the winery is known for its highly rated Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignons, but a visit here is made even more memorable when winemaker Pamela Starr is around. She’s so fun! Two tasting experiences are available: an educational walk in the vineyard before a seated tasting, and a tasting paired with artisan cheese and charcuterie.
If you’re looking for beautiful gardens or caves:
Chateau Montelena
Chateau Montelana is one of the most historic wineries in Napa Valley. Established in 1888, this winery forever made a place in the wine world when its Chardonnay won the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Besides the winery’s history and wines, this one is worth a visit for the beautiful stone architecture and its gardens. The tasting room is open daily, and tastings start at $30. Reservations not required for tasting at the bar but are required for all other tastings.
Regusci Winery
Located in the hills on the east side of the Silverado Trail, Regusci Winery is a sweet family-owned winery in the prestigious Stags Leap District. Originally founded in 1878, this is one of the area’s historic wineries, and the Regusci family continues the tradition of farming and maintaining strong ties to the land.
While visiting, check out the historic vineyard of old twisted Zinfandel vines from the 1930s and the beautiful vegetable garden that Laura Regusci maintains. The winery offers three types of tours by appointment. If you have a chance to chat with one of the family members, ask about their experience in the 2017 fire — their story is amazing!
Pine Ridge Vineyards
If you’ve wanted to visit a winery with caves in Napa Valley, book a visit to Pine Ridge Vineyards. You can experience this piece of the Stags Leap District through one of the three cave tasting experiences offered. For $65 per person, you can book a table for two to six people in the cozy underground Cellar 47 and taste their estate wines (offered daily at 1:30 and 3).
For just $10 more, take a guided tour through the demonstration vineyard, winery and finally caves before experiencing a barrel tasting and seated tasting paired with cheese (offered daily at 10 and 2). For a more elevated experience, try the Savor Pine Ridge experience, which includes five Cabernet Sauvignons paired with savory small plates ($125 per person, offered Thursday-Monday at 11:00). They’re known for deep, complex Cabernet Sauvignons, but be sure to ask about their acclaimed flagship wine, FORTIS.
If you’re looking for amazing views:
Sterling Vineyards
A visit to Sterling Vineyards, located near Calistoga in the northern part of the valley, begins with a ride on the aerial tram to reach the winery entrance. You can choose the self-guided Signature tour (if you want to learn about the winemaking process at your own pace or are coming with kids), or one of the seated tasting experiences (to taste the winery’s limited-release wines). The star here, though, is the winery’s white Mediterranean-style architecture and the sweeping views of the valley below. Tastings start at $35, $20 for those under 21; reservations are not required.
Silverado Vineyards
One of the best views in Napa Valley can be found at Silverado Vineyards. After driving up the steep road leading to the hilltop winery, enter the tasting room and look out the back of the winery for expansive views of the vineyards below. If you can come in November when a patchwork of red, orange, yellow, even purple appears, you’ll know why fall in Napa Valley is one of the best times to visit.
Signorello Vineyards
If you followed the news on the 2017 Napa Valley fires, you probably saw images of Signorello Estate burning. This beautiful property was in the center of the fire that spread down the Vaca Mountains toward the Silverado Trail on the east side of Napa Valley. While the winery was completely destroyed, the property’s beautiful vineyards remained intact, and the winery has recently reopened for visitors in a temporary space.
The Estate Experience takes visitors on an informative tour of the estate, followed by a seated tasting of their wine paired with small bites. This special tour costs $100 per person and is available by appointment only. Don’t miss the winery’s views down over the vineyards, especially if you can come in November for an unforgettable sight of orange and yellow vines tumbling down the hillside.
If you’re looking for sustainable wineries:
There are a number of Napa Valley wineries that could be labeled “sustainable,” whether they use organic or biodynamic growing practices, used green architecture practices in the construction of their winery/tasting room buildings, and/or use other environmentally-friendly practices. Consider asking when you visit wineries what they do for sustainability — it’s important for wineries to know that consumers care about their impact on the environment. The following are a few wineries that stand out.
Odette Estate Winery
You can’t miss the striking architecture of Odette Estate Winery as you pass by on the Silverado Trail. The winery is LEED Gold-certified, meaning that it uses features of green architecture that conserve energy, conserve water, reduce CO2 emissions, and protect the outside environment.
Some of these features include a green living roof, solar panels that generate 30,000 kilowatts of solar power per year, building materials that create light without the use of energy, and shipping containers that are being reused as offices or other winery spaces. The winery also uses only organic farming methods and is a member of California Certified Organic Farmers. Tastings start at $40 per person and both walk-in and appointment options are available.
Hall Wines
For those of you who are into seeing how sustainable design and practices can be used by businesses, pay a visit to Hall Wines. Another winery to earn LEED Gold Certification (the first in the state of California), HALL Wines uses organic and sustainable farming practices to maintain the biodiversity and health of its vineyards and surrounding nature and has begun the use of biodiesel fuel to reduce its carbon emissions.
A variety of tasting experiences are available at both their Rutherford and St. Helena locations; those interested in seeing their art collection should visit the beautiful 150-year-old St. Helena property (you can’t miss the big silver rabbit sculpture on the west side of Highway 29).
Chimney Rock
Like other Stags Leap District wineries in Napa Valley, Chimney Rock is known as a powerhouse for Cabernet Sauvignon, but it’s also notable for sustainable practices. It’s green certified by the California Land Stewardship Institute and uses 100% solar power (love!) and recycled water for irrigation. The winery has a beautiful outdoor seating area where you can enjoy a variety of tasting experiences focused on showing the distinct terroir of their estate vineyards.
If you’re into barrel tastings, try the in-depth Estate Tour and Tasting, which begins with a tour of the estate to learn about what makes their vineyards special, continues with barrel tastings and concludes with a seated tasting of wines paired with artisan cheeses ($85 per person, daily at 10:30am and 1:30pm, 24-hour advance reservation required).
If you’re staying in Downtown Napa:
John Anthony Vineyards
John Anthony Vineyards , a small-production, family-run winery, has an elegant tasting room in downtown Napa on the same block as Oenotri, Anette’s Chocolate and the Andaz Napa hotel. You can create your own tasting flight or relax with a glass of wine or a bottle of their current releases, and if you want something to snack on, you can add a cheese board for $30.
Open daily from 10am to 10pm Sunday through Wednesday and until midnight Thursday through Saturday, this is the perfect choice for a stop if you’re passing through the town of Napa or want to taste wine in the evening when other tasting rooms are generally closed.
Vintner’s Collective/The Wine Thief
For something totally different, try the Vintner’s Collective or the Wine Thief in downtown Napa. Both tasting rooms serve select wines from small-production boutique wineries in Napa Valley, meaning that you can try wines that you otherwise would probably never know about.
The Vintner’s Collective (open 11-7, $40 for a tasting of 5 wines) is housed in a historic stone building from 1875 (a former saloon and brothel!), while the Wine Thief (tastings from $20-40, open 11-6) has a more contemporary feel and is conveniently located next to Oxbow Public Market.
What questions do you have, or what are your favorite wineries in Napa Valley? I’d love to hear!
Pin it for later:
Superb review of some wonderful wineries in and around the Napa Valley. I have been to several of these but will have to make a side trip this winter to visit more. Thanks for your wonderful insight into these wineries and their offerings. Proud to say “this is my amazing daughter”.
I’d love to visit some of these with you! We had a great time at Clos Pegase several years ago. 🙂