My Napa Valley Wine Tour

I recently visited Napa Valley and got so many recommendations from friends about which wineries to visit! Here I share some of my favorite Napa wineries both in the valley and in downtown Napa. I definitely recommend looking into the Priority Wine Pass. There are so many wineries that have deals and discounts through the pass that it would be silly not to invest in it.

JaM Cellars, Frog's Leap Winery, Cakebread Cellars, Clos Pegase Winery & Tasting Room, Duckhorn Vineyards, Sterling Vineyards, Etude Wines, Chateau Montelena Winery

• JaM Cellars in Napa, United States

  
  mustangdmv

  JaM Cellar's is a tasting room in downtown Napa. It is a laid back, relaxing tasting room that sometimes even has live music. They have couches, comfy chairs, and cozy booths for you to sit back and enjoy some of their wines in a different setting than many other wine tastings in the area. I definitely recommend ending your day here with another tasting while you JaM out to some tunes! ;)

• Frog's Leap Winery, United States

  
  mustangdmv

  Frog's Leap was my favorite wine and vineyard that we visited in Napa. Definitely make a reservation for this one! While sipping on different wines, we made our way to some of the vines where we learned that Frog's Leap does not use an irrigation system like most other Napa wineries. This forces the vines to dig deep into the earth to make sure they receive the water they need. They also have a small farm and orchard where they also produce jams and honey.

• Cakebread Cellars, United States

  
  mustangdmv

  I had never heard of Cakebread wines until this trip. It was one that my friend wanted to go to because she and her MIL love the Cakebread Chardonnay, and it did not disappoint! The Cakebread tour was fun and informative, taking you through their outdoor courtyard, and into their wine cellar. It was the only Napa winery we visited that used cement egg fermenters in addition to barrels and stainless steel tanks.

• Clos Pegase Winery & Tasting Room in Calistoga, United States

  
  mustangdmv

  Clos Pegase was one of my top three favorites on this trip! The tour takes you through the property to view some of the vines and sculptures and then through the halls of their wine cave! The cave was definitely the coolest tours we took in Napa and the wines were spectacular. They even produce some of the Game of Thrones inspired wines!

• Duckhorn Vineyards in St. Helena, United States

  
  mustangdmv

  Duckhorn Vineyards was our first winery stop in Napa and was a great introduction to Napa Valley Wines. They have a large variety of wines for every different palette. The tasting room is almost dining style and they have a covered deck overlooking some of the vineyard. I do recommend making a reservation, especially if you want to get one of the tables outside.

• Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga, United States

  
  mustangdmv

  Sterling Vineyard is pretty well known, and I would recommend a visit here simply for the views of Napa Valley! Sterling was built in the style of a Greek Monastery and originally the only way to access it was to ride the gondola up the mountain! The tour left a little to be desired, but the wines were good and the view at the top is beautiful!

• Etude Wines in Napa, United States

  
  mustangdmv

  Etude Wines is a great stop on your way in or out of Napa Valley. We came here fairly early on a Monday morning, so it was not busy at all. The woman that hosted our tasting was very friendly and taught us a lot about how the different terrains, even in an area as small as Napa and Sonoma could affect each different kind of wine.

• Chateau Montelena Winery in Calistoga, United States

  
  mustangdmv

  Chateau Montelena is the winery that put Napa, CA on the map as a winemaking area. It's Chardonnay (along with a Stag's Leap Cabernet) won a blind taste test of some of France's best sommeliers in 1976 which has become known as the "Judgement of Paris". Our tasting expert was very knowledgeable and personable as we found out that we were both from the same area! You never know who you'll meet!