Vineyards
Napa Valley stretches nearly 30 miles from south to north. From downtown Napa (The White House), it can take up to an hour to reach the far northern end in Calistoga. Keep in mind that winding mountain roads can also add extra travel time.
​
Make Reservations!
Most wineries require reservations for tastings, so be sure to book in advance. Depending on the locations you choose, you can realistically enjoy 2–3 wineries per day.
There are hundreds of vineyards to choose from on Friday (YOYO day). Below are just a few popular vineyards (in no particular order).
St. Helena
Quintessential Napa wine town, filled with historic wineries, boutique shops, and art galleries. Produces full-bodied Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay.
AXR Napa Valley occupies a historic pre-Prohibition estate nestled in a serene redwood grove. It offers intimate, guided tastings led by winemaker Jean Hoefliger that weave together Napa’s history, present, and future, often concluding with a barrel tasting in the cellar
Focus: Single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons.
A heritage estate offering a diverse set of tasting experiences in their atmospheric tasting room and historic barrel cellars. Visitors can choose between casual or elevated experiences.
Focus: Napa Valley varietals and estate blends.
William Cole Vineyards
Boutique, family-run winery located in a restored 1873 stone cellar, offering private, intimate tastings with a focus on craftsmanship and small-lot wines. Known for its personal touch and limited production.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux varietals
Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Founded in 1973, Joseph Phelps is a family-owned winery best known for its flagship Bordeaux-style blend, Insignia. The estate offers sweeping vineyard views, elegant hospitality, and guided tastings that showcase both legacy and innovation.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux-style blends (Insignia), Chardonnay
Hall Wines
Contemporary family-owned estate blending art, architecture, and acclaimed winemaking, with striking modern design and sustainable practices.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux varietals
Duckhorn Vineyards
Founded in 1976, Duckhorn helped establish Napa Valley’s reputation for world-class Merlot, offering refined tastings in a classic estate setting.
Focus: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc
Rombauer Vineyards
Family-owned winery established in 1980, known for warm hospitality, garden views, and its signature rich, fruit-forward style. Rombauer has become especially iconic for its classic California Chardonnay.
Focus: Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon
Faust Wines
A contemporary winery housed in a restored Victorian estate, Faust is known for its modern design, youthful energy, and bold expressions of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Tastings highlight both estate and experimental wines in a stylish, art-driven space.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon
Freemark Abbey
Founded in 1886, Freemark Abbey is one of Napa’s oldest continuously operating wineries. It gained international recognition at the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” tasting, where its Chardonnay competed against France’s best. The winery blends historic charm with modern winemaking.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Bordeaux varietals
Ballentine Vineyards
Fourth-generation, family-run winery focused on estate-grown wines, offering a relaxed and down-to-earth tasting atmosphere.
Focus: Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah
Markham Vineyards
Historic winery dating back to 1874, featuring a stone cellar and art gallery; known for approachable wines and welcoming hospitality.
Focus: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Oakville
Prestigious heart of Napa Valley, home to iconic wineries like Opus One and Far Niente. Produces some of the world’s most famous Cabernet Sauvignons.
Historic stone gravity-flow winery with elegant gardens and caves. Founded in 1885 and restored in 1979, Far Niente is a storied, gravity-flow winery with historic stone architecture. It’s known for elegant tastings in garden settings and underground caves—earning a reputation for timeless grace.
Focus: Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Nickel & Nickel
Single-vineyard specialist in historic farmstead setting. Established in 1997 by the same partners as Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel makes 100% varietal, single-vineyard wines in a historic Oakville farmstead. It's dedicated to capturing terroir-specific character from Napa’s finest appellations.
Focus: 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignons.Single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons and other varietals expressing unique site personalities.
Opus One
Robert Mondavi–Rothschild collaboration, architectural icon.
Focus: Bordeaux-style blends (Opus One, Overture).
Silver Oak
Iconic, family-owned winery known for its signature American oak–aged style and commitment to sustainable winemaking. Family-owned winery celebrated for its dedication to crafting age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon, with estates in both Napa Valley and Alexander Valley. Known for its sustainable winemaking practices and iconic silver oak tree logo, the winery combines modern design with warm hospitality. Tastings are offered in light-filled spaces that showcase their American oak–aged style.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon
Paradigm Winery
Family-owned and operated winery emphasizing sustainable farming and small-production wines, with a personal, welcoming tasting experience.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Rutherford
Renowned for its “Rutherford dust”—a signature earthy note in its Cabernet Sauvignon. Historic estates like Inglenook and modern icons share space here.
Known for hospitality and food pairings. Cakebread Cellars is renowned for its welcoming hospitality and a variety of tasting formats—from casual, communal seated tastings to elevated, guided tours in contemporary tasting rooms. They emphasize sustainably farmed estate fruit and pair wines with culinary bites from their garden.
Focus: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, along with other Napa Valley varietals and seasonal selections.
Family-owned estate winery committed to 100% estate-grown fruit and sustainable farming, offering modern tastings and a reputation for vibrant Sauvignon Blancs and elegant Bordeaux-style reds.
Focus: Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux varietals.
Caymus Vineyards
Family-owned since 1972, iconic Cabernet producer. A classic Napa family-run winery founded in 1972 by the Wagner family. Known for creating a memorable, garden-adjacent tasting environment and storytelling about their generational journey.
Focus: Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Quintessa
An organic, biodynamic estate harmonizing architecture with landscape, producing elegant Bordeaux-style blends from diverse soils and microclimates.
Focus: Bordeaux-style blends (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Franc).
Peju Province Winery
Family-owned winery with iconic tower, lush gardens, and warm hospitality, emphasizing sustainability and culinary pairings.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc
Spring Mountain District
High-elevation vineyards straddling Napa and Sonoma, producing powerful yet elegant mountain Cabernets and Bordeaux blends.
Known for hospitality and food pairings. Cakebread Cellars is renowned for its welcoming hospitality and a variety of tasting formats—from casual, communal seated tastings to elevated, guided tours in contemporary tasting rooms. They emphasize sustainably farmed estate fruit and pair wines with culinary bites from their garden.
Focus: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, along with other Napa Valley varietals and seasonal selections.
Pride Mountain Vineyards
Mountain-top estate straddling Napa/Sonoma line. Perched at 2,000 feet along the Mayacamas Mountains crest, Pride Mountain offers sweeping views and bold, mountain-grown wines from vineyards straddling both Napa and Sonoma counties. The estate is renowned for its welcoming hospitality and age-worthy reds.
Focus: Bold mountain Cabernet and blends. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah
Stags Leap / Oak Knoll
A small but highly acclaimed region producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon with a signature velvety style and mixed whites.
Historic 19th-century stone manor estate in its own secluded valley, known for elegance, heritage, and highly acclaimed red blends.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
World-renowned winery that rose to fame at the 1976 “Judgment of Paris,” when its Cabernet Sauvignon beat top French wines. The estate combines striking architecture, scenic vineyards, and a legacy of crafting elegant, age-worthy wines with soft tannins and finesse.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux varietals
Clos du Val
Founded in 1972, Clos du Val is a pioneering Stags Leap District winery with a French heritage, offering stylish modern tastings in vineyard-adjacent patios.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux varietals.
Chimney Rock Winery
Distinctive Cape Dutch–style estate located along the Silverado Trail, known for producing structured and age-worthy wines.
Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux varietals
Trefethen Family Vineyards
Historic family-run estate established in 1968, set in a restored 19th-century wooden winery. Known for its warm hospitality, garden setting, and elegant wines that reflect Napa’s heritage.
Focus: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot