I can’t believe its already mid-late November but its my fave time of year because ITS MY BDAY!
Well in two days but this year we celebrated a little early! For my moms birthday this year (and mine) we spent 3 days in the stunning Napa Valley and had some of the most delicious wine and food ever!
Napa Valley is such a beautiful and unique place, a total must visit! So much history and all so different from vineyard to vineyard and also so collaborative and friendly!
Fun fact Napa and Sonoma are totally separate counties, experiences and vibes. I had always thought they were interchangeable so we want to make sure to check out Sonoma next time. An extra fun fact is you can’t get married in Napa County at a vineyard but you can in Sonoma County! Napa likes to keep the more exclusive vibe and I can totally see why.
The two counties are also distinguished by the wines they produce, they’re so different because of the climate, even in Napa proper they do too – the lower and closer to the San Jose and San Francisco bays you are, the lighter the wines, the further north the dryer and more full body! I loved learning little things like this, but even if you’re just there for the wine (which is totally valid!) you’ll have so much fun in one of the most scenic places in the country.
Here are my top places to check out ‑ you’ll need at least 3 days to do all this and more if you want to add additional vineyards. We will be back for sure!!
There’s so many more places we didn’t get to try that are on our list so I’ll do an update post as we keep coming back. Can we make this a biannual trip??
I included the restaurants we ate at throughout the weekend for you too! I also added the restaurants and places we had on our list but didn’t make it to plus we explored San Francisco for 2 days (one before and one after Napa) and I’ll include that at the end.
Day 1
We flew into San Francisco, landing mid morning on Wednesday (PST time) and spent the day there. We rented a car at the airport too so left the airport by 1pm. The next morning we drove the 1 3/4 hour drive to Napa and started our trip at the Welcome to Napa sign!
We got some great pics at the Robert Mondavi vineyard (they didn’t have any reservations available so didn’t go in, but my parents have been and loved it and the grounds are gorgeous!)
Frog’s Leap Winery
Our first stop was Frog’s Leap and wow a MUST! Do the walking tour and tasting!
We had Michelle as our guide and she was amazing! They do 5 wines and it was so cool to try them as we toured the property and learned about how they make their wines. I don’t love Chardonnay but theirs is delicious! The history of how they got their start and why they produce the wines they do is so cool and the gardens make this place so special. The truffle salami is to die for and the jams made with their fresh berries was incredible. We even tried chasing the salami around town but couldn’t find it, so if you know where I can find some, lmk! It was a magical start to Napa!
The main house from the barn 
The Garden is so magical 
Lots of reds to drink in a few years! 
Sneak peak of the garden 
Gott’s Roadside
Gott’s Roadside
For lunch we stopped at Gott’s Roadside, made famous by Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives! A must for some incredible burgers and a chill vibe!
Alpha Omega
We went here next for a tasting and tbh it was our least favorite but I’ll include for anyone who likes full body wines (which my parents do) but the service wasn’t great. The only saving grace for me was the location, it was stunning. They’re very pricey wines and they were not worth it to us but they have amazing reviews so you can do your own research and decide if you want to visit!
Caymus Vineyards
Our last stop of the day was Caymus and its another MUST! One of our family favorites! The lush, exotic gardens and the experience with their staff made it so unique and fun. The whole family is involved and learning the history of their various labels and how they each add something unique to the company is so cool! It was such a great mid afternoon lounge spot before dinner! We only did the tasting but next time I want to do the tour!
THE ENTRANCE TO CAYMUS 
Living my best life 
Can this be my backyard? 
I really just want a ride on a Vespa 
Dinner Outfit (Linked on IG) 
Truffle Risotto 
Bottega
For our birthday dinner we went to Bottega in Yountville and it was a delicious and super aesthetic Italian restaurant. The little market where its at reminds me of a little European village, vespas and all! The food was incredible and the attention to detail was so nice! I got the truffle risotto and wow, I can eat it forever! Get the burrata too!
Day 2
Brix
In the morning we returned to the marketplace for a stroll then for brunch we lounged at Brix and what an experience! The gardens in Napa are unlike any I’ve ever seen and Brix was out of this world! We got the burrata here too and the family’s Chardonnay was delicious! Definitely a pricier spot but worth it!
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
We started day 2 at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (not Winery – they’re different!) and it was the best start to our Friday! We had Scott and he was so kind and fun, it made the experience even better. The views from their tasting room are insane and the different wines you taste are all so unique and smooth! I’m not a huge red wine girl but now I think I love a lighter Cab thanks to Stag’s Leap! I’d love to do the tour next time here too, we just did the tasting.
The V Marketplace where Bottega and Bouchon Bakery are 
The Brix Garden 
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 
Happiest here 
The view from SLWC’s Tasting Room 
The architecture at Cakebread 
A cool vintage truck we saw on the side of the road 
And the LANDSCAPING 
THIS VIEW
Cakebread Winery
We finished day 2 at Cakebread, can you believe thats their family name? The architecture and gardens were my dream rustic home and I was mesmerized the entire walking tour! The wines are available anywhere but I’d never tried them and they were yummy. They’re a newer vineyard and you can tell by their approach which is cool. I also learned I maybe do actually like reds, definitely the lighter body ones. Merlot, anyone?
For dinner we missed our reservations but we did stop at Bouchon Bakery for macaroons that were so yummy!
We ended up at a local spot and it was nothing special but there are some great places in Napa so check out open table for any last minute reservations!
Day 3
Jarvis Winery
We kicked off our last day in Napa at Jarvis Winery and it was an EXPERIENCE! We’re not sure how we discovered this one but we’re so happy we did! The entire wine production operation is underground and the caves are so cool, its a must visit. Definitely on the pricey side but 100% worth it! These wines are not available commercially anywhere so you really want to get a tour and tasting in here. The cheese pairings were delicious too. We ordered a few to send home for our birthday dinner at home and I can’t wait!
Artesa had the most incredible views 
The caves at Jarvis 
I don’t want to give too much away but these waterfalls in the cave are amazing
Artesa Winery
Our last stop was Artesa Winery where we did a tapas and wine tasting and the pairings were so yummy! The views here are incredible too! The best lighting for IG pics for sure – just check out my feed. The modern vibes were unique to Napa too, most places have old world charm but Artesa is a little funky. They have a few unique wines to the region too, Tempranillo a Spanish grape especially, which was fun!
After Artesa I wasn’t ready for it to end but sadly it had to! We drove back to San Francisco and into Sausalito for dinner.
We had dinner at Spinnaker Sausalito and it was incredible! Watching the sun set over the San Francisco Bay was magical. The pastas were delicious too!
Before I share our San Francisco recs, I want to quickly mention a few places we didn’t make it too.
We had plans to do brunch at Solbar at the Auberge Resort on day 1 but didn’t calculate how far Calistoga is – Napa is a 25-30 min drive from top to bottom so be mindful of that when planning your days!
We also planned to do Domaine Carneros one day but because of the location we couldn’t make it to our reservation unfortunately, they’re further south and closer to the bay so these wines are lighter and I think I would have enjoyed these!
We had dinner reservations at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch on day 2 but unfortunately we missed them. Definitely high on my list for my next visit! The restaurant is farm to table and the grounds are stunning!
Back in San Francisco
On the first day, after taking the trolley to Fisherman’s Wharf, we had some delicious clam chowder from a street vendor and walked down the piers, stopping at Pier 39 to see the sea lions basking in the afternoon sun. We got a taxi down the pier and we had dinner at Hog Island Oyster Co at the Ferry building over looking the bay at sunset which was stunning! The food was so yummy too.
Me on the trolley 
YUM 
THE SEA LIONS on Pier 39 
Dinner at Spinnaker 
The view from Chrissy Field 
Post Golden Gate Bridge walk
On Sunday, before our flight we walked across the Golden Gate Bridge and through Chrissy Field which was very pretty and a good way to burn off all the bread we’d been eating and about to eat – oops. We had an early dinner at Boudin – tbh don’t recommend, it was a horrible experience. For transportation we explored the city on the hop on/hop off bus, which was nice to see more of the city than by walking and learn some history!
If you have any recs for us for next time or love any of the spots I mentioned, shoot me a DM!
I’d skip San Francisco next time, it’s probably my least fave city in the US. We stayed at the Hilton Union Square in San Francisco and the Embassy Suites Downtown Napa and the Embassy Suites was really nice! We’ll probably fly into Sacramento and drive straight to Napa and check out Sonoma next too!
Overall it was an amazing 5ish days and a trip I’ll never forget, till next time Napa!
xo Kayla