Napa Recommendations

With more than 40 years as a local of Napa and my many years working in the wine and restaurant industries, here are some of my recommendations for the Valley.  I hope you will enjoy the list of diverse suggestions below, that will surely enhance your visit.  After a trip to the Napa Valley you will see why I feel blessed to call this my home.

 

 Cheers, Greg Titus

 

 

Restaurant, Hotel and Winery Recommendations

        

For lunch, I recommend one of 7 ideas:

1)       Go to the Oakville grocery store and get a picnic lunch (in the town of Oakville, on HWY 29)

2)       Go to the Soda Canyon store and get a picnic lunch (in the town of  Napa, on Silverado Trail)

3)       Pacific Blues restaurant (nice outside dining in the town of Yountville)

4)       Rutherford Bar and Grill for a nice lunch outside (in the town of Rutherford, on HWY 29)

5)       V. Sattui Winery (great picnic area, deli, Bar-B-Q and setting. You cannot bring outside food to this winery)

6)       Lunch at Calistoga Inn (great outside dinning, reasonable prices)

7)       Etoile at Domaine Chandon (in the town of Yountville)

 

For dinner, I recommend 11 places:

1)       Mustards Grill – American Grill  $$ (always great and not too expensive, on Hwy 29) - Yountville

2)       Bistro Jeanty – French  $$  (tomato soup with a puff pastry, better than anywhere else in the world) - Yountville

3)       Tra Vinge – Italian  $$$  (amazing grounds, building and food) - St. Helena

4)       Calistoga Inn – American  $$  (great outside dinning, live music, reasonable prices) - Calistoga

5)       Coles Chop House – Steak and Seafood  $$$$ (great steaks) - Napa

6)       Auberge Du Soleil Restaurant – American/ French   $$$$ - Rutherford

7)       Terra Restaurant,  American/French   $$$$ - St. Helena

8)       Ristorante Allegria – Med/Italian   $$ -  Napa

9)     Carpe Diem - American   $$ - Napa

10)   Graces Table – American   $$ - Napa (local favorite)

11)   Celadon – American  $$$ - Napa (amazing food. Owned by Greg Cole)

 

Live Music, Theaters and Lively Night Spots  :

1)       Uptown Theater – Napa (live music/concerts)

2)       Opera House – Napa

3)       Silos – Napa (live music)

4)       Uva Tattoria – Napa (live jazz and blues, dancing)

5)       MoriMoto’s – Napa (Iron Chief, loud and lively bar seen)

6)       Down Town Joe’s – Napa (live music and dancing)

7)       Lincoln Theater – Yountville

8)       Anna’s Cantina – St Helena (live music)

9)       Calistoga Inn – Calistoga (live music)

 

Recommendations for Hotels and Inns:

1)       The River Terrace Inn - Napa

2)       The Westin Hotel - Napa

3)       La Residence Inn  - Napa

4)       Silverado Resort - Napa

5)       Milliken Creek Inn - Napa

6)     Andaz Hotel - downtown Napa

7)       Bardessono's Resort - Yountville

8)       Vintage Inn  - Yountville

9)       Villagio Inn and Resort - Yountville

10)    Auberge du Soleil - Rutherford

11)    Harvest Inn  - St Helena

12)   Meadow wood Resort - St. Helena

13)    The Mount View Hotel - Calistoga

14)    Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn  - Sonoma

15)    The Lodge at Sonoma  - Sonoma

16)    El Dorado Hotel - Sonoma Square

 

Sonoma Wineries:

1)       Gundlach Bundshu (small and great wines)

2)       Sebastiani (large, but nice)

3)       Arrowood (nice wines and smallish)

4)       Chateau St. Jean (nice wines, nice setting, but larger)

5)       Kunde (nice setting and wines)

6)       Viansa (Italian style wines, great deli and setting)

7)       Schug Winery

8)       Ledson Winery

9)       Moon Mountain Winery

10)    Chalk Hill Winery

11)    Korbel Winery

 

Napa Wineries & Tasting Rooms:

1)       Sullivan winery (small winery behind Franciscan, great wines, super small.  Always a favorite)!

2)       PlumpJack winery (incredible wines)

3)       August Briggs (small winery nice wines)

4)       Vincent Arroyo (small winery nice wines)

5)       Cliff Lede winery (small winery, great sparkling and still wines)

6)       Rombauer winery (small winery, tables in the trees for picnic)

7)       Chimney Rock Winery (great stag’s leap wines)

8)       Darioush Winery (Unique Persian style winery, good wines and great location for pictures)

9)       Turnbull Winery

10)    Nickel and Nickel Winery (beautiful property)

11)    Hartwell Winery (like a small Tuscan winery in Napa)

12)    Signorello Winery (beautiful views)

13)    Reynold’s Family Winery

14)    Miner Winery (fun, busy, great views and good wines)

15)    Luna Winery

16)    Robinson Family Winery

17)    Palmaz Winery (unique inside a mountain winery)

18)    Hall Winery

19)   Uncorked at Oxbow in Napa (great wines and fun, open mic., play guitar or key boards)

20)   Beau Vinge tasting room, Yountville

21)     Joseph Phelps Winery (great tour, wine and picnic area)

22)     Caymus Winery (great wine, nice tour, a few picnic tables)

23)     Cake Bread Cellars (great tour and wine, no picnic)

24)     Domain Chandon Sparkling wine (this is a Moet house, very beautiful and great tour, but a little touristy)

25)     Mumm Sparkling Winery (fantastic views)

26)     Frog’s Leap Winery

27)     Robert Mondavi Winery (a little touristy, but very nice wines and view - no picnics)

28)     Rubicon (Francis Ford-Copila's place), good wines and very beautiful

29)     Castello Di Amorosa Winery (Huge new castle winery)

30)    Domaine Carneros (Taittinger sparkling Winery.  Beautiful French Chateau style)

31)    Trefethen Winery

32)    Sterling Winery (great views)

33)   Alpha Omega (great wines and setting. Take a picnic lunch

34)   Round Pond Winery (beautiful winery and grounds)

35)   Chappallet Winery (great wines, beautiful views, but a little off  the main stream  roads)