Living in San Francisco, I have the benefit of being very close to the world famous Napa Valley wine country region. Here is a list of some of my favorite wineries, and luckily they’ve escaped damage from the devastating fires this October.
Good Views/Architecture and Places to Relax with Friends
Domaine Carneros: French chateau inspired building with beautiful scenery. Serves sparkling wine and Pinot Noir.
Domaine Chandon: Serves sparkling wine. Sells tastings and also whole bottles on ice. There is a nice outdoors area for picnic/drinking wine. Buying a bottle here is affordable and is cheaper/same as a flight. Nice place to hang out.
Artesa: Beautiful building, with lots of water and fountains. Reminds me of the Getty Villa in LA. There is an outdoors patio area for tasting as well as indoor seating.
Good Wines
Grgich Hills Estate: Awesome Chardonnay. Their chardonnay put Napa on the map at the Paris tasting.
Honig: Nice outdoor seating. Delicious wine! Savignon Blanc is delicious. Tasty sweet wine, but expensive.I would go there again.
Mumm Napa: Good sparkling wine. They offer pri fixe tasting or they sell by the individual glass. They also have an outdoor seating area that’s great for large parties.
Frog’s Leap: Good tasting Zinfandel. Nice outdoor garden that you can walk through, with live chickens. Nice outdoor seating.
Not My Favorites but Worth a Mention
Alpha Omega: They offer a tour, but imho, it was nothing special. We walked around to see equipment (not running) they used to press juices. They are proud of their manual processes, creating the best tasting wine. Wine was super expensive and not that tasty. Nice outdoor seating area that reminds me of a giant backyard. They offer free valet parking for their guests.
Raymond Vineyards: Vegas-like decor. Unique rooms to visit. The “Red Room” requires a reservation. It feels very “Vegas-like” so I am not a fan, but it’s worth checking out.