First Timer's Winery Guide: Napa 101

First Timer's Napa Trip Agenda

First time visitors to Napa Valley often feel overwhelmed planning a trip to wine country. With hundreds of wineries and dozens of world class restaurants, which ones do you choose to squeeze into a weekend trip? Trust that guy at work to help you pick wineries? You don't even trust him with your stapler!

Instead, let me show you the best Napa wineries to visit, the best places to eat, and the best winery tours. Forget about doing hours of research and creating huge spreadsheets of options. Instead, just listen to me. I know all the best wineries and have been offering my free, unbiased advice for over 15 years. Plus, you can email me if you have questions and I’ll respond within a couple of days. Who else does that? Nobody!

NAPA FAQ’S | NAPA WINERY DAY PLANNER | NAPA 102, THE SILVERADO TRAIL

UBER IS OUT, DRIVERS ARE IN: Look, some of my best friends are Uber drivers so I’m not knocking them. But with wineries now requiring reservations (with your credit card number) being on time isn’t just nice, it’s mandatory, and being “on time” was never a Uber strength. Don’t ruin your trip to Napa, spend the extra money and hire a personal driver. It’s actually not as expensive as you might think, especially if you are here with a group. Email me for more info. I’ll connect you with drivers I trust who take good care of my readers.

COMING WITH A GROUP?: In the good old days you could come to Napa with an unannounced group and jump on the Sterling tram, hit up V Sattui for a picnic, invade Beringer, and no one seemed to care. Today it’s different - every winery requires reservations no matter what your group size is and groups over 6 are often turned away. But don’t worry, I have winery connections that I’m happy to share. These wineries take groups of 6 or more and I’ve recently helped groups of 20 to 30 get winery reservations. So whether you’re planning a bachlorette party or a huge corporate event just reach out and I’ll connect you with my winery friends. No charge, of course - that’s what Local Wally is all about!

NEED PERSONAL FREE ADVICE? Then just email me! I’ll help you pick some good wineries or connect you with drivers who won’t take you for a ride. All of my advice is “pay what you want” so at the end if I was helpful don’t forget what your mom told you and send a thank you :-). Venmo is @local-wally and Paypal link is below.

What’s the Wine Pass? And is it Worth It?

Napa wine tasting fees have exploded over the past year. Most of the wineries are now charging $35 to $50 to taste - per person. Figure you will go to 4 wineries in a day and it’s pretty easy for a couple to rack up a $400 tasting bill. That’s insane, especially when you can use the Priority Wine Pass and get 2 for 1’s, cutting your tasting fees right in half. The pass is $20 OFF if you use my discount link and you only need one per couple if you’re doing the two for one’s. Figure Sterling and the tram ride along is a $55 savings so right off the bat you more than broke even. Hit up Beringer, visit some cool boutiques, lunch at V Sattui, you’d have to try pretty hard not to save nearly a hundred bucks and I don’t know about you but if I found a hundred dollar bill I’d probably be talking about how lucky I was until my dying day. Well guess what, it’s your lucky day if you get the pass! And every pass comes with FREE concierge service who can help you plan out your day. Lucky lucky you.

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Why Hire a Driver?

The days of drinking and driving are over and there’s nothing worse than stressing out over whether your Uber is going to show up on time. Do yourself a favor and budget in a driver. Besides, it’s much more fun sipping as much as you want than having to worry about a DUI - or worse, being tagged as the designated driver. Think you can just take small sips and be OK? In Napa? With wine this good? It never happens!

I work with a number of drivers in all categories, from those who can drive rentals to nice sedans to fancy limos to shuttles with convertible tops. I even can get you busses for large corporate events. All of my drivers are “Wally Approved” so reach out to me if you need a referral.

SKIP TO: Napa 102: The Best Wineries on the Silverado Trail  |  Napa on a Budget:  Free Deals and Coupons

Let’s pick some wineries! Here is where I ask you to put aside everything you think you know and all of the good advice friends have told you and to just trust me. Yes, I know, that’s a lot to ask but while Napa has hundreds of wineries the average visitor gets to visit only 4 or 5 to visit each day. That means every stop needs to be a good one and I know all of the good ones!

For Napa 101 we’ll travel up Highway 29, the main road that leads you from Yountville to Calistoga. I’ll show you your options below and you can pick and choose depending on what sort of winery experience you want. In Napa 102 we’ll hit up The Silverado Trail, the other main road that parallels Highway 29 and is a bit less traveled. But today let’s hit the Highway!

Look for Wineries with Priority Wine Pass Offers for Maximum Savings!

Let’s Go Taste Wine on Highway 29

Stop 1: 9:00, Rise and Shine. Good Morning, Napa Valley!

You have options! Start your day either in Downtown Napa area or Yountville, both excellent choices. See the entire route on this google map.

WALLY’S PICK: Oh man, I love these both but if you force me to pick I would go with Model Bakery because I love, and I mean love like “I DO” love, Model’s breakfast sandwiches made on English Muffins. My wife would pick Bouchon as she can do her pretend French accent while eating macrons and she would not be wrong.

HOW TO IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS WITH A VISIT TO THE FRENCH LAUNDRY

Oh no, I’m not suggesting you shell out the thousand bucks for dinner at The French Laundry - not today! I’m saying you stop your car as you drive by to get a photo of yourself standing in front of the iconic sign. Imagine how impressed your friends will be when they think you went to The French Laundry! And you did, sort of. google map

Stop 2: It’s 10:00, Let’s Drink Wine!!

WALLY’S PICK: Easy for me - I go with Domaine Chandon as there is nothing better than a glass of champagne at 10 AM. You can run into Mondavi to take a photo and then head over to the next stop.

Stop 3: 11:30, It’s Still Early!

WALLY’S PICK: I really like the little tour at Cakebread. It’s interesting and short, let’s get to the wine! And the wines are very nice so this is my pick.

Of course if you’re on a budget you can’t complain about two tastings for $30 at Napa Cellars with your Priority Wine Pass.

Don’t Skip Lunch!

WALLY’S PICK: A visit to Napa isn’t complete without stopping in at Oakville Grocery, serving Napa since 1881 - that’s not a typo. It was once a hidden gem of a grocery store but now is a high end gourmet foodie stop that still retains its country charm. Lines can be long so check if they have any “grab and go” sandwiches if you are in a rush or just get a baguette and cheese for a snack in the car. BUT remember, stopping for lunch will eat up an hour of your time so plan accordingly so you aren’t late to your next stop.

Stop 4: 2:00 - Decisions, Decisions, and It’s Not Going to be Easy!

WALLY’S PICK: This one is tougher as all of these options are excellent but I would do B Cellars if I have not had lunch yet for sure, 100% top pick. Those coming with kids (or grandma) will appreciate Inglenook with the beautiful fountain filled with toy sailboats. Serious wine lovers will want to opt for Alpha Omega and those looking to purchase wine should not miss Grgich Hills, especially if you have a Priority Wine Pass for the discounts. Go ahead and say it, I’ve been no help but you really can’t go wrong with any of these so good luck to you!

Click to Explore The Hidden Wineries on The Silverado Trail in Napa 102

Stop 5: 3:30 -Time For One More!

WALLY’S PICK: Oh man, so many good options here and the right answer depends on what you are looking for. Certainly the castle, aka Castello di Amorosa, is a huge draw and impressive. But it’s a bit touristy and prior to Covid got a thumb’s down from me due to their massive Disneyland sized crowds. They were limiting guests so maybe it’s a good time to visit - for now! If you want to see a famous iconic winery go to Beringer and get ready to flood your IG feed with photos. The wines are just so-so but the winery, oh wow, so pretty there. Davies and AXR are for true wine lovers. These two serve exceptional wines with over the top hospitality. Check the dates when they offer deals and if yu are lucky enough to be here on one of those days I would book it. And if you want killer views and an experience to match, Sterling can’t be beat.

Wait, you want to know where I would go? OK, I would do AXR. Even at full price it’s an awesome experience and you just need to taste their wines, some of the best in Napa!

Please Wally, Can We Go to One More???

The strategy for the last wine stop is to find a tasting room that’s walking distance to dinner. Here are my two top picks, both open later than wineries and both next to great Napa restaurants. Make sure you call them to verify their closing time and arrive at least 30 minutes prior to closing.

do the math - really, i'm pretty lazy so you do it!

Not every winery on this agenda takes the Priority Wine Pass but enough do to make it worth your while. The Priority Wine Pass costs less than one tasting at Sterling and you only need one per couple.  Do the math but for most people it’s well worth it even if you only use it at a couple of the winery picks.

Want to See All of the Deals on the Priority Wine Pass? Go here for the most up to date deal listings.

DISCOVER THE SILVERADO TRAIL AT NAPA 102