Use the form on the right to contact me.
I am happy to help you plan your trip to Napa. If you need a free winery trip planning agenda please give me as much time as you can due to the large number of requests. I can typically turn around a custom agenda in 3 days.
Happy also to help you with restaurant and hotel recommendations, all honest and unbiased and based on my own experiences.
Cheers,
Local Wally
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Read Local Wally's Blog to Napa for up to date news, features, and stories from Napa Valley. Guest Posts Welcome!
Visiting Napa Valley can be super expensive - but it doesn’t have to be. Let me show you how to sleep, eat, and dine for cheap in Napa wine country. This is Napa… on a budget, the tips the NY Times missed!
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Easy sipping at Inglenook Winery in Napa
Regusci Winery in Napa
Coming to Napa Valley for the first time? Overwhelmed? Confused? Don't be - just follow my easy Napa Do's and Dont's and you'll be sipping wine like an expert!
DO HAVE A PLAN: The days of driving up and down Highway 29 and pulling into any old winery that looks interesting are over. You should have your winery stops mapped out, the first one at 10AM and the last one at 4. Give yourself 45 minutes to an hour at each stop and make sure you google map the distance between wineries so you don't end up driving up and down the valley.
DON'T OVERBOOK YOUR DAY: Think you can hit 8 to 10 wineries in a day? Forgetaboutit! Figure 4 to 5 max. You don't want to be rushing from one winery to another.
DON'T FORGET YOUR ANNUAL WINE PASS: There's no more free wine tasting in Napa other than Sutter Home - you know, the White Zinfandel folks, enough said on that! Most Napa wineries now charge $25 or more per person, meaning it's very easy to run up a couple hundred bucks in fees per day. That's why I recommend the Priority Wine Pass - it gets you two for one tastings at over 75 wineries, saving you half on your fees. Get it here with my discount - it will be $39.99 but you only need one pass per couple. Here's the ever growing list of wineries who accept the pass - Get the pass and I'll even help you pick out the best wineries for you if you email me with your dates.
DO MAKE RESERVATIONS: This is especially true during the busy seasons - Summer and Fall being the busiest. With huge crowds that rival Disneyland, waiting in line at the "come one, come all" wineries can mean long waits. But book a reservation and show up on time and in you go like winery royalty - built in crowd control.
DON'T DO LUNCH, DO A PICNIC: Lunch is for suckers. I mean, you're in Napa to taste wine, not waste two hours doing lunch. Instead pack a picnic and make sure your winery stop at noon allows them. That's right, not all wineries allow picnics due to regulations but here's a recently updated list of the ones who do. A little crusty bread, a little cheese, some salami, get your supplies either at Oxbow Public Market in downtown Napa, Oakville Grocery, or Dean & Deluca. And there ain't nothing wrong with just snacking on the go, dropping crumbs in your rental car as you head to the next stop. Don't forget the waters!
DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE: There was a time when everyone on the road in Napa probably had a bit too much to drink but don't chance it. Either have a Designated Driver or hire someone to drive your car. Who to hire? You want a “real” driver, not someone doing it as a side hustle, and I know some good one’s who have a long history of taking good care of my readers. Just email me and I’ll hook you up. They can do everything from drive your rental (legally) to driving you in their vehicle. Uber? Yes, you can do this as well but email me so I can help you plan it out so you don’t get stuck waiting for a ride when you have a reservation waiting.
DO VISIT THE BOUTIQUE WINERIES: Quick, name some wineries in Napa! I bet you came up with Mondavi, Sterling, Beringer, and maybe Castello di Amorosa, the Napa Castle. Well guess what? Every other first timer came up with the same names meaning these wineries will be packed. But Napa has hundreds of wineries tucked away that offer great wine, friendly hospitality, and a Napa experience that's not unlike what you would have found twenty years ago. Don't believe people on TripAdvisor who claim the boutiques are "second rate" - they don't know what they're talking about. Just remember to make reservations at the boutiques and they are limited by how many people they can serve in a day so Pop In's are not allowed.
Redd Wood in Napa (Yountville) makes a fantastic steak!
DO MAKE YOUR DINNER RESERVATIONS AT A RESTAURANT NEAR YOUR HOTEL: When you're home and deciding on where to eat dinner it's easy to make the mistake of picking a place that's far from your hotel. After all, you figure, you're only here once so who cares if you need to drive 15 miles? Well trust me, after a day of wine tasting you're going to want a restaurant that's walking distance from your hotel or so close the air conditioner in your car doesn't get cool before you arrive. If you do have your heart set on a restaurant that's far from your hotel, plan out your tasting day to end near your dinner destination.
DO MORE THAN TASTE WINE IN NAPA: Don't forget that Napa has more to offer than wine tasting. Some of the popular excursions are the Napa Wine Train, hot air balloon rides, mud baths and spa treatment, and golf. If you plan to do any of these make sure you get the Priority Wine Pass (see above) as you can often get discounts with it. And if you are here for more than a couple of days a side trip to Sonoma is a good getaway and a nice contrast to the more developed Napa area.
DO TIP YOUR SERVER: It's not required but Napa etiquette is to toss in a few bucks if your wine server gave you an enjoyable experience. And buy wine if you like it - the wineries main goal is to sell wine so go into each winery assuming you will take home a bottle or two.
DO A WINE BLENDING CLASS: If you like wine but have a hard time describing what you like in a wine then splurge on a wine blending class. My favorite is Conn Creek's Blending Experience where you taste 6 cabs grown in different areas of Napa and decide what you like or dislike in each one. From there you carefully add a touch of this or that until you have a perfect bottle suited to your taste. In the end you bottle it up, cork it, and add a label and you'll take home the perfect blend - or is it? Do this with friends and do a blind tasting with you get home to see who made the best wine. It's fun, educational, and you'll gain years of tasting experience in an hour and a half. And yes, you can get a discount with the Priority Wine Pass.
Everyone stops at Mondavi Winery in Napa - But Should You?
I totally get it - it's your first visit to Napa and the labels of the wines you see in your supermarket are haunting you. Mondavi. Beringer. Sterling. Domaine Chandon. And that castle, yes, the famous Castello di Amorosa. Must see, must see! Or should you?
Sure, these are all great stops but there's another side to Napa that locals know and love and that's the smaller boutique wineries. Don't believe what you might have read on places like TripAdvisor who claim that the smaller wineries don't have good wine. I actually found the opposite to be true. That's because the small wineries are hoping you buy a bottle or case so they're pouring the good stuff whereas the famous wineries have buses of people waiting to get in to snapchat and instagram their selfies. Wine is almost secondary to the winery at some of the big names - tram anyone?
What do you want? A castle with millions of visitors or a wine tasting getaway at a boutique?
Here are a few of my favorites. First timers, go ahead and make that stop at Mondavi or Beringer but make sure you spend at least 50% of your time in these smaller wineries if you want to get away from the tourists and deeper into the heart of Napa. For those of you who have been here before you can also email me and I'll help you pick some good ones and even help you get discounts, many unpublished, so you can taste like a VIP without breaking the bank.
Here are a few "off the grid" wineries you should be checking out.
Let me help you plan it out! I don't charge, I don't get kickbacks from the wineries, I'm not associated with any wine shops, restaurants, or anybody! I am just one guy who knows and loves Napa and happy to share my favorites with you, all honest and unbiased recommendations so that you don't leave Napa thinking it was a theme park. Email me and give me your dates you will be here, the number of people in your party and whether you are a wine expert or just looking for fun places to taste. Give me two weeks if possible and I'll get you some free Napa advice on how to taste your way through Napa like a local - on a budget, of course.
Local Wally
There is nothing worse than being in your hotel room ready to snuggle up with a good bottle of wine only to find out that there's no corkscrew. How to open? Well, you could do the Shoe Trick where you put the bottom of the bottle inside a shoe and slam it on the wall, but that just doesn't seem to to have style. Or you could jam the cork and it's crumbles into the bottle. Or you could be smart and pack a corkscrew in your bag.
But remember, there is only ONE type of corkscrew that always passes TSA security and it’s this one. The rules were modified to include corkscrews with tiny collapsible blades (like the ones waiters use) but pity the fool who has to explain that to a TSA agent who did not get the memo! Don’t take any chances of losing a good corkscrew. Grab one of these cheapies and you are good to go.
The ONLY corkscrew you can bring on an airplane.
Note that there is no little knife to cut the foil - it's the little knife that will have you waiting as the TSA folks tear your bags apart and send you to secondary strip search. But this little handy corkscrew, arguably equally dangerous in the wrong hands, passes through TSA with flying colors. At least for now!
Napa wine tasting prices are getting insane - $35 per person is the new budget price with most wineries charging $30 to $60 to taste - basic flights, not premium wines or extravagant tours! Fight back with the Priority Wine Pass, the two for one pass that cuts your fees right in half and offers other discounts. Ride the Napa Wine Train - with a discount! Go on an E-Bike Wine Tour - again, discounted. Get One Pass only per couple - the pass is $39.99 but you’ll save many times over that. Don’t come to Napa without it!
Most wineries restrict group size to 6 or less, and many that do allow groups charge fees that make me pause, and I’m used to overpriced tastings! That’s why I collected all of the wineries that not only allow large groups but offer discounts as well. I also added a new self service guide to help you plan that super large group, up to 100 people.
Getting Set up for some seriously fun wine blending at Conn Creek Winery in Napa
Every trip to Napa should have at least one BIG adventure, the winery experience that caps off your wine tasting vacation. Take the Sterling Tram? Tour the castle at Castello di Amorosa? Visit the caves of Del Dotto? Yes, all good options but for me the BEST Napa experience is the Conn Creek Winery Barrel Blending Experience. And yes, I have a discount but that comes later.
What I love about Conn Creek's Barrel Blending Experience is that how it makes you define what you like in your wine. I mean, I drink a lot of wine and I know what I like but if you asked me to describe it I get all befuddled. Umm, tar? Leather? Plums? Yikes, my cover as a self proclaimed wine expert is shattered.
But not anymore. That's because I went to the Conn Creek Barrel Blending Experience, a 90 minute "class" where you taste 6 different cabs grown in different areas of Napa. Like a good student I took a few notes and honed in on what I liked and what I didn't like in each, which was a good thing because before I knew it I was taking my little eyedropper and mixing up a glass like I was some sort of scientist. And then after some tweaking I was kneeling in front of the barrels and carefully measuring out quantities of each to make up my own blend. I call it Local Wally Reserve Cab. It's limited - very limited!
Conn Creek's blending seminar is super cool, a quick way to get a wine education that's valuable to everyone from newbie wine lovers trying to understand what they like to industry insiders who want to further their knowledge. And it's fun - no stuffy classroom setting - and afterwards you go straight to the tasting bar to try all of their wines. You like wine, you'll love this experience.
After waiting a month I invited my wine blending group over for a blind tasting. Will our wines hold up? Will we still love them? And who made the best? We wrapped the wines in foil to hide the labels and surrounded ourselves with wine glasses and sipped like the experts we had become. Surprisingly, all four bottles tasted very different from each other.
My wine started off as big, bold and nearly over the top but as it sat open and we tasted more I noticed that the LW Reserve was the one we all gravitated to., Well, at least that's how I remembered it. In truth I think all of us could defend our wine blends to the end, just like real wine makers. The winner - the one we all secretly thought was our own - started off soft and drinkable and remained complex without going over the top. It wasn't mine. Damn!
The tasting party continued as the rib eyes were tossed on the grill and our wines were so good that all four bottles were gone by the end of the night :-)
Everyone needs to do this. I mean, everyone! It's fun, it's educational, and the wine tasting competition a month later lets you bring home the Napa experience for your friends and family. And won't everyone be so impressed when you say things like how you wanted a bit more boldness so you added a drop of Petite Verdot and how the Cab Franc really sends the aroma over the top. Oh you wine expert you.
TIP: Save your cards with your measurements on it because if you LOVE your wine you can have Conn Creek make you up a custom case. Now that's cool!
This is the winning formula!
Get a $50 discount with a Priority Wine Pass. Get your pass here, it's $39.99 per couple so the card already more than paid for itself. And remember, get the pass and I'll build you a stop by stop agenda to make sure you get your money's worth. OK, sure, it's still $100 per person after the discount but figure you get to take home a bottle of Napa wine that you made - most Napa wines are at least $60 - $75 per bottle these days - and you got to taste at the bar (normally $25 per person) - and you got a wine education that you just can't get anywhere else - so a hundred bucks is really a bargain. Highly recommended for my readers, skip the tram ride and the crowds at the touristy wineries and do the Conn Creek Blending Experience!
Back Room Wines: 707.226.1378Open 10:00am – 5:00pm
Black Stallion Winery: 707.227.3250Open10:00am – 5:00pm
Bennett Lane Winery: 877.629.6272Open 10:30am – 3:00 pm
Castello di Amorosa: 707.967.6272Open 9:30am – 5:00pm
Cliff Lede Winery: 800.428.2260Open 10:00am – 2:00pm
Chateau Montelena Winery: 707.942.5105Open 9:30am – 12:000pm
Chateau Potelle Winery: 707.255.9440Open 10:00am – 3:00pm
Cuvaison Estate – Napa: 707.942.2455Open1 0:00am – 4:00pm
Cuvaison Estate – Calistoga: 707.942.2468Open 11:00am – 4:00pm
Del Dotto – St. Helena: 707.963.2134Open 11:00am – 5:00pm (Appt. Required)
Domaine Carneros: 800.716.2788Open 10:00am – 4:00pm
Domaine Chandon: 888.242.6366 opt. 3Open 10:00am – 5:00pm
Elizabeth Spencer Wines: 707.963.4762Open 10:00am – 4:00pm
Grgich Hills Estate: 800.532.3057Open 9:30am- 4:30pm
Hall – St. Helena: 707.967.2626Open 10:00am – 3:00pm
Hall – Rutherford : 707.967.2626Open By Appointment
Hess Collection: 707.255.1144Open 10:00am – 2:00pm
Inglenook: 707.968.1100Open 10:00am – 5:00pm
Judd’s Hill Winery: 707-255-2332Open 10:00am – 4:00pm
Louis M. Martini: 707.968.3361Open 10:00am – 3:00pm
Markham Vineyards: 707.963.5292Open 10:00am – 5:00pm
Merryvale Vineyards: 707.663.7777Open 10:30am – 3:00pm
Pine Ridge Vineyards: 800.575.9777Open 10:00am – 4:30pm
Raymond Vineyards: 707.963.3141Open 10:00am – 4:00pm
Robert Mondavi Winery: 888-766-6328Open 10:00am-3:00pm
Round Pound Estate: 707.302.2575Open 10:00am – 3:00pm (last appt. at 1:30pm)
Signorello Estate: 707.255.5990Open10:00am – 5:00pm (by Appt. only)
St. Supery: 707.963.4507Open 10:00am – 2:30pm
V. Sattui Winery: 707.963.7774Open 9:00am – 5:00pm
William Hill Winery: 707 265 3024Open 10:00am – 3:00pm
Alpha & Omega Winery: 707.963.9999Open 10:00am – 6:00pm
Bennett Lane Winery: 877.629.6272Open 11:00am – 3:00pm
Castello di Amorosa: 707.967.6272Open9:30am – 5:00pm
Cuvaison Estate – Napa: 707.942.2455Open 10:00am – 4:00pm
Del Dotto – St. Helena: 707.963.2134 Open 11:00am – 5:00pm (Appt. Required)
Domaine Carneros: 800.716.2788Open 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Elizabeth Spencer Wines: 10:00am – 4:00pm 707.963.4762
Raymond Vineyards: 707.963.3141 Open 10:00am – 4:00pm
V. Sattui Winery: 707.963.7774 Open 9:00am – 5:00pm
Anaba Wines: 707.996.4188Open 10:30 am – 3pm
Battaglini Estate Winery: 707.578.4091Open 10am – 4:30pm
Cartograph Wines: 707.433.8270, Open 12pm – 4pm
Chalk Hill Estate: 707.657.4837Open 10am – 4pm
Christopher Creek: 707.433.2001 Open 10am – 6pm
Deloach Vineyards: 707.526.9111Open 10am – 5pm
Dutton Estate Winery: 707.829.9463Open 10am – 3pm
Francis Ford Copolla Winery: 707.857.1471 Open 11am – 6pm
Gloria Ferrer: 707.996.7256Open 10am – 3pm
Halleck Vineyard: 707.484.0707Open 10:30am – 3:00pm
Hanna Winery: 707.431.4310Open 10am – 4pm
Hartford Family Winery: 707.887.8030Open 10am – 3pm
Hop Kiln Winery: 707.433.6491Open 10am – 2pm
Imagery Estate: 877.550.4278Open 10am – 2:30pm
Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens: 707.571.8100Open 10am – 3pm
Korbel Champagne Cellars: 707.824.700010am – 4:30pm
La Crema: 800.314.1762Open 10:30am – 3pm
Longboard Vineyards: 707.433.3473Open 11am – 2pm
Mantanzas Creek Winery: 707.528.6464Open 10am – 2pm
Murphy-Goode: 707.431.7644Open 10:30am – 3pm
Rodney Strong Vineyards: 707.431.1533Open 10am – 3pm
Russian Hill Winery: 707.575.9428Open 10am – 4pm
Selby: 707.431.1288Open 11am – 5:30pm
St. Francis Winery: 707.431.8749Open 10am – 2pm
Stephen & Walker Winery: 707.431.8749Open 11am – 7pm
Topel Winery Tasting Room: 707.433.4116Open 11am – 5pm
Walt Wines : 707.933.4440 Open 11am – 4pm
White Oak Vineyards: 707.433.8429Open 10am – 2pm
Special Thanks to Winecountry.com for the list. Always a good idea to contact the wineries directly to verify before coming in.
Local Wally's Sonoma Tourist Guide for free coupons, deals, and honest advice!
If you're spending more than a couple of days in Napa you owe it to yourself to spend a day in Sonoma. There's a certain charm to Sonoma, a laid back agricultural feel to this town that makes it a nice contrast to the more sophisticated Napa. Taste in barns, picnic just about anywhere, cheap tastings, it's a throwback to when wine tasting wasn't an expensive event but something you did on a weekend whim. And yes, you can still find FREE wine in Sonoma and special discounts.
So check it out: Local Wally's Guide to Sonoma at SonomaTouristGuide.com and let me know what you think. And yes, I'll build you a custom stop by stop agenda for free if you get a Wine Pass and need help picking them out.
Here's the deal: Use promo code WALLYSALE when ordering your pass at PriorityWinePass.com and they'll send you the physical plastic pass, excellent for gift giving and good for two for one tastings in Napa and Sonoma and other popular wine regions for only $45. It's good for a full year so your friends can visit the wineries again and again, saving half on tasting fees and getting exclusive VIP treatment. You only need ONE pass per couple. $45? Christmas gift - DONE!
The pass is excellent for anyone traveling to Napa or Sonoma for a vacation visit but even better for your friends who live in the Bay Area and go wine tasting multiple times a year. They will LOVE YOU for this!
HERE'S HOW THE WINE PASS WORKS:
As a bonus you can let your friends know that if they want a custom stop by stop agenda all they need to do is ask me and I'll create it for them based on the types of wines they like.
ORDER NOW! HOLIDAY OFFER EXPIRES DEC 10TH, 2017!
Meet Jamie, the Owner of the Priority Wine Pass
If picking wineries is hard, picking someone to drive your rental car around is even harder. You don't want some college kid to drive you around, you want someone who knows the area, knows the wineries, and someone who is fun to hang out with all day. Well guess what? Jamie, the owner of the Priority Wine Pass, is now offering her driving services to my readers. That's A-MAZ-ING!
Jamie is a super nice gal who lives in Napa and knows the wineries. She'll take you on a whirlwind private tour of Napa hitting up wineries that most tourists don't know about. And trust me, when you walk into the wineries with Jamie you can expect top notch VIP service that you won't get with other drivers. You'll discover great new wineries and get special attention to boot.
CONTACT JAMIE TO GET MORE INFO!
No hidden fees, no sticker shock, you'll know exactly how much you'll spend when you book with Jamie. You provide the car and she will drive you to the winery locations. Wine tasting fees not included but she'll pick wineries that will give you two for one tastings.
Expect the unexpected like barrel tasting or tasting in a cave!
That's easy. Just email her and let her know the dates you want her to drive you and she'll confirm availability and set up your pickup times. Why let any old driver take you around when you can get VIP treatment when you walk in with Jamie from the Priority Wine Pass? This special offer is for my readers only so check it out!
Remember - EMAIL HER for more info!
I often get asked which winery to go to that offers more than just wine tasting, something that's a bit of an adventure. Maybe you have non-drinking age kids, maybe you want to give your designated driver a break, maybe you just want to do something completely different. If that sounds like you then Sterling Winery might be the ticket.
Tram at Sterling Vineyards - PIN IT AND SHARE!
Climb aboard the tram for a breathtaking ride to the top of the mountain where you can take a self guided tour through the winery and then relax in a seated tasting on the patio surrounded by pine trees and a glorious view. But don't pay full price! Instead just email me and I'll send you the promo code - FOR FREE!
No catches, no gimmicks, no paying to "unlock" the deal, just ask and I'll send it to you. The exclusive Local Wally Sterling Coupon is 100% FREE for the asking. Get $10 off! No unlocking this deal, just email me and I'll send it for free. You do need to book in advance on their website to get the offer so plan ahead.
And yes, the free code for $10 also includes the wine tasting and self guided tour at the top. I seriously have no idea why Sterling has asked me to give out the code but let’s not ask questions and just take advantage of the free offer.
New for 2020, the Local Wally discount now includes the popular Sparkling Wine Experience. Enjoy the aerial tram and self-guided tour, followed by a seated wine tasting experience featuring four Sterling sparkling wines (Prosecco DOC, Sparkling Rosé, Blanc de Blancs and vintage Brut) paired with delicious amuse-bouches crafted by the Sterling Culinary Team and led by Executive Chef, Jim Cutler.
What’s included? Smoked blue cheese with honeycomb and raspberry, "Classic" deviled egg - filled farm egg, pacific coast caviar, Potato croquette with black truffle aioli - it’s incredible!
Available Friday through Sunday. Reservations required. Guests must be 21+. To get the discount all you have to do is email me for the code. That’s it. And tell your friends about me, that would be nice!
I have them! Local Wally was the very first website to collect and give away all of the free Napa wine tasting deals on one site. Today there are a number of competing sites but none of them offer what I do - free unbiased advice to help you plan your trip. I'm not a corporation, I don't have a staff of writers, I respond to every email personally and don't charge for my assistance. And I never recommend stuff I don't like! I'll help you pick wineries, restaurants, and even help you plan out a Napa on a Budget trip.
Don’t miss my latest updates! Napa 101 takes you to the best picks on the main drag. Napa 102 takes you deeper on the Silverado Trail. Both are very useful guides for picking the best wineries in Napa.
So Email me and get more free Napa wine tasting deals! And enjoy your tram ride at Sterling Vineyards!
