Use AI for a Napa Valley Winery Planner Itinerary
Local Wally
Outstanding Caves at Schramsberg Vineyard
Everyone’s talking about AI and how it makes life so much easier, at least until the robots turn on us and destroy the world. But can AI replace Local Wally when it comes to picking wineries?
When I used AI to plan my trip it picked these wineries - all without any input from me as to what I wanted or was looking for.
DAY 1:
Schramsberg Vineyard - Good pick, their sparkling wines and cave tour are the best in Napa. Cost: $90 pp.
Duckhorn Vineyard: While I like Duckhorn wine I find their winery experience to be a little impersonal as the server bounces from table to table. Your experience may be different but for me it was just OK. Cost: $65 pp
That’s it - AI says two wineries a day and offers no lunch options. Since each experience is 90 minutes tops that leaves a lot of time to wish you were at another winery or wait in line for lunch.
DAY 2:
OPUS One: The classic high end winery, Opus One is fancy indeed and a showstopper. Cost: $125 to $200 pp.
Cakebread: Yes, love this one for the Napa visitor who loves good wine but also doesn’t have unlimited funds. A small group, a tour, and sips of some great Napa wine. Cost: $50 pp.
DAY 3:
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars: Great pick from a famous Napa winery. Cost: $95 pp.
THE FRENCH LAUNDRY: Whoa, wait, hello AI. You clearly have good taste but you do realize that it’s nearly impossible to get reservations here and even if you did a dinner for two will easily set you back $1,000. Here are photos from my visit back when I had a lot more money than I do today.
Let’s do some math.
Cost of wine tasting fees for two: $1,200
Cost for dinner at The French Laundy: $1,000
TOTAL AI ITINERARY COST: $2,200
let’s see How Wally compares
BERINGER CAVES, the cheapest cave experiences in Napa
Here’s what I would do. First, let’s get serious here, wine tasting can be stupidly expensive. In the AI recommendations only Cakebread is “worth it”, a balance of quality and value, and only Schramsberg falls into the “splurge worthy” category as an awesome experience. If spending a $1,200 bucks on wine tasting at 5 wineries seems too rich for your blood then get yourself a Priority Wine Pass so you can do two for one deals. The pass is only $39 if you get it on my site - cheaper here than Groupon and TravelZoo and unlike those other sites you can actually ask me questions and I will actually respond, Not an AI bot response, but me, a real person. Wouldn’t you rather support a little micro business like mine over the billionaires who own google?
Now Pick Wineries, three a day
I already like my itinerary better than AI because with me I suggest three wineries in a day. The Priority Wine Pass comes with free concierge service who who help you pick wineries that match what you want in a winery. Are you a first timer or serious wine buyer? Did you want a winery that allows outside food (I don’t make you starve like AI does)? Or do you want a winery with food for sale? Dogs? No problem. Walk-in’s? No worries. The tasting fees range from $30 for Beringer’s Cave tour… that’s for TWO PEOPLE… to fancy Clos do Val which has two tastings for just $75 with the pass. You’ll probably average $150 a day for two people, yes two people, to taste if you use the Priority Wine Pass. Want to see all of the wineries on the Priority Wine Pass?
FOR DINNER, GO TO BOUCHON INSTEAD
I absolutely love The French Laundry and if you have the cash and if you are lucky enough to have grabbed a reservation then good for you. For others go to Thomas Keller’s other restaurant, Bouchon. It’s a French Bistro sort of experience and prices are much more down to Earth - Steak Frites are $56, for example, and the most expensive thing on the menu is Sole Meunière for $80. With wine you’re probably looking at a couple hundred bucks for dinner for two.
Let’s See How Much it Costs to Wine Taste the Wally Way
Wine Tasting fees for 3 days, three wineries per day: $450
Fancy dinner at Bouchon: $200
Napa and Winery advice: Free and included with the pass
TOTAL LOCAL WALLY THREE DAY IN NAPA ITINERARY COST: $650