What to Do this Weekend in the Bay Area 2025: Wine Tasting.... on a budget!
Local Wally
Cheap cave tour at Beringer in Napa Valley, Sun-Fri
Turn on the news and there’s tariff talk, conspiracy chatter, nuclear bomb threats, auuuggggggg!!!
And now here’s the weekend and it’s your turn to tune out and get back to enjoying life the way it was meant to be. And good news, if you live in the Bay Area all you need is a Priority Wine Pass to get huge discounts in Napa and Sonoma. And even better news, Napa has lightened up on all the stuffy rules and has been dropping prices to bring it all back down to regular people who just need a freaking buzz off really good wine.
What - what’s the Priority Wine Pass? It’s an annual pass that gets you lots of discounts like 2 for 1 offers all over Napa and Sonoma, as well as other wine regions. It’s just $39 if you get it here and you only need ONE pass for every two people. Do you still have friends? If so, get them to get passes too and let’s go have some fun.
Lots of 2 for 1 Deals - With no Limits!
Unlike some “passport deals” where you can only visit a winery once to get the discount, with the Priority Wine Pass if you find a winery you like you can go there again and again and get the discount, well, again and again. And in case you’re wondering if the pass is “worth it” here are a few examples of the deals.
Fun and cheap wineries in napa
Beringer has a two for one cave tour, Sunday through Friday, that’s just $30 for two. They’re also cool with groups as long as you have reservations and have one Priority Wine Pass for every two people.
Sterling and the tram ride is just fun and yes, the wines they serve on the standard flight are, well, standard, but at two for $55 it has to make the short list for cheap winery adventures that don’t suck.
V. Satui: With their new marketplace deli open this is an obvious stop for a classic Napa picnic as well as a two for one flight for just $55 - for two.
Pestoni Vineyards: A hidden gem with a large grassy area and picnic tables, they’re cool with you bringing in your own picnic lunch and even have a “picnic flight” that lets you pair their wines with your your own snacks - two for $50. Pro Tip: Bring random cheeses and some meats and a baguette and you have that dream Napa picnic with the undreamy price.
A Couple of super cool wineries you’ve never heard of
RuVango is in the Carneros area, the entrance to the valley, which means if you’re coming from the bay area you can get right to it. With their cool art exhibits, elegant tasting room and private balcony overlooking the vineyards you might expect to pay $100 pp. But no, no, no, it’s two tastings for just $45! That’s amazing.
Hans Fahden is on the tip top area of Calistoga. With ponds and old bridges and a tasting deck that overhangs it all, it' feels a bit like you walked into a Monet painting. And at just two for $45 it’s crazy not to check them out.
some big names and fancy WINERIES
Clos du Val is brand New to the Priority Wine Pass! Insanely good wines and with the Priority Wine Pass you get two tastings for just $75.
Rutherford Ranch, big red wine lovers love Rutherford Ranch even more at just two for $55. They also will book larger groups, two for one with one Priority Wine Pass for every two people, right in the vineyards!
Napa Wine Train isn’t a two for one but the Priority Wine Pass is the only place you can get a discount. $20 off pp on their lunch or dinner excursions, $40 off pp on their Legacy tour. One pass is good for four discounts, now that’s a sweet deal.
And there are tons more, over 150 wineries in Napa and Sonoma. If you want to see all of the deals click this link for the most recent update. And if you need a pass you can click the button and it goes right to the lowest price offered on the pass.