Downtown Napa Valley's Best Tasting Rooms | Local Wally's Napa Tourist Guide (Copy)
Local Wally takes you on a Walking Wine Tasting adventure through Yountville, 2 for 1 tastings, FREE coupons, BEST restaurants.
Downtown Napa’s Best Tasting Rooms
Walk, Don’t Drive, to Napa’s Best Downtown Tasting Rooms
First, let me get this out of the way - a tasting room is not a winery. That might sound obvious but if you’re coming to Napa as a first timer you need to get OUT and visit actual wineries. That said, nearly every trip to Napa has a bit of “extra” time to sneak in another tasting and if you are here multiple days it’s nice to have a day where you don’t have to get into a car and don’t need a lot of plans.
For these times there’s Downtown Napa with tons of tasting rooms and plenty of shops and restaurants along the way. Walking to them is easy, a half mile walk along 1st Street will let you hit the top picks and end at Oxbow Public Market, a great place to grab some snacks or dinner. So put on your Sketchers and don’t forget your Priority Wine Pass because a lot of these stops will give you extra splashes or even two for one tastings just by flashing your wine pass.
Would You Stop to Pick Up a $100 Bill?
In case you missed it it’s now 2022 and a lot is different - everywhere. In Napa the biggest change is the skyrocketing price of wine tasting and the demise of the two for one coupons. Yes, Napa Valley has gone from a fun weekend trip to a luxury vacation. Luckily, the Priority Wine Pass has your back. There are still plenty of 2 for 1 deals and other discounts to keep you busy for a week, saving you on average a hundred bucks a day. You don’t have to buy one but who wouldn’t pick up a Franklin if you saw it just sitting there?
One pass per couple is all you need and with it you get free concierge service to help you pick wineries.
Can You Walk a Half Mile? For Wine? I Thought So!
25 or so tasting rooms spread out over downtown, the list below is in rough geographical order so whatever winery tasting room you start with the next one on the list is probably right down the street or very close. The list starts in the main downtown area and ends up at the Oxbow Public Market because after all this wine tasting might make you hungry, right? Turn off that GPS! Think of this as the Easter Egg hunt you loved as a kid, only this time instead of jelly beans the reward is a glass of wine.
Do you need reservations? Not always - if there’s room for you they’ll most likely seat you. But reservations are always welcomed and recommended. Most wineries open until 6 or 7 PM, a few that open later are noted.
ROBERT CRAIG WINERY
1553 2nd St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 252-2250
Enjoy a flight or glass on the patio and pretend this cottage is your home, or move inside to the salon for a relaxing visit where no one seems to be in a rush.
Tastings start at $35 pp
One Word Description: Relaxed
GAMLING AND MCDUCK
1420 2nd St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 312-2574
Fun and a bit irreverent which is nice because lets not forget that wine tasting is supposed to be fun, even with wines this seriously good. Super fun!
Tastings start at $35 pp
One Word Description: Wacky
OUTLAND WINERY
920 Franklin St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 227-1277
You’re sure to find something you love since Outland pours from 3 wineries - POE, Forlorn Hope & Farella. They even allow walk-ins Thurs-Sun so walk in!
Tastings $40 pp
One Word Description: Modern
Priority Wine Pass Deal: 2 free tastings with 4 bottle purchase
Roots Run Deep
1607 1st St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 945-1045
Want to bring home some Napa wine without breaking the bank? Then come here where exceptional wines start at $20 - a bottle, not a glass!
Tastings start at $40 pp
One Word Description: Value
JaM Cellars
1460 1st St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 265-7577
You’ve seen their Butter chardonnay at Trader Joe’s but have you tried their Butter Bubbles or Sugar Sweet White? Live music Thurs and Fri nights.
Tastings start at $25, music $20 pp.
One Word Description: Scrumdelicious
Priority Wine Pass Deal: Comp snacks and extra pours
1440 1st St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 265-7711
Classy and even luxurious tasting room that allows walk-ins when available and is open until 10PM Sun-Wed and until midnight Thur - Sat.
Tastings start at $30
One Word Description: Tasteful
Priority Wine Pass Deal: Purchase a tasting and receive 2-3 premium pours ($40 value)
Prime Cellars
974 Franklin St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 257-7477
A fun and casual tasting room shared with Trahan Winery, stop in and do both. Kids welcome in the lounge area while parents sip in back. Bring the dog, too.
Tastings $25, waived with 2 bottle purchase. Weekends only.
One Word Description: Easy
Photo: Tommy Justice
Acumen
1315 1st St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 492-8336
A Hip and trendy winery founded by the billionaire owner of Zoom, crazy, right? Walk-ins and reservations for flights, bottle service of their Sparkling Wines. Groups up to 9.
Tastings start at $60 pp.
One Word Description: Lifestyle
Photo: John G Lewis
1300 1st St Suite 305, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 967-5405
Makers of a 100 point cabernet sauvignon (that’s good!), make yourself comfortable into their modern glamorous tasting room for a flight, a glass, or bottle.
Tasting Fee: $40
One Word Description: Fancy
1245 1st St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 294-6960
Showcasing A/O as well as two of their sister wineries from San Lius Opisbo and Spain, indulge in an exceptional wine + food pairing experience.
Tastings from $50 to $100 pp
One Word Description: De-lish-ous
Shadowbox Cellars
1201 1st St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 738-0386
Enjoy an elevated experience inside led by a vintner or winemaker or hang out street side for a self guided tasting flight of acid-driven, food friendly wines.
Tastings range from $40 to $60
One Word Description: Enlightening
Brown Downtown
1005 Coombs St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 963-2435
With just three tasting slots a day, Brown Downtown is able to provide consistently high hospitality that equals their wines.
Tastings $50, waived with $200 wine purchase.
One Word Description: Exclusive
Mia Carta Tasting Room
1209 1st St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 346-2244
Micro wineries here, 9 to be precise, allowing you to taste from one or across the entire collection. Chat with the vintners over flights, glasses, or bottles.
Tasting from $30 to $55 pp
One Word Description: Adventurous
Vermeil Winery
1018 1st St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 254-9881
Former NFL coach Dick Vermeil turns to wine and offers flight, glass, or bottle, one of the few tasting rooms open late, Sun-Thurs until 10PM, Fri - Sat until 11PM.
Tastings $50 to $95 pp
One Word Description: Touchdown
Photo by Colleen Harmon
New Frontier Wine Lounge
1040 Main St #101, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 690-9923
Tucked into a turn of the century building New Frontier is redefining luxury Napa Wine Tasting with a collection of premier wines from around the world.
Tasting fees vary, up to $100 pp
One Word Description: Classy
Vintner’s Collective
1245 Main St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 255-7150
18 small wineries in a rustically tasteful setting, walk in for the bar or reserve a seated experience. Pop in for a quickie sip, or stay all afternoon.
Tasting flights from $50 to $125
One Word Description: Flexible
Housley Tasting Room
1038 Clinton St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 690-9192
More like a living room than a tasting room, affordable wines along with bags of homemade chips and popcorn, super laid back. No reservations needed.
Tastings $20, glasses of wine $8 - $12.
One Word Description: Affordable
Bazan Cellars
1300 Main Suites, 960 Clinton St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 927-5564
Open Thurs-Sun with live music every Sat from 6-9 in Spring and Summer, order food from the Napa Valley Bistro and you’re all set for the evening.
Tastings start at $55 pp
One Word Description: Tasty
Priority Wine Pass Deal: 1 tasting fee waived with $150 purchase
ST CLAIR BROWN WINERY & BREWERY
816 Vallejo St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 255-5591
Mix it up with a winery that’s also a brewery in a lively urban farmyard setting. Small bites, casual, and lots of veggies everywhere.
Wine flights from $65, Beer flights $25
One Word Description: Urban
Mark Herold Wines
710 1st St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 256-3111
From a $28 sauvignon blanc to a $200 cab, Mark Herold makes and serves a variety of wines to suit any level and budget. Walk-in’s OK.
Tastings from $35 pp
One Word Description: Variety
FEAST IT FORWARD
1031 McKinstry St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 819-2403
Wines from 15 wineries, live music, cooking shows, grab some food from Oxbow Public Market and chill out!
Wines by the glass: menu
One Word Description: Fun!
Priority Wine Pass: 10% off Wines by the Glass
Krupp Brothers Tasting Room
714 1st St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 266-1233
Their actual winery is like a Tuscan villa - highly recommended. But if short on time come here and relax with a flight or glass of their excellent wine. Open till 8.
Tastings start at $35 pp
One Word Description: Delightful
Gustavo Winery
1021 McKinstry St, Napa, CA 94559 | (707) 257-6796
Why is the name Gustavo so familiar? Maybe you saw the movie Bottle Shock, the story of how Napa beat the French and Gustavo’s role in making the wine.
Tasting fees start at $47 pp
One Word Description: Incredible
Priority Wine Pass Deal: 2 for 1 tasting
WALT WINES
605 1st St, Napa, CA 94558 | (707) 933-4440
You know Hall Wines, right? Katheryn Hall’s parents were the Walts and this is her sister winery. Pinots and chardonnays in a boutique setting.
Tasting Fee $30, Food and Wine $80
One Word Description: Inviting
Priority Wine Pass Deal: Membership pricing on Wine & Chocolate experience, $40 savings.
All This Wine Tasting is Making Me Hungry!
Wait, don’t call that Uber quite yet! If you’ve ended up near the Oxbow Public Market then you should know that you are near some good eats, I mean really good eats, all within walking distance.
Hog Island Oysters (photo credit: Jennifer Park)
Hog Island Oysters
Shellfish seafood sure does sound good for dinner tonight and if you want a no compromise, no frills dinner then walk right into Oxbow Public Market and head to the back where you’ll find Hog Island Oysters. Raw oysters, cooked oysters, oyster po-boys, and some killer clam chowder and shellfish. For non-seafood diners there’s a gourmet grilled cheese that’s damn delicious.
Gott’s Refresher in Napa (photo credit: LostboyzKING)
Gott’s Roadside
The original Gott’s in St. Helena was an old burger joint that was reborn as a foodie burger paradise. The downtown location might lack a bit of the original charm but the food is still incredibly good, from the traditional burger to my favorite, the rare ahi burger with ginger wasabi mayo. Fries, rings, tacos, salads, shakes, and yes, excellent wine and craft beer - this is Napa after all!
