Napa 101: Frequently Asked Questions

Go Ahead, Ask Away, I’m Ready!

Sure, planning a trip to Napa can be very confusing, especially since everything’s so expensive that you don’t want to make a mistake. But don’t worry, I can help you. I’ve put all of the questions I get again and again on this page. Not sure whether to tip? How do you get around Napa? Do you need reservations? Yup, I can help you sort this all out.

And don’t worry, if you still are confused just email me and I’ll get right back to you. That’s right, I will personally respond and do my best to help you plan your trip, whether it’s a romantic weekend or a raving bachelorette party.

Also remember that I can help you pick wineries and find the best discounts. I broke down Napa into two sections, Napa 101 (the main highway) and Napa 102 (the Silverado Trail). If you get stuck, just reach out and I’ll let you know my favorite wineries and which ones have discounts.

Start With The Basics - You Need a Wine Pass

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 to rack up a $300 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.

You only need one pass per couple and if you get it here it’s only $49, basically paying for itself and saving you enough money to splurge on dinner. Here are all of the deals.

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Where is the Best Place to Stay in Napa Valley?

For me the two best areas to stay in Napa Valley are Downtown Napa and Yountville. Downtown has a vibrant restaurant scene and the most active nightlife. Gone are the days when downtown Napa was second best, start your search here. Yountville is definitely more upscale and can get downright pricey but there is no denying being able to walk across the street to top end restaurants in a charming town is a big draw. You can find my Yountville hotel reviews here.

You’ll have no problem finding gorgeous resorts with all the trimmings, including spas, pools, and 5 star dining. You can now search all of them here on my site and even book through me. I’m an affiliate with Advanced Reservations Travel who does the actual booking and if you book through me I get paid, which is nice. Nice is good.

If you want to the best resorts in Napa start with Auberge du Soleil, Meadowood, Solage, Vintage House, Harvest Inn, and Calistoga Ranch, all on my hotel booking site.

There are also AirBnB's around Napa.  Check out my friend Jamie's place in Downtown Napa.  With a private entrance, private bath,  3 full rooms to yourself and priced lower than a hotel it's a good pick for those who are looking for a great place to crash without breaking the bank. 

And finally, if your budget doesn’t allow you to stay in Napa then move further out to American Canyon or Fairfield. Nothing wrong with saving some money on your hotel and splurging on a great dinner or case of wine.

When is the Best Time to Visit Napa Valley?

Every season is different and has its own pro's and con's.  Spring is when all the fields turn to gold with mustard plants, tourists are usually sparse, it's my favorite time of the year.  The negatives?  No grapes on the vines, no smell of fermenting fruit in the air.  Once June hits the Summer crowds stampede Napa.  It's hot, it's lively, but come in Summer and you'll want to avoid the big touristy wineries and hit the smaller boutiques to get away from the crowds.  In Fall is crush, the time of year when grapes are harvested and, well, crushed.  There's no telling when the grapes will be picked but you can count on monster crowds from September through October.  If you come at this time make sure you do a production tour to see how wine is made and don't forget to do a grape stomp like they did in I Love Lucy.  From November through February it's often raining and the crowds are thin. 

Basically every season has something to offer but when you come will depend on what you want to do. Here’s a quick cheat sheet:

• You want to do a romantic picnic at a winery: Spring to Fall is best. If you want fewer crowds, come before summer.

• You want to see a winery in production and stomp grapes: Fall is the time to come.

• You hate crowded wineries and want more personal time with the server: Winter and Spring

• It’s your first time and you want to see and experience it all: Spring to Fall, but reach out to me as I can show you my strategy for avoiding the crowds during peak season.

• You want to celebrate the end of the Covid? Come right now!!

Where Can I get Free Wine Tasting in Napa Valley?

I hope you are sipping a glass of wine when you read this because here comes a buzz killer - Visiting Napa has gotten really expensive. The days of cruising up and down the main drag and stopping in at any winery and getting free wine for the asking are long gone. There are websites claiming to have free tastings at Domaine Chandon or Castillo di Amorosa (and many other popular wineries) but most if not all of these are fakes, click bait to get google to rank them high.

Some wineries will waive tasting fees if you buy wine or join their club. Do your homework before your trip so you know what you’re getting yourself into. You didn’t join the Columbia Record Club (Get 12 CD’s for a Penny!) without looking at the fine print, right? So do that before you arrive as there is no way you will be thinking straight after a few glasses of wine.

And yes, you can still get a Priority Wine Pass and use it for 2 for 1 discounts and other deals. Figure the pass is $49 for two people but you save $35 to $50 per person at the participating wineries and you can see why it’s so popular.

local wally freebie: $10 off any sterling wine tasting experience

Finally, the NEW and IMPROVED Sterling tram is open as of 2024 and Yes, I still have the free $10 off promo code. All you have to do is email me and ask for the code and I’ll send it your way. No catch, no gimmick, no click bait.

The tram takes you to the top of the hill (it’s not that long of a ride so set your expectations accordingly) and the views are pretty amazing. OK, the wines are pretty much what you might find at your Trader Joe’s but does Trader Joe have a tram ride, I think not!

There is also a two for one offer on the Priority Wine Pass which will save you $55 so if you have other wineries you want to visit just get the pass and pocket the savings. You know how to get the pass, right?

WHAT Is the napa valley wine train AND IS IT worth it?

The Napa Valley Wine Train is a trip back in time when traveling on a train was luxurious and relaxing. They have various excursions, some that stop at wineries, some that offer lunch or dinner, even events like a Murder Mystery. The train is impressive, the food is very good considering its being prepared on a moving train, and the entire experience is a Napa favorite.

So is it worth it? Well, first off it can be expensive. Click here for their official site to see their current rates. Also, the Napa Valley Wine Train can eat up a lot of your time without stopping at a lot of wineries. For this reason I suggest you only do the wine train if you are here multiple days so you can spend more time inside the wineries - which is why you came to Napa, right?

If you do decide to go there’s a discount for Priority Wine Pass holders - $35 off per person on Sun - Fri for the Legacy Tour, $10 off per person on Saturdays. For the gourmet lunch or dinner experience the Priority Wine Pass gets you $25 off per person Sun - Fri and $10 off per person on Saturdays.

Where should i eat dinner?

Napa has no shortage of great dining options, from cheap eats to gourmet burgers to high end (I mean really high end) dining. For me, for first timers, I can narrow it down to these Napa favorites:

• Mustards Grill: Essential dining, if you can only go to one restaurant this is the one.

• Bouchon or Ad Hoc: Famous chef Thomas Keller owns The French Laundry in Yountville, one of the best restaurants in the world. These two are his less expensive options, both outstanding.

• Rutherford Grill or R+D Kitchen: Yes, they are part of the Houston chain but there’s something very “local” about these two.

• Want More? Visit my Napa Top 10 Restaurant Guide.

How Do I Get Around Napa Valley?

In the olden days it seemed like everyone would sip and drive with cars swerving here and there as with the Doobie Bros. music playing on the cassette deck. Today, Napa has really cracked down on drinking and driving. Think you can be “good” and not overindulge? Trust me, once that $100 bottle gets opened and the server asks you if you would like a sip there is no way you will turn it down, especially later in the day.

Wait - how about Uber? Pre-Covid I would recommend Uber but today it just doesn’t work. That’s because wineries now require reservations and if you’re late you miss out - or worse, you miss out and still pay since many wineries require your credit card not when reserving. Being on time was never Uber’s strong point and now that you MUST be on time imagine how stressful your day will be as you look at your phone and your upcoming reservation and see that the Uber driver is still far, far away. And turning around!

All of this is a roundabout way to say to just hire a driver. A personal driver will pick you up, keep you on schedule so you’re on time to your next stop, and drop you back at your hotel safe and sound. And while it’s not cheap, it’s not much more than hiring Ubers all day and a lot cheaper than a DUI! Let me connect you with people I know who drive a lot of my readers. Even if you;re not sure, just reach out to me and I’ll connect you and you can work out the details before making a decision. But one tip - drivers are in great demand so reach out as soon as you know you are coming to check for availability, especially for weekends or holidays.

Standard Disclaimer: While I am happy to make driver recommendations I am in no way implying or accepting responsibility or legalities should things not go as planned. Do your due diligence when choosing any driving company.

More Frequently Asked Napa Questions

Do I need to tip?

Yes, tip your wine server using the same guidelines you would use at a restaurant. This means if the server spent 90 minutes waiting on you and you had a good time, leave a 15% to 20% tip. Most of the servers were hit hard by Covid and don’t live in the valley so are now being hit hard by gas prices. Be nice, you’re having a good time, leave a tip.

You should also tip your driver if they were friendly and got you to your wineries on time.

Wait, If I Buy Wine Do I Need to Tip?

I peruse the various Napa forums and there were a number of people who claimed you did not need to tip if you bought wine. But that’s a bit like saying you don’t need to tip at a restaurant since you bought dinner. Unless you buy a case buying wine has very little impact on most servers bottom line - so bring a stack of $5 and $10 bills and join their wine club if you liked their wines. That has more direct impact to the servers than buying a bottle of wine.

Can I Share Tastings?

Sharing tastings used to be OK before Covid when everyone just pushed their way up to the bar but now that it’s all sit down tastings it’s no longer proper etiquette to share. Some wineries won’t say anything but remember that they want to sell you wine and if you don’t try it you probably won’t buy it. If you’re trying to save on costs then get the Priority Wine Pass and go to the 2 for 1 wineries. If you’re trying to limit your wine intake, just spit or dump the wine.

Are there any wineries I can walk to?

Short answer, no. There are tasting rooms downtown and in Yountville but these are not wineries and the experience is not quite the same as being out of the urban setting.

One alternative is to go to the Napa Tasting Barn where you can visit three tasting rooms (Prime Solum, Jean Edwards, Bougetz) in the same location. The Napa Tasting Barn is away from the urban setting so feels more like a winery setting. Make reservations at all three, visit the nearby deli, and you have a complete day of wine tasting fun all in one spot. Want more info? Just email me.

What Wineries Allow Large Groups?

Ahh, a trick question of sorts. There are many wineries that allow larger groups (some will split you up) but not many wineries that take good care of large groups. I work with a small number of wineries that will take reservations from my readers and will treat them like VIPs so if you have a group of 8 or more and need help, just ask. I don’t charge to connect you with my winery friends.

What’s Better? Napa or Sonoma?

A rather controversial question but here goes:

Do Napa if:

• You are a first timer and want to see the iconic wineries like the castle or Mondavi

• You are a serious wine lover looking for hidden gems

• You want first class food to go with your wine experience

• You like big reds like a deep Cabernet Sauvignon

Do Sonoma if:

• You want a more laid back winery experience

• You like smaller wineries over the large impressive ones

• You are on a tighter budget

• You like Pinots over Cabs

• Having a picnic in the park with a bottle of wine sounds like the perfect afternoon to you

Of course, there are plenty of exceptions here. Napa has plenty of smaller family run wineries and Sonoma has its fair share of large impressive ones. And you’ll find great wine in both. But generally speaking I recommend Napa over Sonoma for first timers.

Is the Priority Wine Pass Worth It?

With wine tasting fees now averaging $35 or so per person, a two for one pass that only costs you $49 a couple is a bit of a no brainer. Remember how silly happy you were the last time you found a dollar bill on the ground? How about if you found $35 every time you stopped at a winery? There is no way you won’t save a ton of money if you use the wine pass and its winery partners. And remember, they offer free concierge service when you buy the pass.

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