The best way to experience any new place is through the guidance of a local. Here, we’ve tapped three culinary, hospitality and wine icons— Darryl Bell, the chef-owner of Stateline Road Smokehouse; George Goeggel, Managing Partner of Auberge de Soleil, part of the Auberge Collection; and Kelli White, the Director of Wine Education for the Wine Center at Meadowood — for a local’s view of Napa Valley. Our experts offer their personal and professional recommendations for the ideal visit to the region.
Whether you’re a first-time traveler, a wine lover, exploring with family, or traveling on a weekend getaway, Napa Valley offers something for everyone. Here, you can live a little… or a lot. In a place that defines unprecedented luxury, travelers have the freedom to define their own experiences.
What to Do Your First Time… Or as a Frequent Flyer
Napa Valley, says Darryl Bell, “is the ultimate escape.” He says the region has everything one can possibly need. For first-time visitors, he recommends booking a hot air balloon ride (travelers can book these through Balloons Above the Valley, Napa Valley Aloft Balloon Rides, or Napa Valley Balloons).
Also mandatory for the first-timer? A reservation at chef-owner Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry, says Kelli White. It is a hard reservation to snag (it is recommended to book three to six months in advance), she acknowledges, but there are alternatives. “If you can’t get into The French Laundry,” she says, “there are other high-end experiences that are great, like The Charter Oak Restaurant, TORC, or Kenzo.”
George Goeggel tells all new visitors to head to a winery, of course. Which winery you visit will depend on your level of familiarity with wine and with the region, he says, though he often recommends a trip to Beringer Vineyards or Robert Mondavi Winery to start. Other wineries of note that are good for first-timers include Promontory Wine, in Oakville, or even Mayacamas Vineyards, in Mount Veeder.
Those returning will find no shortage of interesting things to do either, Goeggel continues. “You can attend all sorts of auctions held by different charities that are really fun,” he says.
Bell sends returning guests to the 47-mile-long Napa Valley Vine Trail, which connects the Napa Valley to Vallejo. “They’re adding art installations throughout,” he says. The St. Helena-to-Calistoga segment, a new nine-mile addition, is particularly of note.
White says that returning Napa Valley fans should consider digging deeper into the food and wine scene, where the intrepid will find things like the bruschetta food truck at St. Helena’s Clif Family Winery.
Finding the Hidden Gems
Napa Valley is also full of undiscovered secrets. White likes to head to Indian Springs, in Calistoga, for spa treatments and to use the thermal pools. “It’s a big, naturally heated volcanic pool,” she says. “It’s just amazing.”
“There’s a wonderful store in St. Helena called Vintage Home,” says Goeggel. “It has everything a visitor might be hunting for from one-of-a-kind Christmas ornaments to ceramics from Italy.”
The region’s breweries, Bell says, are some of Napa Valley’s often-missed treasures. St. Clair Brown Winery & Brewery has the first female brewmaster and winemaker in the country, he says, and the region is becoming more well-established in craft beermaking. For those looking for a craft beer adventure they can visit spots along the Napa Valley Ale Trail for the best the valley has to offer.
For White, it’s important that travelers understand that “this is really an agricultural community.” She says Napa Valley is a luxury destination, but it’s also rooted in agricultural systems. In fact, Napa Valley is the first agricultural preserve in the United States and is wholly dedicated to preserving agricultural land. Roads, she notes, can be winding and challenging to navigate. She suggests hiring a driver for both safety and comfort when heading out for an extended day in Napa Valley.
Goeggel adds that “there’s more than food and wine” in Napa Valley. He encourages visitors to immerse themselves in the destination’s culture and natural beauty, from scenic hiking trails to art galleries, theater experiences, and authentic local flavor. “I’ve never seen a rural area that’s so rich in cultural experience possibilities, mountainous possibilities, recreational possibilities,” he says. “It’s almost limitless.”
Now Trending: Rosé, Approachability, and Different Winemaking Techniques
Goeggel says rosé is growing in popularity in Napa Valley, as are non-alcoholic cocktails. Adding to that, says Bell, are more casual and approachable restaurants that offer a combination of quality and value. “People want affordability without losing out on an experience, or quality and attention-to-detail,” he adds.
White notes that wines in Napa Valley are changing in general. Although “you can still find the full-throated, super intense wine style,” she says. “A lot of producers have been backing off of the super-extracted, bold style.” Modern winemakers, White shares, are producing wines with lower ABV, tracking with domestic and international trends: people are drinking less.
Winding Down the Local Way
For locals, there’s no one way to do Napa Valley. “Each town has its own dive bar, where it’s typically locals,” says White. “In Napa, you have Downtown Joe’s. In Yountville, you have Pancha’s. In St. Helena, you have Anna’s Cantina and in Calistoga you have Susie’s Bar.”
Bell says hiking is also a big local pastime. “Whether it’s in the Calistoga Hills or in Napa, by the Community College — both of those have solid hiking trails, and when you get to the top, you can see the Valley.”
Goeggel says May is a particularly busy time for locals, who find themselves at BottleRock, a popular multi-day music festival. And there’s plenty of other things to do, from boating at Berryessa to visiting the MAC (Museum of Art & Culture), an extension of the Napa Valley Museum.
A Perfect Day in Napa Valley
For Goeggel, a perfect Napa Valley day starts early, before sunrise with a hike in the Palisades to see the sun come up at 1,500 feet. Later, he heads to the golf course at Silverado, before heading to an early dinner. “That would probably be Angele Restaurant & Bar, down in Napa, because you can sit at the bar, and it’s easy-going,” he says. “Maybe I don’t have dessert, but on my way home, I pick up a little bucket of gelato. That’s a pretty good day.”
Bell spends his free time in local parks, such as Skyline Park, perusing cookbooks, and enjoying the Napa Valley scenery.
Can’t-miss hits for White? A visit to the no-shush — or, in other words, not strictly quiet — St. Helena Public Library with her daughter and the connected library vineyard, maintained by Turley Wine Cellars; dinner at Charlie’s; and a movie at St. Helena’s historic Cameo Cinema.
But no matter how you do Napa Valley — a little or a lot — take our experts’ advice. Napa Valley is a dish best savored again and again.
This article is sponsored by Visit Napa Valley.
