Foodie’s Guide to Napa Valley

My foodie’s guide to Napa Valley includes a 4-day itinerary of the best places to visit, including where to stay, where to eat and where to drink!

Let’s be honest. I love wine, but I went to Napa Valley for the food. I love that there are endless options in Napa Valley for a foodie. The fact that the area has beautiful scenery is a bonus. Four days in Napa Valley is the perfect amount of time to experience a taste of everything that Napa Valley has to offer, including some of the best restaurants and wineries in the country. If you want to cut your itinerary to less than 4 days, you can certainly pick and choose what you want to see the most. Personally, I would rather spend even more time in Napa Valley because there is always something else to see or eat!

Where to Stay in Napa Valley

(1) North Block Hotel, Yountville, CA

Yountville is centrally located in Napa Valley and is foodie heaven. You can walk the entire town and will find endless options for lodging, shopping and dinning. Many of the best restaurants in the country are located in Yountville.

The North Block Hotel is a beautiful, quaint boutique hotel located in Yountville. It is sophisticated, luxurious and charming. The luxury rooms include everything you need for a relaxing stay in Napa Valley. Redd Wood is located right on property so you can enjoy breakfast before you head out for the day or enjoy a casual dinner when you return from your adventures.

 

image above courtesy of North Block Hotel

image above courtesy of North Block Hotel

 

(2) Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford, CA

While in Napa Valley, we also had to privilege of dining at Auberge du Soleil and taking a tour of their property. Brad and I were married at an Auberge property, Palmetto Bluff (now managed by Montage) and always love the chance to visit some of their other properties. Their properties are some of the best in the world. If you really want to splurge, stay at Auberge du Soleil. If you don’t get a chance to stay there, stop by the Bar & Bistro for a casual lunch on their terrace over looking the valley.

The rooms are the epitome of luxury. Sit on your porch in the morning and enjoy the beautiful wine country scenery. I can picture myself now sitting in this chair. The resort is tranquil, romantic and inviting. If you are looking for the ultimate luxury, Auberge du Soleil is my pick for where to stay in Napa Valley.

image above courtesy of Auberge du Soleil

image above courtesy of Auberge du Soleil

Now that you know where to stay, I’ve provided a four day itinerary including my favorite places in Napa Valley.

Day 1: Start the morning at Model Bakery in St. Helena. Order an english muffin to enjoy and a red velvet cupcake for the road.  Spend the morning browsing shops in downtown St. Helena, then head to the Spice Islands Marketplace at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.

The CIA store is heaven for cooks, bakers and food lovers. They also have a cute little cafe and a chocolate bar with sweet treats. After exploring St Helena, head to the Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch for lunch. While you are waiting for your table, browse the grounds, taste their wine and don’t miss the fresh fruits and veggies at their farmer’s market.

After lunch, head to Dean & Deluca. I know what you are thinking. You just finished eating, why would you want more food? Well, why wouldn’t you want more food? You are in Napa Valley, after all. Stop at Dean & Deluca, grab some snacks for later. Pick up lunch for tomorrow. Or just admire all of the delicious treats that you wish you could take home but probably can’t pack in your luggage. Did I mention that I may start carrying an extra suitcase just for all of the cheese I like to bring home?

Schedule an afternoon wine tasting at Frog’s Leap Winery. Relax and enjoy your time at the winery. Finish the day at Redd Wood for dinner.

Day 2:  Start the day with a beautiful walk through Yountville. Stop at Bouchon Bakery and then visit Thomas Keller’s garden. The garden is open to the public and is a beautiful place to walk around. Stop at Mumm Napa for a beautiful tasting on their outdoor patio. Browse their gift shop and photo gallery then head to lunch at Bistro & Bar at Auberge du Soleil. Are you ready for another tasting? Spend the afternoon at Chase Cellars. After a long day, enjoy dinner at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen.

Day 3: Arrange a winery tour with Napa Valley Tesla. This luxury car service and tour company will drive you to each of your tastings in a energy efficient luxury Tesla. The folks that own this business are great people. They will arrange your entire day for you at some of their favorite wineries or you can schedule your own tastings. They will accommodate almost any request to tour Napa Valley. Napa Valley Tesla is a fun way to spend the day. I suggest grabbing a quite bite to eat or even skipping lunch this day since you will be heading to Round Pond Olive Mill for a tour and tasting. After the olive oil tasting you can go right across the street to Round Pond Winery for an afternoon wine tasting.

I highly recommend the Round Pond Olive Mill Tour & Tasting. Not only will you take a tour of their beautiful olive orchard, but you will be able to taste their olive oil, red wine vinegar and citrus syrup. Go to the tasting hungry because there will be plenty of food to snack on while you taste. I loved that this tour was a small, intimate setting where we could really learn about the mill and sample everything. This is one activity in Napa Valley that should not be missed. But make sure you save a little room because dinner tonight is at Redd.

Day 4: After a week of wine, food and too many sweets, start your day hiking Westwood Hills Park. The hike is through the rolling hills of Napa. There are a few loops, but each loop is relatively short. After a morning hike head to downtown Napa for some sightseeing. Don’t miss Oxbow Market. Have lunch and grab some chocolates, coffee or cheese to bring home. Spend the afternoon exploring downtown Napa or head back to your hotel, relax by the pool and get ready for dinner at Ad Hoc.

So there you have it. Four days in food heaven with more food, wine and sweet treats than you will know what to do with. For more details on the wineries and restaurants I recommend, please click on the posts below. Have fun in Napa Valley!

Read my post on Where to Eat in Napa Valley for details on many of the restaurants mentioned above.

Read my post on the Best Napa Valley Wineries for details on many of the wineries mentioned above.

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