Vacation to Napa Valley, Spring 2024

[MoeTE87]

Hello everyone,

My wife wants to go to Napa Valley for her birthday in April 2024. Thinking about going for 4-5 days.

Would like some help on where to stay (looked at the Four Seasons...very beautiful but very pricey), which wineries to visit and what to do...etc.

Also, which airports to look at flying into? Would rent a car as well.

Any and all information / help is much appreciated!


Thank you,
Jeff

[fivezerofour]

Hey Jeff, flying into SFO is nice since it’s a major hub for smaller cities. But flying into Oakland, San Jose, or Sacramento is fine too. Not sure about where to stay — given the cost of living out there in the bay, most places will be on the higher side of metropolitans.

[HXS]

A few of my favorite bites in Napa:

Mongolian pork chop at Mustards
Pappardelle Allo Zafferano at Ristorante Allegria
Crispy chicken sandwich at Bear in Stanly Ranch
English muffins and Philly Cheesesteak at Model Bakery (St. Helena)
Fried chicken at Ad Hoc
Basically any sandwich at Oakville Grocery
Ahi poke tacos and garlic fries at Gott's Roadside

Any hotel in Yountville would be nice. I've never stayed personally but have walked around the area.

My wife and I love Hall winery, Joseph Phelps and Cade. The latter two have pretty nice views of the valley.

[MoeTE87]

Originally Posted by fivezerofour

Hey Jeff, flying into SFO is nice since it’s a major hub for smaller cities. But flying into Oakland, San Jose, or Sacramento is fine too. Not sure about where to stay — given the cost of living out there in the bay, most places will be on the higher side of metropolitans.

Awesome! Thanks for the input. I noticed yesterday there are a few different airports that we can fly into. Will need to see has a direct flight and best times.

[MoeTE87]

Originally Posted by HXS

A few of my favorite bites in Napa:

Mongolian pork chop at Mustards
Pappardelle Allo Zafferano at Ristorante Allegria
Crispy chicken sandwich at Bear in Stanly Ranch
English muffins and Philly Cheesesteak at Model Bakery (St. Helena)
Fried chicken at Ad Hoc
Basically any sandwich at Oakville Grocery
Ahi poke tacos and garlic fries at Gott's Roadside

Any hotel in Yountville would be nice. I've never stayed personally but have walked around the area.

My wife and I love Hall winery, Joseph Phelps and Cade. The latter two have pretty nice views of the valley.

Perfect! This is a huge help!

Would like to stay at a really nice resort to be honest. Still need to see what is out there.

[hubbahubba]

Hi there.

Great destination! Here are a couple threads you will find very helpful.

Have fun, and please send pics!

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2047754

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1677391

[tgrundke]

I'd recommend flying into SFO because of its size and convenience of flights.

Second recommendation: Calistoga is a hidden gem, north end of the valley.

In terms of car rentals, I'd suggest SIXT. They carry a lot of BMWs, and they usually have one or two M4s/M4 convertibles, along with other more exclusive cars.

[Josh-PA]

check out the sonoma mission inn and see if that is a hotel you'd enjoy. The hot springs were amazing

[floridaorange]

My only suggestion is to use Turo instead of an airport rental car - or an off site rental car location like Sixt. But avoid SFO for car rental at all costs.

[KevinC]

https://www.winetrain.com

[tgrundke]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

My only suggestion is to use Turo instead of an airport rental car - or an off site rental car location like Sixt. But avoid SFO for car rental at all costs.

FYI - Sixt recently moved in-house at the SFO rental area.

[MoeTE87]

Originally Posted by tgrundke

I'd recommend flying into SFO because of its size and convenience of flights.

Second recommendation: Calistoga is a hidden gem, north end of the valley.

In terms of car rentals, I'd suggest SIXT. They carry a lot of BMWs, and they usually have one or two M4s/M4 convertibles, along with other more exclusive cars.

Thank you! I will keep that in mind. We don't plan on doing too much driving as we are big wine drinkers and would possibly Uber everywhere. So spending the extra money for a nicer car..would rather put that towards something else. But I will def consider this! So thank you!

Originally Posted by Josh-PA

check out the sonoma mission inn and see if that is a hotel you'd enjoy. The hot springs were amazing

Will definitely check this out! Already put it on my list of Must's! Thank you!

Originally Posted by floridaorange

My only suggestion is to use Turo instead of an airport rental car - or an off site rental car location like Sixt. But avoid SFO for car rental at all costs.

Thank you for the heads up. Right now, SFO has the best flights..but will continue to monitor it.

[LDT]

+1 for SFO or OAK. https://cottagegrove.com/ in Calistoga. Visit CIA Napa for a nice lunch experience. Skip the wine train. Visit Chateau Montelena winery. Peju is a small house featuring great wines and a nice tour.

[MoeTE87]

For those who have been to Napa, would you recommend anywhere else to stay close by? Wife would like a resort type place and or an updated / modern place to stay.

[DubaiRich]

Andaz and The Archer come to mind. Right on 1st St, so perfect location within the downtown area.

[fivezerofour]

Originally Posted by MoeTE87

For those who have been to Napa, would you recommend anywhere else to stay close by? Wife would like a resort type place and or an updated / modern place to stay.

My wife said Rancho Caymus Inn is nice.

[alpineg20]

We always fly into SFO, but we get the hell out of San Fran as quick as possible. Lol!

I second the Archer Hotel, which is Downtown Napa in the southern end of the valley. We have stayed there and loved it. We got the room with expanded balcony with outdoor fireplace, which was a great option! (Maybe not so much in the spring though.). The restaurant downstairs is okay, but the rooftop bars are great. It’s in a perfect location to finish off the day with plenty of options for dinner/shopping that are all walkable.

Some of our favorite wineries are Brasswood, Barnett Vineyards, Fantesca, Pride, and Merryvale Vineyards.

Brasswood has an awesome bakery for breakfast and restaurant for dinner. If you go to Brasswood for dinner, you have to get the mozzarella app and an espresso martini for desert. Also, you have to go to Oakville Grocery for coffee and a breakfast croissant at least once or every day you are there. If you don’t stay at the Four Seasons, Truss (the restaurant) is worth visiting. It’s up in Calistoga, which is the extreme northern end of the valley. Restoration Hardware in Yountville is a great restaurant, as well. If you stay Downtown, Don Perico Mexican Restaurant is a great choice for a low key dinner night. They have a solid tequila selection.

I would also suggest hiring a driver for your days of wine tastings so you can relax and get drunk and not have to worry about driving under the influence or navigating an unknown area. I have a driver that I can suggest if you would like to inquire. He charges $50 per hour, and he drives your (rental) car. He will also plan and schedule all of your tastings if you want him to at no extra charge.

[DubaiRich]

Originally Posted by alpineg20

Some of our favorite wineries are Brasswood, Barnett Vineyards, Fantesca, Pride, and Merryvale Vineyards.

Brasswood has an awesome bakery for breakfast and restaurant for dinner. If you go to Brasswood for dinner, you have to get the mozzarella app and an espresso martini for desert. Also, you have to go to Oakville Grocery for coffee and a breakfast croissant at least once or every day you are there. If you don’t stay at the Four Seasons.

.

Love Brasswood and Four Seasons. If you go to FS, ask for Joseph at the bar; he's a great mixologist! I'm not so hot on Don Perico, although it's a favorite of many. Try Los Agave on So. Main St just across 3rd. There's also Angele, Morimoto in that area. If you want to "dive" there's Downtown Joe's and Bilco's which is a beer spot along with pool and darts.
On the West end of 1st, they recently opened a new tequila bar next door to Tarla. All within walking distance of the Archer and Andaz.

[MoeTE87]

Originally Posted by alpineg20

We always fly into SFO, but we get the hell out of San Fran as quick as possible. Lol!

I second the Archer Hotel, which is Downtown Napa in the southern end of the valley. We have stayed there and loved it. We got the room with expanded balcony with outdoor fireplace, which was a great option! (Maybe not so much in the spring though.). The restaurant downstairs is okay, but the rooftop bars are great. It’s in a perfect location to finish off the day with plenty of options for dinner/shopping that are all walkable.

Some of our favorite wineries are Brasswood, Barnett Vineyards, Fantesca, Pride, and Merryvale Vineyards.

Brasswood has an awesome bakery for breakfast and restaurant for dinner. If you go to Brasswood for dinner, you have to get the mozzarella app and an espresso martini for desert. Also, you have to go to Oakville Grocery for coffee and a breakfast croissant at least once or every day you are there. If you don’t stay at the Four Seasons, Truss (the restaurant) is worth visiting. It’s up in Calistoga, which is the extreme northern end of the valley. Restoration Hardware in Yountville is a great restaurant, as well. If you stay Downtown, Don Perico Mexican Restaurant is a great choice for a low key dinner night. They have a solid tequila selection.

I would also suggest hiring a driver for your days of wine tastings so you can relax and get drunk and not have to worry about driving under the influence or navigating an unknown area. I have a driver that I can suggest if you would like to inquire. He charges $50 per hour, and he drives your (rental) car. He will also plan and schedule all of your tastings if you want him to at no extra charge.

Originally Posted by DubaiRich

Love Brasswood and Four Seasons. If you go to FS, ask for Joseph at the bar; he's a great mixologist! I'm not so hot on Don Perico, although it's a favorite of many. Try Los Agave on So. Main St just across 3rd. There's also Angele, Morimoto in that area. If you want to "dive" there's Downtown Joe's and Bilco's which is a beer spot along with pool and darts.
On the West end of 1st, they recently opened a new tequila bar next door to Tarla. All within walking distance of the Archer and Andaz.

Thank you to the both of you! This is exactly the info I was looking for and this is a huge help! I am leaning towards the Archer Hotel. The place looks amazing!

Right now, SFO has the best flight times and cheapest. I will continue to look at other airports and compare everything.

alpineg20 I might take you up on that driver info. Would be a blessing to have that in the back pocket and not have to worry about finding a driver and he can also schedule / plan the tastings. Would be awesome!

Thank you!

[hubbahubba]

Originally Posted by fivezerofour

My wife said Rancho Caymus Inn is nice.

I second that. Stayed there last January. We had the suite, and it was lovely.

[alpineg20]

Originally Posted by MoeTE87

alpineg20 I might take you up on that driver info. Would be a blessing to have that in the back pocket and not have to worry about finding a driver and he can also schedule / plan the tastings. Would be awesome!

Thank you!

I sent you his info in a PM.

[brk_05]

We just did a 3 day trip for my wife's 40th. Stayed in Calistoga (Mountain View Inn) and loved the town. Agree with what others have said about hiring a driver for at least one day. They can make arrangements for wineries that you might never find on your own. This is the driver we used... https://nvboutiquewinetours.com/. We went to 3 amazing wineries that day. Cimarossa, Reverie, and Watermark.

SFO was our best option with direct flights. Rented a car, stopped in Sausalito for a couple hours to grab lunch and walk around a bit on our drive up to the Napa area. It's an awesome town to see if you've never been there.