As this is my girlfriend’s first visit to wine country, I tried to schedule of cross section of the the wineries in the Napa Valley, so as to try and show her as diverse of a portfolio as possible. Thoughts?
July 31st
Chandon 10:00 AM
White Rock 11:00 AM
Black Stallion 1:00 PM
Del Dotto 3:00 PM
August 1st
Schramsburg 9:30 AM
Montelena 11:30 AM
Larkmead 1:00 PM
Round Pond 3:00 PM
August 2nd
Shafer 10:00 AM
Gargiulo 12:00 PM
Caldwell 2:00 PM
Corison 4:00 PM
Can you flip the Caldwell and Corison visits? Caldwell is in Coombsville and Corison is much closer to the other wineries you are visiting on 8/1 and you would cut out unnecessary car time. And Oakville Grocery would be on the way from Garguilo to Corison so you could grab a sandwich.
I think the last thing you want to do in Napa is rush to the next stop. Is your girlfriend that fixated on quantity of vineyards to visit? I would seriously considering scaling this list back by 25-50%. Fatigue will set in very fast.
I’d swap out Chandon with Mumm and cut it down to 3 at most per day. The amount of traffic is going to drive you crazy. End a day of tasting at Mumm.
I’d use the first day and spend it in Carneros. Domaine Carneros is one of the most immaculate centers in the valley. Etude and Bouchaine to round it out. Lunch at either The Carneros Inn or Fremont Diner (though the latter is a tourist trap).
You need to schedule more time at Schramsberg. 2 hours minimum there with the tour and self guided walking around.
Corison and Caldwell are not as close as you might imagine, particularly with traffic. Agree with earlier suggestions on rearrangement. The one thing missing is lunch. Not only from an enjoyment perspective, but your mind and taste buds will be toast without a lunch break.
Totally agree with others. Cut it down at least 25%, or one visit per day. You’ll find you will be at a winery longer than you think. Plus traffic and drive time between visits, lunch, etc. you won’t be happy trying to rush to make each appointment…and I guarantee you won’t be on time the later the day progresses. Less is sometimes more.
The sandwiches at either Vallergas or Browns Valley Market are far better than Oakville. If you have cash and are upvalley then you must hit up Giugni’s in St Helena for your sandwich fix.
Winery wise - maybe make at least 1 day not about tasting? Perhaps the last day and just relax and not have to be on a schedule? Tasting fees are not cheap either you’re looking at over $100 per day in just bellying up to the bar per person.
As others have said, three tastings would be a good max for a day. We typically do 2-3, depending on how involved the visits will be, and, the last few trips, we’ve intentionally done a day where we take it slow and just do one.
Whatever you decide, have fun, watch how much you swallow if you’re driving, and report back with impressions!
Thoughts on the Montelena Limited tasting Vs the current release tasting? Worth the price difference? We’ll be there next month and are trying to decide.
Agree with the comments above about giving yourself time for lunch. I would put Chandon at the end because its nice to sit around and relax with a sparkler at the end of the day and just chill. I would also consider substituting Domaine Carneros (better sparklers) or Domaine Mumm (better view).
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