“Cabernet Season” is the Best Time to Visit Napa Valley
Just over an hour drive from San Francisco, the Napa Valley is considered one of the most iconic wine regions in the world – and, it is also one of the smallest. The valley floor is just 35 miles long and five miles across at its widest point. Most don't realize that the Napa Valley consists of unique and distinctive towns, including, from north to south, Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford/Oakville, Yountville, the city of Napa, American Canyon, and the outdoor recreation area of Lake Berryessa.
“Cabernet Season” (November through April) is considered the best time to visit, since harvest is over and the pace slows down -- providing visitors with greater access to winemakers, as well as “Cab Season” rates at Napa Valley's more than 130 overnight accommodation options.
The season kicks off with the Napa Valley Film Festival, Nov. 13 – 18, 2019; followed by the
Napa Lighted Art Festival Jan. 11-19, 2020; the Napa Truffle Festival, Jan 18 – 21, 2020. Napa Valley Restaurant Week, always the last week in January (Jan. 26 – Feb. 2, 2020) features more than 50 restaurants participating in prix fixe lunch and dinner options. The Napa Valley Marathon and half-Marathon on March 1, 2020, takes runners on the famed Silverado Trail from Calistoga to Napa, passing vineyards and some of the most world-renowned wineries along the way. Cabernet Season events conclude with “Arts in April” celebrations in April, including art fairs and exhibitions throughout the valley.
Beyond its more than 400 wineries, the Napa Valley is also home to art, film, music, and architecture on both intimate and grand scales which provide visitors with a legendary cultural experience. As the country's first agricultural preserve, the Napa Valley has more than 53,000 acres of protected land, and offers ideal hiking, biking and paddling opportunities for visitors of all physical abilities to enjoy.
What's New in Napa Valley…
In 2020, The Four Seasons Resort and Residences in Calistoga will begin accepting reservations for its 85 guest rooms and suites and 20 residences. This past spring, The Estate Yountville unveiled its multi-million-dollar renovation and rebranding of Vintage House and Hotel Villagio, and St. Helena's Wine Country Inn and Cottages completed an extensive renovation of all guest rooms.
1881, Napa Valley's first wine history museum and tasting salon opened in June 2019. Housed in a landmark Victorian home, named after the year the house was built, the museum features a vast collection of winemaking artifacts, including decanters, vineyard tools and wine labels from the 18th and 19th centuries. Visitors can explore photos and stories of the pioneers who first settled and planted grapes in Napa and who were instrumental in creating the landscape as we know it today.
This past spring the owners behind Peju Province Winery opened the new Calmere Estate Winery and Tasting Room in Napa's Carneros region. Set on a 100-acre estate, the name Calmere (pronounced cahlm-air) comes from the French words for calm (calme) and sea (mer), reflecting the calming views of San Francisco Bay. In March 2019, Louis M. Martini winery in St. Helena, originally built in 1933, and one of the first five wineries in Napa Valley to open after the repeal of Prohibition, unveiled its historic 10-year restoration, overseen by Napa Valley architect Howard Backen. And, in late 2018, the Cult label Prisoner Wine Company opened its first-tasting outpost in St. Helena. Salvaged iron and wood from the original San Francisco-Oakland Bay were incorporated into the retro-futuristic space, with accents that include a life-size skeleton installation and a diesel tank repurposed as chandelier.
Beyond the Wine…
While visiting wineries remains the most popular visitor experience in Napa Valley, craft breweries and tap rooms are also gaining steam, with nine breweries (and counting). The region's winemakers, winery workers and restaurateurs not only patronize these breweries and enjoy the brews, but many of these personalities are actually crafting the beers aside from their “day jobs.” At Mad Fritz Brewing Co. in St. Helena, Nile Zacherle and Whitney Fisher, each also accomplished winemakers, are creating extremely high-quality brews at Mad Fritz, including stouts, IPAs, lagers, porters, and more. For those who want a more “active” beer experience, Active Wine Adventure's “Hike & Beer Tour” includes a moderate hike through hills and forests with breathtaking views of Napa Valley. Each hike ends with a visit to a local microbrewery with a few glasses of Napa Valley craft beer, paired with lunch. There is also a new “Craft Brew Tour” which begins and ends in Downtown Napa, and features stops at three breweries. The tour includes a brew and food pairing; tasting flights; an in-depth tour curated by a local brew expert; and a personal growler.
In October 2019, renowned BBQ Chef and Pit Master Adam Perry Lang opened Perry Lang's in the historic Groezinger Estate House at The Estate Yountville and Gary's Wine & Marketplace opened in the former Dean & DeLuca space in St. Helena. The New Jersey-based beverage and gourmet food retailer features more than 600 wine labels, focusing primarily on Napa Valley wines; 250 spirits and beer products; and a variety of more than 200 cheeses.
Both first time as well as repeat visitors are encouraged to stop in the Napa Valley Welcome Center, located at 600 Main St. along the riverfront in downtown Napa. The Welcome Center is open daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and offers complimentary concierge services, Napa Valley magazines, maps, brochures, winery tasting passes, and a mercantile shop featuring locally sourced gift items. For additional information: www.visitnapavalley.com
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Visit Napa Valley is the official tourism management organization for the Napa Valley, with a mission to promote, protect and enhance the region's position as one of the world's premier wine, food, arts and wellness destinations.