How to Have a Perfect Weekend in Napa Valley
I want to show you how to have the perfect
Golden Gate Bridge
We rented a car at the San Francisco airport and made our way to our downtown hotel. An amateur’s photography portfolio is perhaps incomplete without their take on the Golden Gate Bridge. For an agile shot of the
We stayed at the Marriott Marquis in the center of downtown San Francisco. After you check-in, walk two blocks to the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins and have a drink at the “Top of the Mark” while the sunsets. Try to get there an hour before sunset to get a good window table facing the Golden Gate. It’s an experience that can make you feel on top of the City, quite literally.
Next, go to Nob Hill Cafe for dinner. Take the Powell Street cable car from Powell and California (right by the Mark Hopkins) all the way to Ghiradelli Square – Lombard is on the right-hand side at top of Russian Hill. Or you can walk from Nob Hill Cafe – about a 15 to 20 min walk. Walk down Grant Street through Chinatown. Enjoy the rest of your evening but don’t stay out too late, you want to get on the road at a decent time to Napa Valley the next morning.
You’re going to spend a long weekend in this small section of Northern California among a scene of wildflowers and grapevines. You will be tasting wines in distinguished vineyards and dining in restaurants with excellent cuisine. Napa Valley is a marriage of sanctified wineries and chateaus along with current breweries, hotels, and restaurants.
A Weekend in Napa Valley
When you’re ready, make the easy one hour drive to Napa from San Francisco. We rented a car, but if you didn’t rent a car, you can call a Lyft or Uber for nearly $100. An Uber is also a great way to get to and from vineyards, all while taking in the beautiful scenery and sipping wine at ease.
12:00 Picnic
12:00 Picnic and Drink at Chappellet prior to tasting. We picked up sandwiches from Giugni
1:30 pm 90 min tasting at Chappellet Winery.
“It is their romance with the land that makes
the Chappellet story so appealing.”
— Robyn Bullard, Wine Spectator
Chappellet Winery
(My sunglasses are Club Master Classics Ray Bans in tortoise. and I found the dress from Lulu’s. My backpack is actually my “mom” bag from Fawn Design. ) My hubby is wearing a shirt from vineyard vines.
About Chapellet Vineyard
Donn Chappellet settled with his family in Napa Valley in the 1960s developing some of the most preeminent Bordeaux varietal wines. His kids have taken over the vineyard today embodying their father’s vision.
Our experience of the vineyard was
Make An Appointment
Make an appointment. This isn’t your conventional vineyard. Chappellet Vineyard is off the beaten path and private. Make sure you have your camera ready because there are many opportunities to stop and take breathtaking photos. Our tour guide Elizabeth was passionate and knowledgeable about the vineyard and the history of Napa Valley. We tasted the Mountain Cuvee which is the Bordeaux blend and the Cabernet in their tasting room surrounded by wine barrels and fabulous art.
The wines have always been made under sustainable practices, and several years ago, the property became certified organic. The focus is on Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
3:30 pm Jarvis Estate
3:30 pm Jarvis Estate (recommended to arrive 15 min early). Approx 75 min tasting. Temperature cold in caves (bring a jacket).
Jarvis Estate
About Jarvis Estate
Our tour of Jarvis Estate was like no other as all wines are cultivated in a 45,000 square foot cave underground. Once the grapes go in, they never see the light of day until they emerge as bottled wine. We were offered a firsthand glimpse into their Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon,
If you are serious about wine, you must do this tour. Jarvis is very unassuming from the outside and remarkable inside the cave.
Brasswood Bar + Kitchen
We enjoyed dinner at Brasswood Bar + Kitchen after our first two tastings. You can’t go wrong eating anywhere in St. Helena. We stumbled upon this place as it was a short distance from Ehler’s Estate (we stayed at Ehler’s Guest House.) The highlight of dinner was the warm mozzarella al Minuto. The presentation was unique and it still has my mouth watering months later.
Ehlers Guest House
Saturday Morning, we woke up to the sunrise over Ehler’s Guest House. It was otherworldly. My twin sister Alexa organized this entire trip. She is an Account
Waking up on the Estate felt like we were in a movie. They stocked the kitchen for us with eggs, orange juice, bread, fruits, and wine. There is a washer and dryer, three bedrooms, bathrooms, and a back porch overlooking the vineyard. They left us a picnic.
Ehler’s Estate
Ehler’s Estate
Ehlers Estate continues a proud tradition of farming with experienced vineyard and cellar teams that share a non-interventionist winemaking philosophy firmly rooted in the belief that terroir defines a wine, but passion, patience and hard work are needed to ensure that it is fully expressed in the bottle.
About Ehlers Estate
Ehlers Estate has a unique story and a deep association with a non-profit focused on heart disease – be sure to ask them about it. The winery operates as a non-profit with all proceeds going to the Heart Association. The E in their logo Ehlers is shaped like a heart. It’s very meaningful! Not only do they donate 100% of their proceeds to the Leducq Foundation to help international research combat cardiovascular disease, providing $20 million to $25 million a year in grants; they are an earth-friendly, organic farm dedicated to sustainable practices, reducing any impact on the environment in the Napa Valley regions – thus preserving the purity and integrity of the fruit.
As we entered the old stone building, we immediately noticed the colorful art covering the walls, ornate wooden beams and pillars, large chandeliers, funky couches for an intimate setting, and the heavy wood-carved tables. The tasting room was oozing with charm.
10am Ehler’s
Taylor, Alexa, and I literally woke up on the estate in a home from the 1800’s and walked over to the tasting room to embark on our morning scheduled tasting entitled “Start Your Day Tasting Experience”, where we enjoyed estate-grown and produced wine (which means they produce 100% of the wine with fruit grown on the property). We felt immediate comfort in the
Ehlers offers an early morning tour, which was very advantageous to us, especially because we woke up on the Estate. The vineyards are more beautiful in the morning light – there is a tranquil medium to the winery and it’s perfectly groomed grounds. Not to mention, the vineyard has a private and intimate vibe.
We tasted Merlot and Cabernet Franc. My sister and I really loved the latter. We enjoyed Portrait red blend, Cabernet Sauvignon and even the 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc my husband’s favorite). That wine is the flagship. It is from the year Ehlers Estate originated.
Ehler’s Is Different
For those traveling to Ehlers Estate, it is well removed from Highway 29 but definitely worth the trip. When we pulled in, I noticed that it was a little understated. It is elegant and unique; undoubtedly the highlight of our trip to Napa Valley. Ehlers Estate vineyard, produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Ehlers Estate was born from a passion of French couple Jean and Sylviane Leducq after the sale of their successful businesses in Europe. We learned about the microclimate of the vineyard, sitting at one of the lowest points in the Valley. I love that the
#EhlersLove
Bistro Jeanty
We contemplated the Michelin three-starred French Laundry, the very vogue Goose
Caymus Vineyards
Charles and Lorena Wagner along with their son Chuck started Caymus Vineyards in the early 1970s. They started by producing just 240 cases in 1972 and today they produce over 65,000 cases each year. Even today, Caymus run by Charles and Lorena Wagner, their son Chuck Wagner, and two of his three children Charlie and Jenny. Jenny develops Emmolo
Joe started his own winery selling Belle Glos, Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. Joe developed and sold the recipe for Meiomi to a huge company called
3:30 tasting at Caymus Vineyards
The host sat us at a table under this soft canopy. I felt like the VIP of the winery. The setting was from a storybook painting. It was dreamlike. We tasted Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot, both Jenny Wagner’s wine. Conundrum, my favorite was poured in sparkling, white, and red. Each year, Camus Vineyard changes the
After a full day of exploration and endless wine, we headed back to Ehler’s Guest House to order pizza and drink Gatorade. We decided to order in takeout and eat in our pajamas. Eventually, the three of us would wake up to one more ethereal sunrise over the vineyards and make the drive back to San Francisco Airport. It was a perfect weekend in Napa Valley.
XOXO
Mackenzie
