Breathtakingly beautiful Napa Valley is for everyone and there are wineries kids can have fun exploring. I don't drink alcohol that often and am very often the Designated Driver but I simply LOVE trips to Napa... even if it involves driving a minivan full of intoxicated adults :) . We have gone to Napa many times over the years and we often go whenever we have out of town guests which prompted our most recent trip a few days ago. I thought I would document some cool wineries, good restaurants and our experience with our 4 yr old.
If you live in the Bay Area there are definitely local, less touristy and cheaper wine towns like Livermore; however, if you have never been to Napa, you have to give it a try. In my experience Napa is almost always sunny with stunning views, so bring sunscreen, a sun hat and sunglasses. While it's very casual and relaxed, you may want to dress up a little with all the "picture taking" opportunities available. You will often see people dressed with fun colors, summer dresses, flowy jumpsuits and skirts or simply cute shorts and cute sandals.
I should also note that "Napa Valley" consists of a few different neighboring towns like Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Rutherford to name a few. The wineries generally close around 5:00pm so realistically speaking you can do about 4 maybe 5 winery visits without rushing. The cars and traffic sometimes build up so plan to arrive at least mid morning and enjoy a nice brunch.
You can plan the order of wineries you pick out based on location so you are not wasting time driving unnecessarily back and forth. Here are a few that are great for both kids and adults.
Castello Di Amirosa - It is located a bit further up in Calistoga area but an absolute MUST see. It is a castle on gorgeous grounds. Even the drive into the driveway is beautiful. We ALWAYS take guests here. Wine lovers enjoy the tastings and there is so much to see in an already beautiful setting.
Frog's Leap - This one is a little off the main road but has always gotten great wine reviews while being in a super cute setting. It has a nice garden with vegetable and flower patches for kids to explore. It also has relaxed scattered seating areas throughout the garden.
Robert Mondavi - Robert Mondavi is a classic and a popular name. Once everyone gets their tasting pour, you can walk outside and enjoy vineyards right up in front. There is a grass area where kids can run around and feel free. I have a few friends who love the wine here and have become members. There are also exclusive reserve tasting rooms.
Domain Chandon - Known for it's sparkling wine, this one is more of a modern and classy looking winery. It also has an outdoor seating area, walking paths, grass patches and a creek for kids to explore and snap some good pictures as well.
All of the places have either fruit infused water, cold filtered water or in some cases grape juice for kids and those not drinking alcohol to sip on. Most of them do not mind if you pick a few grapes and taste them, take pics among the grape vines or just explore in general. We have always had extremely friendly encounters and super passionate and knowledgeable people serving the wine.
We broke up our winery visits with a couple food/snack stops which is always a hit with my son.
Food Options:
All of these towns have cute brunch options but we stopped in downtown Napa since it is one of the first towns you pass when driving in from the East Bay. I had given my son, who has to eat the minute he wakes up, something to eat before we hit the road but when we got to the restaurants at 10:00am he was ready to eat again. There was already 30 min - 45 min wait times for indoor tables at the popular spots so we grabbed some outdoor tables at Grace's Table. I shared the kobe steak and eggs with my son. The food was good and even though we had the sun directly on us while we ate, we still enjoyed it.
Another popular spot if you drive further to Yountville is Bouchon. There is also a cute grocery store in Yountville you can grab some picnic items if you wish. If you wish to get straight to the wineries, then go to V. Sattui in St Helena. They have a deli for picnic items, picnic tables and on the weekends they have a BBQ.
Having had a large brunch none of us were super hungry again but we did stop for some snacks at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch after a couple of wineries. I had tea with these delicious beignets served with caramel dipping sauce, my son had Mac and Cheese and we ordered some other appetizers. The grounds were pretty with apple trees all over the place.
Breakfast/Brunch Options:
Grace's Table - Downtown Napa
Bouchon - Yountville
V. Sattui - St Helena
Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch
I think 4 wineries and 2 food/snack stops was just the right amount for my little guy. It allowed him to explore and run around a bit and the adults to take some time with tastings. He napped the whole ride home.
We have been to many more wineries but I think it becomes an overwhelming list to pick from if you have too many suggestions. These would be my filtered picks for both drinkers and non-drinkers to enjoy.
We most often do day trips but we did previously spend a weekend at Solage in Calistoga. It is absolute luxury with geothermal pools for kids and adults, beyond amazing guest service and a cute downtown to enjoy.
It’s always fun to visit around Halloween or pumpkin season and see the wineries all decorated. During the Holiday Season, the wine train has a cool Holiday theme for the kids as well. They call it the Santa Train and there are games and characters singing, while they serve things like hot cocoa and cookies to the kids. So if going around that time of year definitely check it out.
The bottom line is that kids can definitely enjoy a trip to Napa and there shouldn't be a preconceived notion that you have to be a wine drinker to enjoy all it's gorgeousness 💕
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