How to Spend a Perfect Day in Napa Valley

I’ve always wanted to visit Napa Valley. But between me being underage in this country and my dad not being a fan of wine (I must be adopted), it hadn’t been possible. However, this year, with a little help from my mom, we finally convinced my reluctant father to take us to hit the wineries! Before you start judging me for my drinking habits, let me tell you that I did it all for you guys. So you’d have something nice to read for the weekend. You’re welcome.

I did a lot of research in the subject, since there are hundreds of things to see and visit in the Valley. However, I was sure of what I was looking for. I wanted to eat in a French restaurant due to our time frame (just one day) and our budget, I tried to make the most out of our visit.

First stop: Oxbow Public Market

You must know something about me: I LOVE markets. Preferably street and farmer’s markets, but any place with tons of food and local products makes me a happy girl. Dad insisted that there were no vineyards in Downtown Napa, but when I found out about Oxbow I knew I had to go.

The market is a lovely old-fashioned construction right next to the railroads where you can see the Wine Train and cry because you can’t afford it (was it just me?). The place is full with organic fruits and vegetables, cheese, oysters, olive oil, chocolate and plenty of other local delicacies.

Mom and I were in heaven! We practically had breakfast in there just with the free samples. We bought some fancy cheese (I’ll be posting a recipe later), ate insane amounts of chocolate behind my father’s back (he’s a diabetic), and called each other out loud in noisy Spanish whenever we found something worth tasting. All that while my dad looked at us and wondered if he had married into the wrong family.

After Oxbow, we wandered around the downtown and we found it charming. The buildings are lovely and the view from the bridge above the canal is amazing. There are plenty of places where you can taste wine and have a drink, but we preferred to wait for the real deal and head to the vineyards.

Second stop: Free Wine Tasting!

First of all: it is SO hard to find a winery that offers free tastings. I’ve heard that Sonoma offers more complimentary samples, but as far as Napa goes, I could only find a couple of places.

Finally, I decided for Heitz Cellars, which is a lovely winery in St. Helena. It is a small, but pretty place full flowers and with a very friendly staff. They let us taste four different wines, a chardonnay, a cabernet sauvignon a zinfandel and a port.

We enjoyed most of them, but, at the end, mom and I decided to get a bottle of port. “You must be dessert girls, then”, said one of the sommeliers. “You have no idea, lady”, I thought, while I paid my $20.00 USD.

Behind the winery, they had a nice patio with a view to the vineyards. You can drink your recent purchase there, but since we had to get to our brunch appointment, we had to pass and head to our next stop.

Brunch Time: Evangeline

While I was looking for a nice place to eat, I found out that the Napa area is full of French restaurants! I am always up for anything involving beaucoup de fromage, so I was more than excited. However, being the touristy place it is, most of the restaurants were a bit over our budget limit (it is not short on places with Michelin stars). I really wanted a place that could be both, delicious and affordable. And then I found Evangeline.

Evangeline is this adorable French bistro in the town of Calistoga. They only serve brunch and dinner, and they close its doors from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. I don’t know if this is because we are Mexicans, but we aren’t that familiar with the concept of brunch yet. Since the meal that receives all of the attention is Mexico is lunch, most of what I know about brunch came, mainly, from How I Met Your Mother episodes. Nevertheless, after our amazing experience at Mama’s, we decided we were big fans and made it just in time for our mandatory mimosa.

It was an infernal hot day and they did have indoor seating, but their patio was so pretty that we couldn’t resist sitting outside and enjoying the Californian sun.

I ordered the poached eggs with black truffle hollandaise and spinach. And oh-my-god. I can easily say that it was one of the best dishes I’ve had since I arrived to California. The eggs were perfectly cooked and served over some crispy English muffins. And the hollandaise had the perfect strong and earthy flavour to accompany the yolks.

My dad went for a salad and the smoked salmon. It also had an egg on top and was on top of a potato rosti. I have some trouble with salmon, since sometimes I find it too fishy, but this one was just right on point. The eggs and potatoes helped to tone down the fish and the Crème Fraiche on top was blissful.

Mom first ordered a shrimp cocktail, but it turned out to be very small. Therefore, she asked for the Gulf Shrimp and Antebellum Grits with Sauce Etouffee. The sauce was like anything I’ve eaten before. It had some sort of smoky, just slightly spicy tone underneath and it went very well with the shrimp and the grits.

We also wanted some dessert, but we were so full that we had to decline the waitress suggestion. Overall, I think it was an amazing experience. All the food was delicious and the restaurant was very bonny. If I ever go back to Napa Valley, I’ll make sure to visit Evangeline again and explore more options on their menu (like dessert).

The lovely town of Calistoga

After our brunch (it sounds so fancy), we decided to take a walk around the town and get to know it a little better. Calistoga is a very small town full of that rustic western charm.

What I liked the most about it is that almost all the shops were local. You won’t see a Starbuck or McDonalds anywhere near; it is only native talent there! Also, the people are really friendly (no surprise, because most Californians are) and the sights are just beautiful.

We stopped for a coffee in Cafe Sarafornia, a local dinner with a very cute old-fashioned decoration and an unexpectedly strong latte. Afterwards, we strolled along the main street. It was unfortunate that we only had one day, because Calistoga is full of spas and resorts. And I have the feeling that would be perfect to spend a relaxing weekend. However, I’ll make sure to make time for it if I ever go back in the future (spoiler alert: I will).

Last stop: The Castle

And for the pièce de résistance it was obvious we had to visit one of the big vineyards and wineries. Again, there were plenty of choices available. The Chateau Montelena, Davis States, Sterling Vineyards… Nonetheless, I must admit I was seduced by the looks of the gigantic medieval Castle in the middle of California (my last name means “castle”, I have a thing with them, OK?) and I had to go with Castello di Amorosa.

Castello di Amorosa is a construction built in the 90’s and inspired in 13th-century Tuscan Castles of the Italian bourgeoisie. No need to tell it is one of the most popular attractions in the area, so there was a little trouble to get into the place. When we first arrived there were some valets at the entrance denying access to vehicles waiting outside. To be honest, the staff was kind of rude. They gravely instructed us to return in an hour, since the castle was full at the moment. One of the members made us turn around just before we saw how a guy begged him to get in. I don’t know if they bribed the valet, but they allowed him entrance. Us, on the other hand, found ourselves with an unscheduled hour ahead of us.

We decided to go to St. Helena village to wait and do some shopping. After forty-five minutes or so, they finally let us in and the view made us forget about the delay. The entrance was made to stun the visitor. Roads and roads of vine extended from both sides of the road. And there, in the top of the hill, the Italian castle arose among the foliage.

Just the outside was worth the visit, but I was, by no means, willing to miss the tasting.The general entrance costs $25.00, and includes a premium tasting of 5 different wines of your choice. Compared to other surrounding vineyards, I thought it was fair, since the castle itself is already an attraction.

With your general ticket you can explore the immediacies of the castle. There are some areas only for those who booked special tours. Nevertheless, you still can visit the dinning room, the main patio, the corridors, some cellars and a couple of additional rooms where they sell souvenirs, vinegar and olive oil.

After my camera battery died, we finally went downstairs for our tasting and, believe me, I could do one like that every week. When you arrive, they give you a menu where you can select your five choices. You can also upgrade your ticked and add a chocolate or cheese to pair with the wine. However, we were so full from brunch that we decided to stick to the alcohol.

Our sommelier (a French guy très beau) was great! He not only let us tried a sixth additional wine for free, but he also did this thing with the glasses where he expertly rolled them over the counter. It was quite a spectacle!

I’m sure Napa Valley has a lot of additional things to offer. You can have a look a this amazing guide if you want to check other vineyards and restaurants. But considering our time frame, I’d say we made the most out of our escapade. I’d definitely come back in the future, but in the meantime I’m pleased with my visit.

You can use my itinerary or add as many additional stops as you want. Let me know if you have any places that you think must be in any Napa visit. As usual, like, share and comment if you liked it. All the photos where I’m not in, are of my authorship.

I’ll guess I’ll see you on the road.

Love,