The first time I went to Napa I was only 9.

Don’t worry, I didn’t drink any wine {that I can recall! Ha!}. I did, however, eat all the crackers the tasting room put in front of me while my parents drank the wine. And that’s about all I remember from our stop in wine country during a trip around the country.

Fast forward (quite) a few years and we now live in California, within driving distance of Napa (for those who aren’t familiar, it’s located just north of San Francisco and about a 6 1/2-7 hour drive for those of us in Los Angeles). And better yet, I‘m of an age where I can actually drink the wine, not just eat the crackers. Suffice it to say it was time for this girl to properly experience all that Napa has to offer.

Truth be told, I don’t know why it’s taken us so long to visit Napa Valley since moving to California. Then again I feel like I say that anytime we’ve gone anywhere on the West Coast since moving out here. There are just too many places to see and never enough time. But I digress from the location at hand…

We decided there was no better time than our anniversary weekend to finally explore Wine Country, so we packed a bag and headed north. Because I have been traveling so much I left most of the planning up to Dave {maybe not the smartest decision…I’m only sort of kidding!}, but also knew I’d be able to rely on my friend MK’s Sonoma Guide {she’s the real expert since she grew up there}.

I have to say, our decision to visit when we did was a pretty solid decision, if I do say so myself. Napa is truly so stunning in the fall, with it’s gorgeous views covered in warm, magical autumnal light and fall foliage (especially if you’re a New Englander, like me, you’ll really appreciate the way it feels a bit like a New England fall) and pleasant temperatures. I mean, doesn’t that just sound like the most perfect environment in which to enjoy a wine tasting, cozied up in an oversized sweater, basking in the fall sun, surrounded by beautiful vineyards? Not to mention, it’s also a great time to come if you want to experience Napa’s harvest season, which means harvest parties and experiences that you can partake in. And if that isn’t enough to sell you, there’s also the most incredible, delicious food, great hiking, hot air balloon rides, wonderful spas and tons of luxurious accommodations. So, who’s ready to book a fall trip to Napa, like, yesterday?! Ha!

Fall Napa Valley Itinerary

We didn’t have a super strict itinerary for our trip, but here’s a general outline of what our days looked like. We definitely could have squeezed in more wine tastings, a spa treatment and an outdoor adventure or two, but we wanted to keep our schedule a bit more slow and relaxed. If you’re interested in other activities, I mention a few more below along with more details about each place we went, the places we ate and where we did our wine tastings.

DAY 1

• Make the journey from LA to Napa

• Check into our accommodations

• Walk around downtown Sonoma + stop into Roche Winery fro a drink

• Head to a late dinner at Bouchon

DAY 2

• Early morning drive to see the foliage and scenery and grab coffee at Cafe Scooteria

• Breakfast at Sunflower Cafe

• Pop into the OG Williams & Sonoma store (because how could I not??!)

• Head to Cuivason to enjoy a wine tasting on their lovely patio

• Dinner by the outdoor fireplace at Bottega

DAY 3

• Slow start to the day (The previous day’s wine tasting may or may not have something to do with that! Ha!), with coffee and a simple breakfast at our Airbnb before checking out

• Grab brunch at Southside Napa

• Walk around Yountville, checking out French Laundry’s gardens (Yes, they’re open to the public and yes, even if you aren’t eating at the restaurant, they’re so worth walking through because they are lovely!), a few stores, grabbing some delicious chocolates at Kollar as well as a treat from Bouchon’s bakery

• Afternoon wine tasting at Alpha Omega (such a beautiful outdoor tasting area and so perfect to enjoy on a lovely fall day!)

• Head back to LA (kicking and screaming because Napa was so perfect and beautiful this time of year and we didn’t want to leave!)

BEST THINGS TO DO IN NAPA VALLEY IN THE FALL

WINE TASTE // I mean, duh, right?! It is wine country, after all ;) With so many wineries, wine cellars and tasting rooms along Highway 29, and it’s more country counterpart, the Silverado Trail, it can be hard to narrow down which ones to go to, so joining a tour could definitely be a helpful option. I would also say to do plenty of research on the wineries you want to visit before your trip, especially if it’s your first time visiting, as most of the wineries require reservations and/or have a variety of different requisites for visiting, such as being a member or only getting to do a tasting if you’re buying a bottle, things like that (trust me on this one because we learned our lesson the hard way). There’s also the Napa Valley Wine Train, which is a three hour, 36-mile round-trip journey that goes from Downtown Napa to St. Helena and back. While I haven’t done it personally, I hear it’s a great way to see the whole Napa/Sonoma area, the scenery is beautiful and the ride passes by some of better known wineries in the area, such as Grgich Hills, Cakebread and Opus One. The have various ticket options that include things like a meal or a welcome glass of house wine or sparkling wine, and some of the tickets even include tasting experiences at one or more of the wineries, as well. And, for fall, they have a Murder Mystery dinner ride as well as a Thanksgiving Dinner one.

HIKE // There’s tons of trails in the area, for all hiking levels, and it’s a great, active way to take in the scenery; check out this hidden gem of a trail for waterfalls, this wilderness park, this lake, take in the redwoods here or check out this park with hiking, wildlife, camping and more.

HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE // If you have time, definitely schedule a hot air balloon ride (checking out booking one here or here). I mean, talk about a stunning way to see the area! Sadly, we didn’t have time to do this on this specific trip, but it is high on my bucket list for the next time we’re in Napa.

VISIT THE PETRIFIED FOREST // So cool to see such ancient trees; you can either go hiking there and/or take a tour

HEAL IN THE HOT SPRINGS // Take advantage of the natural mineral hot springs in the area and indulge in one of the healing spa treatments at the Calistoga Spa, Roman Spa, Golden Haven or Indian Springs.

GO TO THE SPA // Don’t worry, if traditional spa treatments are more your thing, there are plenty of places to go for one of those, including here, here or here.

ATTEND A HARVEST CELEBRATION // Take advantage of a fall visit lining up with Napa’s harvest season and attend one of these celebratory harvest events in the area

The Mr. found us an adorable Airbnb not too far from downtown Sonoma. The Airbnb itself was beautifully decorated and a great price point. However, it doesn’t have a full kitchen so it would be hard to stay in for more than a few days. And it’s right off of a busy road so the noise levels were a little high at times and getting in and out of the driveway was a slightly terrifying process. Also, the location is super convenient if you’re doing a lot right in Sonoma. We ended up really liking Yountville and spent a lot of time going back and forth from there so next time we’ll probably plan to stay in that area.

If you’re looking to go the hotel route, there are no shortage of stunning properties to choose from in Napa Valley, St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville, Sonoma and beyond. A few that are on my list to stay at- Meadowood, Alila Hotel, The Sandman Hotel, Carneros Resort and MacArthur Place.

Cafe Scooteria (Sonoma) // Cute little roadside spot to grab coffee; they do have an area where you can sit down if you want, but it’s primely set up for drive-up orders

Sunflower Cafe (Sonoma) // Delicious breakfast spot, portions are huge so things can definitely be split (we split the breakfast burrito, which was delicious, especially with ham added to it), tons of outdoor seating, service is quick but do note that the later you go the longer you may have to wait to place your order

Bouchon (Yountville) // A classic spot; we went for our anniversary dinner and while we had a bit of an initial service issue (our server didn’t put our full order in, but he made up for it by offering us a bottle of wine on the house), the atmosphere was fun (definitely felt very NYC/Parisian to me) and the food was great (The French onion soup was some of the best I’ve ever had!); they are open later (until midnight), but they do switch to a late night menu at 10PM and I would suggest making reservations if you’re going anything earlier, especially on the weekends

Bouchon Bakery (Yountville) // We popped by the bakery another day to grab an afternoon treat, one of their infamous peanut butter sandwich cookies….so yummy!

Bottega (Yountville) // Another great dinner spot; we loved the rigatoni al coniglio but the real star was the ravioli di uovo (Whatever you do, you must oder this!); we went during the week so it wasn’t too packed, but I’d definitely suggest making reservations on weekends, and, if you go in the cooler months be sure to ask for one of the tables by the fireplaces

Southside Napa (Yountville + Napa) // Great for grabbing coffee or a quick and nourishing breakfast or lunch; it basically felt like a more approachable RH vibe and the food was delicious (Get the faro salad!) plus they had a great outdoor seating area

Kollar Chocolates (Yountville) //Delicious and decadent chocolates; see if they have any of their “mistake” packets by the register…they taste just as good but you get more chocolates for way less

Restoration Hardware (Yountville) // We didn’t eat here, but I added it to the list because I have eaten at their other locations and they never disappoint; even if you aren’t eating it’s worth checking out their wine location since they carry limited edition and harder to find wines

Cuvaison // Beautiful tasting room that overlooks vineyards and hills; we were able to just walk in on a Monday, but reservations are highly advised, especially on weekends; you can order a glass of wine, but not a bottle (unless you’re a member) and outside food is not permitted (but they do a sell a few light bites and a delicious cheese plate)

Alpha Omega // We loved this spot and being able to sit in the sun, right by the water, sipping on wine; again, we were able to walk in on a Tuesday and only had to wait about 20 minutes but reservations are highly advised, especially on weekends; you can’t buy glasses of wine but they offer 3 tasting flights and each glass is a pretty solid pour {the tastings aren’t cheap, btw…we got the first level tasting and it was $120 for us both, with tip}; outside food isn’t allowed; also worth noting is their chardonnay…we’re not even chardonnay drinkers (we tend to be more cabernet sauvignon drinkers) and we LOVED it! In fact, it was probably our favorite wine of the weekend!

Roche Winery // If you’re staying in Sonoma and looking for something super chill, that’s open past 5, where you don’t need reservations and you can actually buy a bottle of wine without having to be a member, this spot is cute, reasonably priced and has lots of outdoor seating. We didn’t eat anything there, but I did see that they also offer cheese plates. They also offer tastings if you don’t want to buy a glass or bottle.

When we visited (in the middle of October) it definitely felt a lot more like the New England falls that we’re familiar with. The temps did rise during the day (it was 72 one day), but it was also extremely chilly in the evenings, so I relied heavily on dresses paired with sweaters or my jean jacket, booties and layers. I only wish I had brought a bit of a heavier jacket for the evenings. As far as dress code, I would say smart casual (maxi dresses, sweater and jeans, etc.) for wineries and daytime and for evening/dinner get a bit more dressed up, add a pair of heels, a fancy set of earrings, etc.