Tired of the Same Old Napa Wineries? How to Taste Your Way Through Napa Like a Local!

Everyone stops at Mondavi Winery in Napa - But Should You?

Alternative Napa - Where Do Locals Taste Wine?

I totally get it - it's your first visit to Napa and the labels of the wines you see in your supermarket are haunting you.  Mondavi.  Beringer.  Sterling.  Domaine Chandon.  And that castle, yes, the famous Castello di Amorosa.  Must see, must see!  Or should you?

Sure, these are all great stops but there's another side to Napa that locals know and love and that's the smaller boutique wineries.  Don't believe what you might have read on places like TripAdvisor who claim that the smaller wineries don't have good wine.  I actually found the opposite to be true.  That's because the small wineries are hoping you buy a bottle or case so they're pouring the good stuff whereas the famous wineries have buses of people waiting to get in to snapchat and instagram their selfies.  Wine is almost secondary to the winery at some of the big names - tram anyone?

What do you want?  A castle with millions of visitors or a wine tasting getaway at a boutique?

So where to go?  How do you visit Napa and taste like a VIP? 

Here are a few of my favorites.  First timers, go ahead and make that stop at Mondavi or Beringer but make sure you spend at least 50% of your time in these smaller wineries if you want to get away from the tourists and deeper into the heart of Napa.  For those of you who have been here before you can also email me and I'll help you pick some good ones and even help you get discounts, many unpublished, so you can taste like a VIP without breaking the bank.

Here are a few "off the grid" wineries you should be checking out.

Patland Estate Vineyards

Kitchak Cellars

B Cellars

Dutch Henry Winery

Bell Winery

Auburn James Winery

Let me help you plan it out!  I don't charge, I don't get kickbacks from the wineries, I'm not associated with any wine shops, restaurants, or anybody!  I am just one guy who knows and loves Napa and happy to share my favorites with you, all honest and unbiased recommendations so that you don't leave Napa thinking it was a theme park.  Email me and give me your dates you will be here, the number of people in your party and whether you are a wine expert or just looking for fun places to taste.  Give me two weeks if possible and I'll get you some free Napa advice on how to taste your way through Napa like a local - on a budget, of course. 

Local Wally

Five Napa Wineries You Should Not Miss (But Most Do)

Anthony Bourdain knows what I'm talking about.  He says to skip the Eiffel Tower when visiting Paris, to not fight the crowds at the Louvre, to take a selfie in front of Notre Dame but not go in. Instead he goes to a bistro, orders wine and cheese and gets into the local scene.

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Tasting wine away from the crowds

That's my advice for Napa and Sonoma. You want to see Mondavi, go to your supermarket shelf. You want a tram ride, go to Disneyland. But if you want good wine, if you want a wine tasting experience that surprises and delights and surpasses all expectations, then you need to follow me.

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No doubt, winery tours are the essential field trip experience for first timers.  But do you really want to walk through the hot vineyards or stare at a stainless steel tank?  No, you came to taste wine and that's why I love Bell Wine Cellar's Grape to Glass Tour, a 90 minute experience that's mainly focused on tasting wine, not looking at it.

There's a bit of vineyard talk, a bit of barrel talk, but mainly it's tasting deep inside the winery and tasting, from sparkling wines to deep Napa cabs. The wines are serious but the tasting experience fun for all levels, it's my favorite tour for first timers and wine lovers.

BELL WINE CELLARS
AVG BOTTLE PRICE:  $60
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:  info@bellwine.com
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
DEAL:  2 for 1 WITH PRIORITY WINE PASS - NORMALLY $50 PER PERSON.

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Canihan Winery near Sonoma

This doesn't look like a winery at all.  There are no big screen TV's, no hostess, there's not a tour bus in sight. Instead of a sign there's a mailbox with the address.  Instead of a tasting room there's a barn. And inside the barn is Bill Canihan, the guy responsible for making some of the best Pinots in all of Napa and Sonoma.

This is no prop, no marketing creation, Canihan is unpretentious and honest, a hard working guy making wine he hopes you will love. It's my latest find, my favorite new "hidden" winery, make reservations and experience Canihan Wines.

CANIHAN WINERY
AVG BOTTLE PRICE:  $50
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:  (415) 990-9270
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
DEAL:  2 FOR 1 WITH PRIORITY WINE PASS (NORMALLY $25 PER PERSON), TASTING FEE TOTALLY WAIVED WITH PURCHASE

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Pity the fools who are lining up to try to get another sip at one of the big mega wineries.  Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards takes you deep into the caves with a small group to sample some of Napa's most exquisite wines.  Barrel tasting, of course, and you can even reserve a spot to do some wine and food pairing with the winemaker.

ANDERSON'S CONN VALLEY
AVG BOTTLE PRICE:  $75
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
DEAL:  2 for 1 CAVE TASTING (NORMALLY $65 PER PERSON) WITH PRIORITY WINE PASS

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Relaxing Dutch Henry in Calistoga

An industrial building for tastings, picnic tables under the trees, bocce ball next to the vineyards, Dutch Henry is a hidden gem in the Calistoga area. Make reservations and you can even taste inside their caves, an incredible experience. Make this your last stop of the day and give yourself enough time to buy a bottle to sip under the trees. Relaxing and fun.

Tip: Bring some cheese and bread for a delightfully low key picnic experience.

DUTCH HENRY WINERY
AVG BOTTLE PRICE:  $50
WALK IN'S OK BUT RESERVATIONS REQUIRED FOR CAVE TASTING
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
DEAL:  2 for 1 WITH PRIORITY WINE PASS

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Food and Wine Pairing at B Cellars

Wine and food pairings taken to the extreme, B Cellars goes beyond the nibble of cheese and expands it into a four course meal.  The four course pairing costs $135 per person but those with lighter appetites (and wallets) can still experience B Cellars with a $60 food pairing experience that takes you through the gardens, caves, and back to a seated table where the chef is preparing tasty bites to go with each wine.  Outstanding experience for those who love food as much as they do wine.

B CELLARS WINERY
AVG BOTTLE PRICE:  $75
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
DEAL:  VIP OAKVILLE TREK TASTING, $300 PER COUPLE INCLUDES TASTING, TOUR, FOOD, PAIRING, AND TWO SIGNED BOTTLES IN WOODEN GIFT BOXES WITH PRIORITY WINE PASS.

Tasting Etiquette
Unlike the big wineries who see thousands of people a day these small boutiques have limited visitors.  Therefore, visit them expecting to buy a bottle or two (or more), of course assuming you like their wine.  If not it's always a nice gesture to tip the person who poured your wine - standard restaurant tipping rules apply so a $50 tasting = $10 tip.

Wine Pass
Get these deals and many others with the annual wine pass.  The Priority Wine Pass is the easiest way to get Napa deals and discounts without jumping through hoops. No tweeting before tasting from a phone app, no searching for an expired coupon, just flash the card or image on your phone and get these and other Napa tasting deals!