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Did you look at Sonoma? - I much prefered that to napa. Sonoma was a lot more laid back, while napa seemed to have more of a glitz atmosphere. However, that is purely preference as both are really nice.
My wife and I did 2 nights in sonoma, 1 night in bodega bay and 4 nights in SF on our 1st anniversary trip and had an absolute blast.
Definitely schedule a private tasting somewhere. We did one that had a wine, cheese & fruit tasting - went about an hour and was a lot of fun.
The winery with a cable car is Sterling. It's pretty nice. Best part is tasting up on their deck on top of the hill. Pretty busy though.
Chateau St. Jean had absolutely lovely grounds.
Beringer is not one to miss. Their grounds are lovely as well and thier reserve tasting mansion is impressive. Who knew that beringer sold bottles that go $200+?
We rented bikes which was nice. Also, a trip up to the redwoods was amazing.
I prefered Sonoma too, it had a lot more character and felt much more laid back. Some great historical sites and buildings too.
If in that part of the country I would definitely drive up to the coast and go to Mendocino which we really loved. We spent our 20th Anniversary( our meeting) there last 18months ago and the drive along the coast was fantastic ( we came back down inland, through Napa and Sonoma) .
None of the above not in Napa but it would seem a shame not to tour this beautiful part of the world a bit.
If you are a foodie and can afford it you must book a table at the "French Laundry" , one of the top 5 restaurants in the world ,it is located in Yountville in Napa Valley. http://www.frenchlaundry.com/
Really, really expensive but the food is truly out of this world. A Honeymoon seems like a perfect excuse to spend a bit too much cash .
And I forgot to offer you my sincerest congratulations and best wishes for a very long and very Happy future together.
I'm taking the plunge myself in the fall , getting married in Maine , Honeymoon touring throughout New England !
Last edited by Mooseketeer; 03-13-2009 at 06:09 AM..
Ah, one of my more decadant, drunken filled trips. While we had a plan to visit a few vineyards, ultimately we just went with the flow, randomly picked some wineries, and enjoyed our time. Some suggestions:
> Check to see if any vineyard is having a "release" event, where they uncork a new vintage. We were fortunate to go on the weekend of a Silver Oak release, which was a festive event, and amazing wine to boot
> Tasting in Schramsberg and tour of the undergound cave where sparkling wine is stored. Fantastic site, great sparkling wine, and you may even see the "master riddler" in action
> Stop by Napa country store, buy items for a picnic, head to Rutherford Hill, but a bottle of wine, enjoy the view
> Enjoy the cuisine. If you can get a reservation to French Laundry (and would like to spend ~$700 meal) then do it. Or opt for the cheaper Bouchon, Bistro Jeanty, Cindy's Backstreet
My soon to be wife just settled on Napa Valley for our honeymoon. Any must see spots? Anywhere to avoid? Good idea/bad idea overall?
You must, must, must eat at The French Laundry restaurant as it has consistently been rated the #1 restaurant in the Americas by numerous organizations. It's that good. Make sure to book reservations month in advance or you want get it plus it is expensive (as you would expect) but it is worth it. It's in a nice little 19th century stone building which was an actual French laundry back in the 19th century and that's where the restaurant gets its name.
I prefer the atmosphere of Napa. it's more upscale, and offers much better wine overall.
French Laundry has been easier to get into lately if you're willing to dine late on a weeknight. Personally I'd rather eat at less expensive places and ahve more money to spend on tasting fees at better wineries.
Look into the Cottages of Napa Valley. Perfect for a honeymoon, private, romantic, and in a good location. You get a lot for your money there.
As far as wineries go, Cabernet Sauvignon is king in Napa, but certainly not the only wines made there.
Forget all the advice you'll get from the tourists sites. Seriously. Don't bother with the usual tourist traps like V Sattui and Clos Pegase. If you go to Sterling, only go on a clear day and only for the view. The wines are pedestrian.
Three multi-vintner tasting rooms to visit are Vintner's Collective, Ma(i)sonry, and Cult Wine Central.
A visit to Jarvis is a must, if they are booked try Palmaz. Both have very impressive caves and great wine.
McKenzie Mueller has great wine that is fairly priced, as does Gustavo Thrace.
Mondavi has a great seminar that's a must do for "beginners." Phelps also has good seminars and fantastic wines.
Frank Family has no tasting fee and decent wine, they've also got a picnic arae--much less crowded than V. Sattui and not right on the main highway so you're sucking up tour bus exhaust while eating.
Grgich Hills, Mondavi, Chateau Montelena, and Schramsberg all have significant historical roots in the Napa Valley.
Others we enjoy are Domaine Carneros, Chandon, Hall, and Anderson's Conn Valley.
Almost every place I mentioned requires a reservation and some books weeks in advance, so plan ahead.
For food I like Coles Chop House, Bouchon, Brannan's, Calistoga Inn, Uva Trattoria, plus Taylor's Refresher, The Bounty Hunter and Boon Fly for casual meals.
My fiance' and I, are also considering a honeymoon in Napa. We liked the look of the cottages and are interested in relaxing. What cottage did you book? Have you ever stayed at Napa River Inn or Meritage? Anymore information you could provide would be much appreciated.
We just got back from Napa today actually and loved it! We went to Castello di Amorosa and it was awesome. Yea, it's kinda a touristy thing, but the story behind the castle and the tour was really cool and I would definitely recommend it. I definitely think it's a great place for a honeymoon. We loved it so much, we're going back in July, during peak season, though it was nice to enjoy the wineries without the huge crowds!
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