Hotels in Saint Helena, CA

It's like I've been waiting my whole reddit career for this question. Ok, pull up a chair, I'm going to be a while. Where are you staying in Yountville? Villagio is beautiful, pricy, but nice. Make sure you use the spa if you stay there. The other places are nice, but that's the star. If you need a driver, let me know. I have a private one that I use that is fantastic. Don't use one offered by the hotel. As for the places you've listed: 1. Darioush -- overpriced, pontzy, and ridiculous. This is a super disappointing tour. The wine is not bad, but it's priced higher than it's worth. Recommend: Skip. 2. Krupp/Stagecoach -- Not bad, but not great. 3. Quintessa -- Make an appointment long in advance, it's hard to get in. Do it as late in the day as you can as it's on the floor of the valley with no view. 4. Grgich -- This is a very commercial tour. It will be busy as it's a stop on the wine train and is very near the main thoroughfare. The tasting is good though and the wine is pretty decent. Worthwhile. 5. Cakebread -- This is a good wine tasting depending on who is working that day. I have my favorites, it's a bit of a crap shoot, but the wine is very good. Nice pick. 6. Silver Oak -- This is a cruddy tasting. I know you like the wine, skip this. 7. Opus One -- This one pains me to write. This tasting is absolutely awful and it's not the wine. The wine is lovely and the tasting room is fine, it's the people that work there that make it absolutely intolerable. It's pretentious, stuffy and frustrating. I love the wine but I cannot stand the people there. 8. Groth -- Again, commercial. 9. Paraduxx -- Wine's not as good as you can get in the valley. If you're going to do this, go to the Duckhorn main room. 10. Stag's Leap -- Again, commercial. 11. Don't know Trefethen. Since I've poo poo'd your suggestions, allow me to add some. Keever -- Do this first. Call and make an appointment. Have it be your first appointment of the day. It is up on the wall and has a stunning view in the morning. It's a family run winery with good wine at good prices. If memory serves, Celia Welch (of Corra, among others) uses their cave. Tres Sabores -- This is wine that is underpriced for its value. It's a little cheaper than the other recommendations I'll make, but it's a lovely group of 3 ladies that run it and make excellent wine. Jarvis -- This is the most pretentious of the recommendations I'll make but the tour more than makes up for it. The wine is exquisite, probably some of the best wine on the list and the entire winery is underground in a cave. The doors of Mordor at the entrance don't hurt. Appointment required. It is also an expensive tasting ($60 or so per person) but worth it. Cliff Lede -- This is the most commercial of the recommendations I'll make, but if the weather is right, this is a great stop right after lunch. They have good wine, a decent white, and a good range of wines from $40 all the way up to $250/btl. If you can talk them out of it, ask to taste either Poetry or Songbook. Viader -- Another family run winery, beautiful tasting room. Kelham, Frank Family, Bremer are all excellent choices to fill out your itinerary (although the sell at Frank Family is a little harder than I'd like). For the same reason as Opus One, skip Caymus. It's excellent wine, but the people are intolerable. For lunch, go to Mustards at least once and order the pork chop and the onion straws, have the home made ketchup. Also, try the Rutherford Grill for lunch, it's excellent. For dinner, Angele in Napa is lovely, among many other restaurants. Yountville is wonderful for food, you can't go wrong. The only Napa restaurant that was underwhelming for me is Morimoto; super expensive and the food is mediocre. Also it's a huge restaurant and the service wasn't what you'd expect at a restaurant of that caliber. I'm quite fond of Bouchon as well if you can get in. It's almost as good as French Laundry for me. If you've got time and are bored in Yountville, visit the tasting room just near the French Laundry for Hope & Grace. He's a consulting winemaker at a lot of different places but it's his private label. Taste the Malbec, it's rare in Napa and well done. Let me know if you need my driver. Or if you have any questions. Be aware that tastings are usually $20-$30 per person but are waived if you buy wine, typically, although not always. It's the decision of the person serving you. Typically, they'll waive one fee per bottle you purchase. Have fun! Edit to Add: I'll second the below Schramsberg recommendation. They're one of the oldest wineries in the valley and their cave was actually dug by Chinese indentured servants. They've since made apologies for their role, but the history is amazing and their sparkling wine is a treat.

Grgich is cool, Stag's Leap I enjoyed, haven't been to the rest you mention. Inglenook is very impressive. Hess is off the beaten path and is very much worth the 15 minute detour - try the 07 lion. Elizabeth Spencer (across the street from Inglenook) is a very small place that I really enjoy - excellent reds.

buy your tour tickets in advance, i made the mistake of going over Memorial Day weekend and i was able to go to ONE place due to traffic, tickets sold out, and then over crowding.

I enjoy the boutique wineries myself, and often find great wine along with great people that are more closely associated with the process/winemaking etc. Here's a great list to follow: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napa_details2.html

Bring Paul Giamatti.

On the way up stop at the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa for some amazing beer. Don't know about wine. I know some people band together and rent a limo so that they can get drunk.

FYI: The wineries typically close around 5 or so. So just be aware you should begin your day early.

I like visiting Mumm. Their sparkling wine is the only one actually grown in the Napa Valley. Prices are decent and most of their varities are winery exclusives. No matter where you go be prepared for high prices. Napa is as much a tourist attraction as it is a wine region. Adult Disneyland.

I love Ram's Gate in Sonoma. Just a beautiful spot, basically like hanging out inside a Restoration Hardware catalog, plus they have some fabulous food. Frog's Leap also has some great spots to relax and drink (but very little food). You didn't ask about food, but since you're in Yountville I assume you're doing one or more of ad hoc, Bouchon, French Laundry...I'd add Redd Wood to your list if it's not already there, and Oenotri in Napa if you want to take a drive. Sit at the chef's counter at the latter, really fun.

If you're looking for cheap, and open to visiting Sonoma, see if any of your Visa credit cards say "Visa Signature" on them. If they do.. each card is good for 2 free tastings about about 60 Sonoma wineries: http://usa.visa.com/personal/visa-signature/sonoma-wineries.jsp Some tend to go on and off the list... Francis Ford Coppola is cool to see some movie props (like the Godfather cast list that made the front page recently), and they've got a nice on-site restaurant. Wine's not bad, but I've had better elsewhere too (and some of their wines are really great.. just some aren't) Stryker Sonoma's building is relatively new, and if you're into architecture they were one of the wineries featured in the grounds design section of SF MoMA's wine exhibit a year or two ago. Opus One was featured elsewhere in that exhibit too

I am born and raised in Napa and right out of college I was the tasting room manager at Peju and Black stallion, and spent a year at Trefethen too, so take what you will from this, but I did spend far too many days off educating myself by wine tasting 3-4 a week on average when I could. You have a good list here (cut V. Sattui unless you enjoy nausea).Your question seriously depends on what you are looking for out of the experience. Quality wine, ambiance, beautiful scenery, etc. so it helps to know what you want. But if I were solely looking at wine quality (good juice), and this is only my opinion, be open. Here are some suggestions for great wine and lesser known wineries you may not star on a map right away, but I would highly recommend doing so. Arger Martucci makes some of the best wine you will have. the Oddyssey is top notch, and they have great cab franc and Pinot as well. (I should note that Napa Valley is not really Pinot country, go to the Russian River area in Sonoma for that.) agree also is a very homey environment (sit by the pool while tasting) where you really get a feel for home winemaking and Dr. Arger is a pretty brilliant man. Other great wineries where the wines are top notch include Sawyer, silver rose (the red blend they have is amazing), Ehlers makes a great cab Franc and has a great location to relax for a bit. I also have a bit of a bias towards Peju if you can put up with it ( there are good times and bad times to go. But if you do, go before 5 and ask to taste with the yodeler. His name is Alan Arnapole and he is a close family friend who will give you a wine tasting experience you will never forget. Tell him Corey sent you. It's also a beautiful building.) If you want Napa valley on steroids, try Castella Di Amarosa (Daryl Sattui of V. Sattui spent 14 years building it and "it" is a castle... In every sense of the word with stones imported from Europe and rebuilt how it was there. It even has an iron Maiden in the dungeon.) not the greatest wines, but carve out an hour or so and take the tour. You will not be disappointed. For something a little different, try Prager Port Works. They have a wide variety of ports (sweeter desert style wines) and again, be open minded when trying these. May be a bit wired if it isn't your thing at first, but it is cool. Oh and pin a dollar on the wall, you will join decades worth of others in doing so. I have always liked the wines at Frog's Leap also. They kind of got the ball rolling on the whole organic movement in wine making, which is now moving toward being the norm than the exception, and they have a cool and modern cellar (in a bat cave kind of way). Also, I would recommend against Darioush IMO. They are not nice people, it's always packed, and their wines are hot (high spicy alcohol with little fruit content). Not sure I ever had a good experience there, and I used to work across the street at black stallion. Oh and speaking of the Oakville area, Reynolds Family and Hagafen make great wines if you are in the area. Black stallion is a beautiful place too if you are interested ini hanging out at the end of the day. I could go on about this for a while, but sleep is important. Hope this helps to give you some direction from a local and former industry wino. (And please, for the love of everything holy and unholy, drink the fucking merlot and don' be that douche that makes that joke. You will look like a complete ass and merlot is probably one of the best grapes grown in the valley. Red blends are spectacular too, and enjoy a rosé or three, you won't be considered less of a person for it. In general, break out of the mainstream stereotypes, they will make you look foolish.) Enjoy!

Looks like Wineries are covered and since you're staying in Yountville, did you decide on food? The usual suspects are Ad Hoc, Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, Redd .. anything in Yountville. If you're there on Sunday, brunch at Ad Hoc .. if you're there for Fried Chicken Monday .. Ad Hoc.

A lot of folks have already made some great recommendations. Most seem to be hugging Highway 29, which is fine for a day if you've never been here...but I'd suggest a few places along Silverado Trail. Count on about five wineries a day at a leisurely pace. They open at 10 or 11, close at 5. Van der Heyden is probably one of that last ones open 'til 6 and it's good proximity b/t Napa and Yountville. Plan accordingly and watch the humanity that shows up at a winery after all the others have closed. My favorites on Silverado Trail are Regusci, Baldacci, and Dutch Henry. Clos du Val for an honorable mention. All have great wines with friendly tasting room staff. Dutch Henry has been my favorite for a while now because it's totally relaxed...picnic tables, cats named "Pink" and "Floyd", terriers running around, a Grateful Dead inspired label drawn by Stanley Mouse himself. Great wines, bocce...can't be beat on a nice day. Rutherford Hill has outstanding zin port but the tasting room people can be a bit heavy on the attitude. The grounds are lovely, though. Don't overlook the tasting rooms in downtown Napa; Vintner's Collective is the best for tasting stuff from smaller wineries. There are lots others, like Ceja, which are fun and non-committal. Don't like what you're tasting? Walk a half block and try another place. The Oxbow Market has a TON of great stuff as well (including...yes, wine tasting). I would totally skip Castello di Amorosa. It's a tourist trap (with, admittedly a million dollar view) and will gouge you. Avoid Sattui's other venture, V. Sattui, while you're at it unless you like...you guessed it...tourist traps. Nothing wrong with being a tourist, but there's something wrong with being *treated* like one. Of the Highway 29 places that I dig I'd say Cakebread has the best organized tour going right now and is the place to go if you like your chardonnays heavy on the malolactic fermentation. Grgich is always good and it's a lot more...er...interesting if Mike himself is there. Especially if you're an attractive woman. Skimming some of your other destinations....Darioush is ok but seems to be a magnet for the douchebag tourists. Silver Oak is a has-been; they haven't put out a good wine since their '98 releases. Groth is a good stop. Haven't been to the others on your list in probably six or seven years.

I second Scramsburg, also Alpha Omega and Rincon for tastes. Where are you staying in yountville? Edit: Rubicon estate for tasting and cool sights. It's been a while, but I used to do party rental delivery in the valley. V. Sattui is a tourist trap. Duckhorn is another great one. Calistoga has a few as well if you make it up that far.