Where Is The Best Shopping In Town & Some Of Your Favorite Boutiques
Head downtown to 1st Street and the Riverfront for a little boutique shopping and dont miss the Napa Premium Outlets! Shoppe Twelve in downtown Napa is adorable and is an easy place to stop as you make your way to the riverfront. If you head to Sonoma, you can also visit Sonoma Square and Sonoma Cornerstone.
Wine Tasting Attire: What To Wear In Wine Country
Courtesy of Unsplash | Katie Treadway
Sundress or skinny jeans? Heels or flip flops? Polo or t-shirt? If youre going wine tasting, you might be a little unsure about what to do when it comes to dressing the part in Wine Country especially when terms like Wine Country Casual and Napa Valley Chic come into play. While there are seldom formal dress codes in Wine Country, we have some tried and true tips that will ensure youre prepared well before you start packing.
Discover Some Of The Best Restaurants In Napa Valley
Besides tasting world-class wine, Napa Valley also offers an incredible array of Michelin Starr restaurants. To name a few popular ones:
- French Laundry $$$$ French cuisine
- Auberge du Soleil $$$$ French cuisine
- Buchon $$$ French cuisine
- Kenzo $$$ Japanese cuisine
However, do not feel pressured into booking a meal at an expensive Michelin Starr restaurant because you do not need to break the bank to get a good meal in Napa.
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Fall Wine Tasting Outfit Ideas
Fall winery outfits are some of my favorites! Did you know grape vines get fall foliage like trees?! Its so dang cool to wander the vineyard rows during the fall, its just a sea of orange, yellow and red.
In California, fall is still pretty warm too, but not as crazy hot as summer. You may want to break out the skinny jeans and denim jacket for a fall look. I love gingham print, though, to channel those classic fall vibes. I once wore a blue skirt during a fall visit to Healdsburg and it popped really nicely against the orange vines in photos so consider blue outfits!
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Tip : Choose Your Colors Wisely
Unless youre only sipping white wine all day, spills are something you need to factor in. Wearing darker colors can help camouflage any mishaps. Even if youre extra careful, the person next to you may overindulge and spill a glass, or the wine bottle may drip after the server pours a taste into your glass. These things happen, so plan accordingly.
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What Wineries To Visit In Napa Valley
My mom planned the most amazing day for me and my friend Chelsea. I absolutely fell in love with the Napa Valley experience. In fact, we decided to make this an annual Girls Trip for us. Below are the three wineries we visited, but there are over 700 wineries in Napa Valley, hence the need for an annual visit.
The tram was beyond charming. When you look down youre treated to a beautiful pond and a herd of sheep. Once you arrive at the main building, the wine is so-so, but the views are awesome. You also get to learn a lot about the history and explore the inner workings of production.
Mumm was my favorite. You get three tasting glasses of bubbles, a rich ambiance with a modern farm feel, a healthy amount of guests, and a stunning view of their vines. The experience was light and refreshing, just like their wine.
Fun Fact: Around closing time , they have to empty all their tasting bottles, so we got another full glass of the scrumptious Brut Rosé free of charge .
What To Wear When Visiting The Wine Country
We LOVE finding new adventures, places to eat, exciting things to do and ways to share with you all the love we have for the Napa Valley and all things Napa Style. Check out our favorite finds below! We are always adding new finds so keep checking back for the latest! or subscribe to our blog and get notified everytime we post something new.
Living in Napa is a special place. We absolutely love it here. However, living here is very different than visiting here. A lot of us work in the industry Many of us live outside of Napa and commute in. After-all Napa is close to many other cities like American Canyon, Vallejo, Fairfield, Sonoma, and more. So our attire has a very different approach than that of a tourist. One of the things Andee and I love most about hanging out in and around the Valley is the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. People just like you! One question that we always get asked is What should we wear when visiting Napa? Before you raid your closet and pack your suitcase take a few moments and read below some tips we offer on what to wear while visiting Napa. You might be surprised by how efficient you can be with your packing and attire if you follow these few guidelines. Dont worry guys We have you covered as well.
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Wine Tasting Outfits For Summer
Oh boy, summer in wine country can get hot hot hot. On top of a top-notch deodorant, I always reach for sunglasses, sun hats, straw hats, flowy dresses, and linen jumpsuits. I like to channel Greek island vibes sometimes big dresses that billow in the wind and help cool me off while still looking effortless.
Summer is when the vines will be covered in green leaves and purple grapes. If youre trying to take that classic photo walk through vines, this is the month to do it! Pure white will probably glare too much in the bright sunlight, so opt for either cream, or a bold print.
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Farm To Table Restaurants In Napa Valley
Why does everyone rave about the restaurants in Napa? It is because Napa Valley is big on farm-to-table. If you are unfamiliar with the term, farm to table is when the food served at the restaurant comes directly from a local farm. The restaurant will only cook with fresh and locally grown ingredients, which also includes their meat as well. They will source their meat directly from a farm, rather than a distribution company.
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How To Easily Book Your Wine Tastings
You can book your reservation through the wineries website. Or, most not all, wineries either usually CellarPass or Tock for their wine tasting reservations. Using one of these websites can provide you a list of wineries and their available tastings for the day. If this is one of your first times in Napa Valley, you may find it easier to make reservations on CellarPass or Tock instead of individually looking at each winery website for availability.
Where To Stay In Napa Valley
Whenever I travel, location and price are most important to me, so for my standards, I was beyond happy with the 3 Palms Napa Valley Hotel. It sits in the heart of downtown Napa and the rooms are spotless, charming, and comfortable. They dont serve food, but they have coffee in the morning and a pool. I will absolutely stay there again.
Note: If you scroll to the bottom of the post you will see a picture of our full itinerary. My mom is famous for her detailed itineraries.
Thanks Mom for showing me and Chelsea an amazing time!
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Tip : Coordinate With Friends
Theres nothing wrong with rocking your own style, but showing up in a sundress, heels, and a hat when your friends are all in jeans and sweaters might make you feel a little out of place, and vice versa. If ever you have any doubt, consulting with your group is always a good idea to make sure youre on the same page.
Packing List: Everything You Need For Your Napa Valley Getaway
July 3, 2019Style & Decor
Youre off to Napa Valley! Wine tastings, vineyard visits, nights on the town, days spent exploring, all in the beautiful Napa sunshine. We often get asked whats best to wear aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train so were going one step further and giving you our very own packing list so youll have everything you need for your Napa Valley getaway.
Layers. From hot sunny days to breezy cool nights, youre sure to encounter a variety of temperatures regardless of what time of year you visit Napa Valley. To make sure youre comfortable throughout your daily adventures, pack layers. A light jacket, fashionable scarf, or chic sweater are usually all that youll need.
Comfortable shoes. Even if youve got the Napa Valley Wine Train to take you to and from your favorite Napa wineries, theyre so stunning that youre definitely going to want to walk around and explore. To ensure that you stay focused on fine wine and not aching feet, pack flat or wedge shoes that you can spend the day in whether youre window shopping in downtown Napa or strolling through vineyards.
An evening outfit. Were pretty laid back here in California and dark denim jeans paired with a nice top will be acceptable pretty much everywhere you gobut that doesnt mean we dont like dressing to impress! If you plan on taking advantage of some of the areas outstanding restaurants and culinary scene, pack one more formal outfits to make a night of it.
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Is There A Wine Tasting Dress Code
If youre trying to decide what to wear on a wine tasting adventure especially if its your first time youre probably wondering if there are any strict rules you should follow. While theres typically no agreed-upon dress code for tasting rooms and wineries, there are some unspoken rules we definitely recommend following.
Here are some tried and true guidelines for what to wear to a winery:
- Skip the heavy fragrance: A big part of wine tasting is experiencing all the unique aromas, so keep the perfume and cologne to a minimum, for your own benefit and to be polite to other tasters.
- Bring chapstick : Drinking wine all afternoon can make your lips dry and chapped, especially if youre outside, so bring some moisturizing chapstick with you and skip the lipstick after all, no one wants to leave lipstick marks all over their glass at a wine tasting.
- Avoid wearing white IF you tend to spill: Its a myth that you should never wear white in a tasting room, but its a good idea to wear darker colors or prints if you think you might spill.
- Wear layers, regardless of the season: While the season will dictate what layers you wear , layers are always the way to go they add class and style to your outfit and allow you to move between the tasting room, patio, and vineyards comfortably.
What To Wear To A Winery In The Spring
The weather in Napa during the springtime ranges from the high 60s to low 70s during the day and mid to upper 40s in the morning and evening.
Napa Valley in May is chilly in the mornings and evenings, but the daytime temperature is perfect. Perfect to me is the 70s, so if you like it a little warmer during the day, I would recommend waiting until last spring or early summer to visit Napa Valley.
In the spring pack more sweaters than you expect. Keep the sweaters handy in your car if you dont plan on going back to the hotel before going to dinner. Its also useful to keep them in the car when the tasting room is too cold or if you want to enjoy a glass of wine outside in the winery patio and its too breezy.
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What Shoes To Wear Wine Tasting
Shoes are the most important aspect of wine tasting. To get the full experience, you will want to take a walk along the vineyard and explore the venues and open spaces. In short, you will be walking. My gal pal and I logged almost 6,000 steps during our 24 hours in Napa Valley. Here are the best shoe options to wear wine tasting
Any Hotel Or Airbnb Recommendations
Since we live relatively close to Napa, day trips are standard for us but theres certainly no shortage of great places to stay. Whether you prefer downtown vibes, resort-like retreats, boutique hotels or hotels with history, theres something to suit you. I think my biggest tip is to figure out where you want to be based on the wineries or places youre visiting. Napa Valley is fairly spread out and while there are places that make winery-hopping easy it can also take half an hour or more just to get from one winery to the next.
Plan out your top wineries or places you want to visit and consider making your home base or hotel somewhere in between those. On the flip side, if youre heading to Napa for a retreat-like, spa weekend, theres no shortage of resorts that have it all.
One of our personal favorite places weve stayed is Silverado Resort and its a huge property with a little bit of everything. Restaurants, mini market + coffee shop, golf course, games, multiple pools, spayou really dont have to leave! Another great option is any of the Auberge properties, Meadowood or Carneros Resort!
Looking for pet-friendly Napa hotels? Try Napa River Inn , Archer Hotel, Solage, Calistoga Motor Lodge & Spa, Carneros Resort and Lavender!
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Stylish Wine Tasting Attire
Taking the above points into consideration I should mention these photos were taken mid-day after the clouds had disappeared and the sun was shining.
I wore pants in the morning then switched to shorts as the day got warmer.
When putting together an outfit for wine tasting I consider the weather and location were going to.
These photos were taken in Castello di Amorosa, the popular castle winery in Napa. This winery has a very natural feel with lots of old world charm.
For my wine tasting attire, there are five points I follow to make sure I have a stylish and fuss-free time.
Stay Stylish,
When In Doubt Go With A Simple Outfit
Honestly, wine tasting is literally just fancy day drinking. Youll be tired and a wee bit drunk after a long day of sipping wines. Skip the button-up romper that is hard to take on and off, or the wrap dress that likes to blow around and instead just wear something simple and/or hassle-free.
Now time for some major style inspiration!
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Are Most Wine Tastings Private Or Groups
Whether or not youll be wine tasting alone or with strangers varies from winery to winery. Winery tours are often done in groups, and tasting rooms offer bar service where youre elbow-to-elbow with another group and one host offers pours as guests arrive. At Jordan Winery, all tours and tastings with food pairings that can be booked on the website are group wine tastings. In order to have a private wine tasting at Jordan, you have to become a Silver member of the Jordan Estate Rewards loyalty program. On the other hand, at MacRostie Winery, the Estate House is designed like a living room with several private tables so that wine tasting guests each have their own table. Its best to ask the winery if youre looking for a private experience. Many wineries also offer the option of booking out a group tasting and turning it into a private, which is popular with the award-winning Jordan Estate Tour & Tasting excursion.
Do We Need Reservations For Wine Tasting
Do all wineries require reservations? This is a question we receive quite often at Jordan Winery, as all of our tours and tastings include food pairings and are by appointment with advance reservations required. Many wineries do require reservations due to food preparation, staffing, use permits and overall philosophy. A traditional tasting room typically doesnt require an advance reservation for a tasting at the bar, but its always best to check the winery website to confirm before showing up. As a general rule, most of the best winery tours in Napa and Sonoma require a reservation because they are experiences that include food, different destinations on the winery property, or both.
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