You can do Yountville on a budget—and on foot!—while still enjoying all this wine-soaked area has to offer.
It ’s no secret that a trip toNapa is one of the best ways to pass a weekend awayfrom the Bay . The roll mound , the top - shit wineries , the legendary restaurants … And , oh right , the huge fat bill that typically get with all of that magnificent wine , food for thought , and liberalisation . Of Napa ’s five towns , disbursal are acutely find in Yountville , a small Ithiel Town in the heart of the valley known for its world - class restaurants , luxe accommodations , award - come through taste rooms , and public art . If Calistoga is your hippie friend who delight in speculation , mud baths , and hot spring , Yountville plays the role of the favorable , laid - back neighbor with a magical artistic creation - filled home who throws memorable dinner party parties and probably has ( definitely has ) a trustingness stock .
Napa Valley is the most expensive wine area to visit in the United States . But that does n’t have in mind it ca n’t be done somewhat affordably ( keyword : moderately ) , yes , even in Yountville , a petite walkable village with 15 sample room , over 450 hotel rooms , and 1500 - plus restaurant seats . Clearly , Yountville is a buzzy tourer town with the price to match . That ’s why you ’re potential to find the best buy if you go off - season in winter or saltation . Even good : visit mid - week . Not only will you save on hotels , but there will be fewer crowds and it ’ll be easier to get reservations at eating house and wine maker . The weather may be a little chilly , but especially in the spring , there ’s still a right hazard you ’ll get hang - by - the - pool temp .
From tasting room to restaurant and everything in between , here are the position to eat , drink , and slumber that will pull through you a little money without costing you a minute of hedonism . ( And , even better , how to do it all without getting in a car even once . )
Courtesy Stewart Cellars
Travel time
By railcar : Between 60 and 90 moment , bet on dealings ( 60 miles )
By public transit : Approximately 2 hoursIt ’s easy to arrive in Yountville , park your railway car , and not need it again until it ’s , sadly , time to leave . But it ’s not quite as painless to get there via public transportation ( specially if transferring is n’t your thing ) . If you ’re dictated to do the intact trip car - free , here ’s a way to do it that wo n’t take you much longer than drive ( depending on how long it takes you to get to the Ferry Building , of course ) .
San Francisco Bay Ferry and the VineTake theSF Bay Ferryfrom the Ferry Building in downtown SF to Vallejo ( $ 9.30 ) and transfer to the Vine Route 11X , Napa Vallejo Express ( $ 1.60 ) . Then , metamorphose to the Vine Route 10 , Up Valley Connector ( transfers within 1.5 hours are free ) to Yountville .
Ferry:1 hourThe Vine Route 11X : 52 minutesThe Vine Route 10 : 14 minutesTotal time : just about 2 time of day
If you do nothing else: Soar through the sky in a hot air balloon
We ’re not gon na blow hot air up your you - jazz - what and dissemble that a hot air balloon drive screams “ affordable , ” but a Yountville hot air balloon ride is such a bucket - list experience it ’s worth the minuscule orgy — and the early morning alarm . Balloons establish right after dawn when the winds are serene , but you may log Z’s when you ’re utter ! ( Which you will not be because of this experience since ballooning is really the safest form of flight of steps . ) You ’ll meet before sunrise at a golf game course that is walkable from anywhere in Yountville before rising into the sky to take in bucolic views of the Napa Valley base , Mt. St. Helena , the Mayacamas Mountain Range , and on rare occasion , even glimpse of the Sierras and the San Francisco visible horizon .
A “ Classic Flight ” withNapa Valley Balloonsis $ 299 , and it includes breakfast pastries and umber before your dangerous undertaking and a glass of bubbles to celebrate returning to ground without let to click your heels even once .
Fill your days:
The town of Yountville is about one knot from end to goal and prides itself on being incredibly walkable , so your hoof should be able to get you wherever you necessitate to go . If you prefer to cruise around on wheels ( two , not four ) so you may explore thing just alfresco of town , rent a police cruiser , e - bike , or route bike atNapa Valley Bike Tours . ( Check with your hotel first , though , because many offer cycle on a first - semen , first - attend basis . )
Wine Tasting in Yountville
You ’re in Napa Valley , so it should n’t come as a surprisal that natter the many tasting rooms that model along the “ Yountville Mile ” is the number one matter any visitant should tackle in this midget town . It ’s the perfect way to see the Ithiel Town on groundwork ( no designate driver needed ) while also sipping some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc the region has to bid .
Pro backsheesh : If you need to truly savor the wine and also have the stamina to make it to dinner party , it ’s a good idea to set your tasting to two each day . Each tasting lasts about 60 to 90 mo and once you take off rush to hit as many as potential , not only does it stop being fun and relaxing , it becomes pretty difficult to in reality differentiate the wine .
We suggest either starting or end at the north summit of town where you ’ll find theStewart Cellarstasting room . If you ’re beginning the Clarence Day there , a few of the preferent smack option include the curated wine-colored and cheeseflower taste ( $ 75 ) inside the tasting way or on the sunshine - filled patio and the NOMAD Cabernet Sauvignon tasting , which takes position inside the sensational lodge - similar rare - Good Book - fill library with comfortable seating inside and out . This seat tasting is a splurge ( $ 150 ) and include a consecrate host , as well as cheese and charcuterie . If you really want to stick to an low-cost budget , the 60 - moment Portfolio Flight tasting is only $ 45 , which is a steal in Napa where it ’s getting hard and hard to find tastings under 50 bucks . you’re able to relish any of these tasting in the good afternoon as well , but the reason we like this as a final stop is that you’re able to also show up at your leisure time and sip Stewart ’s fantastic wine by the methamphetamine or nursing bottle . It ’s a glorious room to spend an afternoon ( the tasting room is open until 6 pm ) without break off the depository financial institution .
Courtesy Yountville Arts
Other favorites ( from north to south ) includeJessup Cellarswhere you’re able to taste wine-coloured and train out a verandah of art from local artists . The Canvas & Corks experience is just $ 30 and does n’t include the cheese couple you ’ll get with the pricier Palette & Palate tasting , but there are so many delicious places to eat in Yountville , it ’s almost substantially not to fill up on cheese .
Keep walking south toCornerstone Cellars , a boutique winery located in the town ’s historic geartrain post . Sit in spite of appearance to take in the lightsome and windy standard atmosphere with artistic production - cover wall or bespeak a table on the terrace to make the most of the conditions ( or if you have your well - behaved dog in tow ) . The classical Taste of Cornerstone experience includes a selection of five wine for $ 50 per client .
Hill Family Estatewas the 2d tasting room to ever exist in Yountville and has a cozy vibe and a reasonably priced tasting . Taste a flight for $ 40 ( which is forgo if you expend $ 100 on wine ) . For just a little bit more ( $ 75 ) , you’re able to do the Secret Garden Tour ( available June – September at 10:30 am ) , which sells itself because who does n’t like a secret garden ? ( Insert recession Frances Hodgson Burnett joke here . ) The tour will take you through a hidden 1.3 - acre “ haven ” home to produce and yield tree and is follow by a seated tasting .
Courtesy Napa Valley Balloons
Nearby , you ’ll also findSilver Trident Winerytucked away on a charming place . The living way - esque outer space is gorgeous with comfy seats and plenty of fine art and antiques . you could make it palpate almost precisely like hanging out in your living room at home if you do the Potato Chip Extravaganza tasting — five Silver Trident wines mate with five different artisanal tater chips . The tasting is 75 minute and cost $ 65 per guest .
in conclusion , at the south tip of town , you ’ll find the very popularPriest Ranch Winery . There , you could absolutely do the $ 50 savoring , but that ’s only snuff it to get you wine ( albeit some excellent wine-colored ) , whereas $ 85 will get you a taste you ’ll never forget : The Bacon & Wine Experience , which include four modified - output red vino mate with four dissimilar cut of delicious pork abdomen .
Arts and Culture in Yountville
Yountville is passably much about three things : wine-coloured , intellectual nourishment , and prowess . You ’ll have to put in at least a lilliputian bit of attempt to seek out the first two , but you ’ll find the latter everywhere you look . TheYountville “ Art Walk”is an ever - changing collection of over 35 outdoor sculpture that you ’ll see all over town . If you want to verify you see every carving , snaffle a printed function at the Yountville Community Center or take a docent - lead duty tour ( $ 25 suggested contribution ) .
Since you ’re going to walk right by it at some point , you should also mark out the French Laundry Culinary Garden , which sit across the street from the famous Michelin - star eating place . It is free to explore for those of us who do n’t have $ 390 ( at a minimum , per soul , and you ’ll pay extra for wine-coloured ) to throw down on dinner party .
Eat, drink, and sleep:
Restaurants and bar in Yountville
Yountville is considered the “ Culinary Capital ” of Napa Valley and has one of the high concentration of Michelin - rated restaurants in the world , include Thomas Keller ’s very expensive French Laundry . But you do n’t need to spend hundred of dollars to have a delicious repast , let in several in other more low-priced Thomas Keller restaurants .
For breakfast , you ca n’t go untimely with any of the pastry dough or savory options at Keller’sBouchon Bakery(expect a line on the weekend ) or breakfast sandwiches atMini Model , a magic bakery housed in a 125 - year - sure-enough ship’s galley and known for its flossy English gem .
Courtesy Silver Trident Winery
At lunch period , you ’ll find the best hot dog in Wine Country atHonor Market , a gas place and wine-colored shop because , well , you ’re in Napa . Why would n’t the gas station double as a wine-coloured shop ? Finish with an affogato , soft serve with a shot of espresso , to satiate your sweet tooth and get a rise of vigor for your afternoon tasting . If you ’re looking for something a little more leisurely , La Calenda , Thomas Keller ’s cheerful Mexican restaurant that uses traditional cookery methods and has a great margarita if you need a happy chance from all of the wine , is a stellar option for dejeuner and dinner party .
If you ’re try out at Priest Ranch and your stomach starts to grumble , it ’s a no - brainer to get a smashburger paired with a glass of Priest Ranch Cab Sauv atThe Kitchen at Priest Ranch , a laid back “ farm to branch , anchor to grass ” fleck adjacent to the taste room . And if you ’re in Yountville on a Friday or Saturday during the springtime or summertime , you ’d be remiss not to head toAddendum , where you’re able to devour an entire bucket of Thomas Keller ’s famous fried Gallus gallus ( or just a few piece if that ’s more in line with your appetite ) in the garden .
Make indisputable to save room because dinner in Yountville is not to be eaten lightly . If you’re able to get a qualification atCiccio , a pop spot that serve up up celestial pastas and wood - fire pizza ) from three Michelin - hotshot chef Christopher Kostow , grab it . ( But , this is still Yountville , so expect to pay around $ 30 for a pizza . ) For those in the mood for something Parisian , Bistro Jeanty , a classic French bistro , is popular with tourists and locals likewise . Find a seat at the barroom where you ’re almost certain to meet strangers - grow - friends while tuck into lenient beauty like fillet au poivre , coq au vin , and the popular crême de tomate en croute , a creamy tomato soup top with a pull pastry .
Courtesy Stewart Cellars
Most likely , by the time dinner party is over , you ’ll be quick to roll yourself to bed , but if you ’re craving a final nightcap , Panchas , a dive bar to beat all dive bar , is the piazza to go . It recently change possession and is slated to open up in the natural spring of 2024 but with the same old - timey saloon , no - bullshit vibe . Let ’s just say , you are not die to Panchas to order an espresso martini . Or any martini , for that matter .
Many of the hotels in Yountville cost over $ 1,000 for a unmarried Nox , but choke not becauseMaison Fleurie , a boutique hotel that looks like it came straight out of the Gallic countryside , has you underwrite . rate vary but even during efflorescence Wine Country time ( summer ) , you ’ll be able to find a room for less than $ 400 . Go mid - calendar week during the surrender or wintertime , and you’re able to snag a room for $ 200 . The most affordable rooms are cozy and très bantam and have everything you need , but not much more than that , all the more cause to get out and explore or advert out by the hotel ’s syndicate or spicy vat . If you want something a little fancier , inquire for a of late renovated Carriage House elbow room which open up out into a delightful garden . Whichever way you pick , you ’ll be offered freshly broil cookie when you get in , a wine-coloured and cheese 60 minutes in the afternoon , a full breakfast in the morning , and use of the first - come , first - help wheel .
If money is not an aim , Bardessono Hotel & Spa , a modern spa resort that will quickly sweet-talk you into a nation of tranquility , is right on across the street . The rooms are grand , with bathroom that finger like you ’ve just walk into a spa . There ’s also a rooftop swimming pool with views and a cute restaurant , Lucy , that is double-dyed for cocktail and bites by the firepits . The latter is a cracking option even if you ’re not calling the hotel home . It is worth mentioning that even with all of that sumptuosity , Bardessono is the greenest hotel in Napa Valley and one of only eight LEED Platinum hotels in the United States , so you’re able to feel good about doing your part to salvage the major planet while also indulging in complete luxury .
Courtesy Yountville Arts
Ciccio|Photo by Kelly Puleio
Ciccio|Photo by Kelly Puleio
Courtesy Maison Fleurie
