How to Do Napa Without Breaking the Bank

03.05.2024 - 11:51 / cntraveler.com

Napa Valley has long been a mecca for wine lovers. Who doesn’t fantasize about sipping wine while overlooking a vineyard? But wine country vacations are getting expensive: tasting room fees have risen sharply since 2019, according to Silicon Valley Bank’s 2023 Direct to Consumer report. With premium tasting experiences often costing an average of $128 per person per winery, a weekend getaway can quickly add up. And long gone are the days of traversing Highway 29 and popping into places on a whim; reservations, a practice that gained traction during the pandemic, remain firmly in place.

However, the town of Napa—now often overshadowed by the culinary prowess of Yountville or the luxury of St. Helena—is having a bit of a renaissance. More than 55 tasting rooms dot the downtown area, and along with classic producers who are setting up shop, young labels find the scene conducive to getting their name out to a wider audience (pssst, it’s not all Cabernet, either). The average flight of wine downtown hovers around $35, making it one of the most affordable ways to get your wine country on.

Add a slew of new shops and restaurants into the mix, and this kid sister of a town is coming into its own. "The transformation we've witnessed in downtown Napa is astounding,” says Aubrey Bailey, co-founder of Cadet Wine and Beer Bar and Chispa Bar. “Ten years ago, visitors drove past Napa on their way to up-valley destinations. Today, Downtown Napa is the destination. The diversity of things to do in downtown Napa has expanded to capture the attention of more people visiting for the day or the weekend.”

The Archer Hotel sits on First Street, the town's main thoroughfare.

From San Francisco International Airport, either rent a car or arrange a driver (Uber and Lyft are options) for the hour-plus ride to Napa. The city of Napa itself is extremely pedestrian-friendly, and unless you plan on traveling elsewhere in the Valley a vehicle isn’t necessary.

Two great hotel options, the Andaz Napa and the Archer Hotel, are mere blocks from each other on First Street, the town's main thoroughfare. A stay at either boutique property puts you in the center of the action; both offer suites with private balconies worth the upgrade, and both have alfresco bars and restaurants.

Orient yourself to Napa with a day of classic varietals. Start your morning at Mayacamas’ downtown tasting room, an urban offshoot of the producer’s Mt. Veeder estate, where the focus is on chardonnay, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. Often, they’ll have older vintages on hand so you can taste why the estate has been an enduring Napa staple.

Nothing gets the hunger going like a little breakfast chardonnay: Walk over the Napa River bridge on First Street and make