As the region that first put California wines on the map back in 1976, Napa Valley is still the gold standard destination for a lot of wine lovers. While plenty has changed there since the Bicentennial summer, a lot has changed in the past few years alone, as the New York Times noted in its recent “36 Hours in Napa Valley” article.
“Don’t call Napa starchy,” writes Paola Singer of the revered wine region. “Along with a cluster of century-old palazzos and chateaus, the area features a growing array of contemporary tasting rooms, hotels, spas and food establishments, many of them opened or refurbished within the last two years.”
Singer puts together a weekend’s worth of mostly new places to taste, eat, and recharge, from retro-cool winery Ashes & Diamonds to craft brewery Trade Brewing and Michael Chiarello’s new burger joint Platform 8, along with the best places to stock up on snacks between wine tastings (like Oxbow Public Market).
The article also details cool places to stay, like Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa, a mid-century-style boutique hotel offering make-your-own mud baths. Check out the companion piece on what to pack for Napa Valley, including the right kind of jacket for the area’s cool evenings and a simple way to get your bottles safely back home.
We also have a deep inventory of things to do in Napa Valley, including bucket-list luxuries such as Meadowood, The French Laundry, and Calistoga Ranch.
