So much wine, so little time. The Napa Valley is synonymous with wine good wine. You cant taste it all, but you can taste smart. So break the wine country mold, ditch the need for a designated driver and and do Downtown Napa. In case you needed them, here are five good reasons to do Downtown Napa:
Sip
Close to three dozen tasting rooms have Downtown Napa addresses and that means theyre all within walking distance of each other. You can spend your day sipping and strolling from one place to the next. An added benefit, some like Mason Cellars even pour for free. Vintners Collective specializes in small-production wines. Trahan is a small, family winery with a winemaker who is doing what he loves. Night owls can stay up late with a full glass at spots like 1313 Main and John Anthony. Serious tasters should buy a Downtown Napa Tasting Card. At $30 it covers a dozen tastings, is good through the end of the year and is transferrable.
Sing
With 36 wines on tap and 400 bottles to choose from, a visit to City Winery Napa at the Napa Valley Opera House will have you in a singing kind of mood. Which is just perfect, because you can take in a show over drinks, dinner or dessert. From music to movies, be sure to check out the schedule when youre in town. Silos at the Historic Napa Mill has live music Wednesday through Sunday and along with impressive wines, offers tasty Signature Craft Cocktails. With just 857 seats, there isnt a bad seat in the house at Uptown Theatre. Its a small venue that attracts big names like Keb Mo, Boz Scaggs and Lyle Lovett.
Savor
Not everyone likes wine, but everyone has to eat. The menu at Oenotri changes depending on what comes out of the garden that day, but what never changes is the delicious house baked bread. With a teeny, tiny kitchen smaller than many walk-in closets, Bounty Hunter serves up California style BBQ and beer can chicken youll spend months trying to recreate at home. Carpe Diems Truffle Fries could have their own fan club and the curried deviled eggs at Kitchen Door make simple picnic food anything but. Lock your diet in the car for the weekend.
Stroll
Its easy to put a little art in your step as you sip and stroll through town. Napas ARTwalk feature 15 sculptures strategically scattered throughout Downtown. You can pick up a map and brochure at the Visitors Center on Main Street or honestly just wing it and youre still likely to come across a good handful. The pieces, many of them colorful, are hard to miss.
Sleep
Where you sleep is just as important as where you sip. Downtown Napa has somewhere around two dozen bed andbreakfasts with and without doilies. The White House Inn & Spa is the only B&B in town with a hot tub and pool. With more than 100 favorite breakfast recipes, the owners at The Inn on First keep track so guests never eat the same thing twice. And Shakespeare would feel at home at Cedar Gables Inn.
If youre looking for a stay with more of a resort feel, The Meritage Resort and Spa has a vineyard, tasting room and, wait for it, bowling alley with great grub. The Westin Verasa Napa has a running concierge to help guests burn those extra wine country calories, and the Napa River Inn has a location so close to everything that it cant be beat. If youre traveling with your pooch check out the Pampered Paws spa package. While you treat yourself to a facial or a massage, Fido gets a walk, an all-natural dog cookie and a mini massage.
