How to Plan a Perfect Food-Filled Day in Napa Valley (2024)

For both Bay Area locals and first-time visitors to the California wine country, the allure of Napa Valley makes it hard to resist a trip to the veritable mecca for dining and drinking. And aren’t we lucky that one of the best places in the country for wine and food rests just about an hour outside of the major metropolitan city of San Francisco?

Whether you’re a seasoned wine country expert planning a quick jaunt to Napa Valley with out-of-towners or making the trip for the first time, this guide aims to cover a little of everything. You’ll hit a family-friendly winery and one that’s more avant-garde as you eat your way up Highway 29 with pitstops to see some of the valley’s most recognizable sites — because even if you aren’t dropping serious dollars to dine at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry, you can still get a glimpse of the restaurant and the garden where the team grows much of what ends up on diners’ plates, all for the affordable price of free.

Let this be either a ready-made itinerary for your first Napa Valley day trip or a template for designing your own perfect food day in one of Northern California’s most destination-worthy places.

7 a.m. Grab a cup of coffee

Napa Valley Roasting Company has been roasting beans and pouring blends since 1985 — before bean varietals and roasting techniques became a trend. The company typically carries nine to ten single-origin roasts. All beans are roasted in-house four to six times a week to maximize freshness. If you’re less of a traditionalist, try the Black Forest mocha or strawberry cold brew.

710 Main Street, Napa

8 a.m. Breakfast at La Cheve

Bob McClenahan

The best way to avoid waiting in line at the family-owned Mexican hotspot La Cheve is to get there early. Located in one of the oldest buildings in Napa (Adobe House) the bakery and restaurant serves chilaquiles, conchas, and a delicious flan French toast. “Seeing my mother cook everything from scratch at home, really allowed me to appreciate the art of cooking and baking,” co-owner Cinthya Cisneros says. “How that one tortilla has so much love, patience, and hard work.”

376 Soscol Avenue, Napa

10 a.m. Visit an open-air market

Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection

The sprawling 712-acre Stanly Ranch was once a simple working farm. It’s come a long way from its humble beginnings and is now part of the Auberge Resort Collection. Whether or not you’re looking for a place to stay, you can still enjoy much of what Stanly Ranch has to offer. Every Sunday ( until the end of October) there’s a free open-air market.

Highlights include tasting Stanly Ranch’s pet-nat, sampling produce and wine from Hudson Ranch and Vineyards, scoping out custom-made hats from Hampui Hats, and jamming to live music. For lunch, grab a garden table at Bear. The raw and preserved farm vegetables with cashew-miso dip, house-made chips with crème fraiche and trout roe, and Korean fried chicken in a milk bread bun, are menu staples.

200 Stanly Crossroad, Napa

1 p.m. Wine tasting at Ashes & Diamonds

Emma K. Morris

Take Highway 29, about 10 minutes up the road from Napa, to the incredibly chic mid-century modern winery Ashes and Diamonds. If you’re feeling game for more bites, sample the wine and cheese combo, or get straight to the pours with one of A&D’s flights. Current flights include Vineyard II Cabernet Sauvignon (Diamond Mountain); rose; blanc; grand vin; chardonnay; cabernet franc; and Rosa, a chillable, zero-zero sangiovese/cabernet franc blend that will be released in the A&D tasting room in late June.

4130 Howard Lane, Napa

3 p.m. Try more wine while visiting an animal sanctuary

If you’re looking for a family destination, try Oasis by Hoopes. Proprietor Lindsay Hoopes grew up collecting strays on her Napa farm so it was almost inevitable that when she took over her family’s winery it would morph into something more. “One day someone dropped chickens off,” Hoopes says. “I realized we needed a guardian animal for the chickens, so we adopted a donkey, and then he needed friends.” But don’t let the chickens and donkey fool you; this is a serious winery too. Enjoy sipping on 2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, while the kids (and animal-loving adults) will be entertained by the herd. If you’re still feeling peckish, you can purchase homemade ice cream, Otter Pops, and preserves, all produced from the bounty in the Hoopes’ garden.

6204 Washington Street, Napa

5 p.m. Pastries and espresso at Bouchon Bakery

After hitting several wineries, make a pitstop in Yountville, practically a mandatory pilgrimage for fine dining fanatics. Most famously, this tiny town is home to Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-star French Laundry but before you head over to gawk at its understated exterior, pick up a pain au chocolat and coffee at Bouchon Bakery. There will likely be a line; there almost always is. But once you’ve secured those flaky goods, saunter over to the French Laundry gardens just across the street from the restaurant to take in the neat rows of tiny leaf lettuce and beds exploding with vining summer squash.

528 Washington Street, Yountville

7 p.m. Slurp on some pasta

Kelly Puleio

Head up the road to Yountville’s century-old Italian grocery store. The historical landmark, dating back to 1916, is now a modern Italian restaurant from chefs Christopher Kostow and Yan Iskandar. Ciccio offers a California-Italian-inspired menu with wood-burning pizzas, fresh pasta, and salads featuring elements from the restaurant’s nearby 3.5-acre farm. The menu is hyper-seasonal, however, there are a few favorites that stay on the menu year-round: meatball stuffed peppers with chili crisp, Caesar salad with bonito and Parmesan, and Kostow’s version of cacio e pepe, served as a gnudi with burnt peppercorns and pennyroyal cheese.

6770 Washington Street, Yountville

9 p.m. End the night drinking with the kitchen staff

Stroll down the street to one of Napa Valley’s oldest and most beloved watering holes, Panchas. This barebones bar is cash only and has no website. But if rubbing elbows with celebrity chefs is your thing, this is your spot. Grab a drink and get comfortable. After midnight, most chefs go to Panchas to unwind so don’t be surprised if you find yourself sitting next to the Ciccio and French Laundry staff by the end of the night.

6764 Washington Street, Yountville