Day Trips from San Francisco: Napa Valley

Around two hours from San Francisco's city center lies the world famous Napa Valley, known for producing superb wine. The valley is surprisingly small for such a famous wine region being roughly 30 miles long, yet its combination of mountains, valleys, Mediterranean climate, and diverse volcanic soils create a remarkable range of growing conditions.

A destination for more than just wine, Napa also attracts visitors who come for hot-air-balloon rides, farm-to-table dining, art, historic towns, spas, and scenic drives through the countryside.

Cabernet Sauvignon is Napa's superstar grape. The region is particularly renowned for powerful, structured red wines, although Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and other varieties are also grown here.

A note from the writer: this is a pre-pandemic tale.

Napa Valley helped change the world's opinion of American wine. At the famous 1976 Paris Wine Tasting, wines from California famously outscored prestigious French wines in blind tastings, shocking the traditional wine establishment.

Our first stop, Domaine Chandon, was founded in 1973 when French Champagne expertise began taking root in Napa Valley.

It was one of the pioneering French-owned ventures dedicated to producing high-quality sparkling wine in the United States.

Thus Domaine Chandon helped establish California as a serious sparkling-wine producer.

Its approach combined traditional French winemaking knowledge with grapes grown in California's distinctive climate and soils.

For a bit of trivia, Domaine Chandon is owned by global luxury group LVMH, aka Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy; making it a sister company to brands like Christian Dior, Celine, Fendi, Loewe, Givenchy, and Tiffany & Co.

Getting a good buzz at our first stop!

Our second stop is the V. Sattui Winery whose story began with an Italian immigrant, Vittorio Sattui, arriving in the US from Genoa and opening a winery in the present grounds in 1885.

The winery's atmosphere has an Italian village feel. Rustic stonework, a tower, gardens and picnic areas give it a different personality from sleek, modern winery buildings.

Picnicking was part of the experience from early on, and is still a major highlight!

V. Sattui was among the Napa wineries that helped popularize the idea of visitors enjoying wine and food outdoors on winery grounds.

There is also an artisanal food marketplace on the property.

Alongside wine, visitors can find items such as cheeses, deli foods and other picnic provisions, making the winery as much about food as wine.

Last but certainly not least is the winery famous for looking like a medieval European castle!

Castello di Amorosa was created by vintner Dario Sattui, who wanted to build an authentic-feeling Tuscan-style castle and winery in Napa Valley.

Its Italian name means “Castle of Love.” The name suits its romantic appearance, with stone walls, towers, courtyards and an imposing entrance. Prices shown here are from over a decade ago!

The building was designed to reflect different periods of castle architecture including banquet halls..

And royal chapels!

However, it contains far more than a picturesque façade. Behind the stone walls are winemaking facilities, barrel-aging areas, and spaces used for guided visits and tastings.