St. Helena: Where to Taste in Napa’s Charming Wine Country Town
Thirty miles north of the city of Napa sits St. Helena, where Wine Country small-town charm is on full display. Highway 29 on this stretch becomes Main Street. You’ll find your car flanked on both sides by St. Helena’s assortment of shops, restaurants, bakeries and markets — oh, and a couple of places to taste wine, too.
If you’re planning to visit lots of wineries on this side of Napa Valley — in Calistoga, Howell and Spring mountains and more — you might opt to stay in St. Helena and carve off the extra half-hour of driving to downtown Napa. What’s more, St. Helena claims some of Wine Country’s best restaurants, like Press Napa Valley, Charter Oak, Acacia House, Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch, Terra, Meadowood and Napa Valley’s signature burger joint, Gott’s Roadside.
For wineries nestled into the hills above the town, check out our Howell Mountain tour. –Esther Mobley
Overview
Corison: The by-appointment wine tasting experience is a quiet spot off the bustle of Highway 29. Tastings are offered inside the winery, and you’ll be able to taste different vintage and vineyard bottlings side by side. (Read more about Corison here.)
Heitz: If you’re doing a walk-in tasting, expect approachable offerings like like Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and Ink Grade Vineyard Zinfandel. (Read more about Heitz here.)
Long Meadow Ranch: This is the perfect mid-wine-tasting spot. It has a full restaurant and other tasting options for bourbon, whiskey and olive oil. (Read more about Long Meadow Ranch here.)
Young Inglewood: For something unflashy with a hint of charm, roam through this organic vineyard and smell the the lilac gardens (if the season is right). (Read more about Young Inglewood here.)
Merryvale: Make Merryvale a last-minute stop if you have time. It’s right off Highway 29, and you can walk in until 5:30 pm. (Read more about Merryvale here.)
Ladera: This fairly new tasting room has been open to the public by appointment since late 2017. The general tasting includes an outdoor tasting of four wines with an option to add a cheese plate for a little extra. (Read more about Ladera here.)
V. Sattui: It’s all about quantity at V. Sattui. there’s a daunting list for you to try, and there’s a weekend barbecue on good weather days. (Read more about V. Sattui here.)