While in Palm Springs earlier this month, my girlfriends and I decided to stretch out our time in California. Being wine lovers, we had to put Napa Valley on the list! We decided to visit San Francisco as well (since it’s one of my favourite cities), drive from the airport there, then back to the city.
Archer Napa Hotel Lobby
Stay
This time I stayed at the Archer Hotel, a new hotel located in downtown Napa. Last time I was in Napa, this hotel was still being developed, so I was really excited to get to see the new and finished property this time around.
Archer Napa Hotel Entrance
When I walked in I was impressed by the decor and friendliness of all the staff. We were offered sparkling wine at check-in and our room was stunning. The hotel also has a beautiful rooftop with restaurant, spa, and gym.
Archer Hotel Napa Rooftop Views
Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar
Firepit in the Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar
I would definitely pay the Archer Napa’s Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar a visit whether you’re staying at the hotel or not if you’re in downtown Napa. The views are breathtaking and the scene and ambiance were perfect for sipping on vino with cheese.
Cheeseboard from the Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar
Firepit in the Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar
My favourite moments at the hotel were lounging on their rooftop soaking in the sun and their avocado toast of course! I love breakfast in bed, and my favourite is always avocado toast. At the Archer Napa, they serve it with smoked salmon which I also love!
Archer Napa Hotel Room Service
Wineries
We decided to go with a guided wine tour this time and have our driver pick the wineries for us. I was impressed that it was a mix of small and large wineries, all with different styles, yet the same amazing quality of wine to be expected in Napa We got picked up and droppd off right right from our hotel, making the entire journey super convenient.
Tasting wine at Hagafen Cellars
Andretti Winery and Hagafen Cellars Were the first two wineries we went to and got us off to a great start. Andretti Winery is an Italian style winery and Hagafen Cellars was family run. Both wineries were so picturesque that I didn’t want to leave.
Scenary at Hagafen Cellars
Saddleback Cellars. We stopped here for a picnic lunch (and much needed after three wine tastings). This winery was a bit bigger than the first two – we were spoiled with gorgeous views of their vineyards during our lunch.
Domaine Chandon Was the last and biggest winery of all our stops. It was also the perfect place for those who love sparkling wine. By this point I was pretty tired and very, very full of wine, but I had to try a glass and was not disappointed!
Sparkling wine tasting at Domaine Chandon
Tip: It’s totally okay to share a tasting if you want to slow down a bit. Don’t feel like you have to taste a full 5-6 glasses of wine at each winery. I shared a tasting here with my girlfriend because we wanted to keep things under control (it wasn’t even 5pm yet)!
The Drive
We drove from San Francisco International Airport which took us just a little over two and a half hours since we got stuck in rush hour. We didn’t stop by any wineries on the way since we just wanted to get to the hotel and settle in. Even in rush hour, I wouldn’t say the drive was awfully stressful, I’d do it again. The drive back from our hotel to Union Square in San Francisco took much less than 2 hours. AND we stopped by In-N-Out on the way. We left early in the afternoon so we weren’t stuck in traffic. We were even able to stop by one winery (Nicholson Ranch, the first one in Sonoma) on the way back. We were feeling sponteneous 🙂
If you don’t want to drive, that’s totally okay. There are many tours from San Francisco that will take you up to Napa for a day tour, so you won’t need a designated driver and everyone can taste wine! We wanted to have extra time in Napa though so we opted to stay overnight for a few days, but you can still enjoy everything we did if you’re staying in San Francisco too.
Enroute from Napa to San Francisco
What are some of your favourite destinations to taste wine? Since I’ve been to Napa twice now, I definitely want to venture elsewhere before I come back. Let me know your thoughts!