Napa crowds ... when does it ease up?
 

Tentatively planning a trip to Yountville this fall, mainly to dine at French Laundry and Meadowood, maybe Cyrus. Enjoy the area more when there's no bumper-to-bumper traffic and have heard the fall harvest is a very busy time for tourism, so want to avoid the brunt of it.

I'm guessing all of Sept is crowded, how about after mid-Oct? Or should we wait for November?

Can you go mid-week? I've been there several times in every season (for business) and steal away for an afternoon. I've never encountered crowds or traffic on weekdays.

There can still be crush activities in October, but most of the visitors will be on the weekend. So as starrs suggested mid-week visiting is your best chance of less crowds.

Thanks starrs, we can go mid-week so maybe that's the best plan.

It's my experience, Bill_H. I work to fit in a day or afternoon every time in the area for work and I've never had more than a few people in a winery at the same time. Sometimes, I'm the only one - even in October. I usually hit a "popular" winery and then wander a bit and just drive into one that sounds interesting. One of my favorite "discoveries" was Clos Pegase and it wasn't until later that I learned it was a Michael Graves design. I just loved being there.

On one weekend trip a co-worker and I went to Jack London State Park and took a walk and visited the museum. We sat and talked on a bench for hours (we live in different parts of the county) and just saw a few other people all morning.

After the busy barrel tasting weekend day, my DF, his daughter and friend and I just drove up to Sonoma Lake - juet because none of us had seen it before. After being in the midst of the crowds a little while ago, we were a world apart.

So, the wineries (and roads) are not crowded on weekdays and I've lucked into getting away from the crowds on busy weekends - in two very lovely locations.