Suggestions for upcoming trip to Napa Valley
 

My wife and I are planning a trip next week and I would love input on our proposed itinerary and suggestions for other wineries or restaurants that we have listed. Admittedly one can get overwhelmed with all the choices of both in this area. It is my wife’s first time to Napa and I am trying to get a bit of everything in the short time we have
Sunday:
Get to Napa from San Jose at about noon. Check in at hotel, then Mondovi tour at 2:00. From here we have a massage/mud-bath at Lavender Hills Spa in Calistoga. If time permits plan on stopping at Franks Family Winery on way up from Mondovi. Dinner is at Tra Vigne that night because I have fond memories of it but that was from a long time ago and recent posts have me rethinking this for Martini House, Redd, Botegga etc… Thoughts?
Monday:
V. Sattui (open early and on way up to Spring Mountain area), Domain Charbay, Terra Valentine, Franciscan, and 3:00 tour at Del D(B)lotto. Dinner at Rutherford Grill.

Tuesday:
Rubicon, before we head back to San Jose to catch flight home.

Any suggestions/revisions would be appreciated.

You have planned everything in detail. Why do you post here?

Maybe because they wanted some input on the plan?

I would skip Tra Vigne and try something else. It is not the same as it was years ago. The setting is nice, but the food and service are disappointing.
We like Go Fish in St. Helena.
or Bottega or Bardessonno in Yountville.

We were just in Napa last month. I have to tell you we loved Kuleto Winery www.kuleto.com/winery.htm It was a beautiful setting and certainly something different from the others we saw. Guide was great - wonderful to sit down at the picnic table setting and try the various wines.

Absolutely hated Del D(B)lotto. First of all it had the most expensive tasting fee of everything we visited and all the crowd was interested in was in fact getting blotto. They talked over the guide (and this was not the exception to the rule as same issue with other guides) Tour was so - so and such a really noisy spot. They gave us pizza as the food to complement your wine. So if you decide to drop one, drop this one!

We found that to do three wineries in a day was a full day. We had hired a car and driver (our first time doing so) and now we swear by it. It was great not to have find the spots or worry at the tasting coupled with driving.

Suze, elnap29, patandhank thanks for your suggestions. traveller1959....not so much. I always have found websites such as these as friendly places to get input on trip plans. Have already eliminated Tra vigna. patandhank which Del Dotto site did you go to? We had looked at the one in Napa.

We tried a sip and cycle tour and absolutely loved it! We booked through Getaway Adventures - www.getawayadventures.com. The tour took most of the day (stopping at about 5 wineries), included lunch and a tour of a barrel making facility. Also inlcluded was a stop at Chateau Montelena. We all had a great time.

We have dined at Redd and it was excellent..
We enjoy Rombauer, Silver Oak and Joseph Phelps winery.
We had olives, cheeses and other great snacks with wine at the V.Sattui..loved the ahi burger at Taylor's Refresher in St. Helena and Bistro Jeanty too..hear that Go Fish is excellent.
Napa area is so gorgoeus!!
Have fun.

I just wish we had more than 2 days!!

Tra Vigne is still a nice restaurant. It was owned by Michael Chiarello but not for about 8 years. He now is the Chef of Bottega in Yountville which is very nice and has received excellent reviews. He also has a Napa Style store next to the restaurant. www.napastyle.com