TLDR: It is wildly known that Napa Valley is filled with wineries and vineyards, a beauty to say the least. I use to think Napa was the only place to see this, but to my surprise the surrounding areas like Santa Rosa, Sonoma and Calistoga did as well. My friends and I made a trip up to Calistoga and i’m so glad we did.
You can make it a half or full day trip. We visited Sterling Vineyards for some wine tasting and Lovina Restaurant for a late lunch.
For details, read the post below.
When you think of Napa Valley you may think of wine tasting, vineyards and scenery which is true. However, you can experience that in the surrounding areas aside from Napa Valley such as Santa Rosa, Sonoma and Calistoga. They are all impressive, each winery has certain services that they offer such as vineyard tours, wine & food pairings, cave & barrel tastings etc. My friends and I decided to make a day trip out of it driving up to Calistoga (North of Napa Valley) and making a stop at a winery.
First Stop: Wine Tasting
We decided to visit Sterling Vineyard. It is a large winery with countless rows of grapevines at the entrance. The vibes for this location was fancy and sophisticated. We did their silver experience, $55 per person that featured the aerial tram from the entrance to the main building and the 60 minute wine tasting session. We also added on a charcuterie board for an extra $20 for our group of 5, that had a good selection of cheese and meats.
The highlight of our session was tasting their 2019 Malvasia Bianca. It is a really delicious sweet white wine (I prefer white wine over red wine). It is only sold at their location sadly, but I would recommend you to try it if you ever go or decide to order it online.
Here are a few options of other wineries that might interest you:
Don’t forget to check if you need to reserve in advance.
Second Stop: Calistoga, California
After our wine session we headed over to Calistoga. It was a cute small town that I wish to revisit.
- Calistoga Bikeshop
- If you would have time and want to see the area rent a bike for as long as you want.
Hungry? There are many restaurants on Lincoln Avenue with lots of variety such as Thai, Mexican, American, French etc.
- Lovina Restaurant
- This is the restaurant we ate at and it was delicious.
Would I recommend?
A day trip to a winery is a must. The scenery was beautiful and the day was relaxing. I was so happy to learn that the vineyards were not all overpriced and it also depends on the service you would like. Calistoga is perfect for lunch, it was quiet and not busy at least when we went. If you need plans for a weekend maybe give it a try, hope you enjoy, safe travels.
