Even if it’s possible to live on wine and cheese alone, one probably shouldn’t, especially while travelling in wine country and (over)indulging on a near-constant basis. But while many wine regions around the world have estates that feature full-on restaurants on the grounds, this concept isn’t as popular in Napa Valley with local beverage laws that complicate matters. Luckily, many wineries have discovered that a little culinary creativity goes a long way. Napa’s fabled estates have developed increasingly exciting and robust food-and-wine experiences to offer to visitors, the likes of which make a simple cheese plate seem downright passé.
From private chefs offering tasting menus that could rival any Michelin-starred restaurant to pairing plates drawing from estate gardens and their bounty of seasonal produce, these wineries have pulled out all the stops to create Napa Valley food-and-wine experiences that visitors will remember for a lifetime. While some of these offerings may be a bit spendy, you might find something revelatory in a carefully crafted pairing; when done well, these combinations can elevate both the food and the wine beyond their individual excellence, helping highlight flavour nuances that may have previously been hidden.
It would probably be overkill to book too many of these types of food-and-wine experiences in one day, but if you schedule them thoughtfully you may not need to seek out a lunch reservation – therefore maximising on time spent exploring some of the world’s most renowned wineries. From Los Carneros at the southern end of the region to Calistoga all the way up north, here are some leading Napa Valley wineries with food, where you can taste, unwind and fill up when exploring the region’s delights.
12 top Napa Valley wineries with food experiences to savour
Domaine Carneros
Los Carneros
If you’re looking for an opportunity to push the boat out when in wine country, look no further than Domaine Carneros at the southern end of Napa in the Los Carneros AVA. This elite sparkling house, which was originally launched by Champagne Taittinger in 1987, produces some of California’s best sparklers and hosts guests in grand fashion at a château designed to evoke the Champagne maison. Domaine Carneros recently opened the Salon des Rêves, a swanky art deco-inspired lounge overlooking the impeccable riddling room and offering an array of decadent seafood-focused pairings, including a comparative tasting of Atlantic and Pacific oysters, caviar by Tsar Nicoulai and a sumptuous house ceviche. The lavish green-and-gold space is accessed via a hidden staircase, giving the whole experience a mysterious, speakeasy vibe.
The Donum Estate
Los Carneros
The Donum Estate is a breathtaking location to visit, with one of the world’s largest private sculpture exhibits on display all around the 220-acre property. The estate focuses on regeneratively and organically farmed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but also houses an olive grove, plum orchard and a culinary garden that is the source for an array of creative canapés and small plates, each paired with wines in ‘Discover’ and ‘Explore’ experiences. Donum leans all the way into an ethos of local production, even serving some items on ceramics crafted from the estate’s own clay. If you feel like lingering a bit, you can also choose a full-blown lunch service. Either way, plan some extra time to enjoy the grounds and the art.
Joseph Phelps
St Helena
This iconic Napa estate has been electrifying food and wine lovers for decades; the flagship wine Insignia a long favorite of chefs and sommeliers alike. Phelps has recently revitalised its visitor centre and now offers multiple culinary tasting experiences crafted by chef Tod Kawachi to pair with the estate’s legendary Napa wines, as well as selections from Joseph Phelps’ lesser-known but equally admirable Sonoma Coast vineyards. The ‘Collector’s Tasting’ features a small number of bites to pair with the range of wines, while more serious foodies can indulge in the ‘Taste of Place’ or ‘Chef’s Culinary Menu’, with Insignia poured alongside Snake River Farm’s American wagyu beef, and a Bloomsdale spinach tartlet with baby turnip and a red-wine herb jus.
Darioush
Oak Knoll
The Persian heritage of founders Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi is front and centre in a brand-new culinary programme at Darioush. Time-honored techniques and ingredients mingle with seasonal produce from the garden to create a menu that enchants, while pairing marvelously with these elegant and refined wines. While all tasting experiences at Darioush involve some culinary flair, the most singular experience is entitled ‘By Invitation Only’ and is served in two prescheduled seatings per day. This tasting offers a chance for guests to enjoy the estate’s most exclusive wines alongside immaculately presented courses, including Hokkaido scallop with sunchoke and bacon jam, crafted by longtime Darioush chef Juan Carlos Acosta.
Davis Estates
Calistoga
‘The goal of the food pairing is to change the conversation with the guest. What better way to really have a back-and-forth conversation?,’ says Jessica Link, president of Davis Estates. Link’s point is well made. Experimenting with how food and wine can interact is a fantastic – and indulgent – way in for customers. Davis Estates puts an emphasis on punchy and compelling flavours, using a coconut and red lentil soup with spinach, cilantro, Aleppo pepper and toasted coconut to highlight its Chardonnay, and a soba noodle salad with Shimeji mushrooms, sesame dressing, cashews, edamame, furakake and tatsoi (an Asian brassica) to showcase the depths of its Merlot. These aren’t simple dishes that allow the wines to dominate. These are exciting and deliberate choices that engage with the wines at a higher level and, as intentioned, foster some deep conversations.
Gentleman Farmer
Downtown Napa
Can’t wait to get your day started? Gentleman Farmer hosts its ‘Wine and a Breakfast of Champions’ experience that starts with your choice of a five-kilometre jog or guided meditation before a sumptuous wine-paired breakfast. Food includes craveable bites like house-cured pancetta and brioche alongside mustard made with their own Chardonnay, salmon rillettes, personal soufflés, and a massive array of desserts. We’re not sure if the jog is quite enough to burn off the sheer number of calories, but it certainly could take the edge off. The action takes place in a downtown bungalow, but the founders make wine on a very small-scale in St Helena and pour the results alongside this slap-up brunch fare. A perfect way for wine travellers to rise and shine.
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Cakebread Cellars
Rutherford
Since the early seventies, Cakebread has been a standout for Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet, earning international recognition and accolades from fans and wine critics alike. The Cakebread family knew early on that food and wine are two sides of the same coin and great food, like great wine, starts in the dirt. Obviously, then, the experience at Cakebread begins with a tour of Dolores Cakebread’s original culinary garden. Chefs Brian Streeter and Josh Anderson employ a wide range of cuisine styles to pair with Cakebread’s array of vinous offerings, from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Cabernet and Syrah. As the menu highlights the bounty of the garden, offerings evolve throughout the year, as do the accompanying wines. A seasonal pairing of four bites is offered twice daily and can be modified to allow for food allergies as needed.
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B Cellars
Oakville
B Cellars prides itself on the art of blending, crafting a range of unique wines that go beyond classic varietal character. To elevate the tasting experience for visitors, the Oakville estate has begun pairing wines with whimsical ‘B Bites’ that change with the seasons – or any time that inspiration strikes. Here, you might find Sauvignon Blanc paired with pineapple curried shrimp, or Cabernet Sauvignon with an elevated expression of pastrami on rye. One particularly exciting flavour combination is struck between Blend 25, a Cabernet/Syrah blend, and goat ravioli with carrot purée and crispy chickpea. Some bites are smaller, some more filling, but every morsel helps to bring the winery’s vision for food and wine into sharp focus.
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Sequoia Grove
Rutherford
If you’re a Cabernet purist with an unwavering devotion to the full-bodied and hearty, you’ll likely be craving a seriously elevated pairing for these serious wines. Seatings for Sequoia Grove’s ‘A Taste for Cabernet’ experience sell out fast, a luxurious offering that features innovative and Japanese-tinged courses by executive chef Spencer Conaty. The menu invites the diner to discover ‘the surprising versatility of Cabernet Sauvignon through a multi-course journey’, with dishes that include wild caught sea bass, celery root three ways, sesame gremolata and black garlic. There’s even an evening version of the event, held a few Fridays per month. If you’re looking for a more relaxed vibe, you can also taste Sequoia Grove’s wines with a sampling of small bites.
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Tamber Bey
Calistoga
Tamber Bey is an enchanting place to spend a leisurely afternoon, especially if you’re an equestrian or animal lover. This horse farm and winery crafts beautiful whites and reds and offers a range of accompaniments that can be added to the tasting experience, from box lunches to hearty snack boards. But what you really need to know is that Tamber Bey offers a completely unique ‘savoury cookie pairing’. Yes, you read that right. The idea is that these not-quite-sweet cookies should elevate the wines in beautiful and unexpected ways. It’s a delightfully playful twist on the pairing concept.
Round Pond Estate
Rutherford
While many wineries plant olive trees alongside vineyards, Round Pond takes it all to the next level with its 2,200 olive trees, a mix of eight different varieties from Italy and Spain. Oil production is no simple affair either, with a combination of a modern mill and a traditional stone press that weighs thousands of pounds. The ‘Taste of the Estate’ experience offers a flight of wines alongside a tasting of said olive oils and accoutrements. Those with a little more time (or a bigger appetite) can opt for the ‘Il Pranzo’ experience, which includes a tour of the vineyards and gardens before sitting down to a four-course menu prepared by chef Fernando Arias and which features courses like Petrale sole with kumquat, radish and estate greens – paired with Round Pond Sauvignon Blanc.
Wheeler Farms
St Helena
Winemaker Nigel Kinsman crafts a range of wines from distinctive vineyards throughout Napa Valley. From Vine Hill Ranch, Diamond Mountain, Oakville, and George III, these Cabernets all carry distinct minerality and structure gained from their particular terroir. The estate offers three tasting experiences, loaded with ingredients from its own culinary garden, to pair with these exceptional wines. Chef Tom Harder serves four canapés in the simplest pairing, as well as a full-blown lunch or a chef’s table option that sees Harder himself prepare the four-course menu before your eyes. Menus evolve regularly to highlight the very best of what’s in season.
