While Napa Valley’s many Michelin-starred restaurants and 100-point wines attract the majority of the press attention, it’s in the region’s vibrant wine bars, owned and frequented by representatives from the local communities they serve, that visitors can make some of the most exciting vinous discoveries while visiting the region. The best Napa Valley wine bars showcase some of the most interesting, new and small producers from both California and abroad, all in a comfortable, convivial and lively setting.
Because it is prohibitively expensive for many small wineries to have their own or even a collaborative tasting room, wine bars are often used to highlight rotating flights of a single producer’s wines. It wouldn’t be unusual to hear one of Napa’s star winemakers say that ‘the best place to try my wine is at such and such wine bar.’ The region’s wine bars are usually located in the city centres as well; while you’ll sacrifice the sprawling vineyard views of tasting rooms and resorts, you’ll instead get to experience the true pulse of Napa Valley and its colourful local life over a glass of something special.
In a region that is home to the Culinary Institute of America and where so many sommeliers and wine professionals come to train, learn and live, you can expect thoughtful and well-curated selections, all wines designed to pair perfectly with fresh, regional cuisine: whether that be a skillfully plated presentation of perfectly-seared scallops, a pile of tender brisket or a wood-fired pizza with locally made buffalo mozzarella.
You’d be encouraged to make time in between (or instead of) the elaborate wine tours or the multi-course tasting-menus for these more humble, yet memorable, Napa wine bar experiences.
Nine of the best Napa Valley wine bars
Compline
Downtown Napa
Since it opened in 2018 in a newly developed outdoor mall in downtown Napa, Compline (as much restaurant as wine bar) has become a favourite among the local wine community. Founded by master sommelier Matt Stamp and Charlie Trotter-trained hospitality professional Ryan Stetins, it brought one of the best wine programmes to the Valley with a Burgundy selection deep enough to appease the most discerning connoisseur. Sophisticated and unpretentious, this is a wonderful place for a glass or flight of wines and the food is fantastic, making it a perfectly suitable option for dining (and an opportunity to delve into the extensive bottle list). In 2022, the team added a robust bottle shop of the same name just around the corner.
#312, 1300 First Street
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Cadet
Downtown Napa
Like Compline, Cadet has long been a gathering spot for local winemakers and wine lovers. The wine bar’s commitment to the community is unparalleled, hosting weekly educational tastings, classes and flights. It is a place in which you can nerd out during an early evening soil seminar or guided wine tasting with a local legend and then party late into the night, popping bottles of grower Champagne while music blasts. The food options are limited to cheese and charcuterie, making it most suitable for a relaxing glass of wine before dinner or for a night cap later on, when it can get quite, er, lively. Fortunately, its location is within stumbling distance or a short taxi ride to the many hotels and Airbnbs of Downtown Napa.
930 Franklin Street
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Bounty Hunter
Downtown Napa
This ‘Old West’-themed wine bar specialises in barbeque and big reds and also pours rare whisky and beer. Housed in an historic brick building from the mid-1800s, this is a rustic, all-American experience: raw-edge wooden tables, black leather stools and giant slabs of meat. The beer can chicken sees a whole bird famously and photogenically served atop a can of beer. Bounty Hunter could feel kitschy, but the brisket is excellent and thanks to its three-decade-strong retail shop, which gets some of the highest allocations of the most sought-after Napa Valley wines in the world, you can find rare and small-lot Cabernets that make sense of all the smoke and fat.
975 1st Street
Wine Bar at Copia
Downtown Napa
The expansive Copia Educational Centre, just across the river from downtown (by the Oxbow Market), was originally built by the Mondavis in 2001 and houses two theatres, a demonstration culinary kitchen, multiple classrooms and a full-service restaurant. It was mostly vacant for a number of years before the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) purchased the building and adjacent culinary garden in 2015. Now the vibrant set-up includes a state-of-the-art wine tasting bar where you can sample 24 wines from Napa and beyond in 2-6 oz self-dispensed pours. It’s most fun when explored as a group, so that you can compare wines and then explore the museum, a home to rare specimens that showcase Napa’s expansive history as a winemaking region.
CIA at Copia (The Culinary Institute of America at Copia), 500 1st Street
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SolBar
Calistoga
SolBar is located in the Solage Hotel just outside of Calistoga at the north end of the valley. The sprawling property, which is part of the prestigious Auberge Resort Collection, is just enough off the beaten path to make it feel like a destination. Don’t expect SolBar to feel like a bar tagged on to a hotel, this full-service restaurant and lounge features high ceilings, large glass doors and an expansive patio with views of the pool and surrounding vineyards. For wine, this is the place to get all the biggest names with the smallest allocations in Napa Valley, with verticals and horizontals of Aubert, Shafer, Opus One, Bond and Hundred Acre, just to name (drop) a few—be prepared to pay for the privilege, of course. But if a delightful bottle of Alsatian Riesling to pair with the seafood-centric menu is more your speed, fear not, the list has something for pretty much every palate and price point.
755 Silverado Trail N
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Bar Lucia
Downtown Napa
Located in the Oxbow Public Market—an indoor, year-round market with a beautiful wrap-around patio that serves views of the Napa River—Bar Lucia was founded by the owner of the beloved Kara’s Cupcakes, which has a stand next door. The seriously thoughtful and delightful selection of wines is intended to pair with the fresh sandwiches, salads and housemade dips, making it an ideal lunch or brunch spot. Hence, the wines too are fresh and lively; mostly by small producers in Napa and Sonoma, with plenty of bubbles and rosé. There is also a selection of Instagram-friendly fresh fruit Frosés and Spritzes, but don’t let that frighten you. It’s also just a great reason to visit The Oxbow, a place where you are likely to overhear winemakers discussing barrel regimens and brix levels.
#19, 610 1st Street
The Saint
St. Helena
This cosy wine bar smack in the middle of St Helena, on the historic main street, is run by the same couple who make Night Wines, a boutique, high-end Napa Valley wine brand. So of course you can taste their Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay here as well as a small, thoughtful, if fairly mainstream, selection of other local and international wines by the glass—including two Champagnes. In addition to the bar itself and some lovely sidewalk tables, the seating area is arranged living-room style for maximum comfort. The menu, organised by light bites, small or larger plates, can be perfect for a light snack, a shared experience or a full dinner.
1351 Main Street
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Erosion Tap House
St. Helena
This ‘Tap House’ on Main Street in Downtown St Helena has two distinct spaces: a brightly lit ‘Wine Bar & Ice Cream Parlour’ featuring pastel Jonathan Adler-esque furniture and a Beer Hall offering a rotating selection of local and international brews (one of the founders is a Master Ciserone). Erosion, named for the historical soil event which shapes the geography of the Valley, also has its own wine brand, which is poured across the respective bars. So yes, there is a lot going on. But this family owned and run establishment is all about making guests feel comfortable and ready for a good time; one of the owners is almost always on the floor guiding guests through extensive options that include a food offering that reads like a kids’ menu for grown-ups, think loaded tater tots, waffle pretzels and a ‘Pizza Party’. The wine list is equally as playful. Each section (sparkling, white, red) leads with Erosion-made wines with names like ‘Unicorn Eyes’, and ‘Carbonara Girl’ (what that tells you about the wine is up to you), before getting down to business with a handful of ‘guest wineries’ from near and far, all available by the glass.
1234 Main Street
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Carpe Diem
Downtown Napa
Located on one of the most charming corners of the city, Carpe Diem opened in 2010 and has attracted and maintained a loyal following thanks to its consistently good food and warm hospitality. The original brick building that houses this cosy wine bar and restaurant nearly collapsed in the 2014 earthquake that shook Downtown; thankfully, it has been restored and continues to thrive. Boasting a full cocktail list and a Mediterranean-inspired dinner menu, the bar is a cheerful place for a casual evening, while the white tablecloth dining room makes for a romantic dinner destination. The wine list isn’t super-extensive but it’s user-friendly and fairly priced. Expect local favourites and familiar international selections, from Champagne and Sancerre to Langhe Nebbiolo.
#185, 1001 2nd St Suite
