I managed to spend my entire life in California without spending any time in Napa - BIG MISTAKE - I already have plans to go back in a few months, it was incredible.
Your time in Napa will be filled with farm-to-table food, sunny days lounging vineyard or pool-side, shopping/biking around quaint towns, and touring some very impressive wine establishments - all while being just the perfect amount of buzzed from tasting some of the world's most renowned wines.
Below are some recs for St. Helena and Calistoga (Napa proper and Yountville will be next!) :)
Napa - St. Helena & Calistoga
If you're feeling classy...
*Or if you have Starwood Hotel Points ;)*
Stay at Las Alcobas in St. Helena
This place is v high class. Make sure to request a vineyard view room. We arrived a few hours before check in so decided to lounge by the pool and were greeted with bubbly glasses of chilled champagne. The town of St. Helena is a quick walk or bike ride away - use the hotel bikes free of charge but jump on early as there are a limited supply.
There was an adorable boutique-style motel called El Bonita very close to Las Alcobas (that won't break the bank) if you're looking for a more affordable accomodation in a great location.
If you're tryin to step up your IG game...
Go to Hall Winery
The first thing you notice at Hall is a giant rabbit art piece at the entrance (the same artist who did the large rabbit piece at Sacramento Intl' Airport for all my Sac people). It only gets more elaborate from there - I take it the wealthy Dallas couple who dreamed this place up knew a thing or two about millennials and their Instagram accounts - every part of the winery seems to be a perfect set up for IG worthy shots. This place is a crowd pleaser for a reason and is certainly worth the visit.
^ the kind of pictures you take after a full day of wine tasting ^
If you're a food lover...
Get *English Muffins* at The Model Bakery
*Don't miss these - they'll melt in your mouth (I could have eaten 5)*
Dine at Farmstead
Sit outside for a more relaxed vibe with live music or go inside for a more formal experience (the dining room is beautiful - feels like eating in an elegant barn).
Eat breakfast or lunch at Lovina in Calistoga
This cute Calistoga spot was started by the owner's of Zazie, a popular brunch spot in the Cole Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. They serve their breakfast sandwich on an English Muffin from The Model Bakery (which is the best English Muffin you'll ever have if you missed my previous comment ;)).
If you like castles...
Take a tour of Castello di Amorosa
This place was a little gimmicky (to be real, it was more than a "little" gimmicky) but how could it not be - it's a giant Italian castle in the middle of the most popular wine region in the U.S. If you take a tour, you'll learn all about the guy who built it and all the super expensive artwork, etc. he imported from Italy. Just be prepared to see large tour buses dropping off hundreds of people - including groups of stumbling bachelorette parties :).
Despite the gimmicky-nature of this place, it was very beautiful and the view from the top of the castle (pictured below) was worth seeing.
If you love Chardonnay...
Do a tasting / tour at Grgich Hills Estate
Mike Grgich was the wine-maker behind a CA Chard that won a blind tasting contest in France about 40 years ago (up until that time CA Chards hadn't gotten a whole lot of hype). Mike is regarded as being responsible for putting California Chardonnay on the world map and is often referred to as "The King of Chardonnay". He now has his own winery in St. Helena - go here for an authentic experience with very good wines (you'll want to bring a few bottles home for sure :)).
If you want to top-off your day of wine tasting...
Go to 'The Saint' for a final-final
^ Two very tired faces after a full day of wine tasting ^
St. Helena is quiet at night but if you're walking through town past 9pm you may hear some live music and it's probably coming from The Saint, a wine bar with a great ambiance. A woman and her partner own the place and work in tech in SF during the week then spend their weekends in St. Helena helping run the place. People started dancing towards the end of the night - it was a great way to end the day.
Have an incredible time in wine country and make sure to bring a few bottles home :)
Cheers!