Top 10 Napa Winery Map & Guide (For Your Next Wine Tasting Trip!)

Napa Valley is situated just 2 hours north of San Francisco and known for its hundreds of vineyards and wineries; it’s no surprise that Napa is one of California’s top tourist destinations. Are you planning a trip to Napa sometime soon? You’ve got just a limited time to spare and want to get a quick & dirty drill down on which are the best wineries to visit?

Look no further; Wine Maester is here!

What is Napa Valley known for?

Napa Valley is known for its full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignons. Of the total acreage of planted vineyards in Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon makes up about a tenth (of about 45,200 acres of planted Cabs)! In comparison, there are over 60,000 acres of Cabs grapes planted in neighbouring wine region of Sonoma.

Other favourite varietals include Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Fun Fact
Before the 1900s, Zinfandel was the most famous wine grape in Napa. Most of the old Zinfandel vines were replaced with Cab.

The mountainous regions such as Howell Moutain & Stag’s Leap District produce very smokey & peppery Cabernet Sauvignons. The grapes that grow in Napa Valley are typically exuberant and fruit-forward with mocha and blackberry flavours.

Is Napa Valley expensive for wine tasting?

Top 10 Napa Winery Map & Guide (For Your Next Wine Tasting Trip!)

Over the years, Napa Valley has become a top destination for tourists and affluent visitors from the nearby San Francisco Bay Area. Wine tastings have gone from free to paid with the increased demand. You can expect tasting fees ranging from $15 to $50 per flight (4-5 tastings) at Napa wineries. After a few wineries, you can easily rake up quite a sum.

If you’ve got limited time and need to keep budgets in check, it’s essential to do your research and plan out your wineries trail before making a trip to Napa.

Lucky for you, our Wine Maesters have listed the top 10 wineries to visit to get the best bang out of your buck!

Ps: There’s a free map for you at the end of the list!