Location: St. Helena
Top Things to do in St. Helena
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10 Things to do in St. Helena That You Shouldn't Miss
St. Helena (/ˌseɪnt həˈliːnə/ saynt hə-LEE-nə) (Wappo: Anakotanoma, "Bull Snake Village") is a city in Napa County, California. It is part of the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 5,814 at the 2010 census.
Restaurants in St. Helena
1. Pride Mountain Vineyards
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 622 reviews
Pride Mountain Vineyards specializes in red wine production, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The property is only open for wine tasting appointments to guests with a prior appointments. In compliance of our local codes and use-permits all appointments must be made in advance of arrival. Thank you, Pride Mountain Vineyards
Reviewed By brettbarry1
This was our 4th or 5th visit to Pride over the years, but this past visit was by far the most informative and entertaining/enjoyable. Our wine guide Paul was so exceptional at his work representing Pride – a caring & knowledgeable person, never arrogant – always on point (funny) and frankly one of the best wine tour guides my wife and I have met in over 30 years of visiting Napa. He is just WOW ???? I know everyone felt that way – especially my wife’s family and friends from Norway who were visiting Napa for the 1st time. We arrived 90 min earlier than our appointment - after our tour at neighboring vineyard Keenan which was abruptly ended at the start because their boisterous big dog had gotten into something poisonous and was foaming at the mouth and in distress. So we left early…(we later found out that the dog was OK thank goodness after an emergency vet run). That was jarring & scary enough, but when I arrived early @ Pride with a busload of 10 and asked Paul what to do – he didn’t hesitate or miss a beat… rolling with the situation, and starting us early on easily the best Cave tour we have ever had???? Many Napa vineyards seem to have gone into a kind of automatic mode – going through the swirling motions, not listening to their customers on tour – pushing customers to buy/buy at the end without ever connecting with them. However what you have with Paul is a truly gifted “connector” – a man who plainly loves his work, knows Pride inside the caves & out – and makes each guest feel as though they have had a very unique experience. We have always loved Pride as both a winery and source of outstanding juice. We are Spring Mountain fans for 20+ years (we knew Barbara and Jim at Paloma + we love Schweiger, Sherwin Family, and we are longtime Spring Mountain Vineyard club members). When you try the wines on Spring Mountain you will discover the biggest and richest reds in Napa - complex wines with aging potential. Our stop at Pride last Sunday was the last stop on our 3 day tour, and it left a delicious taste in everyone’s mouths. It made my wife's 50th even more memorable. The vino at Pride Mountain is TOP drawer - their famous Merlot is a monster of deep richness and structure, with massive aging potential. We are fans of the Cab as well & Chardonnay - all the wines at Pride are some of the best you will taste in Napa. Well worth a drive up the mountain. You will not easily find these incredible wines are your local store - do yourself a favor and experience the magic of Pride (and seek out Paul).
2. Modus Operandi Cellars
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 320 reviews
Reviewed By PugglePower - Boca Raton, United States
We had a amazing wine tasting experience with Caitlyn of Modus Operandi at Brasswood. To begin with the wines were truly amazing, it was wonderful trying a wide selection of Jason’s wines as we learned about the history of the winery and his approach to his wine making. While I knew little about the wines of MO prior to my tasting, Jason has produced some terrific wines that are a pleasure to drink. Cailtyn was an outstanding hostess; she was engaging, warm and very knowledgeable. To top it off, the tasting room at Brasswood was beautiful. Having a private tasting with Caitlyn at Modus Operandi was the perfect way to spend s few beautiful hours in Napa, great company and great wine in a magnificent setting.
3. V. Sattui Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,376 reviews
V. Sattui Winery is a family-owned property located in the heart of Napa Valley, which was founded in 1885 and makes more than 60 different wines with dozens of 90+ point rated wines among its current vintages. It is a stunning, must-see Napa Valley destination for picnics, weddings and events, offering an impressively robust Cheese Shop with more than 200 selections, an excellent Deli directed by Chef Gerardo Sainato, and a Salumeria directed by Stefano Masanti. The sprawling estate includes two-dozen picnic tables nestled beneath ancient Valley Oak trees and tri-level terraces that overlook beautifully manicured gardens and vineyards.
Reviewed By 581excursion777777 - El Cerrito, United States
A day well spent in the company of great wines amazing hospitality and lovely cheese and food!!! Got a great shaded place in the grow and had great few hours of wine tasting. After food had yummy scoops of ice cream!
4. Merryvale Vineyards
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 510 reviews
Merryvale's inviting tasting cellar is located in the heart of Napa Valley in the quaint town of St. Helena. We offer wine tasting flights until 5pm, with our retail room open until 5:30pm everyday. We offer a variety of tasting options to suit every palate including our legendary Profile Library tasting and wine and cheese pairings. Our wines are produced from sustainably farmed Napa Valley vineyards, including three estate properties. Guest favorites include our Bordeaux blend known as Profile, our St. Helena Estate Cabernet, and our Napa Valley Cabernet Franc.
Reviewed By 424michellep
Fantastic wine tour and wine tasting!! Loved the attention to detail and amazing tour guide!! Would highly recommend!
5. Rombauer Vineyards
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 361 reviews
Rombauer Vineyards is a Napa Valley based, family-owned winery founded in 1980 by Koerner and Joan Rombauer. Dedicated to providing gracious hospitality, the Rombauer family and staff take pride in creating joyful moments for their customers across the country and at their Napa Valley and Sierra Foothills tasting rooms. Rombauer owns and sustainably farms over 670 acres of vineyards in Carneros, Atlas Peak, Stags Leap, St. Helena, Calistoga and the Sierra Foothills. Rombauer’s Chardonnays, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignons, Zinfandels and Sauvignon Blanc are beloved by wine enthusiasts around the world.
Reviewed By groupleader45212 - Helena, United States
What a beautiful winery. The grounds are stunning with rises and panoramic views of the valley. Great wines and attentive staff . The reds are amazing
6. Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 291 reviews
Reviewed By mrg0137
My wife and I did a tasting at Joseph Phelps on a recent trip to Napa because I had heard of the brand and Insignia in particular, but had never actually tried any of their wines. They offer a variety of tasting experiences, but we decided to go with the standard terrace tasting to get a good overview/introduction. I was a little surprised that they don’t offer an immediate online reservation option for tastings. It was easy enough to book the tasting via their online request system, and they were responsive, but I like the real-time restaurant-style reservation systems that a lot of wineries in the area have moved toward instead. When we arrived for our tasting, we were immediately impressed by the building itself. It’s a very lovely, rustic-looking lodge that is grander in scale than most wineries in the area. When we walked in, we continued to be impressed by the lovely décor and upscale, yet comfortable lodge feel that it exuded. It’s a stunning space. The staff member at the front desk to check us in was nice, but we were really surprised when she asked each of us to show ID in order to do the tasting. My wife and I are in our late twenties and look relatively young. However, I’ve never been carded for a wine tasting in Napa, and it took us by surprise. Although they have every right to card us, it was a little perplexing to me. Do a lot of underage kids try to pay the high prices for Joseph Phelps tastings on a school day and make the effort to drive out there for dry reds? We were quickly introduced to our host for the day, Casey. He was really nice and enthusiastic about doing our tasting, which he said was his only one for the day, so he had a lot of time to spend with us. The tasting went well over the budgeted 75 minutes, which we were fine with, since we had all afternoon open. He started us out with glasses of sauvignon blanc while we took a quick tour of the building and some of the interesting wine-related displays that they’ve created. Since we had booked the terrace tasting, he gave us the option of sitting outside on the terrace, or inside in the cozy room overlooking the terrace. Since it was a chilly day in January, we opted for the indoor seating, and had the best of both worlds: a cozy lodge feel that was perfect in the winter, while still getting a good view of vineyards spanning the area down the hill below. There were also several other groups doing tastings at the same time, but I appreciated that they did a great job of spacing everyone out within the room and giving everyone a private experience to enjoy the wine. The tasting itself was laid back and comfortable, with a selection of the Joseph Phelps wines from both Napa and Sonoma. It was actually very nice to try their great pinot noir from Sonoma as a change of pace from the expected Napa selections. The well-known Insignia blend is the crown jewel of the collection, and was definitely the best, but all of the wines we tried were bold and enjoyable. It was a very nice time, and Casey really made it great. He was very friendly and approachable, and didn’t exude a stuck-up attitude that you might expect from a place with a reputation like Joseph Phelps. He was just interested in sharing and talking about their wines, and he wasn’t focused on pushing us to buy wine or join their wine club. He also offered us an extra wine to try at the end, as well as an extra pour of Insignia on top of the original tasting. It was really nice, and we enjoyed our conversation with him about Napa and Sonoma, where we got a lot of good information to think about for our next trip. After concluding our tasting, we got some great pictures outside on the terrace, and just took some time to appreciate how beautiful the setting of this winery is. Even if the wine hadn’t been great (although it was), I would have been satisfied just from the chance to experience the lovely building and grounds. This was our final winery on a pretty packed several days of wine tasting, and it made a great impression.
7. HALL St. Helena
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 604 reviews
HALL Wines is a family-owned, critically acclaimed premier Napa Valley vineyard and winery with five estate vineyards of classic Bordeaux varietals. HALL's Napa Valley estate vineyards are Certified Organic and employ cutting-edge vineyard technology to yield the highest quality grapes. In addition, the HALL St. Helena winemaking facility was the first LEED(R) Gold Certified Winery in the State of California, making HALL Wines a pioneer in the use of green buildings in the wine industry. The site maintains one acre of solar panels on its roof and uses 100% recycled water throughout its processes. HALL St. Helena features two Tesla charging stations, as well as a Blink charging station for electric vehicles. Reservations are required for groups of 8 or more, and recommended for all visitors.
Reviewed By 994linday - Frisco, United States
This family-owned winery has visitor locations in Rutherford and St Helena. Hall St. Helena offers several tours and tastings to choose from. We enjoyed their 90-minute HALLmark experience that included a stroll through the property followed by a seated tasting in a private salon. Our friendly, personable wine educator Joe explained the history of the Hall Winery and the Hall family approach to wine making, then led the group through a tasting of 4 wines. The architecture and art may be contemporary, but the wines represent the best of classic Bordeaux varietals. Two of our favorites: 2016 Kathryn Hall Cabernet, sourced primarily from the Hall Sacrashe Vineyard, and blended with 10% Merlot, and 2015 Jack’s Masterpiece, 100% cabernet. These are rich, complex wines with powerful structures. We agree – it’s #crazygoodcabernet! When you see the silver Bunny Foo-Foo, you’ll know you’ve arrived.
8. Alpha Omega Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 391 reviews
Alpha Omega, located on the legendary Rutherford Bench in the heart of Napa Valley, is one of Napa's premiere, boutique wineries. Surrounded by vineyards and mountains, this rustic farm style winery's beauty is as captivating as the wine. Alpha Omega's winemakers are creating wines that reflect their passion and express the unique terroir that is Napa Valley by sourcing prized grapes from the various terroirs of Napa Valley - the valley floor, hillside, mountain and coast. The winemakers believe that by blending the essence of these select terroirs, they can handcraft finesse-driven, complex and balanced wines that express the aromatic profile of the best Napa Valley has to offer.
Reviewed By Mhancock815
We visited alpha omega for a tasting overlooking their beautiful vineyards and fountain. We had an amazing tasting experience with Nino O’Brian, he was very knowledgeable, passionate, friendly, and a great photographer! We will definitely be back again!
9. Chappellet Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 152 reviews
One of the Napa Valleys hidden treasures. Chappellet Winery sits in the eastern hills of the Napa Valley (an area called Pritchard Hill) and produces some of the world's most compelling Cabernet Sauvignons. The tour and tasting experience at Chappellet is consistenly rated amongst the finest in the region.
Reviewed By fklinsalcedo - Quito, Ecuador
We had great experience in Chappallet, Carissa the owner was awesome! Is you visit St.Helena we highly recommend this tour! We wish you the best!
10. Beringer Vineyards
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 837 reviews
Beringer Vineyards embodies the timeless appeal and seductive flavor of the Napa Valley. As the region's oldest continuously operating winery, we offer guests the opportunity to experience a winemaking tradition dating back more than 140 years. Visit the iconic Rhine House, taste our celebrated wines in the Old Stone Winery or take a tour and learn more about our wines and history. No matter if you are here for a couple of hours or the day, Beringer Vineyards is excited to offer you the excellent winery experience you deserve.
Reviewed By kalamakid - Kailua, United States
Although we made our reservation for the wrong day, we were graciously accommodated last minute and really enjoyed our cave tour. The Beringer family, along with the Schram and Krug family, ate the original owners of the vineyards in this area and have the oldest caves in Napa Valley. Beautiful caves and the tastings were delicious. Ended at the lovely bar room inside. Gorgeous grounds, original house, great for picnics in the summer I’m sure when it’s busy reservations are required for picnic tables. Lots of parking.
