Print Bridesmaid Dress Search
more by nicgac
Lace Shoes!
Any Hawaii goers out there?
more in Honeymoons
"Must see" tips for Seattle/Victoria/Vancouver honeymoon
Am I being selfish?
more in Boards
Aisle Runners

Help! Napa Valley Lodging, Restaurants, and Attractions

posted 4 years ago in Honeymoons
  •  
    1.
    Member Icon
    Member
    60 posts
    Worker bee
    nicgac    September 13, 2008   Renton, Washington

    It's decided!  We (two definite food and wine snobs) are heading to Napa Valley and San Francisco for our honeymoon, but internet research can be deceiving, so if you've been to wine country...Where did you stay?  Where did you eat?  What did you do?  Share the good stuff!

     
    2.
    Member Icon
    Member
    151 posts
    Blushing bee
    karieck05      

    Hey that is what we finally decided too! We are excited!

    I went on tripladvisor.com and there was a lot of info on there...they have a forum too!  

    I hope people respond to this one...I'm really interested too!

    We know we want to check out St. Jean Chateau winery...possibly stay at the Mission Inn one or two nights of it as well!

    I think it was Kenwood Inn that looked really nice too!

     
    3.
    Member Icon
    Member
    99 posts
    Worker bee
    MissyJenn       Bay Area, CA

    OH Napa..how fun! Brix is a great restaurant and one of my favorite wineries is the v. Sattui..they have a great cute little deli where you can buy things and have a picnic! Robert Mondavi is very nice too, including the tour. Another fav restaurant is the Greystone Winery-Culinary Institute...pricey lunch but worth every cent...;-)

    OH and then there's the winery that's really beautiful on top of a hill...you have to take a tram up there..very scenic.(sorry, I can't remember the name)

     OH and one more HUGE tip...there's a place called COPIA center for the wine, food and arts...It's a restaurant, museum, garden...there's a great bookstore in there too, plus, of course wine tastings!

     Unfortunately, I don't have any advice about hotels...I've heard of the Sonoma Mission Inn.

     Napa is so much fun, even downtown Napa...what month are you going? Hopefully it's not the summer, it can get super hot and crowded....

     

     
    4.
    Member Icon
    Member
    13 posts
    Newbee
    aha106    October 2007   San Francisco

    Oh there is so much to see and do!  Depending on where you're visiting, here's my "top lists" for Napa:

    Eating:
    - French Laundry - so it's $$$$ but a great splurge for your honeymoon
    - Auberge du Soleil - Michelin-rated restaurant with a beautiful view
    - Bouchon - casual bistro by Thomas Keller (same chef from French Laundry)
    - CIA (Culinary Institute at Greystone)
    - Bistro Jeanty - french
    - Mustards Grille - fresh local food
    - Taylor's Refresher - delicious burgers and other diner food

    For a delicious picnic lunch, stop by Oakville Grocery off the St. Helena Hwy and grab some gourmet sandwiches, cheese, etc.  Take them to a nice winery with a picnic area like Monticello Vineyards or V. Sattui and enjoy

    Wineries:
    - Domaine Chandon - always fun to enjoy some bubbly
    - Opus One - for true wine enthusiasts
    - Rubicon Estate - touristy, but beautiful
    - Sterling - tram tour

    Where to stay:
    - Vintage Inn
    - Harvest Inn
    - Villagio Inn
    - Bed and Breakfasts!

    And that's just Napa!  I got married in Sonoma and my list can go on and on there...  =)

     
    5.
    Member Icon
    Member
    59 posts
    Worker bee
    drprepper    August 2008  

    Napa holds a special place in my heart...FI whisked me away here post-proposal! How fun for you! We stayed at the Meadowood Resort in Napa and LOVED it. The cabins are so lux and comfy, and the place is very laidback and quiet. He originally wanted to stay at Auberge but it was booked. 

    You MUST eat at Auberge (do lunch there and make sure you get a table on the terrace...the most amazing view of the Valley), and La Toque (FI says it is the best meal he has ever had in his life).

    You will want to get a car service for the day to go around to the wineries...they usually have good recommendations (as will your hotel concierge). We visited many wineries Help!  Napa Valley Lodging, Restaurants, and Attractions :  wedding napa valley honeymoon Icon Razz so I don't recall every name, but Frog's Leap was SUPER fun. Feel free to message me if you want more info...I'm sure he has our actual trip itinerary saved somewhere!  

     
    6.
    Member Icon
    Member
    356 posts
    Helper bee
    glittergrl    Planned my wedding in just under 6months. Had the most super fabulous enchanted, eclectic, bohemian forest wedding on the planet! :)   CA

    I suggest staying at the Kenwood Inn and Spa. It's beautiful and boutique and has an italian feel.

    Downtown Calistoga is really the sweetest place. There's so many options. It really just depends on what kind of experience you are looking for.

     

    Attachments

    1. Help!  Napa Valley Lodging, Restaurants, and Attractions :  wedding napa valley honeymoon Img Flourished%20Copperplate%20(Style%201).jpg (5.2 KB, 175 downloads) 3 years old
     
    7.
    Member Icon
    Member
    68 posts
    Worker bee
    bora      

    we head to napa every two months or so and its really a special place! my recommendations:

     eat:

    • tra vigne (this is michael chiarello's restaurant- he's on the food network)
    • bistro jeanty- my favorite french restaurant in the bay area. be daring, order the bone marrow.
    • martini house- a gorgeous old house with amazing rustic fair
    • french laundry- if you CAN get reservations and you dont mind paying $300+ pp

    wineries:

    • napa is great. but i'm a  huge fan of sonoma. its more quaint and not as touristy. i cannot remember the wineries because they're so small and off backroads. but if you like exploring  sonoma rocks.
    • but in napa, i concur with domain chandon, v. sattui

    sf: *rubbing hands together*

    • slanted door- cool, hip great vietnamese food.
    • aqua/michael mina/ gary danko/fleur de lys- all 4 star/1-2 michelin star restaurants. yum yum yum
    • ferry building- great place to just roam on a sat or sun morning.tons of specialty food shops and yummy restauratants.
    • and i know a ton of "hole in the wall" yet awesome restaurants. just let me know if you'd like recs!
     
    8.
    Member Icon
    Member
    68 posts
    Worker bee
    bora      

    in terms of where to stay in SF, i've been around to a lot of hotels looking for a wedding reception- so here's my take

    Union Square- center of the shopping area/downtown

    • clift hotel- very *cool* hotel. along the lines of the W
    • westin st. francis- michael mina's restaurant is inside.
    • four seasons- my gym is inside here. great hotel right on market st near all the hubbub
    • westin at market- nice and near union square
    • the palace hotel- grand old hotel

    nob hill

    • the fairmont/mark hopkins intercontinental/ritz- all on the top of the hill with amazing views. $$$ but prepared to walk very steep hills.

    Financial District

    • Mandarin oriental- 5 star service in one of the tallest bldgs in sf
    • the omni- smaller and pretty affordable

    Embarcadero- its quieter here but is right near the water and the ferry bldg

    • hotel vitale- great boutique hotel and has a great happy hour bar called the americano

    my cousin came to visit and stayed in fisherman's wharf. i'd suggest not staying here. its the northern most part of the city and gets super windy. plus you can just go to the wharf during the day. at night, not much to do.

    g luck!

     

     
    9.
    Member Icon
    Member
    60 posts
    Worker bee
    nicgac    September 13, 2008   Renton, Washington

    Thanks to all for your fabulous suggestions!  I absolutely cannot wait to be married and celebrating in Cali!  Missy Jenn, my wedding date is September 13, 2008, so hopefully mid-September won't be too hot or crowded, but I know we will love it regardless.  Hopefully, it's not TOO cold either because we are planning an outdoor ceremony and dancing in Michigan.

     
    10.
    Member Icon
    Member
    5 posts
    Newbee
    Oleander      

    We went to Napa on our honeymoon.  We absolutely loved loved it.  We stayed at the Wine Country Inn - it is a little pricey but is wonderful and I would highly recommend it.  They have an excursion there (day wine tour) that is great for your first day there to get a feel of the place and then from there, we went ourselves to the different wineries.  We made sure to pace ourselves so went to only 2/3 wineries a day.  Also took a day trip to Armstrong woods and Sonoma valley.  Would also recommend Robert Mondavi tour (you can pick the grapes off the vines and taste them) and also Delectus (can do barrel tasting)

     
    11.
    Member
    2,168 posts
    Buzzing bee
    cannotwait    February 1, 2009   TX

    I recently went to SF & Sonoma.  My favorite winery was Moshin (sp?).  Also, be aware the within an hour drive the temperatures can be very different.  One minute I had goose bumps then the next I was "glowy".  So, you may already be aware, but I would recommend layered outfits or planning where you will be each day.

     

     
    12.
    Member Icon
    Member
    26 posts
    Newbee
    harpersr    5/17/08   ohio

    We stayed in Napa for 2 nights during our honeymoon.  We can't wait to go back!!  Our favorite winery was the Franciscan.  The front desk staff at our hotel gave us a lot of coupons for free tastings and/or buy one get one free.  This saved us a ton!! I would check with the place you are staying before heading out.  We drove up to the Geyser and then worked our way down.  I second V.Sattui.  It was crowded but the deli is fantastic!  We got the best cheese and crackers there! 
    You will have a blast!

     
    13.
    Member
    30 posts
    Newbee
    Sunflower16    April 30, 2011   Kentucky

    I was recently in Napa and I would have to suggest the Sterling Winery and Alpha Omega.  At Sterling, you ride an aerial tram to the actual winery, do a self tour, and have an amazing view of the surrounding area from their large patio.  The Alpha Omega is still in the middle of being built, but their wine is wonderful, and the people are so nice.  As far as food in Napa, I highly recomment the Rutherford Grill.  One of the employees at Alpha Omega suggested it, and we were definitely not let down.  The food and the service was A++.

     
    14.
    Member Icon
    Member
    8 posts
    Newbee
    kkj4630    10/11/2008   New York, NY

    I second dr.pepper's message about Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford. We are having our wedding there (Oct. 11, 2008) and the food and the view are unbeatable. It is pretty expensive so I would recommend lunch unless you really want to splurge on a dinner! Also, Rutherford Hill Vineyard is right next door and they have an amazing tour of their wine caves (and their wine is great too!). Have fun!

     

    Reply

    You must log in to post.





    Visit our sister sites eHarmony
    Online Dating
    eHarmony Advice
    Dating Advice
    Project Wedding
    Wedding Songs
    JustMommies
    Pregnancy Calendar
    Copyright 2004-2012, Weddingbee.com
     

    Find your vendors on Weddingbee

    Real reviews from brides in your area!

    Favors by Weddingbee

    • Favors by season

    Shop Now ยป

    Find Registry Find Registry Find Registry

    More
    User Posts Today
    Lyndzo 46
    AshleyR83 23
    mypinkshoes 23
    Ms. Salamander 23
    beargoose 22
    rebwana 21
    Jenlon 20
    his chippymunk 20
    kat2014 19
    fishbone 18

    Honeymoons

    User Posts Today
    RahlyRah 5
    fishbone 3
    beargoose 2
    redheadem 2
    Ellegee 2
    vreelans 2
    mypinkshoes 2
    mavideniz 2
    CinderellaSoon 2
    princesswedding 2
    More