Heading to Napa Valley Wine Country and looking for a great spot to stay? Check out River Terrace Inn!
Such a cozy hotel with great views and close to downtown Napa. We had a very comfortable stay and the staff was very attentive to make sure all of our needs were met. My favorite perk was the free water bottles available to prep for a full day of wine tasting!
The property is beautiful with great spots to relax by the fire and sip a glass of wine.
What blew me away the most about this spot is the food at Alba restaurant! We attended a happy hour and tried multiple dishes that blew us away! Especially the gnocchi! And for breakfast, you can’t miss this apple toast or the overnight chia oats!
Before your stay, check their events calendar because this place knows how to party! We attended the “Yappy Hour” and enjoyed tons of cute dogs dressed up in Halloween costumes and pumpkin spice margaritas!
Overall, we had a wonderful stay at River Terrace Inn and I can’t wait to go back! Definitely check it out for your next Napa Valley visit! Cheers!
Love,
Casleah Herwaldt
Your personal sommelier
I’m Here To Keep You In The Know About All Things Vino!
……….
Join my mailing list to receive weekly tips, inspiration, and industry highlights.
The Embassy Suites Napa Valley exceeded my expectations of a magical wine country vacation for many many reasons!
Photo from Embassy Suites Napa Valley website
Not only does the property feel like instant luxury, its perfectly situated only 1 mile from downtown Napa Valley. Downtown Napa is filled with tons of amazing wine bars, tasting rooms, restaurants, markets and shops. A few that are at the top of my list include: Compline Wine Bar , Oxbow Public Market , Walt Wines Tasting Room , and Allegria . Parking is very easy at this hotel and the door man is super friendly. The staff is ready to check you in and create an unforgettable experience for you.
No detail is missed at this stunning property. The grand entrance makes you feel like royalty as you wait for wine tasting transportation to arrive.
The courtyard is a whole other story. It feels like you are stepping into a fairytale grand escape. The fountain is flowing, the birds are singing, the flowers are so aromatic and instant relaxation takes over. There’s comfortable seating located all around the beautiful little lake creating the perfect spot to sip on your morning coffee or an evening glass of wine. Continental breakfast is included with your stay, which was key for carbing up before a long day of wine tasting. Nothing like watching the swan swim around while eating my morning bagel!
There’s even swans swimming around!!! I mean talk about a fairytale!!!
Photo from Embassy Suites Napa Valley website
Now, lets talk about the rooms. The rooms are very clean and sanitized with a seal on the door when you arrive to ensure high standard cleanliness. The room had a comfy living room area stocked with a mini fridge and wine glasses. They even have some wine available for sale. The bed was extremely comfortable and I could really make myself at home in this room!
As you may know, one of the many perks of staying at the Embassy Suites is the Happy Hour receptions that are included and totally free! This reception includes 3 free drinks and snacks! They even had live music playing during the reception! Perfect way to pregame dinner. One evening, I even decided to stay for dinner. I treated myself with a delicious burger and fries!
I had the absolute best stay at the Embassy Suites Napa Valley and highly recommend this spot for your next trip to Napa Valley if you are looking for luxury combined with comfort. Cheers!!!
xoxo
Casleah Herwaldt,
Your personal sommelier
I’m Here To Keep You In The Know About All Things Vino!
……….
Join my mailing list to receive weekly tips, inspiration, and industry highlights.
Most wine regions are pretty spread out, be sure to map out your trip and plan your route accordingly
Hire a driver! The last thing you want to worry about is a DD. Hire a driver to ensure your safety, full enjoyment and support local businesses
3. Don’t plan more then 3 wineries per day. It’s important to not feel rushed and to fully enjoy each stop
4. Call ahead and make appointments at each spot. To guarantee the perfect day, set up appointments ahead of time to avoid disappointment of being turned away from a full tasting room. (Plus with the current pandemic, most places are appointments only anyways)
5. Book the proper time slots. The best wine tasting day includes a 10 am slot, a 12:30 wine and food pairing for lunch and a 3:30 to end the day. (Followed by dinner at a local restaurant)
6. Be sure to either buy wine or leave a tip! For a simple tasting, I usually leave a $10 tip and for a tasting and tour I leave $20, but the best way to support is to buy wine and it’s a win win!
7. Never tell the people pouring the wine that you don’t like the wine! This is their beloved sweat and tears you’re tasting! If you don’t like it, quietly dump and move to the next one. No need to express your disgust.
8. Expect to spend a minimum of $35/ guest for a tasting. It’s definitely worth the splurge to book a tasting and tour, this can be up to $150/person.
9. If you get the chance take your glass and stroll the vines. There’s nothing more magical then walking through the vineyards.
10. Bring water! As amazing as wine is, it’s a dehydrator. Be sure to bring plenty of water so you are good to go the next day!
If you’re planning a trip and not sure where to go, please don’t hesitate to reach out for recommendations!
We visited 8 wineries in 2 days! We covered a lot of ground and got to cross off some major wine bucket list items!! Here’s how to make the most of your Napa trip!!
Items you will need: 1. A cooler 2. Bottled water 3. Change of clothes (jk, but if you want more variety in your pictures in doesn’t hurt!!) So our first stop was Oakville Groceries- you can call ahead your sandwiches for pick up and keep them in your cooler for lunch. The other reason for the cooler is to be sure your wine purchases don’t get ruined in the hot car! Okay, first stop:
But first, Coffee.
We arrived at Duckhorn Winery at 9:30 AM, and their tasting room opens at 10 AM. It was perfect to stroll through the vineyards and stunning property with a cup of coffee to start the day!
The tasting at Duckhorn was fabulous! The wines just kept getting better and better as it went! They do require reservations, however you can schedule your appointment on Open Table!
Stop #2
Next up, SCHRAMBERG! This was a big bucketlist winery for me! They make absolutely stunning sparkling wines and do not take any short cuts! They make all their bubbles by the meticulous and time consuming traditional method, but it sure does show on the quality of their wines! We took a tour through the wine caves where we learned all about the process!
After the wine cave tour, we tasted through the line up of sparkling and red wine IN THE WINE CAVE! So magical!
Stop #3
Next up, world class Napa red wines with a view!! Cant beat that! We very much enjoyed our time at Joseph Phelps Winery!
Stop #4
Last stop of the day, we saw the world famous wine that put California on the map in the Judgement of Paris!! The proud owner is Stags Leap Cellars. Wow wow! Every single wine was life changing! This one definitely bends the wallet, but these bottles will age forever and when that special occasion comes, we’ll be glad we have it (the cask 23)!!
DAY 2:
Started off the morning at Silver Oak winery. They don’t require an appointment and it was a great way to start the morning! Their wines are not only high end and delicious, but very different because they use Missouri oak! Fun to try!
Stop #6
This was the HIGHLIGHT of the whole trip! Hall Wines blew us out the water!! We did the Ultimate Cabernet tour and tasting! Not only did we try absolutely to die for wines, we got a private and personalized experience with a stunning view!! Highly recommend this one!!!
Stop #7
Next up, Napa Cellars! They have a such a relaxing and inviting tasting room and outdoor area with picnic tables and vines. Perfect way to slow down the afternoon!
and right across the street… stop #8
I’ve always wanted to do a barrel tasting! So after Napa Cellars, we went right across the street to Del Dotto! (also known as Del Blatto-they give heavy pours) All the wine on the barrel tour is served with the wine thief straight from the barrel!! What a neat experience!!
So there’s a super quick snapshot of our trip!! I wouldn’t change any bit of it and highly recommend all of these wineries!! drop any comments or questions below!!
cheers!!
-Cas xoxo
I’m Here To Keep You In The Know About All Things Vino!
……….
Join my mailing list to receive weekly tips, inspiration, and industry highlights.
