California Dreaming

In California, pleasure seems to be a way of life: fresh flowers, farm-fresh plates for the table, afternoons spent drinking good wine with old friends in the sun. If these sound like your kind of pleasures too, might I suggest Napa Valley as the perfect place to enjoy them? 

There’s a reason wine country has long been mythologized. Napa conjures dreamy countrysides, bountiful gardens and sweeping vineyard views. We’ve got some beautiful geological chaos to thank for its distinctive, signature terroir, via the collision of the Mayacamas Mountains to the west and the Vaca Mountains to the east. Together, they form the illustrious Napa Valley, renowned globally for its full-bodied Cabernets. But the region is also known for varietals like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—especially in mountainous sub-regions where the shade from the mountains cool the soil—as well as rustic farms, world-class restaurants and grapevine-dotted meadows that stretch for miles. 

Ready to taste it all for yourself? Perhaps it’s time for a getaway. While by no means comprehensive, this itinerary offers a great place to start for a lush weekend in Napa Valley. 

Thursday, 5 p.m.: Get Ahead of Jetlag

Inn Above Tide, Sausalito

Fly into San Francisco a day early and book a room at The Inn Above Tide for “luxury on the water.” This elegant, understated boutique hotel in Marin County boasts panoramic views of San Francisco Bay, the city skyline and Alcatraz. With east-facing windows overlooking the water, you’ll wake up to the sunrise. Watch it from your patio over breakfast, or turn the fireplace on and watch from bed.

Sausalito is a walkable bayside town, and while there’s plenty to love inside Inn Above Tide—like the daily wine and cheese tasting at 5 p.m. in The Drawing Room—don’t forget to explore the nearby galleries and restaurants. For fresh-as-it-gets seafood, book the omakase experience at Sushi Ran, or dinner at The Spinnaker for panoramic views of SF Bay. If you can swing it, make time to drive 25 minutes Northwest to Muir Woods National Forest to wrap your arms around some majestic, 800-year-old redwoods.  

 Other great options: Gables Inn, Sausalito; Tickle Pink Inn, Carmel by the Sea.  

Friday, 7 p.m.: Check in to Your Home for the Weekend

Silverado Hotel & Resort, Napa

Silverado Resort is the active vacationer’s paradise, with two PGA championship golf courses, eight tennis courts and six pickleball courts. Silverado hosts live ball and round robin tournaments every Saturday and Sunday, where guests can hop in with locals and compete for Queen of the Court. If that weren’t enough, scenic biking and hiking trails and daily cardio and yoga classes make it hard to wriggle out of a morning workout before dousing the day in wine. 

Prefer to unwind on vacation? The outdoor fireplaces, rocking chairs and onsite spa set the stage for total relaxation, as does the 24/7 golf cart transportation around the property. 

8 p.m.: Farm-to-Table Dinner Fare

Charter Oak, St. Helena

If for some strange reason the French Laundry happens to be booked, Charter Oak makes a lovely alternative. Rustic seasonality is on the menu here, where elemental Napa cooking gets a surprising twist, and much of the fare is grown at the organic farm down the road. Try the yellow miso caesar; a bavette steak with citrus kosho and brown butter; and fresh farm vegetables with the most mind-blowing vegan soy dip you’ve ever tasted. On breezy evenings, grab a spot near the fire pit outside and let lush foliage shade you from the sun.

Other Great Options: R+D Kitchen, Yountville; RH Restaurant, Yountville; Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch, St. Helena.

Saturday, 10 a.m.: Your Tour Begins

Rule number one of wine tasting: Resist the urge to pack your schedule too full, and pick two or three, maybe four wineries to visit in a day. If your heart desires more, there’s always Sunday.

A few other tips: Book a driver (Uber and Lyft work well), and have a plan before you arrive. While some wineries allow walk-ins, it’s best to have reservations, ideally with about 2-3 hours between each booking. Most tastings will cost around $60 per person, but aim for a mix of elevated and casual stops, and remember that most places will waive the tasting fee if you purchase a bottle. The wineries below are great contenders for a first sip.

For the Foodies

Ram’s Gate, Sonoma

Start your day out west in Sonoma with a brunch tasting of sorts at Ram’s Gate, where there’s a lot to love: plenty of the Pinot and Chardonnay the Carneros AVA is known for, a breezy property where rustic charm meets modern design and a five-course meal with paired tastings served. If five courses feels too daunting, sample the a la carte menu instead. Pro tip: Get there early and see if Paul will give you a tour of the cellars.

For World-Class Art With a Side of Wine

The Donum Estate, Sonoma

A truly unmissable place to taste in Napa, Donum is an estate winery and immersive contemporary art experience. Equally renowned for its single-vineyard, single-appellation Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and for its expansive, world-class outdoor sculpture collection, Donum boasts more than 60 magnificent works by artists from all over the world.

The estate features 200 acres punctuated with pieces like Yayoi Kusama’s iconic “Pumpkin,” Richard Hudson’s “Big Mama” and Doug Aitken’s immersive “Sonic Mountain.” Travelers who’ve recently been through Terminal B at New York’s LaGuardia Airport might notice the same Mirror Balloons hanging from the ceilings at Donum—a signature work by Danish-born artist Jeppe Hein. For the best experience, book the walking tour to see these stunning works up close while you taste.

2 p.m.: Lunch Between Tastings

Ad Hoc, Napa

Ad Hoc is a more casual way to sample the delicious genius of chef Thomas Keller. The buttermilk fried chicken is by far the main attraction, and the giant platter is served family style and steaming, flecked with rosemary, perfectly crisped and perfect for sharing. If mashed potatoes are on the menu that day, don’t miss them. A tip: Want more of anything? Just ask!

4 p.m.: For All-American Photography and the Potato Chip Tasting of Your Dreams

Silver Trident, Yountville

For a change of scenery, head to Silver Trident in Yountville. With so much of the Napa wine experience characterized by hulking estates, Silver Trident offers a setting that feels like hanging out at your Connecticut friend’s house drinking wine on a Sunday afternoon.

An especially noteworthy detail here (aside from its 2021 Playing With Fire blend) is the potato chip pairings. You’ll appreciate the snack after a few hours of drinking wine, and pairings like Apollo’s Folly Rosé with Zapp’s Spicy Cajun Crawtators will have even novice tasters naming new flavors.

The photography-laden walls are feasts for the eyes. Find something you love? The winery ships! Pick a piece and a few bottles to remember the trip by, and Silver Trident’s concierges Rosemary and Beth will have both waiting for you when you get home.

5 p.m.: For Excellent Zinfandel and the First Black-Owned Winery in Napa

Brown Tasting Room, Downtown Napa

Readers who attended Tulsa’s Philbrook Wine Experience might recognize The Brown Estate and its House of Brown Rosé from the lineup of bottles poured this year—and for good reason. But to truly experience the heart of Brown, you have to taste its Zinfandels. A flagship varietal for the estate, Brown’s is rich and full-bodied with flavors of black cherry, ripe plum and pepper, all tied together with an elegant finish.

After a long day exploring Napa Valley’s estates, switch up the vibe and head to Brown’s downtown tasting room, where Zinfandel and rosé are always flowing. The mood upstairs is sleek and buzzy, where tastings run until 6 p.m., making it a great stop before dinner.

Other things to love about Brown: All of its wines are regeneratively farmed. Woman- and family-owned Brown is also the first Black-owned estate winery in the region, making its wines not just wonderful, but wonderful to support. And for the word nerds, its email newsletter is as poetic as it is informative.

7 p.m.: Room Service in Bed

Whether you do a caesar salad and fries or a pizza to go, odds are you’re gonna be ready to crash. Cheers to a successful day of tasting!

Sunday at Noon: For a Love Letter to 1960s Napa

Ashes & Diamonds, Napa 

Pull up to Ashes & Diamonds, and the first thing you’ll notice is the zig-zag roof and the hulking yellow door. It’ll be the most stunning thing you see for all of 30 seconds, until what’s behind it steals the show. 

There’s a youthful tone in Ashes & Diamonds’ tasting room, which feels somewhat unburdened by the stuffier standards of the Valley. A&D reimagines Napa through a lens of mid-century modern cool, describing itself as “a love letter to the Napa of the 1960s.” Owned by a former advertising and MTV executive, the space is infused with nods to music culture and vintage California charm: hip-hop and punk zines alongside sleek, modernist design. Fun fact with an Oklahoma connection: A&D’s label designer is also said to have created album art for OKC-born artist St. Vincent. 

But it’s not just the aesthetics that set Ashes & Diamonds apart; the food and wine pairings are knockouts. With dishes like a Delgado Bean Tostada and a Flannery Beef Arrachera with queso and tortillas, paired with a Cab Franc Saffron Vineyard, every dish enhances the wine. And don’t sleep on the wines themselves; the Cremant and Cab Franc, in particular, are exceptional. 

For a Casual Tasting With an Oklahoma Connection
Hobo Wines

Santa Rosa 

For a final stop before leaving town, head to Santa Rosa in Sonoma County and visit Kenny Likitprakong and Lynn Wheeler at Hobo Wine Company, where the tasting experience is refreshingly casual—the perfect yin to Napa Valley’s yang.

“It’s very much not Napa,” Likitprakong says. “You’re sitting in our production space, and I always call that area our living room, our lab, our office, our kitchen.”

The couple founded Hobo in 2022 to craft affordable, delicious wines with minimal environmental impact. “Our winemaking philosophy is pretty vineyard-focused,” Likitprakong notes. “It’s not ‘do nothing’ in the winery, but the idea is to do the work in the vineyard, and then the wine work is pretty easy from there. We farm a fair amount of acreage, and everything is organic. Then wine-wise, it’s pretty hands off at that point.”

Unlike the corporate estates of Napa, it’s a family affair over at Hobo; on my first visit, I swung in and found Kenny and Lynn’s children stomping grapes, and if memory serves, someone skateboarding around the facility. Today, tastings are by appointment only for $15, and led by Kenny, Lynn or either of their employess over the course of an hour or two. Keeping the operation small and tight offers the freedom to do things the way they want to—which usually means a laid-back experience that prioritizes connection.

“I feel like what’s important to us is to spend time with people, and not just educate them about our wines, but to get to know them too. I’m kind of at that point in my life when I just want to spend meaningful time with people, even if they’re people I’m never going to see again. I learn stuff from every single person who comes in.”

The name Hobo pays homage to the free-spirited wanderers of American folklore, and the team also produces Camp, focused on Santa Rosa-grown varietals; Banyan Wines, a collaboration with Likitprakong’s father made to pair with Southeast Asian cuisines; Folk Machine, a line of esoteric, experimental wines with a name at least partly inspired by the life of famed Oklahoman Woody Guthrie; Wheeler’s Chardonnay line Edith & Ida; a keg-only brand called Workbook; and Ghostwriter, focused on Santa Cruz reds. Back in Tulsa, you can usually find a few of their wines on the menu at FarmBar or on the shelves at Ranch Acres, but if you taste something you love, grab a few bottles to bring home.

Other amazing spots to visit: Domaine Carneros, Cake Bread and, for a special trip, Opus One.