Autumn in Napa Valley

A November 2003 trip to Napa Valley by dkfrost

Artessa WineryMore Photos

Napa Valley is a very beautiful place to visit, especially if you like shopping, eating, and drinking.

  • 4 reviews
  • 4 photos
Artessa Winery
Wine country in general is absolutely a great place to visit, even if you don't like wine all that much. We visited Napa Valley and the town of Sonoma on our trip. Napa Valley was so beautiful we will be going back. The autumn color was beautiful (and I'm from New England). The wineries themselves are all so different, it's hard to choose. We ended up just stopping at the ones that looked prettiest! Besides wine, they have great boutique-type areas with original gifts from the area and some have great food! This area is definitely worth more than a day trip.

Quick Tips:

Staying in Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley is key to enjoying the area. You can't really see enough in just one day. I would suggest staying in the town of Sonoma if you are in the Sonoma Valley, as the center of town is unbelievable with restaurants and shops, or anywhere in the Napa Valley other than Napa itself, as Napa is just a regular town. No great atmosphere!

Best Way To Get Around:

The only way to get around in wine country is to drive. There is so much to see and do, and other than some bus tours from San Francisco, there is no public transportation. The wine train looks fun, but is really expensive.

V. Sattui WineryBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

V. Sattui isn't really a restaurant, it is a large gourmet shop with multitudes of cheeses, breads, meats, snacks and prepared foods. There are picnic tables outside to eat at - the gardens are beautiful. They will sell you anything needed for an awesome picnic lunch.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by dkfrost on January 11, 2004

V. Sattui Winery
1111 White Lane Napa Valley, California 94574
(707) 963-7774

Downtown Joe's Brewery and RestaurantBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Downtown Joe's"

Although it looks unassuming and more of a common bar than a place for good food, Downtown Joe's is worth a stop. The fish and chips is unbelievable! Sloppy joes are also great. The portions here are huge so you can even share with your companions.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by dkfrost on January 11, 2004

Downtown Joe's Brewery and Restaurant
902 Main Street Napa Valley, California 94559
(707) 258-2337

Brix RestaurantBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Brix"

Brix has a great atmosphere and the menu looks great, but it is a typical "fine dining" restaurant. The prices are high, the portions are small and the waitstaff is pretentious. The food was good, but not incredible. Considering all the choices in the valley, they could do better. There is a small gift shop that is worth a stop in.
  • Member Rating 1 out of 5 by dkfrost on January 11, 2004

Brix Restaurant
7377 St Helena Highway Napa, California 94558
+1 707 944 2749

About the Writer

dkfrost
dkfrost
Norton, Massachusetts

Get the Word Out

Share this travel journal beyond IgoUgo with your favorite sharing tools.