5 Reasons Why Napa Valley is On My Bucket List

I’ve been to my fair share of wineries in Canada (I am from BC after all) and I’ve always wanted to scope out the scene in Napa Valley. (Check out this post from my BC winery experience in the Okanagan). And continue reading for why this wine mecca is on my bucket list for 2018.

1. Beautiful Accommodations

Obviously, Napa Valley is full of so many beautiful accommodations. Personally, what I want to visit in Napa Valley are the Napa Valley vacation home rentals. There are so many beautiful places you can stay at, and I love the idea of renting a home because you get that authentic experience and no one home is the same. To add onto that, you can choose between an ultra-modern property with a sleek swimming pool or a more traditional ranch-style home. This would make such a fun trip with a whole bunch of friends or family members. I’m thinking a nice way to make a family reunion happen, no?

2. I’ve Found My Wine Palate

First off, ever since last year, I’ve gotten to know my palate for wine a lot better and now know exactly what I’m looking for. Why does this matter? Because I won’t feel so overwhelmed since I know I prefer wines on the dry side. Hence, I’m not overwhelmed to go somewhere like Napa Valley where there are countless vineyards to explore. Not sure what you like yet? Don’t worry, there are so many experts out there who can give you a hand.

At first, when I was attending my first winery tours, I had no idea what I even liked, I basically just tried it all and now I’ve become quite the skeptic (it’s quite hilarious actually). Just goes to show it all comes full circle, hey? I’ve even heard there is a Napa Valley Vine Trail which you can bike along. Sounds incredible, right? Apparently, it’s 12 miles of vineyards and fields lined with fall foliage. I can already picture what kind of Instagram photos I would take haha.

3. There’s No Bad Time to Go

You can visit Napa Valley all year round. For instance, go in the fall and experience the beautiful fall foliage or go in the winter and attend the raved about Napa Valley Film Festival which is chock full of film screenings, food and of course, wine. Although, I’ve heard the best times to visit are during spring and fall, between March to May. More trips to take during the fall here.

4. It’s Not All About the Wine

While Napa Valley is very much about the vino, they have some of the best food around the world. According to PopSugar, their pasta rivals even that of Italy’s with their Ciccio restaurant. I would definitely eat all the carbs in Napa Valley. What diet? More about the foodie experience here.

I also read something very useful about how you should take it easy on the wineries because a lot of the restaurants in Napa Valley have an extensive wine selection and offer pairings with their meals. You wouldn’t want to miss out on some of the restaurants best wines because you drank too much during the day right?

If you want to take it easy on the wine tours for the day, why not check out an olive oil tour instead? Yes, it’s very much a thing. I’m a huge fan of olive oil and love the idea of bringing back an authentic homemade bottle of some.

5. Natural Beauty

This might be obvious, but who cares? You can’t ignore the Instagram-worthy views of Wine Country and all of the beautiful winding roads you have set before you to explore. When I make it to Napa Valley, I’m definitely renting a car and driving down the roads and taking in the rolling hills of vineyards and nature alike.

If you’re feeling like you need to go on a hike or adventure of some sort after downing wine and cheese all week, why not take a journey southwest and explore Mill Valley Park? According to National Geographic, Mill Valley park offers flat (easy) trails which lead you to old-growth coastal redwoods (such beautiful majestic trees).

I also just heard of the Napa Valley Wine Train which sounds amazing. It’s basically a 1915 luxury train and apparently boasts incredible views of the valley, the interiors of the train and of course the fascination of traveling by rail which I have yet to do. (Except for that one time I took a small train in Portugal which was interesting, to say the least.) Have you tried the Napa Valley Wine Train yet? Is it all it’s cracked up to be?

There are also some spectacular runes you can find, amongst other gems to stumble upon. There’s even gallery openings, music festivals and historic exhibitions. I’d really like to try an art walk in Napa Valley because you can enjoy contemporary culture but can also spend time outside at the same time.

Something else I really want to do is take a hot air balloon ride. It would be the perfect way to experience Napa Valley’s lush rolling hills and vineyards as well as the gorgeous coastline.

I don’t know about you, but I’m booking a trip to Napa Valley ASAP. Who else?

Have you been to Napa Valley before? What’s your favourite thing about it?