I feel like I am giving up all our secrets here, but I'm not one to gatekeep the best our valley has to offer.
After more than twenty years of planning trips, we keep a running list of all the Napa Valley hidden gems: the places we send our clients, and the places I go myself on a day off.
Some you would drive right past if you did not know to stop. Some of them are only available by appointment. Almost none of them come up on the first page when you search for things to do in Napa Valley.
At the end of the day, people come here to eat and drink. I get it. So do I. But the valley I love is quieter than the one on the wine train. It is a mountaintop tasting where the host already knows your name. It is a green juice in a mason jar at the Saturday market. It is the bakery you hit before an early tasting and the bookstore you wander into after lunch.
This is Napa Valley, the one we show our clients. What keeps us going.
Here are sixteen of my favorites, from the wineries you cannot book on your own to the corners of the valley most visitors never find.
The Hidden Gem Wineries in Napa Valley
1. Promise Wines
Pritchard Hill, up above the St. Helena side of the valley
This is one of the first places I think of, and one of the hardest to give up.
Promise is a small, family owned winery that Steve McPherson built with his wife after a long career far from the vineyards. Kirk Venge makes the wine, which tells you almost everything if you know Napa. The property sits high up on Pritchard Hill, with a beehive and two pigs named Ken and Barbie who are, honestly, some of the friendliest pigs you'll ever meet. They also have horses and chickens on the property.
The cabernets are small production and they are wonderful. You will not find them in a shop or on a restaurant list, because nearly everything is sold straight from the winery to people on the list. Beth leads all of the tastings, and our guests absolutely adore her. Time and time again, they leave with more wine than they probably planned to buy—but that's a testament to the incredible experience she creates.
One thing we hear over and over is that whenever they return to Napa Valley, a visit with Beth is always at the top of their list.
This is exactly the kind of place where it helps to know someone who can get you in.
2. Azur Wines
Coombsville Estate
Tucked away in the rolling hills of Coombsville, the private estate tasting at Azur Wines offers the kind of intimate Napa Valley experience that most visitors never discover.
Founded by Elan Fayard, Azur is a boutique, family-owned winery known for its elegant Cabernet Sauvignons, beautiful Rosé d'Or, and handcrafted wines inspired by French winemaking traditions. What makes this experience so special is the setting itself: an exclusive estate surrounded by vineyards with breathtaking views of Coombsville and a peaceful atmosphere far removed from the crowds.
Guests enjoy a seated tasting of limited-production wines while learning about the winery's story, the unique terroir of Coombsville, and the passion behind every bottle. This is not a rushed tasting room experience. It's personal, educational, and relaxed—the kind of place where conversations flow as easily as the wine.
For travelers seeking authentic hospitality, exceptional wines, and a true behind-the-scenes look at Napa Valley, Azur delivers an unforgettable experience. It's perfect for couples, wine enthusiasts, corporate groups, and anyone looking to discover the quieter, more exclusive side of wine country. It is a winery we love sharing with our MG Concierge clients.
3. Diamond Mountain Vineyard
Diamond Mountain, above Calistoga
When people ask where I take my own friends and family, this is one of the answers. You climb up Diamond Mountain above Calistoga to a place that has been a private homestead since the 1890s, and you taste at the very top with the whole valley below you and Mount Saint Helena across the way.
Wendy hosts, and everyone falls for her.
The welcome is personal and the wine more than holds up to the view. It is allocation only and genuinely private, so it is not a walk in. It is one of the most beautiful settings in all of Napa, and most people who visit never know it is up there.
4. Cimarossa
The top of Howell Mountain, hosted by Kristopher
This is the mountaintop afternoon I save for friends and family, and now for the people we send. Cimarossa (pronounced Chimarossa, Italian for red hilltop) sits at the top of Howell Mountain, with terraced vineyards and olive groves and a view that goes on forever.
Kristopher hosts, and the hospitality is the best I have found anywhere. He spent years as Joseph Phelps' personal sommelier and has been in the wine business for more than thirty years, so he is a true OG and a wealth of stories about how Napa has changed. He used to tell me he could read how the whole weekend was going to go just by the morning line at Bouchon down in Yountville.
Up at the winery, he lays out an enormous spread for everybody: cheeses, breads, chocolate, blueberries, whipped cream, the works. They press their own olive oil right there on the property. And the wine is what you came for, single vineyard Cabernets off the mountain, sold allocation only, which means the only place in the world to get it is up there at the winery.
Where We Actually Eat
5. Scala Osteria
Downtown Napa
My favorite Italian table in town. Scala is the downtown sister to Bistro Don Giovanni, right on First Street and open late. Start with the fresh oysters and the Caesar. Then order the lasagna. I have had a lot of lasagna in my life, and theirs is the best, no contest. The wine list is excellent and the room has that buzzy, everyone is having a good time energy.
Book ahead, because the walk in wait gets long fast.
6. Bistro Don Giovanni
Napa, just north of downtown on Highway 29
Don Giovanni has been a valley institution for more than thirty years, and Giovanni himself is still there, ready to greet you every single time we walk in. He always sends a little something out to the table. If you want the order the locals get, ask for the Meyer lemon ravioli.
It sits a few minutes north of downtown on Highway 29, and it is worth the short drive every time.
7. Con Amor
Downtown Napa
I love the fancy fancy. I also love it when friends just want to skip the white tablecloths, and that is fine too. Con Amor is the spot for that.
It is a woman owned tequila and botanas place on Main Street, the downtown sister to La Cheve. Get a reservation, sit at the bar, and let them order for you. The food and the drinks are wonderful, and the people behind the bar make the whole night.
8. Model Bakery
Downtown Napa, inside Oxbow Public Market
This is the move before an early tasting. Model Bakery, inside Oxbow Public Market, does breakfast wraps and good coffee, and the English muffins are famous for a reason. Grab something easy and you are fueled for the day without losing an hour to a sit down breakfast.
9. Bouchon Bakery
Yountville
Yountville might be my favorite place in the world, which is exactly why I am always trying to put clients there. Start your morning at Bouchon Bakery, grab a pastry and a coffee, and walk the town before it wakes up.
The bakery is Thomas Keller's, the pastries are genuinely world class, and it opens at seven. On a day with an early tasting, a pain au chocolat and a quiet street is all you need.
10. Theda's Ice Creamery
Napa, on Jefferson Street
Here is the one I want to get popular, even though part of me wants to keep it quiet. A local opened Theda's in 2025, and he makes everything in small batches right there, with new flavors every single month and a weekly one built around whatever is fresh at the farmers market.
It is tucked into a little shopping center on Jefferson Street where you would never expect to find some of the best ice cream in town. They are closed Mondays. Go any other day.
The Valley Beyond the Glass
11. Napa Farmers Market
Downtown Napa
If you want to see how the valley actually feeds itself, come to the market. It runs Saturday mornings year round and Tuesday mornings from April through December, over on Pearl street. Get the green juice in the mason jar. Walk the whole thing before you buy anything, because you fill up fast.
Look for Sushi Monkey, a local outfit that does fun, creative sushi and sets up here. The owner even runs sushi making classes for groups, which is the kind of thing I love arranging for clients who want to do more than taste wine.
12. Napa Bookmine
Downtown Napa, with a stall at Oxbow too
A real, independent, locally owned bookstore, which is not a small thing anymore. There is a bigger shop on Second Street with a little coffee counter, and a stall inside Oxbow Public Market. It is the perfect thing to do between tastings when you want to slow your heart rate back down. I always walk out with one more book than I planned to.
13. Sky and Vine
Downtown Napa, on top of the Archer Hotel
Most people walking around downtown Napa never look up, which means they miss the rooftop. Sky and Vine sits on top of the Archer Hotel with a view out over the town and the vineyards beyond. Go for sunset and order a cocktail. It is the easiest way to feel like you are in on something, and you are right in the middle of downtown the whole time.
14. Calistoga
Calistoga, the north end of the valley
The northern end of the valley moves at a different speed, and Calistoga is where I go when I want to slow all the way down. There is good boutique shopping along the main street, and this is the hot springs and mud baths side of Napa, the little spa town that a lot of first timers never make it up to. When you get hungry, go to Buster's. It is a Louisiana style barbecue place that has been a Calistoga fixture for as long as anyone can remember, the spot where the locals go, and it is my favorite barbecue in the whole valley. Give Calistoga an afternoon.
15. Get outside, because there is more here than the glass
Across Napa Valley
People come to Napa to eat and drink, and honestly, so do I. But when someone asks what else there is to do, the real answer is a lot. We love to hike, and the views from up high are the kind you remember. There are wonderful parks and trails all over the valley. Downtown Napa has good shopping and an easy walk along the river. The valley is beautiful on foot, so do not spend the whole trip in a tasting room. Here's a few hikes we recommend:
- — Alston Park: 157 acres of beautiful rolling hills in Napa Valley. Great views and an easy walkabout before or after a tasting.
- — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park: Great for picnics and for an overnight camp out. They have a pool and cabins for rent. An ideal place for a hike through the redwoods to capture the best of what California has to offer.
- — Skyline Wilderness Park: This outdoor hotspot has 8 excellent hiking trails. They can be steep, so use your best judgement. Totally worth it, in my opinion. The views are great.
16. Traveling with Kids
Napa and Yountville, with a short hop to Sonoma
People are sometimes surprised, but Napa is wonderful with kids if you know where to point them. Start with TrainTown over in Sonoma, a little theme park where they can ride the train, hop on a few rides, and feed the animals. Go early, because it gets crowded.
Closer to home, Connolly Ranch in Napa is a working farm where children can meet the animals and help take care of them, with open mornings and summer camps.
Even some wineries are built for families: Hoopes, just outside Yountville, is run by Lindsay Hoopes and has a rescue animal sanctuary, an organic garden, and snacks and activities for the little ones while the adults taste.
And if you want to stay at a resort, the two I steer families to are the Carneros Resort and the Auberge Resorts properties. Carneros in particular is made for it, with a family pool, bikes to borrow, lawn games, a kids' camp, and menus built for children.
Tips for getting a reservation
Here is the honest truth about how this works. The most sought-after tables in the valley book out a month or more in advance, on a fixed schedule. Take the French Laundry. Reservations open on the first of the month for the following month, at ten in the morning Pacific time. So if you want a table in October, you are booking it on September first, and you need to be ready the moment the clock hits ten, because the good slots are gone within minutes.
Here is the part most people do not know. A table for four is much easier to land. The catch is that you pay for all four seats whether you fill them or not. When it is just the two of you and the date really matters, that tradeoff is often worth it, and knowing it is half the game.
The other half is knowing the right people. After more than twenty years here, we have real relationships with the people who run these wineries and restaurants. That means we can often get a client in at the last minute, into a tasting or a table that is otherwise closed for the day. Just another benefit of letting a real concierge take care of all the small things.
Quick tips on doing Napa like a local
- — Dress down, not up. Napa locals are generally pretty easy going, so wear what feels comfortable to you.
- — Eat a little earlier. The dinner crowds really pick up around six or seven, so a five o'clock table is a quieter vibe.
- — Some of the wineries I love most do not have a tasting room you can book online. It keeps things exclusive, but a real concierge knows how to pull the right strings to get you in.
Napa Valley FAQs
Do I need a reservation to visit wineries in Napa Valley?
Almost always, yes. Most Napa wineries are by appointment now, and some of the best have no walk in option at all. The upside is that an appointment usually means a calmer, more personal visit. If a winery you are dreaming about looks fully booked, that is often exactly where we can help.
What are the best things to do in Napa Valley besides wine tasting?
Plenty. Walk the towns, since Yountville, Calistoga, and downtown Napa are all made for it. Shop the Saturday farmers market, hike for the views, browse Napa Bookmine, take a sushi making class, watch the sunset from a rooftop, and eat well. Napa is a real place with real neighborhoods, not just a string of wineries.
Can I enjoy Napa Valley if I am not a big wine drinker?
Absolutely. Some of my favorite things here have nothing to do with a tasting room: the farmers market, a morning in Yountville, a hike with a view, the bookstore, the rooftop at sunset, ice cream on Jefferson Street, barbecue up in Calistoga. There is a whole valley beyond the glass.
Is Napa Valley good for families and kids?
More than people expect. Take the kids to TrainTown in Sonoma, meet the animals at Connolly Ranch, visit a family friendly winery like Hoopes, and stay somewhere built for families like the Carneros Resort. We build family trips around the places that welcome everyone.
How many wineries should I visit in a day?
Fewer than you think, with a real meal somewhere in the middle. The best tastings here are unhurried, especially the ones that come with food, so leave room to actually enjoy them rather than racing the clock.
Where do locals actually eat in Napa?
A few of my regulars: Scala Osteria and Bistro Don Giovanni for Italian, Con Amor for tequila and botanas, Model Bakery at Oxbow for breakfast, Bouchon Bakery in Yountville for the morning pastry, Buster's in Calistoga for barbecue, and Theda's for ice cream. Plus whatever is fresh and prepared at the farmers market that morning.
When is the best time to visit Napa Valley?
Fall, during harvest, has the most energy, and it is also the busiest. Late spring is gorgeous and a little calmer. Winter is quiet, green, and underrated. There is no bad time, only different ones, and we are happy to help you match the season to the trip you want.
What is the difference between a travel concierge and a wine tour?
A wine tour gives you a set route and a van. A concierge plans the whole trip around you: the wineries, the tables, the timing, and the stay, and uses real relationships to get you access you cannot book on your own. One is a day out. The other is having someone in your corner who knows everybody in the valley.
Come see the valley we love
I shared a lot here, probably more than I should have. But I never want to gatekeep our favorite spots.
The real magic is the part I cannot put in writing. If you want a Napa Valley trip that feels less like a checklist and more like being let in on a secret, that is exactly what we do. Reach out, tell us what you are dreaming about, and we will take it from there.