What to do in Napa Valley besides Wine Tasting (Quarantine Edition)

As so many of you know, those to follow on instagram, I had an amazing solo road trip. In the middle of my adventure, I met up with a friend to celebrate her birthday and also explore the beautiful wine country of California. Since we were there during quarantine, I thought it would be helpful to write a post and share: What to do in Napa Valley besides Wine Tasting (Quarantine Edition).

Here were our goals:

Safety and social distancing
Be around as little people as possible (easier than you think on 20+ acres of land per vineyard).
Plan out our trip so we have to didn’t wander.

The key to getting through Napa is actually in the planning. Especially during the current Covid Pandemic. I can’t express enough how wonderful it was to make a reservation, show up/masked up and do our tasting at an exact time. I also love how there was no rush on anything.

Okay, let’s get into What to do in Napa Valley besides Wine Tasting!

What to do in Napa Valley / Sterling Vineyard's Areal Tram // On the Trip Side

Everyone loves great wine and that’s not hard to find in Napa Valley, California. There’s also something truly beautiful and, honestly, breath taking about the views there. The rolling hills lined with rows and rows of grapes is such a sight! Which is why I’m recommending 5 experiences you have to try during your stay:

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Sterling Vineyard’s Areal Tram (Gondola Skyline)

The views from your private pod, while scaling up the hillside of Sterling Winery, is unimaginable. Each pod is sterilized before entering and immediately after, per CDC standards. The Areal Tram is completely worth it though.

We chose the Signature Experience and were thrilled with the views, privacy and spacing on the main outdoor deck. You also get a mini tour of the vineyard, barrel room and fermentation corridors because they’re primarily outside.

All this, while going through 4 wine tastings.

Note: There’s only one way up and back down so you will ride the gondola twice.

The Historic Napa Valley Welcome Sign

There’s nothing more exciting than driving through the valley’s windy roads and seeing a friendly welcome sign.

Wanna know a secret? There are two! The one by Costello di Amorosa is significantly less crowded than the other. It’s also a lot safer because it’s not behind the train tracks of the wine train.

Pro tip – bring your trusty tripod and clicker to take your own photos.

Explore two castles

Costello di Amorosa for a fun touristy experience. This vineyard’s chateau was build using recycled materials of old buildings throughout the world. Many stones from Luxembourg and Germany, etc. Really fun for pictures and has outdoor seating. I felt like we were in an Italian town and not Napa.

Chateau Montelena for the true castle experience. This castle is legit. Built in 1890 and my favorite Red Zin ever. The grounds are open to those who book tasting reservations and it is, without a doubt, worth it. I loved this tasting and it was actually my favorite wines.

What to do in Napa Valley // On the Trip Side

Pop into an Art Gallery

While waiting between wine tastings, we decided to stretch our legs and walk through Saint Helena (a must, when in Napa!). We noticed that Caldwell Snyder Gallery was open and we were the only two people who popped in. The curator was so welcoming and told us about a few other galleries in the area. We didn’t get the opportunity to go but this was such a memorable moment for us that had nothing to do with wine. 😅

Have your own Picnic

We decided to go veryyyy old school on our trip. We went to the grocery store, purchased our own delicious meats and cheeses, a Napa Valley bottle of wine and sat on the balcony of our rented condo for a picnic. We were lucky that the grounds we were on, over looked a golf course. We listened to music, gossiped about celebrities, and chatted about our day. We realized afterward we could have done this on a property somewhere but it was so fun and a great way to freshen up before heading back out.

There you are darling friends! I hope you enjoyed reading this and would love to hear what other ideas you have for experiencing Napa.

As always, hope you’re staying healthy, happy and safe.

Alli