A recap of recently spent time in Napa’s most charming pocket — St. Helena — for a few days of wine, sunshine, and relaxation.
Here’s what we loved the most!
St. Helena – Eat!
Where we ate:
The Charter Oak
This spot was an easy walk from our house. Our first dinner and definitely somewhere I’d visit again! We sat outside under the trees on the most charming patio. Everything about this place was super memorable.
Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch
A true Napa classic for lunch. The outdoor setting is lovely, and everything on the menu feels like wine country food in the best way possible.
Charlie’s
A warm, neighborhood-feeling lunch spot with local ingredients and an unfussy vibe.
Brasswood Bar + Kitchen
A cozy wine-country spot at Brasswood Estate with excellent pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and the best homemade mozzarella! They slice up the mozzarella tableside, divide it over pieces toasted bread, and drizzle with olive oil. Absolute perfection.
The Bear at Stanly Ranch
Note: In Carneros, not St. Helena — but we ended the trip here for Sunday brunch, and it could not have been more perfect. This is the flagship restaurant of Auberge Resorts’ Stanly Ranch, Open air, beautiful views, and California cooking.
Model Bakery
An in-town ideal morning stop for coffee and something flaky before heading to the vineyards. The best English Muffins!
The Station St. Helena
One night we kept things simple with pizza from town. Station St. Helena is a café and pizzeria located in a retro gas station on Main Street, and it was so good!
St. Helena – Drink
Wineries we loved:
Schramsberg Vineyards
The historic sparkling-wine caves are a great stop (and a great way to start the day!). The setting, the story, and the bubbles, all classic Napa.
Bella Union
Bella Union is the newest addition to the Far Niente Wine Estates family. The tasting room is a design-forward escape where art, architecture and wine converge. Tastings are relaxed and personal, either in the stylish salon or the lush gardens.
AXR Napa Valley
Beautiful, historic grounds (complete with redwoods!) and a compelling alternative to the larger, more crowded estates. AXR focuses on small-lot, terroir-driven wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, that reflect their vineyard sites.
Vineyard 29
A high-touch experience with stunning views and exceptional wines. This is situated on the hillside of the Mayacamas Mountains above St. Helena, with gorgeous views of the valley, modern architecture integrated into the landscape, and 13,000 sq ft of underground caves where their wines mature.
Chappellet
Perched high on Pritchard Hill; the drive alone is worth it. Pritchard Hill is celebrated for producing intense, age-worthy Cabs and other mountain-grown varietals.
Also, this building’s architecture is distinctive: their winery building is pyramid-shaped and designed to integrate with the hillside.
Faust Haus
Faust Haus is the elevated tasting destination of Faust Wines, in a restored 1878 Victorian house. Faust makes accessible, modern Napa Cabernet that I always find to be a crowd-pleaser.
Covert Estate
Note: in Coombsville, not St. Helena. This was a Sunday tasting arranged just for us before heading to the airport, set in an intimate, beautifully minimalist cave. This visit was unhurried and personal — a special way to end the trip!
St. Helena – Stay
We rented a modern home just off downtown St. Helena, which made walking to restaurants and morning coffee runs really easy. The neighborhood was quiet and green, with a grocery store and shops steps away. If you’re staying in the area, being within walking distance of town is a huge plus.
St. Helena – Do
Shopping
St. Helena’s Main Street offers a perfect mix of boutiques, galleries, and specialty shops. Some of my favorites are elysewalker and Punch Clothing for apparel, Woodhouse Chocolate for handcrafted treats, and Napa Valley Vintage Home for curated home décor and gifts.
Napa always has a way of mixing indulgence with ease in such a beautiful and peaceful way. Until next time, Napa!
Cheers!
xx—BB
Take me back!