Napa Outdoor Wine Tastings – Our 10 Favorite!

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, chances are you’ve made the short drive up and spent the day at a Napa outdoor wine tasting! I have lived in the Bay Area since 1997 and made Napa my home in 2010. I own Danielle Gibson Events, an event company that designs and produces corporate events, and social celebrations in the Napa Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, and beyond. (I also work with a number of wineries as a prop stylist) I am continually scouting new locations, hotels, restaurants, and wineries to keep myself and my clients well informed as to the best Napa has to offer. Between my two careers and general love of wineries, I have found a need to share my knowledge of the region and have written a few blogs:

• Visiting Napa on a Budget
• Our Favorite Napa Valley Restaurants for Dinner
• Tips from a Local for Visiting Napa

Planning Your Visit To Napa

A quick note to keep in mind when planning your trip, select the winery that’s right for you.

What kind of wine do you like? What is your price range? All tastings are by appointment and have different price points. As always when visiting a winery, do the right thing and buy a bottle or 2 and leave a tip for your host. 

Coombsville – Favorite Napa Outdoor Wine Tasting

Whetstone Wine Cellars 

Available by appointment Thursday thru Monday, 12-3:00 pm

Get away from the hustle and bustle of the valley and enjoy the relaxing feeling of tasting under the trees at Whetstone. Guests at Whetstone are encouraged to sip wine by the glass or bottle on their patio and enjoy the view of their incredible French-style chateau built in 1885. They are also a large supporter of their community and encourage guests to grab some take-out from local restaurants so you can enjoy a picnic with their Whetstone wine. Book your appointment here and enjoy their wines ranging from $20 for a glass to $55-$125 for a bottle, depending on what they are offering that day.

Downtown Napa – Favorite Napa Outdoor Wine Tasting

St. Claire Brown 

Available by appointment Thursday & Sunday 12-6:00 pm, Friday & Saturday 12-8:00 pm, (closed Monday-Wednesday)

Located in downtown Napa’s Art District, St. Claire Brown is a pet-friendly winery/brewery greenhouse dropped in the middle of urban Napa. Tastings of their wine and beer take place in their greenhouse tasting room, which is nestled among seasonal raised garden beds and fruit trees. Enjoy their beautiful greenery and pair your tasting with some of their snacks inspired by the environment surrounding you. Appointments can be booked here at $40 per person for their standard wine tasting (inclusive of 4 current release wines) and $50 per person for their Flagship Wine Tasting which includes 4 of their premium wines. You can also purchase their wine by the bottle, which ranges from $25-$95 per bottle depending on what they are offering that day. For those more interested in beer, a flight of 3 current releases can be reserved at $18 per person, and bottles are purchased onsite for $20 per 750ml bottle.

Oak Knoll  – Favorite Napa Outdoor Wine Tasting

Robert Biale Winery

Available by appointment from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm daily

This relaxed and leisurely seated tasting is among the vineyards on Robert Biale’s back porch. Their wine educators guide you through a personalized overview of Napa Valley, historic vineyards, family farming history, and the fine points of appreciating world-class Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Biale’s rare blends. Tip: ask them all about the Black Chicken! Appointments for their 90-minute tasting can be booked here (up to 4 guests per reservation). Each tasting is $35 per person. You can also purchase their wine by the bottle, which ranges from $40-$110 per bottle. 

Ashes and Diamonds Winery

Available by appointment from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm daily

As discussed in the pages of Vogue and Goop, the tasting experience at Ashes & Diamonds Winery is not one you will likely forget. The modern design and hipster following have a very different approach than most wineries in Napa. This unconventional approach reaches beyond their architecture to include their wide variety of tasting options. Visitors may choose one of four appointment options ranging from $45-$125, all of which include 4-5 wines accompanied with food pairings. Appointments can be booked here and wine may be purchased onsite, ranging from $40-$120 per bottle. 

Downtown Yountville – Favorite Napa Outdoor Wine Tasting

Stewart Cellars 

Available by appointment from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm daily

Dubbed one of the chicest tasting patios in downtown Yountville, Stewart Cellars offers multiple tasting experiences. With their Portfolio Wine Tasting, guests can enjoy sipping on four seasonal wines in their gorgeous courtyard at $30 per person. For a more elevated experience, guests can reserve a Nomad Tasting hosted on the Nomad Library patio (designed by Ken Folk). At $125 per person, guests are able to taste six wines from their exclusive vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon wines from Andy Beckstoffer’s Heritage vineyards. Appointments can be made here wine may be purchased onsite, ranging from $25-$175 per bottle.

OneHope Winery

Available by appointment Thursday thru Monday 11:45 am- 5:00 pm 

Designed by legendary architect, Howard Backen, ONEHOPE Winery embodies ONEHOPE’s purpose to nourish the future by sharing wine and giving hope. Since the company was founded in 2007, they’ve donated over $6M to meaningful causes. ONEHOPE’s flagship winery sits in the prestigious Rutherford Bench amongst some of the greatest wine brands in the world. Enjoy a wine + bites tasting for $125 per person in their modern open-air patio with outdoor fireplaces by booking here. Their wines range from $20-$125 per bottle, depending on what they are offering that day.

St. Helena – Favorite Napa Outdoor Wine Tasting

Reverie II Winery

Available by appointment from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily

Tucked away in its own little valley on the eastern hillside of St. Helena sits the 26-acre Reverie II Estate. Visitation is limited and by appointment only. It is a great little gem most visitors don’t know about. Their wines are not your typical Napa Valley grapes but the hosts are typical Napa Valley locals. They have vineyard views off of their estate home on the porch, grassy lawn, or at the roaring fire pit. Book appointments here. Their wines range from $42 -$125 per bottle.

Titus Winery

Available by appointment from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm daily

How about a Napa outdoor wine tasting with views of the mustard!? Located on Silverado Trail, Titus’s modern facility has an outdoor patio surrounded by rows and rows of vineyards. (with a bounty of mustard during the mustard season in February-March). At $45 per tasting, guests can expect to enjoy a few samplings of their current releases while enjoying a picturesque view of what Napa Valley is all about. Appointments can be made here and wine may be purchased onsite, ranging from $44-$105 per bottle. 

Ehlers Estate 

Available by appointment from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm daily

Ehlers Estate has been an institution in Napa Valley since the mid-1800s. Tastings take place outside in the estate’s historic olive groves planted by Bernard Ehlers himself in 1886. Appointments can be made here, where guests can choose between the Estate Tasting, which offers a variety of wines from the estate at $50 per person, or the Cabernet Tasting where guests can enjoy a sampling of exclusive, limited production Cabernets for $75 per person. Wine can also be purchased onsite, ranging from $32-$135 per bottle. 

Calistoga – Favorite Napa Outdoor Wine Tasting

Amici Wines 

Nestled back in the hills of Calistoga, Amici Winery is a favorite of ours for so many reasons.  The setting has a laid back relaxed style giving you the feeling that you are chilling at a good friend’s home. Wine prices start at $25 depending on the wines they are offering at the tasting. Tastings are $30 per person and can be booked here. During the pandemic, they were donating 100% of visitor tasting fees to the Napa Valley Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Fund and as a special bonus, they were giving a 15% discount on wine purchases at the winery or online for medical professionals. (ask for details if this discount still exists)

PS – We are also guest blogging this blog for Elise at What The Fab. Elise is a friend of ours, she spoke at our Women’s Conference, Better Together, and was a fellow event planner at Google before she quit her dream job and became a full-time influencer. During the pandemic Elise moved to Napa with her husband, so now we are neighbors! I am excited for you to meet her and give her a follow!