Location: St. Helena
Top Things to do in St. Helena
Top 10 Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in St. Helena, California (CA)
St. Helena (/ˌseɪnt həˈliːnə/ saynt hə-LEE-nə) (Wappo: Anakotanoma, "Bull Snake Village") is a city in Napa County, California. It is part of the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 5,814 at the 2010 census.
Restaurants in St. Helena
1. VGS Chateau Potelle
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 175 reviews
VGS Chateau Potelle Winery offers two unique visitor experiences. At our Tasting House & Garden in St. Helena visitors enjoy an intimate tasting of 6 wines, highlighted by their own unique Riedel glass and punctuated with food bites from Michelin star rated La Toque Restaurant. Open year-round daily 10AM-5PM; $50-$75 per person. Reservations REQUIRED.
Reviewed By julialmey
We spent a wonderful afternoon tasting wines that had been magically paired with fantastic small bites from La Toque restaurant. Luis shared stories and knowledge making our experience an unforgettable one. All the way from France, Jean Noel brought his dream to realization in the fertile Napa Valley soil! Merci bien, M. Jean Noel!
2. Schweiger Vineyards
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 138 reviews
Located 2000 feet above St. Helena, Schweiger Vineyards discovered by those in search of the authentic family winemaking experience. Enjoy incredible views overlooking Napa Valley, savor artisan style wines at this lovely Spring Mountain winery and just relax. Sip wines on the balcony, sit down to a paired tasting or tour the barrel room. Savor the signature Bordeaux-style blend “Dedication”, and the Cabernet Sauvignon along with the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Tastings are by appointment.
Reviewed By Olybug
I had the pleasure of visiting Schweiger Vineyards & Winery the day before the LNU Complex fire began. Wendy Vogt, the vineyard’s hospitality manager, was extremely knowledgeable and a pleasure to speak with. The view was absolutely spectacular overlooking the Schweiger vineyards as I sipped on several of their delicious wines, including a cabernet that is still on my mind two weeks later as I write this, and a port wine that was to-die for. Fred purchased the first eight acres of the Schweiger Vineyards in 1961. Schweiger Vineyards & Winery officially launched in 1994, and since its inception, Andy has been Schweiger’s wine maker. Today, the sprawling fifty-five acre property sits atop Spring Mountain and includes thirty-five acres of planted vines, as well as their personal home. Schweiger Vineyards & Winery is Napa Green certified. They produce approximately 5000 cases each year, and Schweiger’s Cabernet Sauvignon, their most popular wine, encompasses approximately half of that. The soil in which the vines grow is comprised primarily of ash. Unique to this property are the natural springs running under the land. This allows for the very rare occurrence in Napa where the vines rarely, if ever, need to be watered. The roots of the vines can grow 20 feet below the surface to receive all the water they need from the natural springs. If you find yourself in Napa, add Schweiger Vineyards & Winery to your must-visit list. They also allow visitors to partake in a grape stomp every fall, although this year they have had to cancel it due to COVID. We’re definitely putting it on our calendar to come back and check it out next year!
3. Pride Mountain Vineyards
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 622 reviews
Pride Mountain Vineyards specializes in red wine production, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The property is only open for wine tasting appointments to guests with a prior appointments. In compliance of our local codes and use-permits all appointments must be made in advance of arrival. Thank you, Pride Mountain Vineyards
Reviewed By brettbarry1
This was our 4th or 5th visit to Pride over the years, but this past visit was by far the most informative and entertaining/enjoyable. Our wine guide Paul was so exceptional at his work representing Pride – a caring & knowledgeable person, never arrogant – always on point (funny) and frankly one of the best wine tour guides my wife and I have met in over 30 years of visiting Napa. He is just WOW ???? I know everyone felt that way – especially my wife’s family and friends from Norway who were visiting Napa for the 1st time. We arrived 90 min earlier than our appointment - after our tour at neighboring vineyard Keenan which was abruptly ended at the start because their boisterous big dog had gotten into something poisonous and was foaming at the mouth and in distress. So we left early…(we later found out that the dog was OK thank goodness after an emergency vet run). That was jarring & scary enough, but when I arrived early @ Pride with a busload of 10 and asked Paul what to do – he didn’t hesitate or miss a beat… rolling with the situation, and starting us early on easily the best Cave tour we have ever had???? Many Napa vineyards seem to have gone into a kind of automatic mode – going through the swirling motions, not listening to their customers on tour – pushing customers to buy/buy at the end without ever connecting with them. However what you have with Paul is a truly gifted “connector” – a man who plainly loves his work, knows Pride inside the caves & out – and makes each guest feel as though they have had a very unique experience. We have always loved Pride as both a winery and source of outstanding juice. We are Spring Mountain fans for 20+ years (we knew Barbara and Jim at Paloma + we love Schweiger, Sherwin Family, and we are longtime Spring Mountain Vineyard club members). When you try the wines on Spring Mountain you will discover the biggest and richest reds in Napa - complex wines with aging potential. Our stop at Pride last Sunday was the last stop on our 3 day tour, and it left a delicious taste in everyone’s mouths. It made my wife's 50th even more memorable. The vino at Pride Mountain is TOP drawer - their famous Merlot is a monster of deep richness and structure, with massive aging potential. We are fans of the Cab as well & Chardonnay - all the wines at Pride are some of the best you will taste in Napa. Well worth a drive up the mountain. You will not easily find these incredible wines are your local store - do yourself a favor and experience the magic of Pride (and seek out Paul).
4. Conn Creek Winery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 129 reviews
TEMPORARY TASTING ROOM CLOSURE Our priority continues to be the safety and wellbeing of our employees and our customers. While our team has taken numerous precautions to minimize risk, we believe that closing our tasting room to the public is the responsible decision. Our winery will be closed starting on 3/14 while we monitor the situation.
Reviewed By lillbluebear - California, United States
Heads up: this is a long review. Short summary: highly recommended. Do the blending experience. Now if you aren't lazy in reading, please continue: Both Dragos and I throughly enjoyed being winemakers of the day. We ended up booking one main activity each day (Sonoma winery, where we met the owners and winemakers), French Laundry, and the blending experience to be winemakers at Conn Creek Winery. Honestly, I knew I would like and enjoy this experience because it sounded unique and more to offer than a regular wine tasting, but I had no idea how much I would like it. We didn't just like it! We loved it! First of all, Steve, kindly informed me that they would like to reschedule our blending experience due to the excessive heatwave we experienced that weekend. We agreed to scheduling it in the morning of our last day. Originally we had it at 230pm the previous day and it would be switched to 1030am the following day. Steve was gracious enough to custom our blending experience for an hour later at 1130am per our request. Much appreciated! One of the lovely staff members, Jessica, greeted us warmly. Thomas was our wine guide for our wine blending experience. He is extremely knowledgeable, humble, and a great sense of humor. He is also very personable (congrats to a new papa!) and got a majority of our preferences for chocolate, how we take our coffee, etc based upon our wine choices. I found that fascinating! Dragos and I loved the blending experience. He prefers clay soil. I prefer volcanic. I will let him drink his preference glass first and then give him a glass of my preference afterwards. He liked my wine afterwards. You cannot got wrong with quality wine! The grapes are so sweet. And interesting on what I thought was aesthetic decor was actually quite calculated for maximum sunlight, protection, and nourishment for the grapes. Everything handpicked by a trained eye and skilled set of hands to cut only the best choices: plump, ripe, and juicy bunches of grapes. Labor intensive for sure. Learning about it gives me more appreciation for the wine I consume. Out of our excursions this Napa trip, we highly recommend this one! This was both our favorite our of the three activities that we booked on this trip. It was the best one for us and perfect because we unknowingly saved the best for last! It was meant to be! Thank you Thomas for making winemaking experience a ton of fun! We left with high spirits, empowerment in choosing our cab wines, and a beautiful souvenir (our very own bottled blended wine) of our cherished time in Napa county. If there were another star to give for ranking, I'd give all the stars!!
5. Amizetta Estate Winery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 74 reviews
Reviewed By P1013GNphilipr
If you enjoy red wine these are some of the best Napa Valley has to offer in an idyllic setting overlooking the valley.
6. Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 200 reviews
Family owned and operated since 1981, Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards is a local, 42-acre vineyard in Napa just a short drive from downtown St. Helena, featuring world-class fine wines at affordable prices. Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards has produced some truly spectacular wines, including crisp, vivacious whites and lush, textured reds. We're one of the original producers of Cabernet in Napa, and started our first vintage in 1987. We're also home to Ghost Horse Vineyards: the most expensive wine in the world upon release! Contact the winery for more information and to schedule a tasting!
Reviewed By LindsayCrews - San Francisco, United States
We have visited Anderson's several times and each experience has been fantastic. We continue to bring friends & family to taste here! Dan is extremely knowledgeable about wine and makes sure each tasting is unique, especially for special occasion visits! There is a variety of great wines to try and tasting in the caves is a memorable experience. I highly recommend visiting Anderson's and tasting with Dan!
7. Modus Operandi Cellars
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 320 reviews
Reviewed By PugglePower - Boca Raton, United States
We had a amazing wine tasting experience with Caitlyn of Modus Operandi at Brasswood. To begin with the wines were truly amazing, it was wonderful trying a wide selection of Jason’s wines as we learned about the history of the winery and his approach to his wine making. While I knew little about the wines of MO prior to my tasting, Jason has produced some terrific wines that are a pleasure to drink. Cailtyn was an outstanding hostess; she was engaging, warm and very knowledgeable. To top it off, the tasting room at Brasswood was beautiful. Having a private tasting with Caitlyn at Modus Operandi was the perfect way to spend s few beautiful hours in Napa, great company and great wine in a magnificent setting.
8. Moone Tsai Winery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 81 reviews
Moone-Tsai Vineyards is a Napa Valley winery that crafts extraordinary limited production wines that are prized for their character, complexity, structure and scarcity. With world-renowned winemaker Philippe Melka (from Chateau Haut Brion, and Petrus), we use only the most extraordinary fruit from coveted vineyards in Napa. Our private wine tasting experiences are by appointment only.
Reviewed By btsk16
Our group of four enjoyed a wine-paired lunch hosted by Steve Gage -- it was an amazing experience! Moone-Tsai hosts their tastings and wine-paired lunches at the Brasswood property right down the road from Downtown St. Helena. We happened to visit on an amazing weather day and were lucky enough to have our tasting/lunch out on the patio (highly recommend). The food was delicious, the wine was phenomenal and Steve was great company. If you're looking for a unique way to enjoy some of Napa's best wine, this is it!
9. Merryvale Vineyards
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 510 reviews
Merryvale's inviting tasting cellar is located in the heart of Napa Valley in the quaint town of St. Helena. We offer wine tasting flights until 5pm, with our retail room open until 5:30pm everyday. We offer a variety of tasting options to suit every palate including our legendary Profile Library tasting and wine and cheese pairings. Our wines are produced from sustainably farmed Napa Valley vineyards, including three estate properties. Guest favorites include our Bordeaux blend known as Profile, our St. Helena Estate Cabernet, and our Napa Valley Cabernet Franc.
Reviewed By 424michellep
Fantastic wine tour and wine tasting!! Loved the attention to detail and amazing tour guide!! Would highly recommend!
10. Charles Krug Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 185 reviews
Presenting Charles Krug's Cucina di Rosa Salumeria, now offering handcrafted salumi and artisan cheeses daily! Starting in July 2017, enjoy wood-fired pizza on our tree-lined lawn (Thursday through Mondays) from 11 to 4. Pair these Italian-inspired delicacies with a delicious glass of Charles Krug wine. The oldest winery in Napa Valley, Charles Krug recently renovated its historic Redwood Cellar, turning it into one of the region's most stunning Tasting Rooms. Named one of the "Top 10 California Tasting Experiences" by Food & Wine and winner of the 2015 Architecture and Landscape Award for Best of Wine Tourism, this is the winery that put Napa on the map. A must-see for anyone interested in the legacy of Napa Valley winemaking. We offer several tasting options daily, including exclusive tastings of our limited release wines. Walk-ins are welcome, or call to make an appointment.
Reviewed By richardkim412 - San Francisco, United States
Most people outside of Napa probably do not realize that Charles Krug is the original Mondavi winery, and the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley. Founded in 1861 by a German winemaker named Charles Krug, public tastings opened in 1882 making it California's first tasting room! The winery was purchased by an Italian immigrant, Cesare Mondavi in September of 1943 and is one of the last family owned wineries in the region. What's more is that when you pull into the winery, the winding driveway is flanked by olive trees and if you look closely, on your right are the homes where the Mondavi family grew up in. Now, the elephant in the room is definitely the tragic family quarrel between Cesare Mondavi's sons, Peter and Robert. A quarrel occurred between the two over the direction of the winery that included a fistfight and Robert's ouster from Charles Krug in 1965. Since then, the winery has been run by Peter's family (he had two sons Peter Jr. and Marc), and his family has really honored the Mondavi legacy and commitment to family and excellent wine without selling out by producing consistently amazing wines. Let me pause here and add that sadly there are no Mondavis involved at Robert Mondavi Winery. But that's another story. With that out of the way, the Charles Krug estate is amazing. During before COVID (B.C.) times, you could enjoy tastings inside the beautiful tasting room that always had this amazing bouquet of flowers. For members, you could even do tastings in the "library" which is a special room that honors Peter Mondavi. Also during B.C. Charles Krug had this amazing event called Tastings on the Lawn which began in 1951 that would invite wine and food enthusiasts to the winery to drink quality vino, eat great food, listen to live music, and even meet the Mondavis. This is when they open up the amazing carriage house at the southern portion of their estate. At 2019's Tastings on the Lawn, my wife and I even got to chat with Peter Mondavi Jr. who ended up sabering some brand new sparkling wines Charles Krug launched as well as Janice Mondavi, the wife of Marc Mondavi. While speaking with Janice, she asked what I did for work and that was how I found out that she had been on the Regional Water Quality Control Board. For those that don't know what this is, there are nine regional boards across California that protects water quality. So, to find out that she was interested in the watershed and groundwater and knew about this was impressive to me since grapes need water to grow. What is more impressive is that she is just one of the many women involved in Charles Krug. She has four daughters that are all involved and Peter Mondavi Jr. has a daughter that is also involved. On top of that, the current winemaker is Stacy Clark. I think this is what makes Charles Krug so great. The family aspect as well as having women involved in the decision making process! You see, my wife is the CEO and CFO of my household. Beginning in the late 1990s, Charles Krug began focusing on Bordeaux grapes and decided to focus on just a handful of wines, focusing on Cabernet, Cabernet blends, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc as well as choosing quality over quantity. Peter Mondavi never sought the limelight and was very family-oriented and his proudest accomplishment was never losing control of the family winery. I think that this quality is what makes Charles Krug so amazing and what makes his legacy continue. With his grandchildren involved in the process, this Fourth Generation will continue making great wines. We just have to hope that climate change and the annual fires in Napa can somehow be controlled. * Due to COVID, tastings are done outside only by appointment only and no outside food or drinks are allowed. On weekends, they cook up some amazing pizzas and offer charcuterie platters. * Charles Krug has always been dog-friendly so long as your dog is friendly
