Sometimes the schedule requires luxurious entertainments — and we can’t think of a better Napa Valley area for indulgence than Yountville.
A charming part of wine country located mainly along a one-mile road, Yountville is home to some of the most well-known restaurants in the world, several of Napa Valley’s most respected tasting rooms and a few surprises that will quickly enhance your weekend away. Read on for a plan packed with accessible luxury experiences in a town designed with convenience and comfort for locals and visitors alike.
Covered with large, white block letters that announce “Market” across the top, the tasty yet unpretentious Ciccio has changed owners without losing popularity. It’s still under its original ownership, but Meadowood chef Christopher Kostow has taken charge. In a town known for Michelin stars — Thomas Keller’s famous French Laundry has three — standing out is no easy task, but Ciccio does it with ease, offering a down-to-earth approach to fine dining in Yountville.
Don’t miss Ciccio’s popular gnudi ($28) — a puff of homemade, cream-filled pasta that is neither gnocchi nor ravioli and whose cacio e pepe treatment offers flavors of burnt peppercorn punctuated by Pennyroyal cheese. It’s just one of many clever options on the menu, which includes concise lists of pasta, pizza and main courses. If you order the Pork Chop Milanese ($42), perfectly crusted and cooked to perfection, accompany it with a side of wood-fired broccolini ($15). And the focaccia ($8) served with garlic butter is a must.
The dive bar next door, Pancha’s of Yountville, was recently sold and awaits reopening — still as a dive bar — but Ciccio sits on a stretch of road peppered by some of Yountville’s most impressive wine and food options. In the scant mile between The Restaurant at North Block (where you can also book a room) and Keller’s other pride and joy, Ad Hoc, it’s hard to go wrong. RH Yountville is hard to miss with its sparkling patio chandeliers. R+D Kitchen doubles as an outdoor bar and chic hot spot with a veggie club sandwich ($19) — cucumber, French feta, avocado and pickled onion — that will have even omnivores craving more.
Between meals, wine tasting is a popular adventure. Yountville lies in the heart of Napa Valley, after all, and its founder, George C. Yount, was the first person to plant grapes in the region in 1839. So our first stop is Cornerstone Cellars, where you can pair your wine tasting flight ($50) with a cheese or charcuterie board — and a bit of shopping.
Yountville requires that new tasting rooms devote space to non-wine uses in an effort to diversify its walkable downtown. So Cornerstone, for example, shares its building with Tina Stephens, a casual clothing shop. JCB Yountville next door offers a similar tasting room-meets-retail shop experience with branded JCB jewelry, luxury candles and more. Handwritten Wines has a stylish shopping area and a tasting lounge. The Bread and Butter wine tasting experience costs $100 and includes four wines, white truffle potato chips, Bouchon Bakery baguettes, artisan butters, Coppa Salame and P’tit Basque cheese.
Priest Ranch, is known for its bacon and wine pairings that cost $85. It has a retail space in the tasting room and a nearby restaurant called the Kitchen at Priest Ranch, where you can enjoy a smashburger for $18 with a glass of Priest Ranch cab.
Meanwhile, Honor Market has a unique approach. It's a gas station and bottle shop that offers local wines, coffee, and hot dogs in a chic indoor-outdoor setting that's much more than a convenience store.
Yountville has nearly as many high-end hotels as restaurants and tasting rooms. The Napa Valley Railway Inn stands out because its rooms are in converted, 100-year-old railway cars from the town’s original depot. The bright red exterior makes it hard to miss, even though they are tucked into a quiet corner of a parking lot.
If you want a bird’s eye view of the valley, consider a hot air balloon ride with Napa Valley Aloft, one of the original balloon companies offering agricultural aerial tours here. The balloons launch from a lot at the neighboring V Marketplace, just steps from the inn.
While we've focused on eating, drinking, shopping and soaring, the town also has a rich art scene. The annual Yountville Art, Sip and Stroll on May 18 combines art, wine and delicious bites in the heart of town. The Yountville Art Walk offers a display of 38 outdoor sculptures by artists from around the world. It's also a good way to stretch your legs between tasting appointments. With most of the sculptures along the main road, you can do a self-guided tour by picking up a map at the Yountville Community Center or Welcome Center, and then using QR codes at each sculpture location to access more information. There's a free
audio tour option , and Yountville Arts also provides docent-led tours for $25.Afterward, there will still be time for more sips and bites.
Open from 5 to 9 p.m. daily at 6770 Washington St. in Yountville;
If You Go
Ciccio: www.ciccionapavalley.com RH Yountville Restaurant:.
Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends at 6725 Washington St.; R+D Kitchen: www.rh.com.
Open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Sunday at 6795 Washington St.; www.rd-kitchen.com Cornerstone Cellars:.
Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at 6505 Washington St.; www.cornerstonecellars.com JCB Tasting Salon:.
Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day at 6505 Washington St.; www.jcbcollection.com Handwritten Wines:.
Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day at 6494 Washington St.; https://handwrittenwines.com. Priest Ranch Tasting Room:
Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day at 6490 Washington St.; www.priestranchwines.com Honor Market:.
Open from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day at 6795 Washington St. Napa Valley Railway Inn:
Rooms start at $245 per night. 6523 Washington St.; www.napavalleyrailwayinn.com Napa Valley Aloft:.
Hot air balloon rides ($280 and up) are available every day, weather permitting. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and until 3 p.m. weekends at 6525 Washington St.; www.nvaloft.com Yountville Art, Sip and Stroll:.
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 18. Entry to this art, wine and food fest is free. Tasting packages ($40) include a glass and four wine tasting tokens; www.artsipstroll.com. Yountville Art Walk:
Find information about these public art installations at the town’s welcome center, https://townofyountville.com https://youraudiotour.com/tours/72/. and Napa Valley wineries, places to eat and shops thrive in Yountville, where hot air balloons float above, new tasting rooms have opened and some of the most delicious eateries line the streets.
