At times, the schedule requires luxurious entertainment — and Yountville is the perfect Napa Valley spot for indulgence.
Yountville is a charming section of wine country mostly located along a one-mile road. It is home to some of the world’s most well-known restaurants, a few of Napa Valley’s most distinguished tasting rooms, and a couple of surprises that will quickly enhance your weekend retreat. Continue reading for an itinerary filled with accessible luxury experiences in a town designed with convenience and comfort for both locals and visitors.
Adorned with large, white block letters that display the word “Market” across the top, the delightful yet unpretentious establishment has changed ownership but has maintained its popularity. Meadowood chef Christopher Kostow is now in charge. In a town famous for Michelin stars — such as Thomas Keller’s renowned French Laundry with three stars — distinguishing oneself is not easy, but Ciccio does so effortlessly by offering a down-to-earth approach to fine dining in Yountville. Ciccio Yountville is filled with wineries and tasting rooms, including Priest Ranch, Cornerstone Cellars, Handwritten Wines, and more. (Courtesy Town of Yountville)
There are plenty of clever choices on the menu, which features short lists of pasta, pizza, and main courses. If you opt for the Pork Chop Milanese ($42), perfectly crusted and cooked to perfection, pair it with a side of wood-fired broccolini ($15). Additionally, the focaccia ($8) served with garlic butter is a necessity. The neighboring dive bar, Pancha’s of Yountville, has recently been sold and is awaiting reopening, still as a dive bar. However, Ciccio is located on a stretch of road dotted with some of Yountville’s most impressive wine and culinary options. In the short distance between The Restaurant at North Block (where you can also reserve a room) and Keller’s other prized establishment, it’s difficult to make a wrong choice. RH Yountville is hard to miss with its sparkling patio chandeliers. RH Yountville also serves as an outdoor bar and trendy spot with a veggie club sandwich ($19) — consisting of cucumber, French feta, avocado, and pickled onion — that even omnivores will want more of.The fashionable R+D Kitchen offers high-end, casual menu items such as the veggie club sandwich filled with cucumber and French feta. (Courtesy Nora Heston Tarte)
In between meals, wine tasting is a popular activity. After all, Yountville lies in the center of Napa Valley, and its founder, George C. Yount, was the first person to plant grapes in the area in 1839. Therefore, our first stop is Cornerstone Cellars, where you can combine your wine tasting flight ($50) with a cheese or charcuterie board — and a bit of shopping. Yountville requires that new tasting rooms set aside space for non-wine uses in an effort to diversify its walkable downtown. For example, Cornerstone shares its building with Tina Stephens, a casual clothing shop. JCB Yountville next door offers a similar tasting room that also functions as a retail shop, featuring branded JCB jewelry, luxury candles, and more. Handwritten Wines Ad Hochas a stylish place to shop and a tasting lounge where 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, known for its bacon and wine pairings costing $85, has retail space in its tasting room and a restaurant nearby called R+D Kitchen Kitchen at Priest Ranch
Honor Market has a unique approach to the hybrid model. It operates as a gas station and bottle shop, offering a variety of local wines, as well as coffee and hot dogs, in a stylish indoor-outdoor setting that goes beyond the typical convenience store. The guest rooms at Yountville’s Napa Valley Railway Inn are located in converted, 100-year-old railway cars, and there's an outpost of the Model Bakery in a caboose. There are almost as many high-end hotels in Yountville as there are restaurants and tasting rooms. The Napa Valley Railway Inn stands out because its rooms are housed in converted, 100-year-old railway cars from the town’s original depot, easily identifiable by its bright red exterior tucked into a quiet corner of a parking lot.If you prefer a bird’s eye view of the valley, you can consider taking a hot air balloon ride with
Napa Valley Aloft, one of the original balloon companies offering agricultural aerial tours here, launching from a lot at the neighboring V Marketplace, with prices starting at $280. Balloons fly over Napa Valley in the early morning hours. While we’ve focused on eating, drinking, shopping, and soaring, the town also has a vibrant 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 year-round display of 38 outdoor sculptures by artists from around the world, providing a good way to take a break between tasting appointments.Most of the sculptures are placed along the main street, making it easy to do a self-guided tour of the art walk. You can pick up a map at the Yountville Community Center or Welcome Center, then use QR codes at each sculpture location to access more information. There’s a
Meanwhile, free audio tour option , and Yountville Arts also offers docent-led tours for $25. Afterward, there’s still time for more sips and bites.
www.ciccionapavalley.com
RH Yountville Restaurant: Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends at 6725 Washington St.; R+D Kitchen:
www.rd-kitchen.com Cornerstone Cellars: Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day 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.comHandwritten Wines:
Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day at 6494 Washington St.;
If You Go
Ciccio: 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 www.rh.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 offered daily, depending on the weather. 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. Admission to this art, wine and food festival is free. Tasting packages ($40) include a glass and four wine tasting tokens; www.artsipstroll.com. Yountville Art Walk:
Find details on these public art installations at the town’s welcome center, https://townofyountville.com https://youraudiotour.com/tours/72/..
Napa Valley wineries, restaurants, and shops are plentiful in Yountville, where hot air balloons float above, new tasting rooms have opened, and some of the best eateries line the streets. Open from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily 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 offered daily, 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. Admission 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 details on these public art installations at the town’s welcome center, https://townofyountville.com and https://youraudiotour.com/tours/72/.
