We had a great time visiting the Bale Grist Mill in St. Helena. Our tour guide explained it was…read morebuilt in 1846 from the design in the 1795 book "The Young Mill-Wright & Miller's Guide." I was able to read some of the book from the Library of Congress archives and found Oliver Evans wrote the guide and patented his design in 1790, the year the patent office was formed, before patents were numbered. In 1804 they retroactively assigned him patent number (X3) three. He licensed his design to hundreds of people including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. He became the first American to live off of intellectual property income.

Historic Grist Mill where grain is milled powered by a gigantic water wheel. From the friendly…read morereceptionist to the remarkable tour guide this is a fabulous experience. I have not been here since before the pandemic but it is always an amazing experience. Bring a picnic and sit outside at the tables or take a hike after the guided tour in Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. You will learn a lot about the history of the region. And the milling process. Modest entry fee.

What a BEAUTIFUL and CHARMING town!! We ABSOLUTELY love coming to the City of ST HELENA!!!…read more What's not to love?!?! The charming historic downtown scene! The famous world class wineries!!! All the different culinary restaurants!!! The different hotels and resorts. One may say it's touristy. Yep! I can agree with that statement. However, there is so much history here. Many families creating a life that attracts thousands of people to this area. We truly enjoy shopping the downtown area. We love all the beautiful wineries. The eateries are amazing. The beauty of the area is relaxing!! Overall, we've been here many times. Over the years, we've always discovered something new. It's never been a dull moment. One should explore and experience the beauty at least once in their life....

Saint Helena is a charming town in Napa Valley with a relaxed vibe and small town feel. The…read morevineyard views in Saint Helena are absolutely stunning. Their is the historic downtown area that is full of boutique shops, wine tasting rooms, cafes, and art galleries. It's a fun place to go sipping and strolling and soak in the charm of this quaint and charming small town. There is no shortage of incredible wineries all around you. Many of them have world class wines. The views at many of the wineries are absolutely stunning as well. The town is known for their culinary scene and have incredible restaurants. Several of the wineries in Saint Helena and nearby offer food and wine pairings as well. One of my favorite restaurants there is Farmstead. If you are the outdoorsy and adventurous type, there is lots of hiking in the area. You can go hiking at Mount Saint Helena and climb to the top or hike around Robert Louis Stevenson State Park. There are just so many reasons to love the charming and beautiful town of Saint Helena in Napa Valley.

This was for our 23rd wedding anniversary, so as a treat, I decided to invite my husband and close…read morefriends to lunch. While working in St. Helena, I could never find an opening in a reservation, so here was a great opportunity now that all of us are retired. Our friends live in Clear Lake while we live in Vallejo, so this is a central place to meet. It was the best decision I made because every year for the past several anniversaries, we've gone to Cache Creek to C2. Their food and service is excellent because my husband enjoys poker, but I thought a change of scenery would be nice. And it was! Firstly, it was very kind of the staff to present us with a greeting card signed by everyone -- how sweet and thoughtful! We will cherish that! Secondly, we were very impressed with how the food/wine was locally sourced. It was incredible to hear the story about Custom, the Bull, and taste the difference between the Highland beef compared to Angus. Our waitress was "Erica S." She was engaging, personable, and very informative. My husband and I would definitely like to return to return to experience the dinner menu! We and our guests had the following dishes: Artichoke appetizer Arbororio Biscuits & Gravy Two Cheeseburgers Three Bloody Mary's Farmstead Margarita When they found out it was our anniversary celebration, the house sent over four glasses of complimentary champagne and a dish of dessert -- again, very sweet and kind of them I now understand why so many crowds flock to this restaurant! It's well worth the wait! If you have not experienced a meal there, you must definitely go now!

I was really excited to try this restaurant for the first time, especially for Mother's Day, and…read morewhile the food itself was excellent, the overall experience was disappointing enough that I would not return. From the beginning, there seemed to be constant miscommunication between staff. We specifically booked an outdoor reservation and were seated inside instead. While mistakes happen, it set the tone for the rest of the evening. The bigger issue involved the wine and corkage fee. We purchased a bottle directly from the market associated with the restaurant and were told by the employee there that the corkage fee would be waived if we bought their wine. When we sat down, our server Sara told us that was not true and that we would still have to pay the fee. I explained what we had been told, and when she asked if I wanted a manager involved, I said yes. Before the manager even arrived or clarified the situation, the server opened our bottle of wine. In the silence and confusion, I reasonably assumed the fee issue had been resolved. Then the manager came over and told us we would still be charged and implied that nobody at the market would have told us otherwise. The way it was handled made my husband and I feel like we were being accused of making the whole thing up, which was especially upsetting on Mother's Day. At that point, the bottle was already opened, so we were essentially stuck paying the fee regardless. Between being seated incorrectly, the poor communication between employees, and how dismissive the situation felt, the service completely overshadowed what should have been a special meal. The rest of the service we felt ignored and there was minimal effort to accommodate. Great food alone is not enough to justify returning when the hospitality experience feels this frustrating and unprofessional.

Stopped by here for hubby's birthday, it was a new winery for us. I booked ahead online and was…read morebrowsing their options since I was looking for something that would also work for non-drinkers. I came across the Legacy Cave Tour, which is adults-only and offers a lower fee for non-drinkers, which I thought was a nice touch. Unfortunately, the online booking didn't work for me, so I had to call to make the reservation. When we checked in, the woman at the front desk gave me a bit of a weird vibe. After looking up our reservation, she said, "Oh, indeed you do have a reservation." It just felt like an odd response, like... why wouldn't we? is it because we're brown? We arrived a little early, so we spent some time browsing the gift shop upstairs. That's where we met our guide, Will, who was lovely, friendly, welcoming, and very knowledgeable. I mentioned it was my husband's birthday, and he asked if we'd been given a birthday sticker. Apparently they offer special occasion stickers at the front, which the check-in woman never mentioned, but Will made sure we got one, which was a nice touch. The tour itself was a small group, which I really liked. We went into the cave, and for those drinking, the tour included 3 wines. It was interesting learning about the history of Beringer Vineyards, and again, Will did a great job explaining everything. One thing I do wish they offered: for non-drinkers, it would be nice to have something like grape juice or a non-alcoholic option during the tour. There were a few of us in that situation, and it felt a little odd not having anything to sip on. After the tour, we walked the grounds, which was really nice. It's free to explore the property and browse the gift shop, which makes it a pleasant stop even beyond the tour itself. We ended up buying a couple bottles to take home, along with a wine barrel mug that my husband liked.

Today we had an amazing experience touring and using our senses with food, herbs and wines with THE…read moreBEST and most knowledgeable guide JESUS. He made our experience extra special and we learned alot from him. We will return soon!

Wow. What an unforgettable experience at PEJU, especially with the VIP treatment my friends and I…read morereceived from Todd Elliott, AKA to me as wine educator and sommelier extraordinaire! I am a white wine connoisseur because of my dietary restrictions with most ingredients in red wines, especially cherries and plum, that trigger my stomach pain and headaches. I have missed enjoying red wine because of this. I was hoping and praying that when my friends who are members of PEJU planned this wine tasting treat, that my stomach and head would be fine and to my surprise, my palate, tongue, stomach and heart were pleased with the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Fifty/Fifty, and more, including reserve reds Todd served and educated us about! I have NEVER enjoyed red wines like these I tasted at PEJU. Since the time of our outstanding wine tasting experience, I have recommended and raved about Todd and PEJU winery to friends and family who appreciate and value high quality wines and winery experiences. It felt like a vacation getaway being in the tasting room building, admiring the breathtaking stained glass art, all of the art inside and the beautiful art and nature views outside. I appreciate the PEJU staff and management team who welcomed us and were kind to us all the way to the end of our wine tasting experience when we left. This is the kind of treatment that makes us want to return. Napa is a special place for friends, family, and me, and PEJU is now an indelible memory in my Napa adventures! Todd clearly enjoys his important professional position, is passionate about wine and the wine experience, and brings so much joy to customers! I can't recommend him and PEJU enough! Todd went above and beyond to give us a VIP experience and even gave me a bag full of wine corks for my art project after I told him about this and asked for some of their wine corks we saw lined up in their wine uncorking and pouring area. Thank you, Todd!

I had a reservation for a classic tasting at PEJU at 1:30pm on a Friday, at the recommendation of…read morequite a few friends, and there were a few other parties seated at the time as well. The grounds are gorgeous inside and out, and I really enjoyed the stained glass, large open windows, and the statues and the koi pond area outside. The service was extraordinary, and I had a great time learning a bit about the different wines PEJU offers from Joseph. I tried quite a few different wines, and really liked how there are a few unique offerings here that you can't find elsewhere - I ended up getting a bottle of their Province, the Farm, and their late harvest orange muscat. PEJU is also one of the few wineries with a permit to serve food. If I had known ahead of time, I would've planned to eat here! The rilettes were super tempting, but Joseph advised that if I was planning to eat a meal afterward to stick to the chips and dip - this ended up being quite a generous portion as well, and I really enjoyed the goat cheese truffle dip alongside the wine tasting :) Overall, PEJU is definitely a beautiful winery to visit with excellent service, and I'll definitely be back!

The Napa Valley Vintners is similar to the Chamber of Commerce and the local tourism bureau. The…read morerepresent their membership in producing awesome wines and providing environmental leadership. Their web site explains the history of the association and also provides information about wines ("How Cabernet Sauvignon is Made") and various "What's Happening?" lists of events and goings on in the Valley. Their mission: To promote, protect and enhance the Napa Valley appellation.

Napa Valley Vintners is akin to the local chamber of commerce. They also promote deals like the…read moreNapa Neighbors program- if you live in Napa County&have proof of it, you can have free wine tastings along with those of guests. They have an extensive list of participating wineries. They promote wine education, environmental causes, and support local community organizations. Drink up!

Was in St. Helena and was going to drop by the Welcome Center on Main St. We remembered that it…read morewas across the street from Model Bakery but did not see it as we walked the block. We asked a store keeper who was working on a display in front of her shop and she said the center had moved a little over a block away. We were welcomed Lily. We asked her for winery suggestions and she gave us brochures from the display and we picked up some magazines of the area. The Welcome Center also have souvenirs and gift items. They have chairs for you to relax, which I did on this hot day. Restrooms are available too. Nice pit stop while you're in downtown St. Helena. Thanks Lily for your friendly assistance.

We stopped into the welcome center when we arrived in St. Helena to pickup our winter winery…read morepassports. The employee there was incredibly friendly. She talked to us about our plans for the weekend, recommended vineyards and tastings, and supplied us with a few handy brochures. She also shared some recommended food spots that were still open for dinner. We appreciated the information and easy pickup!

Tom, our sommelier was amazing and knowledgeable. He made our visit to Napa Valley so meaningful!!read more

We had a nice visit to Charles Krug Winery while on a tour with the Napa Valley Wine Train…read more Our tasting and winery hostess was Riana who took us on a small tour of the property and educated us on this history of the vineyards ownership and family legacy. Once inside the large upstairs tasting venue, we were treated to a nice wine tasting by Riana. The wines were nice. I'm a Cabernet person but I enjoyed the sparking rose. Refreshing and not too sweet. I wish we would have had more time to view some of this historic photos and explore the downstairs part of the venue as it looked interesting but perhaps another time when we return to Napa.

Very cool winery up on a hill. Castle construction is a cool concept…read more We did the wine tasting and the juice tasting. I thought it was slightly expensive but not terrible. It was very busy. They clearly work on a volume basis compared to other wineries. Since I only like very sweet wines, I was able to find something for me.

Eli, our tour guide, was amazing! He was incredibly engaging, knowledgeable, and made the whole…read moreexperience really fun. You could tell he genuinely enjoys what he does, and he kept the tour interesting the entire time. The castle itself is stunning and the whole experience felt really unique. The wine tastings were all delicious and added a lot to the visit. The only downside was unfortunately someone in our tour group. One woman made sure everyone knew she was a member and kept mentioning how she had already seen the castle too many times and was bored of it, saying she only came to bring her family for a birthday. It kind of disrupted the experience for the rest of us. When we got to the torture chamber she also started making some really inappropriate remarks, which was a bit uncomfortable for the group. Aside from that situation, we still had a great time and really enjoyed the tour and tastings. Overall it was a memorable experience and definitely worth visiting if you're in Napa. 5 stars for Eli!!

Love that this exists. Perfect sized intimate theatre, individual or love seats, tons of popcorn,…read moregreat wine options.

Great service and great set up! Excellent quality and prices. Can't wait to go back!!read more