Planning a Trip to Napa Summer or Fall 2020 - Are Wineries Open After Coronavirus and Are There Deals?
Local Wally
No Social Distancing Required in 2017 - What About 2020?
June 6 Update: Napa Poised to Re-Open!
Big News - As of June 6, 2020, Napa has been given the green light to reopen. However, that’s not to say that you and your buddies should jump in the car this weekend and willy-nilly hit the wineries. Many of the wineries are not set to reopen until sometime next week and when they do there will be these new rules in place:
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: Assume you will need reservations at every stop.
GROUP SIZE LIMITS: Depending on the winery, assume that group sizes will be limited. Many are saying they cannot accept groups over 4 or 6.
MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING: You know the drill by now. Napa wineries are not a free for all, things are not “back to normal”, but you can still have fun. Just respect the rules and keep everyone safe.
I will be contacting the wineries next week to check on deals and discounts but for now if you are planning on using your Priority Wine Pass I recommend you ask the wineries what their offers are. My site was written pre-Cornona and wineries can change their deals at any time so don’t assume the deals are still the same.
ALSO - BUY WINE! Wineries have been deeply hurt by Covid-19 so buy wine, as much as you can! It’s a solid win-win. You get great wine, the wineries get some revenue, I see no downside here.
More to come - The articles below will be updated later this weekend.
Wally
What to Expect in Napa in Summer or Fall 2020
I’m writing this April 9, 2020. Right now the entire planet is basically on hold with most of the US in lock down. But it doesn’t take a genius to predict that someday this will all be over and when it is you will want to be in Napa, drinking wine, wine, and more wine. I will be the first to tell you that I have no crystal ball but I will say that it’s safe to assume that Napa will be as packed as Castello di Amorosa on a busy Sunday when the virus is over. So that means you need to plan. Here are my predictions on what to expect in Napa if you come in Summer or Fall 2020.
MAY 17 2020 UPDATE: NEW GUIDELINES JUST PUBLISHED - It’s as you might guess, 6 feet apart, face masks, etc. The biggest impact though appears to be on group size - 6 or less - as well as wineries being required to move to RESERVATIONS ONLY. More info coming as I get it.
THE IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS ON THE WINERIES
Napa has both big wineries owned by giant corporations and small family run wineries and all of them will be greatly impacted by the lack of tourism by the time they open. We know that Napa struggled to rebound after the recent fires in 2017 and 2019. The Convid-19 will have even greater impact. Napa wineries rely on visitors, people like you, tasting and buying wine. They also rely on restaurants who buy and serve their wines. Both of these are shut down right now. Big wineries will show low profits this year but small wineries will be hanging on for dear life. If you are coming after the Coronavirus please focus on the smaller wineries first and BUY WINE - I can help you pick, that comes later, but know that while all the wineries will be hurting the small wineries really need your help.
WILL WINERIES BE OPEN IN SUMMER OR FALL 2020? JUNE, JULY, OR AUGUST 2020?
The second the social distancing ban is lifted you can expect the wineries to all reopen. I have not heard of any wineries closing their doors as of today - but a lot can happen before Summer. I also suspect there will be plenty of deals once Napa is reopened. If you have not followed my site until now then know that I was the first guy to put all of the Napa deals on one site, the guy who wrote the original TripAdvisor articles on Napa, and your best source for all of the two for one or discount wine tasting deals in Napa. I know all the deals and happy to send them your way - including the exclusive and free $10 OFF Sterling Vineyard tram ride and tasting offer. Email me for deals, it’s that easy.
However, you can assume that some of the wineries will be changing their deals and offers (and tasting fees) once Napa reopens. We do know they will be moving to a Reservations Only model based on the new regulations I got to preview.
WILL IT BE SAFE TO GO TO NAPA OR SONOMA IN SUMMER OR FALL 2020?
My guess is that Napa will only reopen when it is safe enough for everyone to feel secure. I mean, wine tasting isn’t going to be any fun if you are thinking it might be your last hurrah, right? But I have confidence based on Gov. Newsom’s plan that opening Napa or Sonoma for wine tasting is not going to be a quick decision so when it does open, well, you can assume it’s because those in charge believe it is safe.
That said - and remember, I am no doctor - staying safe will rely on decisions you make as to what sort of Napa experience you take. Personally, and I err on the side of safety, I would go with a private driver in their largest vehicle to mitigate any social distancing issues in transportation. If that means hiring a 14 person vehicle for your group of 6 I would consider it. The cost difference isn’t huge between hiring an SUV or a large shuttle van, especially when split up between the group. Second, until I see how the big wineries will handle crowds I would stick to the boutiques, the private tastings where crowd control is a given. This is all very fluid - I am writing this on May 5, 2020 - but if I am working with Nick who drives a lot of my readers and we are brainstorming a Napa adventure where you safety is the main concern and focus. You’ll be picked up in a just-cleaned van, you’ll be taken to select wineries who are on-board with our plan, you’ll dine in a picnic area away from others, and all wine purchases will be wiped down and disinfected before you pick them up. If you are interested just email me and we can work out the details.
WILL NAPA BE BUSY IN SUMMER OR FALL 2020?
With rampant unemployment it’s very likely that all tourist destinations will be down in 2020. But a huge part of Napa tourism are locals from the Bay Area or other parts of California and a quick day trip or weekend in Napa will be a very popular escape from recent reality. I predict that Napa will bounce back faster than the Stock Market and tourism will be huge once it is reopened.
HOW WILL CORONAVIRUS IMPACT TASTING ROOMS?
Until there is a vaccination the need for social distancing will be a part of the “new normal”. This most likely means that the massive, crowded, party atmosphere of the popular wineries will most likely give way to smaller tasting room experiences and crowd control. I predict that most wineries will move to a “reservations required” mode to control the total number of people entering the winery. This isn’t bad - anyone who has tried to go to Domaine Chandon or Castello di Amorosa only to find Disneyland sized crowds will appreciate a bit of crowd control. And yes, I can help you pick - it’s what I do and I never charge for advice.
BUYING WINE, TIPPING THE SERVER
Before the virus if you asked me whether you need to buy wine I would have told you that it’s not mandatory. Today, I suggest that if you are visiting Napa after the Coronavirus that you plan on buying wine, at least a bottle or two at every stop, especially if you are going to the smaller wineries. Join their wine clubs and make sure you tip the server. The server doesn’t benefit much from wine sales but a $5 tip for their time really helps them bridge that gap. I wrote this article on tipping recently and now more than ever it’s required reading if you are coming to Napa or Sonoma.
ARE THERE WINE TASTING DEALS I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?
There are always deals in Napa. The bulk of them will be on my site but it’s too early to tell what the deals will be once the Coronavirus is over (or the social distancing ban relaxed). Right now we are working with the wineries to be ready for the day that Napa is reopened and to help them get their post-virus deals ready to go. Email me - I’ll give you everything I have so you can visit Napa without going broke.
WHAT EVENTS ARE HAPPENING IN NAPA IN SUMMER OR FALL?
Assuming Napa is reopened there will be plenty of events happening to lure people back in. Subscribe to my newsletter and I’ll keep you up to date on the best events and dates. BottleRock has been moved to Oct 2 - 4 so avoid that weekend unless you have tickets. And fall is the time for Grape Stomps - Grgich Hills has an annual stomp as do other wineries - I’ll know more when we get closer to Fall so make sure you subscribe or email me to stay up to date.
I’M TRYING TO PLAN A BACHELORETTE PARTY - HOW DOES CORONAVIRUS IMPACT MY PLANS?
Assuming Napa is back in business, you’ll want to take extra precautions if you are planning a bachlorette party or corporate event. First, knowing that people are drinking and that social distancing will still be the responsible thing to do you will want to make sure that every winery you pick is PRIVATE and offers you your own space and server. You’ll also want to make sure that the transportation you select has the same level of concern that you do. Look, let me just toss this out there - I have helped a lot of people plan big events so let me help you. I would avoid all wineries that have big crowds and focus on wineries that will give you personal attention and your own space. And I can get you deals, of course. Just reach out to me. I don’t charge to help and happy to give you my contacts at the wineries to set this up.
MAY 17 UPDATE: I just heard that wineries will be limiting groups to 6 or less - but not sure whether this applies to wineries who do private tastings. I am working on this! If you have a bachlorette party coming reach out to me and I’ll work with you personally as the details unfold.
WHEN SHOULD I START PLANNING AND BOOKING HOTELS?
As long as the hotel offers a fully refundable rate I would book right now. Below is a screen shot of a very popular hotel in Napa that normally charges $600 a night during the Fall. Rates right now are in the $209 range. Rates have not been this low since 1990. So book it and cross your fingers and you might end up with a killer deal.
As for wineries, it’s not too early to reach out to me and I’ll help you at least start building a short list of wineries you might want to visit. I can show you what the deals are right now and you can book your reservations with the wineries. I predict more deals once Napa reopens so just be on top of it, watch the deal list on my site, sign up for my newsletter where I’ll provide deal updates.
Remember, a big part of what I do is help people plan their trips. I don’t charge, all of my advice is free, and right now I’m doing nothing so it’s a good time to start a conversation.
ONE LAST QUESTION - WILL NAPA TOURIST GUIDE BE AROUND AFTER CORONAVIRUS?
Yes, I will be here. Luckily my overhead is very low so as long as I don’t die from either the virus or boredom I plan to be here when this is all said and done. I do have bills to pay, however, so I’ve used my spare time to reopen my online store.
NAPA VALLEY HOME + GARDEN
Visit my online store to purchase Napa items that I personally love and use. All items are fulfilled by Amazon and the cool thing is if you go to Amazon through my site and then buy anything, even products that are not in my store, they will pay me a tiny little marketing fee. I am hoping that these pennies all add up to pay for my hosting fees. And you don’t pay more, you just shop Amazon like you always do and know that you are helping Local Wally stay in business whenever you buy something.
Also, you probably know that I support the Priority Wine Pass on my site. I know the owner and she is also a small micro business. The wine pass gets you two for one’s and is good for a full year. I’ve worked out a deal with the owner that if you purchase a pass today and cannot use it due to the Coronavirus that she will extend it for another year for no additional charge. When you buy a pass from me I not only give you a $20 discount but I get paid a referral fee - so buy a wine pass now if you can and know that we will totally take care of you if something comes up. Remember, you only need one pass for every two people. It’s $39.99 after my discount and you’ll save $25 to $50 per winery stop so it pays for itself many times over.