Cure to the Coronavirus Blues: A Trip to Napa Valley
Local Wally
Walking through the redwoods on the AXR tasting experience
MAY 15 UPDATE: GOV NEWSOM HAS REQUESTED THAT ALL WINERIES AND BREWERIES CLOSE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS. STAY TUNED - UPDATED COMING.
Is Napa Valley the Cure to the Coronavirus Blues?
Everywhere you look is bad news. The Coronavirus aint no joke and I’m not here to make it one. But I’m bummed. My vacation to Italy, cancelled. That’s OK, how about a trip to LA to hit the Grand Market and then a day at Disneyland? Nope, avoid big crowds they say, All right, I’m going to the movies. Wait, a sneeze from 6 feet away could be a problem? Damn, Redbox? Does the DVD Player still work? Oh crap, there are germs on the touchscreen? Ahhgggghhhh!
I Need Wine. Good Wine.
The good news is if you live driving to distance to Napa Valley you can do a mini vacation getaway, a sure cure for the Coronavirius Blues. Look, I’m no doctor. But I do know that drinking good wine makes me happy and Napa has plenty of good wine. And with visitors down a bit it’s a good time to visit. For the super cautious you can avoid the big crowds by hitting some boutique wineries where you’ll get one on one tastings away from everyone but your date and your server. I can’t guarantee anything but hand sanitizer is your friend wherever you go - cleanse your hands after sitting down, after touching the menu, you know the drill. Now let’s drink wine.
Napa Getaway On a Budget?
If you’re trying to escape reality don’t make it worse by racking up a huge wine tasting bill by the end of the day. Napa wine tasting can be notoriously expensive. $25 per person, $50 per person, not unusual. But do the Napa hack to save money - get a Wine Pass for two for one’s. The Priority Wine Pass is the annual pass that gets you half off or other discounts all over Napa and Sonoma. If you live in the Bay Area and don’t already have this pass, you need one. And yes, you only need one pass for every two people. You can get it here with my $20 discount, making the pass only $39.99. It pays for itself before you leave the second winery and you can use it again and again for the next 12 months. It’s a deal - a sweet deal for sure.
GET IT HERE: DISCOUNTED WINE PASS FROM LOCAL WALLY - One Per Couple
Charles Krug Winery
Wineries That Deserve to Be on Your Short List
BERINGER: Iconic winery, the perfect photo opp. The tasting room is inside their retail shop with plenty of room to spread out. As a bonus, you can use their gorgeous picnic grounds for free - and you can buy bottles to entertain yourself and outside food is allowed. It’s two for one with the pass, save $25.
CHARLES KRUG: Huge tasting room, separate tables to really spread out, a sprawling picnic area (no outside food allowed), another iconic Napa winery. Two for one, save $40.
DUTCH HENRY: Fun and funky, an industrial looking winery set among oak trees and picnic tables, plenty of room inside and out, and great wines - I mean, really great wines. Two for one, save $25.
CLOS PEGASE: Strange architecture by Michael Graves, semi-private seated tastings, it feels fancy and you’ll feel like a VIP for a price that’s very agreeable with the Wine Pass. Two for one, save $40. Make reservations for this one.
AXR: A true hidden gem tucked away near Beringer. If you want to experience some of Napa’s finest wines without going broke, then AXR needs to be on your list. Incredible deal with the Wine Pass - the private tour and tasting is normally $75 per person but they will waive fees for two people if you buy a total of only $100 worth of wine, basically two bottles. Let me run that by you again - you save $150 in fees, you take home $100 worth of wine. It’s a private experience, they even have picnic tables for you to enjoy after your tour. Charming winery, you will love this one. Make Reservations.
AUBURN JAMES: More really great “high end” wine, served in a private setting inside their winery cottage. You’ll have the cottage to yourself and your server, it’s two for one per couple with the Wine Pass, save $40. If you have never done a private tasting before don’t worry, it’s not snobby or intimidating. Auburn James is very friendly, you’ll love this experience. Make Reservations.
STERLING VINEYARDS: The famous tram ride to the top is included with all of their tasting experiences. Don’t forget, I have a ten dollar off code I send out for free that’s good for all of their experiences. I like the more exclusive experiences there a lot, including their sparkling wine on weekends. Email me if you would like the code.
And There’s More….
Go here for the complete list of discounted wineries and remember that I’ll help you pick if you get totally overwhelmed. And if you need to still buy a wine pass, well, here is the link below with my discount. Remember, you only need one pass for every two people.
Stocking Up on Supplies Includes Wine
You have 14 days of toilet paper, mac and cheese, and essentials but do you have wine? Now is the time to buy that case or two of really great wine, you know, just in case. Focus on wines you can drink now but will age gracefully. Oh heck, just buy lots of wine you can drink right now. I’m not kidding, you are going to be thanking me if you wake up one morning to find yourself quarantined to your house. And if you’re not quarantined you’ll still be thanking me. There is no downside to stocking up on good wine.
Napa Wine Tasting… Chasing the Blues Away, One Sip at a Time
I hope you don’t think I’m making light of a very serious world crisis. I’m frankly as freaked out as the rest of us. But I also know that it’s easy to over react and you can only binge Netflix for so long. Of course, you need to use your own judgement anytime you leave the house these days but I can’t help thinking that a day in Napa, done right, is about as safe as hanging out with friends in your backyard. Cheers to you, no hugs please but I know you want to :-)
CORONAVIRUS CONVID-19 UPDATE
Valuable News Links to Napa Coronavirus Updates
County of Napa Official Page: March 12, 2020 - Napa County has 0 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and additional testing kits are gradually becoming available to Napa County. Right now the risk of infection still appears to be MODERATE in Napa County.