Calistoga Getaway

We love a getaway to Napa but hidden about about 40 mins north of Napa is the cutest town of Calistoga. It’s becoming more popular but still has a small town feel. Have fun reading about our adventure. When visiting Calistoga we stayed at the Up Valley Inn. The price is right and we love the hot springs to finish up our nights. At the end of the blog you will find my itinerary with proper drive times.

* We were lucky enough to visit some very intimate locations so I wrote about them but I’m not disclosing their locations unless you reach out to me personally. I want to help them remain intimate and off the beaten path.

Where to drink

Amizetta:

I have raved about Amizetta for years. We have been members since 2018. The views and the wines are top notch. They have started renovations for a new tasting room so there will be some construction. I recommend visiting on the weekends to avoid the noise. It will be done in 2025 and I can not wait to see it. This visit was extra special because harvest had not started so we got to try the grapes off the vine.

Maxville:

Even though the tasting room is huge, we had the entire place to ourselves. We enjoyed the wines along with the view. We always try to figure out who our hosts’ celebrity look alike is so we decided ours was James Spader. Tastings start at $55/pp. Maxville is off the beaten path and offers some amazing views along with great wine.

Secret Location:

I was beyond impressed with this place. We were greeted with some bubbles and were able to walk the property. The original owners were huge into art so the property had some amazing installations along with one of the best views ever. Three high school buddies now own the winery and make some fantastic wines. It’s very intimate and you just sit and drink wine and enjoy the host. As discussed above our host was Peeta Melark’s doppelgänger!! Lol!

Knights Bridge:

This is my new fav! Not only because the wine was great but the tour and property were top notch. They provided small bites with each wine. After our tour we were seated at a stunning table with small bites and plenty of wine. Extra bonus: the wine maker is hot AF, a college football player and yeah… Ask for Nate as your host when you visit. He was so fun and passionate about wine. Tastings were $150/pp or waived with a 3 bottle purchase per person.

Secret Location #2:

Our driver a Rod from Napa Driver Tours found this spot for us. I was beyond impressed. Again we started with some bubbles to take in the view and then started on the delicious reds. Our host aka Gary Sienese, was so fun to just sit back and chat with. The whole vibe of the tasting room was awesome. Even though the views and wine were great, the best little surprise was the tik tok famous cookies from Alison. They paired amazingly with the reds. Tastings were comped with a 3 bottle purchase!

Bella Oaks:

Your tour of Bella Oaks starts at the home of Suzanne Deal Booth and ends at Wheeler Farms to finish your tasting. The property was stunning and had amazing art installations to enjoy while sipping on bubbles. Once we arrived to Wheeler Farms you were immersed in beautiful gardens and walked to visit the chickens on property. The tasting room had more delicious bites and awesome red wines. I love intimate settings and having tastings to yourself makes a huge difference. Tastings are $150/pp.

Where to eat

Breakfast:

We always go to Sam’s General Store. It’s a quick walk from Up Valley. They have amazing breakfast sandwiches and quiche. It’s also a great spot for coffee. They always have great seasonal favs too! We visited end of Sept so I had a hot oat milk s’mores mocha!

Lunch:

Always have a driver to pick up lunch for you. We called in our order for Busters BBQ. It was perfect and time effective to eat while driving to our next location. I had the pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and lemonade. It hit the spot! We also did a mobile order for Gotts and luckily had time to eat it there. You can’t go wrong with a burger and onion rings! It’s a Napa classic!

Dinner:

Truss is our go to! Located in the Four Season its the only thing I can afford there!!! The drinks are always great, the views are amazing and the food is beyond delicious. I love their caviar service and had an amazing fresh pasta! And pro tip order the chip dip! Sam’s Social Club was a first for us and it wont be the last visit. The service was top notch and the food was delicious. The caesar salad, pork belly and poke were my favs.

As promised here is our itinerary for the 2 days. Edit as you like since our starting spot might differ. If you need any future planning and don’t have the time, send me an email. I would love to help your plan. I can be reached at angelakemp25@gmail.com.