In the summer, Napa Valley serves as an adventure-filled backyard for visitors who come to get outdoors, soak up the sun, and relax amid miles of vines and rugged mountain scenery. While wine tourism is a major draw, there are also plenty of other activities like ATV tours, olive-oil tastings, family picnics and outdoor music concerts. Here’s a preview of all that the sunny season has in store:
Family-Friendly Accommodations
The region is not just an adult getaway—many Napa Valley lodging properties are offering family-friendly accommodations. Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection offers lawn games, fireside s’mores, bocce courts, a kid-friendly Splash Pad and a personalized pizza-making experience. Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection, has a dedicated kids camp where daily activities include a hawk walk, bike rides, planting vegetables in the farm and star-gazing on the Great Lawn. Carneros Resort and Spa offers garden tours along with other family-fun activities like a scavenger hunt, kids yoga classes and a sleep-under-the-stars experience. The Meritage Resort and Spa has adopted a baby goat named Althea, housed at the nearby Connolly Ranch Education Center (home to more than 85 barnyard animals), where guests can drop by and learn about life on the ranch.
Tip: Check out Visit Napa Valley’s list of kid-friendly wineries to find an ideal place to taste, with the whole family in tow.
Unique Winery Experiences
Adventure-lovers can embark on an ATV tour of the 1,000-acre mountainside vineyard at Hess Persson Estate, complete with views from Napa Valley to the San Francisco Bay. Afterward, they can enjoy a wine and cheese pairing or culinary tasting experience with dishes cultivated from produce grown in the estate gardens.
Blending is an art as well as a science. If guests sign up for the Bottle Blending Camp at Judd’s Hill Winery, they will learn how to perfect Bordeaux-style blends using samples from four red varietals.
Travelers can also head over to Round Pond Estate to learn about olive cultivation, harvest and the property’s artisanal methods of production including a traditional stone mill. The estate is home to 2,200 olive trees with the five Italian varieties and three Spanish varieties and offers an hour-long tasting. Travelers can also visit the new tasting room of Grove 45, a producer of extra virgin olive oil produced in the heart of Napa Valley. Run by mother-daughter duo Ana and Marcela Hernandez, Grove 45 hosts olive oil and balsamic vinegar tastings, paired with seasonal bites.
If the great outdoors is calling you, several Napa Valley wineries host guided hikes that culminate in a tasting, offering a true grape to glass experience. At Pine Ridge Vineyards, visitors can partake in a guided moderate hike through the vines while learning about the winery’s sustainable farming techniques and diverse ecosystems, while at Cuvaison, guests can walk through their vineyards before enjoying an 'Estate Tasting' and boxed lunch on the patio.
Music Shows
Over the last decade, Napa Valley has become the premier destination for the biggest names in music, hosting both large scale and intimate shows in stunning outdoor venues. Highlights include the Golden States Festival (July 15) and the Down in the Valley Festival (September 2-3), both at the Oxbow RiverStage in downtown Napa and the Blue Note Jazz Festival (July 28-30) hosted by Dave Chapelle and featuring headliners Mary J. Blige, Nas and Chance the Rapper at Silverado Resort & Spa.
Other notable concert series running all summer long include the Blue Note Summer Sessions at The Meritage Resort and Festival Napa Valley (July 8-23. Good to know: Country music star Carrie Underwood is set to perform at the latter.
Savor After Hours (in residency from June- to September), brings a wholly unique show to Napa Valley. It's a cabaret and wine tasting experience, featuring "Dancing with the Stars" champions Maks and Valentin Chmerkovskiy. It features dance, music, magic and, of course, wine.
Related Articles
Guerneville, CA’s Dawn Ranch Reopens
Wining, Dining and Beyond in Napa Valley
“Festival Napa Valley” Announces “Taste of Napa” at The Meritage
The St. Regis San Francisco Debuts Private Sailing Experience