If you’ve been to Napa Valley during harvest or the “crush,” that time of year in the late summer and early fall when crews pick grapes in the vineyards and wineries start processing the crop, you know that it’s special.
“Harvest is just a completely different time,” says Jeff Cole, winemaker at Sullivan Rutherford Estate. “There’s an energy here that you can feel. For me, there really isn’t a better time to experience Napa Valley and gain a deeper appreciation for the hard work, car,e and dedication that goes into every bottle.”
We give you the details on some of the world-renowned wine region’s best annual harvest events, along with some new highlights, to help you plan your harvest getaway in Napa Valley. With everything going on at this peak season, you’ll want to make reservations ahead of time.
Sunrise over the Sttupa Estate Napa Valley(Kristin Conard)
Refreshed Just In Time for Harvest
Robert Mondavi Winery reopened this spring with a new look after being closed for three years (7801 St. Helena Hwy., Oakville), but it wasn’t the only Napa winery to get a refresh. Beaulieu Vineyard in Rutherford (1960 St. Helena Hwy.) also underwent a multimillion-dollar, two-year renovation. The new hospitality center has seven different tasting areas, including an open-air courtyard built in the restored stone winery building that dates to 1885 where they host their high-end 1885 Tasting of Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
The high-end, adults-only Poetry Inn has new owners and a new name. It’s now the Sttupa Estate Napa Valley (6380 Silverado Trail, Yountville). The name comes from the word “stupa,” which the estate describes as “a unique place that fosters a connection between humankind and nature.” What hasn’t changed is that it’s one of the best places to stay in Yountville. Each of the five suites is still named after a different poet (though there are plans to update and reimagine the décor over the next couple of years), and each has a wood-burning fireplace, indoor-outdoor showers, and incredible views out over the valley, particularly at sunset. Breakfast is served out on the shared patio or in your own suite; you might spot hot air balloons floating by as you enjoy the three-course, Michelin-caliber feast. The hotel’s owners also run the nearby Sullivan Rutherford Estate (1090 Galleron Rd., St. Helena), and guests get a complimentary guided tour and tasting at the winery, a world-class maker of merlot.
Cult favorite Realm Cellars has just opened a new tasting room for their Realm North tastings at Houyi Estate on Pritchard Hill (200 Long Ranch Rd., St. Helena). It’s on the site of the 22 acres where they source their single vineyard cabernet sauvignon, which, at around 1,300 feet in elevation (i.e., above the fog line), has some fantastic views out over Napa Valley. You don’t have to be a member for a tasting but you do have to be on their email list.
The new wood-fired pizza oven at Harvest Inn in St. Helena(Mike Larson)
Napa's Newest Flavors
St. Helena’s Harvest Inn (1 Main St.) has a new outdoor pizza oven in their Bocce Grove. It’s built onto the back of a red 1954 Ford F-350, a formerly defunct Coca-Cola delivery truck. Harvest Inn got it fixed up and refitted with a locally-made pizza oven in which they use locally-sourced hardwood. Pro tip: Pizza is half off from 3pm to 6pm, Monday through Friday.
Riverside French restaurant Normandie (670 Main St.) may have just opened in downtown Napa this spring, but it’s already established itself as a popular spot for craft cocktails and good food. The restaurant specializes in martinis like the house version featuring sage and butter-washed Grey Goose vodka served with theatrical flair and smoke at the bar. The show continues at the table with a roving cheese cart and tableside prep for dishes like cognac-flambéed Maine lobster tail.
Also new this year in downtown Napa is the Flora Springs Wine Lounge (1142 First St.). It serves caviar and chocolate along with wine flights and cocktails in a cozy and luxe setting with velvet couches and chandeliers. Flora Springs also updated their St. Helena tasting room this summer (677 St. Helena Hwy. S.). It now features large mosaics inspired by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí and Napa’s natural landscapes and made with five million glass tiles. Along with wine tastings, they’ll have a Mediterranean market with a range of prepared foods and snacks.
Eight North, by the owners of Lawer Estates, opened late last year in Calistoga (1374 Lincoln Ave.). Executive chef Abby Burk designed the menu to focus on the wood-fired grill with dishes like American wagyu burgers, steak, and a signature baked Alaska.
The harvest dinner and auction at Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park is one of the season's best events.(Carolyn Harrison)
Beyond the Basic Harvest Dinner
There’s no shortage of fantastic winery dinners in Napa during the harvest season, but if you’re looking for something more hands-on, board the Napa Valley Wine Train (1275 McKinstry St., Napa) and get your feet dirty with some classic grape stomping. In addition to a two-hour vintage train ride and a gourmet lunch, you’ll taste wine and stomp grapes at Grgich Hills Estate. Only offered during September and October, sure it’s touristy, but it’s still a lot of fun.
Round Pond Estate in Rutherford (875 Rutherford Rd.) is an idyllic spot with a long, palm tree-lined driveway set amidst 360 acres of vineyards, culinary gardens, and 2,200 olive trees of both Italian and Spanish varieties. On September 19th, the estate is hosting a Meet the Makers event with their winemaker, chef, and olive mill master. On November 14th, they host the Olive Harvest Celebration.
“This will be our third year hosting the Olive Harvest Celebration,” says winemaker Jeff Plant. “Guests visit our Olive Mill (one of two working mills in the Napa Valley) where they will get a short tour and learn about olive oil production from our mill master Emilio Alvarez and his team.” It’s the only time of year that you can get the very first press of fresh olive oil, and you can even make your own vinaigrette on site with fresh garden herbs.
If you can’t make it for harvest, sample the literal fruits of the estate’s labor at their Il Pranzo 4-Course Pairing Experience. After a tour of the gardens, you’ll get to enjoy an incredible meal involving veggies hand-harvested that very morning and views out over the vineyards.
For a crush season experience that gives back, book a ticket for the annual harvest dinner and auction at Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park (3369 Saint Helena Hwy N., St. Helena). The multi-course meal is held next to the 180-year-old water-powered mill, an idyllic setting beneath the stars and oak trees. Proceeds from the dinner and auction go to funding this park, as well as Bothe-Napa Valley and Robert Louis Stevenson State Parks.
If you like a little art and culture with your harvest party dinner, check out the Celebration of Artistry & Excellence at Sullivan Rutherford Estate. The September 26th event features work by ceramicist Adán Paredes alongside a four-course meal by James Beard Award-winning chef Rogelio Garcia, and wine from the estate’s reserve collection. “It is an amazing experience to have three completely different forms of creativity coming together at the same table,” says Cole.
Relax at the new Recovery Lounge at Silverado Resort or with a seasonal fall treatment at Alila Napa Valley.(Courtesy of @alila.napavalley)
Seasonal Spa Treatments
This harvest season, guests at Napa’s Silverado Resort (1600 Atlas Peak Rd.) can enjoy the Spa and Longevity Center, which underwent a renovation in the spring. The new Recovery Lounge features wellness technology like compression boots, PEMF mats, and sound-healing, zero-gravity loungers. There are also new themed wellness “journeys” that incorporate meditation and coaching for longevity, sports performance, detox, and more.
The spa at Alila Napa Valley in St. Helena (1915 Main St.) is always a treat. "During the summer and fall harvest season, there is an energy throughout Napa Valley that is both vibrant and deeply connected to the land, as the entire community labors and honors the agricultural stewardship that results in every bottle of Napa Valley wine,” explains general manager Heidi Miersemann.
Alila’s seasonal fall treatment—the 80-minute Harvest Cabernet Ritual—celebrates the region’s most popular wine, beginning with a grapeseed exfoliation and ending with a facial treatment using products from St. Helena’s Be Here Farm + Nature.
