Top 10 Wineries in Napa Valley
Napa Valley is California's most famous wine region — 50 km north of San Francisco Bay, sheltered between the Mayacamas and Vaca ranges, and devoted overwhelmingly to Cabernet Sauvignon. The 1976 Paris Tasting put Napa on the map; these ten estates kept it there.
1. Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville
The estate that built modern Napa. Founded in 1966, it pioneered varietal labelling, French oak ageing, and serious estate marketing in California.
2. Opus One, Oakville
The Mondavi–Rothschild joint venture from 1979, producing a single Bordeaux-style blend from estate Oakville fruit. The architectural showpiece of the To Kalon district.
3. Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Stags Leap District
The estate whose Cabernet Sauvignon beat the first growths at the 1976 Paris Tasting. SLV and Cask 23 remain reference Napa Cabernets.
4. Screaming Eagle, Oakville
The pinnacle of Napa cult Cabernet. Tiny production, mailing-list allocation, and prices among the highest for any New World wine.
5. Harlan Estate, Oakville
A hillside Oakville Cabernet of legendary status; Harlan Estate and the second wine The Maiden are produced from a single property above the valley.
6. Dominus Estate, Yountville
Christian Moueix's Napa estate (he is the Pétrus winemaker) — a Bordeaux-style estate Cabernet from the Napanook vineyard.
7. Caymus Vineyards, Rutherford
A family-owned Rutherford estate whose ripe, oaky, immediately appealing Cabernet shaped a whole school of Napa winemaking. The Special Selection is the prestige bottling.
8. Beringer Vineyards, St. Helena
Napa's oldest continuously operating winery (1876). The Private Reserve Cabernet is the prestige bottle; the historic Rhine House mansion is open to the public.
9. Inglenook (formerly Niebaum-Coppola), Rutherford
The historic estate revived by Francis Ford Coppola; Rubicon is the flagship Cabernet, and the chateau-style visitor experience is among the best in the valley.
10. Schramsberg, Calistoga
The leading Napa sparkling wine house. Methode champenoise from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; the J. Schram tête de cuvée is the flagship.
Visiting Napa Valley
Napa is the most visitor-organised wine region in the world. Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail run parallel through the valley with hundreds of tasting rooms. Most estates require appointments; many charge tasting fees that are waivered with purchase.
Where will you go first?
Every estate above is on the interactive map. Filter to Napa, separate Highway 29 from the Silverado Trail, and book at least one fixed-tasting reservation per day.