Girls Weekend Guide to Napa Valley

Napa has always been on my list of places to visit with my husband so I was honestly a little nervous to ask if he would care if I went without him. I mean, I birthed and nourished a child for 12 months, I more than earned a girls getaway to the holy land of red wine... right?

To my husband's credit, he didn't think twice and encouraged me to fly cross country to meet up with 4 girls I barely knew and most of whom I had never met in person.

That's normal right? Laura, Stephanie, and Natasha were so much fun, I can't wait until our next mama's only trip!

Despite the relentless rain that was clearly determined to make my frizzy hair super sexy, we did it right. From the hotel, to the wineries, to the food, and even to the Uber rides and a few glimpses of my terrible dance moves.... it was perfection.

So I give you, my guide to a girls-only weekend in Napa!

Stay in Luxury

I'd say we nailed it in this department! SENZA was a dream and I highly recommend. Our long weekend was spent in the most comfortable beds with the most gorgeous view of the vineyards. SENZA is perfectly situated between wineries and restaurants, plus they feed you delicious Bouchon Bakery pastries every morning so you have no reason to put your face on until your first wine tasting of the day.

The property had an fun mix of traditional buildings with eclectic art while the hotel rooms were modern and stunning. They had me at the electric fireplace, double shower head, and heated bathroom floors. Walking out of your room into a vineyard is also pretty fab.

SENZA offers nightly wine tastings with visiting wineries or HALL wines (I'll get to those in a minute), so you better believe we took advantage. They also have pretty cabanas by the pool if you aren't rained on all weekend like we were!

Pamper Yourself

I highly recommend carving out some spa time while in Napa. We started our first full day in Napa with spa treatments at Spa Terra, which is a gorgeous spa built inside of a cave at the Meritage Resort.

Being at a desk and chasing my wild toddler every day called for a Deep Tissue Massage and Collette did not disappoint! I was just sore enough after to head to the hot tub and drink some bubbly with the rest of the girls.

Drink all the wine

My main recommendation here is to call and reserve tastings before you go. Give yourself at least 90 minutes for each. Most wineries in Napa require a reservation and won't even let you in to buy and drink a bottle.

Our First stop was HALL St. Helena, owned by Craig and Kathryn Hall who also own SENZA. Like SENZA, HALL has a fun mix of modern architecture, traditional historic buildings, and fun artwork. Our HALLmark tour guide Colin introduced us to WALT Bluejay Pinot Noir early in the tasting which knocked the socks off of my cheap go-to pinot at home. It was love at first sip.

Next stop, Chappellet. This jungle-like winery is set way up on Pritchard Hill and is a hike for any unsuspecting Uber driver, but its so worth it. Even as we were getting rained on and the fog was covering the hillsides, the views were gorgeous. Chappellet, and our tour guide Connor, thoroughly impressed me not just with the wines but their ability to recycle water for the vineyard. My favorite wine had to have been the Zinfandel and I immediately regretted not bringing a bottle home with me!

Our last official tour and tasting of the weekend was at Napa's oldest winery, Charles Krug Winery. The rain kept me from taking a picture of the beautiful historic exterior but the Restoration Hardware interior and wine had me wishing I could stay forever. Jessica was such a great guide, I had a hard time deciding whether I liked the Cabernet Sauvignon or the Sauvignon Blanc that we used to start the tasting.

I highly recommend all three of these wineries for the wine itself but also the history and views, even if you're sinking in the mud like I was. Just go with it!

Eat all the food

There are so many great places to eat in Napa, I'm not sorry for a second at how much food I consumed. Hey, it was necessary to soak up some of the wine! My top three include Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch, Redd Wood, and Gott's.

I only wish we had gone during the day (or maybe the rain could have let up for a hot second) to Farmstead. I've been told the exterior of the restaurant is so beautiful and charming! Next time I'll do lunch!

Must try menu items

Farmstead. homemade gnocci, roasted artichoke, burrata, cheddar biscuits, arborio rice, and the beignets.
Redd Wood. Prosciutto Crudo pizza with arugula and the Smoked Ham pizza with brussel sprouts.
Gott's. cheeseburger with secret sauce, sweet potato fries, garlic fries, ahi tuna taco
Bouchon Bakery. I was partial to the chocolate coissant every.single.morning. 

Take your husband... next time

Take a trip away from the office, kids, and whatever else you've got on your plate. I absolutely want to go again with my husband (and stay in the vineyard view rooms at SENZA again!), but a girls weekend was much needed. I think it was one of the best decisions for a group of mamas like ourselves. It made coming home to my son's big toothy smile so, so special!

If you're planning a trip to Napa and have any questions, feel free to reach out! 

Thank you to SENZA, Spa Terra at the Meritage Resort, HALL Winery, Chappellet Winery, Charles Krug Winery, and Farmstead for your generosity during our trip. It was truly the best and I can't wait to visit again!