Six Napa Wineries To Visit In 2026
In 2025, I visited many Napa wineries (45, to be exact). Every one of them is memorable and amazing in its own way. From my 2025 adventures, here are my top six recommended wineries for 2026. Whether you are a Cabernet collector, a sparkling wine lover, or a tech enthusiast, these six selections represent the pinnacle of the Napa Valley winery experience.
Davis Estates
Luxury food-and-wine pairings
I can’t recommend this winery enough. Started in 2011 by Mike Davis, this winery produces remarkable wines, offers a beautiful tour inside and out, and offers an unforgettable food-and-wine experience. They make traditional white and red wines, and their top-tier Phase V wines are co-created with renowned winemaker Philippe Melka.
Del Dotto
Barrel Tastings in a cave
With three different locations across Napa Valley, there is plenty of opportunity to experience a barrel tasting in a cave. Their experience involves using a wine thief to draw directly from aging barrels as you walk through the cave system and learn its history. This winery embodies family values, family-owned and operated, and with a wide variety of wines and styles, there is definitely something to suit your tastes.
Schramsberg
Champagne method sparkling wine cave tour
One of the oldest wineries in Napa Valley, this winery makes, in my opinion, some of the best traditional method (champagne method) sparkling wines this side of the Atlantic. The tour and tasting is through the cave system where they house their millions, yes millions, of bottles of sparkling wine. At the end of the tour, in a secluded area of the cave, you and your party taste the sparkling wines by candlelight.
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Sequoia Grove
Food and wine pairing that breaks the stereotypes
In the heart of Napa Valley, just off St. Helena Highway in Rutherford, this property has almost two dozen giant sequoia trees that make you feel like you’re in a forest. With an over 100-year-old barn converted into the fermentation and barrel room, this property truly feels like an escape. The “A Taste of Cabernet” food-and-wine experience is one of the most unique I have ever had. Their menu changes every 6-8 weeks and focuses on breaking stereotypes about food and wine pairings.
Hudson Ranch
Exceptional chardonnays
Located in southwest Napa Valley near the border with Sonoma, comprises 200 acres of vineyards on a 2,000-acre property. Because of their proximity to San Pablo Bay, these vineyards are cooler, producing exceptional white wines and softer, fruit-forward reds.
Palmaz Vineyards
An engineer's dream of a winery
Every aspect of this winery has been designed to be as hands-off as possible in the winemaking process, allowing the focus to be on the grapes' taste and quality. Carved into 22 stories of hillside, this winery uses gravity to move wine throughout the fermentation and aging cycles and has custom computer software to track all data points. Known for bold reds and more unique whites (Riesling and Muscat), this winery is a must-visit for any technology nerd (like me).
