16 Best Sights in Yountville, Napa and Sonoma

Inspired by his passion for classic rock, owner and construction magnate Cliff Lede named the blocks in his Stags Leap District vineyard after hits by the Grateful Dead and other bands. Two other Lede obsessions are rock memorabilia and contemporary art like Jim Dine's outdoor sculpture Twin 6' Hearts, a magnet for the Instagram set. The vibe at this efficient, high-tech winery is anything but laid-back, however. Cutting-edge agricultural and enological science informs the vineyard management and wine making here. Lede produces Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bordeaux-style red blends. All the wines are well crafted, though the Cabs truly rock. Book a Backstage Tasting Lounge session to sip top-tier wines amid a rock music–related art exhibition.

One of his colleagues likens Elyse's winemaker, Russell Bevan, to "a water witch without the walking stick" for his ability to assess a vineyard's weather, soil, and vine positioning and intuit how particular viticultural techniques will affect wines' flavors. Bevan farms judiciously during the growing season, striving later in the cellar to preserve what nature and his efforts have yielded rather than rely on heavy manipulation. Elyse makes highly praised small-lot single-vineyard Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons. Red blends containing as many as five varietals are another strong suit. A country lane edged by vines leads to this unassuming winery, whose unhurried tastings, often outdoors, have a backyard-casual feel. Costing much less than the average Napa Valley Cab, Elyse's Holbrook Mitchell Cabernet Sauvignon holds its own against peers priced appreciably higher.

Inside Yountville's whitewashed 19th-century passenger train depot, Cornerstone shares a space with an apparel shop and displays contemporary art curated by Aerena Galleries. The winery, started on something of a whim more than three decades ago (a Howell Mountain grower offered the founders some excess fruit late in the 1991 season), produces Cabernet Sauvignon from the valley's benchland and mountain sections. Because each Cabernet receives similar treatment from winemaker Kari Auringer, the wines express what's unique about their sub-appellations, vineyard sources, and vintages. Cornerstone is a good place to find out what type of Napa Valley Cabernet you prefer—perhaps the smooth Benchlands blend, in recent years softened with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, or maybe the sturdier yet still lush Howell Mountain offering, usually 100% Cabernet or nearly so.

On a knoll shaded by ancient oak trees, this sparkling-wine producer founded in 1973—the first in the Napa Valley by a French Champagne house—is owned by the luxury brand Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy. Known for its lineup of brut, rosé, and demi-sec (half-dry, fairly sweet) bubblies, Domaine Chandon also makes Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon still wines. In anticipation of its golden anniversary, the winery embarked on a comprehensive renovation of its indoor and outdoor tasting areas. After its scheduled completion in late 2023, Chandon will introduce some new tasting experiences, but The Epicurean, a multicourse pairing of larger bites with well-curated sparkling wines, is expected to continue. Offered most of the year, it's well worth the splurge. Other tastings involve food, but guests wishing to sip a few sparklers can choose four from the nearly two dozen the wine-making team crafts.

Large retractable west-facing windows in this boutique winery's barnlike tasting space open up behind the bar to views of Cabernet Sauvignon vines—in fine weather, guests on the outdoor deck can practically touch them. Farther in the distance lie the Mayacamas Mountains. Goosecross makes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Carneros grapes, but the soul of this cordial operation is its 12-acre State Lane Vineyard, the 9.2 planted acres mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with some Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. The State Lane Cabernet and Merlot are the stars, along with the Holly's Block 100% Cab and the Aeros Bordeaux-style blend of the vineyard's best grapes. The last two aren't always poured, but the intentionally big Branta red wine (the blend changes with each vintage), a crowd-pleaser, usually is. Visits to Goosecross are by appointment only.

A contemporary structure of concrete, glass, hand-forged copper, and other materials, Hestan's downtown tasting room further impresses with its interior use of travertine and Venetian plaster. Gleaming cookware catches the eye before wine bottles do—the founder manufactures pots and pans for upscale outlets like Williams-Sonoma and in the 2020s introduced a line by chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry. Sit down for a tasting, though, and attention quickly shifts to the polished, almost voluptuous wines that two acclaimed winemakers craft for four separate labels. The Meyer and Stephanie Cabernet Sauvignons and the Stephanie Petit Verdot, all from grapes grown amid the southern Vaca Range, are particularly successful, as is the Vincent Christopher Pinot Noir.

Doug Hill has farmed grapes for prominent Napa Valley wineries for years, but at the urging of his son, Ryan, the family began bottling its own Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other wines. Crafted by Alison Doran, a protégé of the late Napa winemaker André Tchelistcheff, these are refined reds you can sample, along with whites that include Albariño and Chardonnay, on a 7½-acre estate. Alfresco tastings take advantage of classic valley views—vineyards and the board-and-batten winery building up close, the Mayacamas Mountains farther west. Appointment-only visits are limited to a few guests per day, but the family also operates a tasting salon less than a mile away in downtown Yountville. Ask about seasonal tours (with tasting) of a "secret garden" that grows produce for The French Laundry and other top restaurants.

Mirrors and gleaming surfaces abound in this eye-catching ode to indulgence named for its French owner, Jean-Charles Boisset (JCB). The JCB label first made its mark with sparkling wine, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, with Cabernet Sauvignon a more recent strong suit. In addition to providing a plush setting for sampling these wines, Boisset's downtown Yountville tasting space doubles as a showcase for home decor items from the likes of Lalique and Baccarat.

A permanent exhibition at this hillside museum near Domaine Chandon surveys the people and natural conditions that have shaped the valley's history. The well-curated temporary shows often surprise with their depth of cultural insight or the artistry involved.

Dedicated locals conceived this multipurpose walking, biking, and jogging path they hope will run 47 miles from below Napa, north through the Napa Valley to Calistoga. A mostly flat 9-mile segment open for several years links Yountville and downtown Napa. Vineyard views predominate in the Yountville portion, giving way in Napa to the RAD Napa (Rail Arts District Napa) murals that grace warehouse walls and utility boxes. Markers let trail goers know where they are, interpretive signs convey some history, and shelters provide bike racks, pumps, and tools for minor repairs. An 8½-mile section expected to debut by fall 2023 will wind through vineyards and Bothe–Napa Valley State Park from St. Helena to Calistoga. Download the latest map on the trail's website. Napa Valley Bike Tours, with shops in Napa and Yountville, rents helmets and bikes, as do Trek Bicycle St. Helena and Calistoga Bikeshop.

Vineyards surround the walk-through organic garden and corral for rescue animals that anchor second-generation vintner Lindsay Hoopes's playfully pastoral wine venue. In conceiving this family- and dog-friendly outdoor-oriented spot—with ample patio and garden seating and a seasonal farmers' market—Hoopes aimed to expand the notion of what a Napa Valley wine tasting can entail. To that end, rather than pay a tasting fee, guests book a table, with the booking fee applied toward wine purchases (full bottles or "mini bottle flights") enjoyed on-site or to go. Lindsay's father started Hoopes Vineyard in the 1980s, selling his Oakville AVA Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to A-list producers before establishing his boutique label in 1999. The lineup now includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, rosé, Merlot, and Syrah. Most are gems, particularly two Oakville Cabs and a Howell Mountain Merlot.

Gargantuan crystal chandeliers, century-old olive trees, and strategically placed water features provide visual and aural continuity at Restoration Hardware's quadruple-threat food, wine, art, and design compound. An all-day café fronts two steel, glass, and concrete home-furnishings galleries, with a bluestone walkway connecting them to the wine salon. Centered on a two-story 1904 manor house constructed from Napa River stone, it's an excellent spot to learn about small-lot Napa and Sonoma wines, served by the glass, flight, or bottle. Collector-revered labels like Corison, Fisher, Lail, Matthiasson, Mayacamas, and Spottswoode are all represented, the wines in good weather poured in "outdoor living rooms" behind the stone structure. Oozing RH fabulousness as it does, the Wine Vault can feel like a scene on a busy day, but the wines are the real deal. All tastings are by appointment.

At Silver Trident you can spring for the deluxe Potato Chip Extravaganza—wines paired with well-chosen gourmet chips—but the real splurge is on the decor: this tasteful downtown space doubles as a Ralph Lauren Home Collection showroom where everything's for sale. It's a fittingly ritzy setting for longtime winemaker Kari Auringer's subtly delicious Sauvignon Blanc, rosé, Pinot Noir (her strong suit), and Bordeaux-style reds (also quite good). In addition to the potato-chip experience, there's a tasting of current releases without food. All visits are by appointment, but with drop-ins accommodated when possible.

Three stone structures meant to mimic Scottish ruins coaxed into modernity form this complex with public and private tasting spaces and a bright outdoor patio. The attention to detail in the ensemble's design mirrors that of the wines, whose grapes come from coveted sources, most notably all six Beckstoffer Heritage Vineyards, among the Napa Valley's most historic sites for Cabernet Sauvignon. Although the Nomad Collection sextet of Cabs is the focus, winemaker Blair Guthrie also makes sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, rosé, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel. Visits are by appointment, but except for Nomad tastings, walk-ins are usually accommodated.

Nearly three dozen large-scale sculptures enliven Yountville's parks and sidewalks. Most are on or near Washington Street in downtown's southern and central sections. Download a map or pick one up at the visitor center (6484 Washington Street). Easier still, each work has a smartphone QR code linking to online information.