7 Outstanding Napa Valley Wineries for Outdoor Tasting

For almost half a century, California’s Napa Valley has reigned as one of the world’s top wine destinations. With rolling green hills and vineyards that stretch for miles, it’s an ideal spot to own a second home or escape for a weekend. Many of Napa’s top vineyards offer outdoor tasting and seating areas to take advantage of the year-round mild weather. For anyone looking for a taste for the good life, these al fresco spots offer a safe, sun-soaked way to relax with a favorite bottle or a new find. Whether you’re planning a one-time jaunt or considering a second home in Napa Valley, raise a glass to these seven vineyards with outstanding outdoor wine experiences.

Sequoia Grove

Private tables and plush couches offer plenty of seating options on Sequoia Grove’s sprawling patio. Guests have a view of the 14-acre Estate Vineyard and sit adjacent to the 110-year-old barn where the vineyard was founded in 1979. With several custom tastings available, including a dedicated Cabernet Sauvignon flight, this vineyard offers a one-of-a-kind Napa Valley wine experience beneath the shade of the sequoia trees.

Artesa

Artesa’s modern architecture was designed to take full advantage of the stunning Napa Valley landscape. Guests can enjoy the estate’s avante-garde art while sipping a top-tier pinot, then move to the hillside patio with views of the Mount Veeder foothills. For those more interested in a virtual event from the comfort of their second home, the winery offers a suite of online tastings. And fun fact: This vineyard is no stranger to the screen — Artesa was a prime location for shooting the Amy Poehler movie “Wine Country.”

Cakebread Cellars

At Cakebread Cellars, customers sip wines grown all over Napa Valley in one location. What began with the purchase of a 22-acre parcel in 1972 grew into a collection of 15 vineyards across 1,600 acres. The resulting wines — standouts like Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon grown on nearby Howell Mountain and Carneros Chardonnay Reserve — can be enjoyed on the expansive lawns or sitting outside the state-of-the-art visitor center. If guests are feeling peckish, Cakebread offers small bites as well as cooking classes, both making good use of the on-site culinary garden.

Ashes and Diamonds

A self-described “love letter to Napa Valley,” Ashes & Diamonds merges old-school technique with a modern aesthetic. The iconic zig-zag roof extends from the building to provide a shady outdoor space for sampling their classic California offerings. Purchase a tasting, glass, bottle or full picnic with wine pairings to enjoy on the grounds. This vineyard is as much about cultivating flavor as it is about cultivating culture — the patio and surrounding lawn are a hub for food, music and film events.

St Clair Brown

St. Clair Brown has a refreshing take on the Napa Valley scene: The boutique winery is also a nano-brewery. Located in downtown Napa’s Rail Arts District and founded by two women with deep wine industry experience, St. Clair Brown offers patrons tastings in a verdant urban oasis of seasonal raised beds and fruit trees. All wine and beer are made on site.

Salvestrin

Salvestrin is an off-the-beaten-path family-run winery with plenty of outdoor space to enjoy a good bottle of hand-crafted wine. The expansive patio overlooks the vineyards that have been owned, farmed and operated by the Salvestrin family since 1932.

Bouchaine

Tucked away in the southernmost tip of the Carneros countryside, Bouchaine is a low-key Napa Valley vineyard that offers a next-level outdoor experience. One side of the outdoor space has a distinct backyard feel, with adirondack chairs and picnic tables arranged throughout the gardens. Around the corner, just outside the rustic farmhouse tasting room, is a space with comfortable couches and fire pits perfect for kicking back. Guests can’t go wrong with a glass of Bouchaine’s signature chardonnay, or with the magnificent view of Mount Diablo in the distance.

Cheers to a Napa Valley second home

As a co-owner of a gorgeous Napa Valley second home, you’ll enjoy all the perks of second home living with far fewer headaches. Pacasos come professionally designed, scheduling is a breeze and we take care of the property management. All you have to do is uncork a Napa Valley wine and enjoy your second home. Check out our listings to get started.

7 Napa vineyards that offer al fresco tastings