Two ways to see the fabled Napa Valley: Luxury and Budget

You can easily be seduced by luxurious hotels and high-end wineries on a trip to the Napa Valley, known as one of the top destinations around the world. But, with a little planning and local knowledge, you also can explore one of the globe’s top wine regions and still come away with a few bills in your wallet.

Here’s one frequent visitor’s guide to how to see the famous Napa Valley in two distinct ways.

LUXURY/HIGH

WINE

Newton Vineyard

Newton Vineyard is a private winery (definitely no bus tours) that sits at the top of a steep, winding road on the west side of the Napa Valley. You’ll find formal English gardens, a bright red phone booth and a red Chinese gate. (The late Peter Newton, an Englishman, was the founder of the winery back in 1977, while his wife, Su Hua, was from China). They’re known for their elegant, not-overly-oaky Chardonnay and for their Cabernet Sauvignon. “The line I hear most from people is that they don’t like Chardonnay, but they like ours,” our guide told us with a smile. We tried a variety of Cabernet Sauvignon from different areas of the valley, all with flavor profiles that seemed part way between the dry, French style and the typical fruity, bold reds you find in California. The setting is magnificent and the wines just as good. The cheapest tour and tasting, Newton Discovery, is $75. The Single Vineyard Immersion tour and tasting costs $125, while the Newton Vineyard Exploration (May to October) includes a ride to the top of a 1,600 foot hill in a deluxe utility vehicle for a private tasting ($250 per person).

FOOD

La Toque

Located at the Westin Verasa Napa, La Toque is a Michelin-starred restaurant with outstanding, beautifully presented cuisine and great wine pairings. Our party tasted incredible John Dory, a lovely white fish, with roasted cauliflower, broccoli and German spatzle. We also had a luscious Mexican mole with 26 ingredients and New York strip steak that was perfectly charred on the outside and properly pink in the middle. Rather than focus entirely on Napa wines, the sommelier at La Toque likes to find complementary vintages from around the world; including wines from Germany, Italy and, yes, California. She paired a lovely apple dessert with a sweet, mouth-filling Tokai wine from Hungary that might be the best dessert wine you’ll ever sip. A four-course meal that includes dessert is $110, and it’s another $70 if you want a wine pairing with your three main courses and dessert.

Ciccio

Ciccio’s is a fun, vibrant spot in Yountville is at the lower end of the high-priced category. We had a great, spicy salami pizza with red onion and Calabrian chili honey for $26. The pan-seared scallops with honeynut squash, baby turnips and apples were splendid at $32. We also sampled a lovely (and quite large) salad with beets, satsuma oranges, burrata and toasted, crunchy seeds for $16. They make seven varieties of Negronis. The Italian mojito comes with gin, lemonade and muddled basil and is a refreshing, wonderful drink.

HOTEL

The Westin Verasa Napa in downtown Napa is elegant but not stuffy. They have a variety of rooms, including one-bedroom suites with full kitchens and sofa beds, so it’s great for a larger party. A “Larger Guest King Room” on a weekend in January was recently listed at $256 a night, while the suites started at $315. In addition to La Toque, there’s also also a casual restaurant, Bank Café and Bar, with lovely views of the Napa River. They have a large fitness center and an outdoor, saltwater pool. It’s a five-minute walk to Oxbow Market. Outstanding for families or anyone who needs a bit of elbow room.

BUDGET/LOW

WINE

Leto

Leto Cellars is a small winery located in an industrial park near the Napa airport. Rather than spend money on luscious lawns and fancy fountains, the oh-so-personable Brad and Lisa Warner put all their money into the product, which is some of the best in the valley. Brad was a former senior winemaker at Robert Mondavi and has been in the business for decades. It’s $25 for a tasting but you’ll get to try several wines and get to talk with either Brad or Lisa, an industry veteran who handles the marketing and also helps with winemaking. The wines are remarkable but not cheap. And the tasting fee is waived if you purchase a bottle. You won’t get personal service like this anywhere else for the price. Tastings are by appointment only but if you stop by, they might be able to book you on the spot. My visit last November might have been the most enjoyable winery trip in a long list of them over the years. Truly a delightful place, with warm, welcoming and knowledgeable folks.

Rutherford Hill

Rutherford Hill is a beautiful winery on a hill, with great valley views and a lovely picnic area under the trees. You can taste for $30 and up, but for $50 they’ll give you a great tasting and also a tour of the property and their wine caves, including a sample of some wine that’s still aging in a barrel. They make excellent Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, and also some of the valley’s best Merlot.

Downtown Napa

One way to save money on wine-tasting is with a Downtown Napa Wine Tasting Card. For $15 you get half-priced tastings at eight of the 17 participating wineries with downtown showrooms. We tried some very nice wines at the Napa General Store, where they rotate a selection of carefully selected vintages from the region.

FOOD

Oxbow Market

Oxbow is a fabulous market in downtown Napa, where you can buy fresh veggies, locally-made bitters for your cocktails and other goods. There’s also a ton of very good, not-too-expensive places for a great meal, including everything from lamb or fish tacos to pizza and sandwiches. I had a very good porchetta sandwich with apple chutney on fresh sourdough for $11 at Fatted Calf. Oprah Winfrey swears by the fresh-made English Muffins at Model Bakery, which are unlike anything you’ll find at the grocery store. The market has a fine craft beer spot inside the market called Fieldwork Brewing. There’s a patio out front and another out back that overlooks the winding Napa River.

Gotts’ Roadside

There are two Gott’s Roadside outlets in the Napa Valley; one in St. Helena and the other at Oxbow Public Market. It’s a casual and super popular joint with picnic tables that offers up everything from classic burgers and fries to wonderful, ahi poke crispy tacos ($14.99). The shakes are thick and delicious, and, this being Napa, there’s also wine by the glass. Or beer. Burgers (all made with beef from California’s NIman Ranch) start at $7.99.

Monday Bakery

This is a relatively new place in downtown Napa with fine, filling breakfast sandwiches in the $6 to $7 range and excellent coffee.

HOTEL

The Best Western Plus Inn at the Vines offers up nice, clean rooms in the south end of the Napa Valley, which makes it an easy commute from the Bay Area. Staff is friendly, and there’s a continental breakfast in the morning. Some of their rooms are a loft-style, which is great for families. Rooms in January from around $150 a night.

OTHER BUDGET SUGGESTIONS

La Luna Taqueria and Market in Rutherford offers up tacos from just $2.65. Bales Grist Mill State Historic Park has a lovely old windmill under the thick canopy of old trees.There’s no charge to visit the mill and its museum display, but it costs $5 for a tour.

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.visitnapavalley.com