As one of nine recognized Great Wine Capitals, San Francisco and Napa Valley has awarded its hospitality leaders the 2017 Best Of Wine Tourism regional designations in seven categories. The Best Of awards categories include accommodations; art and culture; architecture and landscape; innovative wine tourism experience; sustainable wine tourism practices; wine tourism restaurant; and wine tourism services.
Come visit Napa Valley and be sure to include the Best Of winners in your itinerary:
Poetry Inn
Winner – Accommodations
Poetry Inn is one of Napa Valley’s most secluded luxury boutique hotels. The elegant five-room property is a hidden gem perched in a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard high above the valley floor in the Stags Leap District. Accessible only to registered guests by way of a steep gated drive, it is the ultimate wine country sanctuary for those seeking privacy and serenity with the tailored service of a personal concierge.
Auberge du Soleil
Winner – Art and Culture
Auberge du Soleil is home to a Michelin-Star restaurant, a delicious bistro & bar, and sweeping views. They also feature one of the most comprehensive collections of outdoor sculpture ever assembled for viewing and sale. The Auberge du Soleil Sculpture gallery is owned by ÆRENA Galleries & Gardens and is open to guests of Auberge du Soleil or by appointment.
Trefethen Family Vineyards
Winner – Architecture and Landscape
With a nearly 50-year legacy of world-class wines crafted from their own grapes, family-owned Trefethen is one of Napa Valley’s classic wine estates. For the first time in their history, the family is now welcoming guests in the Villa Trefethen. This former residence, built in the early 1900s and surrounded by beautiful gardens, is a gorgeous example of the Arts and Crafts Movement in California.
The estate also includes an important historic landmark, a three-story wooden winery building originally constructed in 1886, during the first era of viticulture in the Napa Valley. That building, which has stood as a sentinel for the Napa Valley for decades, was damaged by an earthquake two years ago and is expected to re-open to the public in early 2017, after a full restoration.
Conn Creek Winery
Winner – Innovative Wine Tourism Experience
The Conn Creek Winery Barrel Blending Experience provides guests a rare opportunity to learn about, taste, and blend wines from the many distinctive regions that make up Napa Valley. The luxurious experience is fun for guests, and unique because they get to take home the fruits of their labor – literally.
Phifer Pavitt Winery
Winner – Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices
Phifer Pavitt Winery is one of the few Green Certified Wineries in the county of Napa. Phifer Pavitt Winey has crafted a unique and world-class environmentally friendly winery creating world class Cabernet. With every inch of the winery reclaimed, from hog wire chandeliers to Wyoming Snow Fence, this winery focuses on making sure our commitment to mother nature stands out.
Napa Valley Balloons
Winner – Wine Tourism Service
Napa Valley Balloons offers guests a chance to view the valley from a different perspective. Their Sunrise Tour Package includes preflight coffee, teas and pastries, transportation to and from the launch location, In-flight photos, post-flight brunch with mimosa’s or sparkling wine at the esteemed Domaine Chandon Winery.
First Crush Restaurant & Wine Bar
Winner – Wine Tourism Restaurant
Depart Napa Valley and head back to the San Francisco area to dine at the charming wine bar located right in Union Square, amid the hustle and bustle of San Francisco’s central shopping district, steps away from the Financial District and SOMA. Their list is 100% California, featuring well-known wine stars and boutique, hard-to-find producers alike. Sample from more than 200 bottles, and 30 wines by the glass.