If you live in America, and enjoy an occasional glass of wine, there is a good chance that you already know about California’s iconic Napa Valley wine region. Located just outside of San Francisco, Napa Valley is home to literally hundreds of vineyards. It is also well-known for its world-class wines. Yet you may be wondering why I’m writing an article about Napa wineries, when this blog is supposed to appeal to families focused on adventuring with their kids.
It is true, wine and kids don’t really go together. Unless of course you count the odd glass of wine after a hard day with your children. Or maybe the infrequent date nights that you have with your partner. The ones where you often waste those precious hours together talking about the kids, while spending too much money on wine and food.
However, as contradictory as the two may seem, it is possible to go wine tasting with your kids in tow. And you can do it without worrying that you are a terrible parent. In fact, I will go one step further. There are some wineries in Napa that actually appeal to kids! Of course, it goes without saying, that a family wine tasting trip is very different to one you might have with friends. You are not looking to sample every wine out there but, rather, savor one or two vintages while spending quality time with your children.
Here are my top 5 Napa Valley winery recommendations for kids.
Castello di Amorosa, Calistoga
Finding castles in the U.S. can be a hard task, unless you head to Disneyland. Moreover, the castles you do find typically don’t resemble the type of castle your kids expect. That is not the case with Castello di Amorosa.
The property has been carefully designed to look like a 13th century Tuscan castle. Yet it only opened to the public in 2007. The level of care taken with its construction is extraordinary. In fact it took a whopping 15 years to build, using only handmade materials and methods typical of 700 years ago. The result is a castle that appears to have been transported straight out of a history picture book.
Not only is Castello di Amorosa’s architecture amazing, but the castle comes complete with a moat, drawbridge, free-roaming livestock, frescoes, and even a dungeon. There are also antique wine-making devices scattered throughout the grounds.
Needless to say, this all amounts to an extremely cool experience and a winery that is more than appealing to kids. It also offers a great opportunity to talk to your children about Europe and the Middle Ages. Or you can simply let your kid pretend they are a knight or princess for the day.
Unlike most wineries, there is a family-friendly wine tasting room. Located downstairs, this area allows you to enjoy a tasting at the bar, while your child sits at an oversized kids table and takes advantage of complimentary coloring kits, breadsticks and cups of “wine juice.”
Pestoni Family Estate Winery, St. Helena
Pestoni Family Estate Winery is very much a family affair, as you can probably tell from its name. The Pestoni family has grown and produced single-vineyard, handmade wines ever since Albino Pestoni planted his first vineyard in 1892.
We first heard about Pestoni when we were having a family dinner at the since-closed Hotel D’Amici Ristorante in Calistoga. We had randomly selected a Pestoni wine to go with our meal. It turned out that the two properties were related. At the time, we were so blown away by the wine, we made a point to stop by the winery at the end of our trip. That tasting resulted in us signing up to become wine club members. In fact, Pestoni is the only wine membership that we’ve remained loyal to over the last five years.
The thing that is great about Pestoni, other than its amazing wine, is the quiet, relaxed ambience, and warm welcome toward families. Children are always offered grape juice or water, as well as something to nibble on. And, you can take your wine out back to Pestoni’s beautiful garden, where kids can explore and play lawn games. You can even bring your own picnic and enjoy bottle service.
Once a year, in May, you can also purchase tickets to attend the Pestoni Family Spring Party – which is open to members and the public alike. Kids are welcome and you can make a day of it, enjoying great food, wine and live music.
Sterling Vineyards, Calistoga
It is not very often that kids get to ride an aerial tram. Unless of course your family is into winter sports, or lucks upon a gondola at a zoo or other tourist attraction. However, an arial tram ride is exactly what your kids will experience at Sterling Vineyards.
Sterling Vineyards is located just outside Calistoga, 300 feet up a hill. It came to fruition nearly 60 years ago, after a real British Knight recognized that Napa Valley was perfect for growing Merlot varietals. Today, Sterling grows or uses (through partnerships) grapes from 8 local vineyards.
While it doesn’t really cater to families, like Castello di Amorosa and Pestoni, I do appreciate that their tour is self-guided. This means you can move from one tasting station to another at your own pace. They also have a large patio area, and the views from the Greek-inspired property are nothing short of breathtaking. You can even see Castello di Amorosa in the distance.
Napa Cellars, Oakville
Located in the small town of Oakville, Napa Cellars isn’t technically in Napa Valley, although it is considered a Napa Valley winery because it is located in the larger Napa Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA).
Like Pestoni, the thing that makes the Napa Cellars winery so appealing to kids is the relaxed feel and great “backyard.” Here children can enjoy games like bocce ball, ladder ball and corn hole. There are also tons of picnic tables if you want to bring a lunch with you. Plus your kids will get a kick out of seeing the wine train pass by.
For the adults, you can taste just about every type of varietal known to man, and their prices won’t break the bank.
V. Sattui Winery, St. Helena
Speaking of picnics, I wouldn’t be able to write a post about which Napa wineries appeal to kids without wrapping up with V. Sattui. I’ve been a regular visitor to V. Sattui ever since I moved to the Bay Area. Back in those early days, it was the only winery to have an onsite deli. In fact, due to county restrictions, other wineries weren’t allowed to offer food pairings, let alone sell more substantial food offerings back then.
While that has changed in the last decade or so, V. Sattui’s popularity hasn’t. And, on any given weekend, you will find throngs of people inside its artisan deli and marketplace eagerly purchasing everything from sandwiches to house-cured meats, cheeses, and delectable homemade Italian-inspired treats. They even have their own Italian style gelato – a fan favorite with my gelato-loving kids. For families looking to eat something a little more substantial, V. Sattui also offers Italian thin crust wood-fired pizzas, as well as some BBQ items.
More importantly, everything purchased from the deli and V. Sattui Food Truck can be eaten at its large picnic grounds. And the wine is great too! As it self-proclaims, this winery has “everything you need for a wine country picnic.”
Happy Travels!
