Napa Valley on a Budget: Tastings $50 & Under
Napa Valley is a dream vacation for many people. If you’ve enjoyed wine tasting in other wine regions, the tasting fees in Napa Valley may come with a bit of sticker shock. Some elevated tastings are upwards of $200. But, fear not—it is very possible to have an amazing Napa Valley Vacation while keeping (at least some) tasting fees under $50 per person. Most tastings are a 90 minute, seated or touring experience, with education, beautiful scenery and wine which usually feels is well worth the fee.
This adorable modern Tasting Room make some wonderful, non-distributed blinds ranging from beautiful whites Pinot Noir to bolder reds.
Family owned and operated, the staff is laid back and welcoming as you sit on the porch looking out at their estate vineyard. $50pp
Enjoy a group tour and tasting of their beautiful Mountain Winery and wine cave. Pride also has picnic grounds available for use after your tasting. The wines are well priced and the staff is very knowledgeable. It is a windy drive to get up to the winery, so make sure to have a driver. They tend to waive fees with sufficient purchase. $30 Estate Tour and Tasting
View from the picnic grounds at Pride Mountain Winery
A beautiful garden tasting beneath soaring Sycamore trees, Honig is a welcoming, friendly winery. Feel free to bring a picnic to enjoy with a bottle of wine after your tasting. Honig winery is family owned and operated and the family is among the leaders in the sustainable farming movement in Napa Valley. $40 Terrace Tasting
$50 Heritage Tasting
If you are looking for a low-pressure spot to hang out and enjoy a tasting, a bottle of wine, and a picnic, consider Pestoni Family Estate Winery. While it gets very busy on a Saturday in peak season, weekdays are often quiet with bocce courts, adirondack chairs, a big grassy lawn, picnic tables, and a range of wines for your enjoyment. Walk to the bar for your next splash or enjoy a bottle, some of which are under $30.
The Regusci Family has been working the land of their Stag’s Leap District estate for five generations. Cattle ranchers turned grape growers and winemakers, Regusci has a beautiful historic property, laid back staff and terrace tasting, and even a little vegetable farmstand. $45, The Estate Collection
This is Old School Napa. Sit at some picnic tables by the vines. Hang out with the friendly staff. Taste a wide range of wines made by Nils Venge (the winemaker of the first wine to garner a 100-point score from Robert Parker, Jr.) in an approachable, no frills, dog friendly environment. $35, Patio tasting
Pinot Lovers take note! Enjoy a garden tasting underneath soaring oak trees and amid the roses or a cellar tasting during more inclement weather while sipping on their small batch Pinot Noir. $50
A short jaunt up the mountain and you arrive at this tiny production, family winery with a range of beautiful Napa and Howell Mountain wines. With a historic cellar and a little seasonal creek amid the foliage, Bremer is a bit rustic, but is welcoming with well-priced wines, sometimes older vintages you find poured elsewhere. $35
A family-owned and operated with two generations of the family living on-site, Madrigal is a friendly, welcoming winery with a nice range of lovely, well-priced wine including their flagship Petite Sirah.. The small staff is knowledgeable and friendly, the owner is actively involved, and the beautiful vineyard and mountain valley floor view from their pack patio is a relaxing spot to enjoy your tasting. $40pp
Located at the northern end of Napa Valley, just north of Calistoga, Bennett Lane is a small production winery with a beautiful garden tasting looking at the Palisades Mountains which frame the Northern end of Napa Valley. Laid back and friendly, it’s one of the least expensive tastings in the valley which delivers a great experience. $32.48pp
Entrance to Bennett Lane Cellars
A little winery with a wide range of small lot wines, Hagafen has a laid back outdoor tasting space (think Cornhole, dog-friendly, fun garden art) and friendly staff. There is a huge range of wine bottle prices, too, which makes it a great place for a range of guests. Hagafen is also one of the few wineries with certified kosher wines.
Iconic Wineries (with pretty grounds/nice experiences)
Frog sleep is a Pioneer and sustainable farming in Napa Valley. They're casual Garden tasting allows you three splashes while you walk around their property, vegetable gardens, and vineyards. $40pp
This iconic winery is still owned by the Cakebread Family. Enjoy a small group walking tasting around their newly renovated winery while sipping tasting a flight of 4 wines--2 white and 2 red wines. Friendly and knowledgeable, though it isn't a wine production tour, your guide is happy to delve into all that if it's of interest. $50pp
Enjoy a beautiful garden tasting or a relax in Caymus’ newly updated barrel room. They taste their distributed wines in a relaxed and no pressure setting. $50pp, waived with $50 purchase.
Enjoy an indoor bar or outdoor seated tasting with sweeping views without having to travel far off the Silverado Trail. $25pp
Sparkling wine with beautiful vineyard views. Relax with a flight of flutes in front of you on Mumm’s outdoor patio. It’s festive, it’s fun, it’s a relaxed spot for enjoying bubbles and beauty. $40 flight
Family-owned and operated, the Truchards have been making affordable, small batch wine in Napa Valley for decades. Tastings of their estate wines are offered in their caves in Carneros. They live on-site, so no tastings are offered on the weekends. $40pp
Established in 1861, Charles Krug is a great property to learn about the early history of Napa Valley. It has been owned and operated by the Mondavi Family for generations and houses the legacy of that iconic Napa family, too. $50pp
With a historic winery that has been in the Trefethen Family for 3 generations, Trefethen Winery has a wide range of white wines and red wines. They will even do an all-white wine flight for those who prefer that, a mixed red and wine flight, or an all red wine flight with fruit from their estate vineyards. Enjoy the tasting in their historic barn winery or courtyard. $45 Legacy Tasting
Prices are as of November 2023 and are subject to change. Use them as a general guide, but always check with wineries for the most up to date information. Reservations are required at all Napa Valley Wineries listed