Plan a trip
A route through the vines
Pick a country and a style, and we'll sketch a few days through it — real sub-regions in a sensible order, with what to expect at each stop and when to go, drawn from everything already on the site.
Where to
Style preference
Your route
A focused 3-stop route through United States
The character of this trip
Depth in one valley beats breadth across many
American wine country is generous with scale and light, and it rewards depth over breadth: a valley walked from one end to the other, tasting rooms that each make the case for a single grape, a vintner happy to talk. California's sunny valley floors and Oregon's cool, green hills are almost different countries, so the useful question is which of the two you are travelling for.
A focused route through what's currently documented
United States has 4 places mapped on Ampelos so far. The route below draws on the ones within reach of each other — enough for a short, honest route rather than a full itinerary — and will grow as more of the country is documented.
Stops
3
Total driving
~15 km
Behind the wheel
16 min
Worth setting aside
A long weekend
What to expect
Notable producers
- Beaulieu Vineyard — One of Napa's oldest estates; its Georges de Latour Private Reserve is a landmark.
- Inglenook — A historic estate, revived by Francis Ford Coppola.
- Caymus Vineyards — Known for rich, ripe Cabernet Sauvignon.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~4 km · 4 min to the next stop
From Rutherford, the route crosses toward Oakville: dark and dense, with blackcurrant, cedar and sometimes a hint of mint
What to expect
Notable producers
- Robert Mondavi Winery — The estate that helped put Napa on the international map.
- Opus One — A Napa-Bordeaux joint venture between Mondavi and Mouton Rothschild.
- Screaming Eagle — A tiny cult estate with a very high price.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~11 km · 12 min to the next stop
Stags Leap District trades gravelly alluvial fans on the valley floor, and volcanic and sedimentary hillsides for volcanic rock and gravelly alluvial loam — silkier and more supple, with plum and dark cherry
What to expect
Notable producers
- Stag's Leap Wine Cellars — The 1973 Cabernet that won the Judgment of Paris.
- Shafer Vineyards — Known for Hillside Select, a benchmark Cabernet.
- Clos Du Val — An estate founded in 1972, known for restraint.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.