Visiting Napa wine country in the winter is an insider tip that hasn’t been let out of Santa’s bag. If you love staying at bed & breakfast inns when you travel, you’ll want to add Napa Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour & Taste to your December calendar. Taking place the first Saturday in December, this annual charity event is a great way to tour many Historic Inns of Napa, as well as Napa bed & breakfasts and even a wine tasting room in the historic downtown district. Nothing says romantic weekend in wine country better than a stay at a cozy inn all decked out for the festive holidays.
Historic Inns of Napa
I’ve stayed at several properties of Historic Inns of Napa and can’t wait to visit them when strolling musicians are playing holiday tunes in the parlor. Queen Ann Victorian inns will be dressed in bright red and gold ribbon and Christmas trees will twinkle with sparkling colored lights. Winter in Northern California wine country is a time to gather around the fireplace, sip a glass of Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon and enjoy food and wine pairings from some of Napa Valley’s chefs, winemakers, innkeepers and vintners.
“It’s a great value with plenty of good food and high-end wine,” said Arbor Guest House owner Dan Cocilova and president of Historic Inns of Napa. “Each inn has their own entertainment.” “Almost every innkeeper has a room open to show and shares the inn’s unique history,” adds Innkeeper Candy Cocilova.
I had a chance to stay overnight in the Carriage House at the Arbor Guest House, one of 8 inns participating on the tour, and I am excited to return to this 100 year old Colonial Revival House. If the food is anything like what I tasted during my last vacation at this B&B, you’ll not be disappointed.
Each bed and breakfast is unique in its own way, as will be apparent in the holiday tour of inns. Innkeeper and general manager Tracy Mahr dresses up in her holiday finest to welcome guests to La Belle Epoque. If you visit this Queen Ann Victorian any time while you are in Napa, be sure to try the formal afternoon tea experience.
A long time participant of the Napa Holiday Tour is Beazley House. Owners Jim and Carol Beazley know how to roll out the holiday red carpet, decorating their charming historic mansion with Christmas trees, festive poinsettias and oddles of ribbon and shiny ornaments. The husband and wife team, along with their innkeepers know how to entertain and if you are lucky, they’ll probably share their famous chocolate chip cookie recipe or my favorite, the house made granola.
The Napa Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour and Taste is sponsored by Historic Inns of Napa and benefits several local non-profits including OLE Health, Community Resources for Children, Napa Emergency Women’s Shelter, Napa Food Bank, ParentsCAN and Napa Valley Youth Symphony among others.
Need to know:
The Napa Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour takes place on the first Saturday in December from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The event sells 450 tickets and typically sells out. It is a fund raiser that takes place rain or shine. If you don’t show, think of your ticket as a donation to one of these worthy Napa charities as there are no refunds. Visit the website to download the holiday tour map and purchase tickets online. Ticket price includes complimentary shuttle service between all participants. If you’d like to stay overnight at one of the inns, you’ll want to make a reservation well in advance of the December holiday tour.
If You Go:
Napa Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour and Taste
For a complete list of participating inns, wineries, restaurants and vintners, visit the website. Pin this post to your travel tips or Napa Valley Pinterest Boards. Bed & Breakfast round up and YouTube video by Travel Writer and holiday lover Nancy D. Brown. Photos courtesy of the individual historic inns.