The Napa Valley Wine Tours travels on the Northern California railroad track. Built in 1864, the railroad was then converted into a wine train in 1989. The track takes you from Napa Valley all the way to St. Helena and back. Along the way, the passengers get to visit some of the most famous wineries in the US and get to be treated with multi-course meals.
If you think that this wine train is just your regular wine tour on a train, then you might want to think again. The Napa Valley wine tour has a lot of themes depending on the occasion or day of the week. For example, there's the Castle Winery Tour, which is very welcoming for themes such as "Murder Mystery." There's also the Romance on the Rails, which is great if you want a romantic theme. Napa Valley Wine Tours always start with a glass of wine, which then leads to more wine and plenty of delicious food.
By now, you probably know that airplane food is usually bad. You might also think that bad food on public transportation is to be expected. Well, you might want to re-think that idea. With menu options like brown butter seared cornbread, heirloom tomato gazpacho, and lemon ricotta ravioli, you'd think that you're in a fancy restaurant and not on a train.
Napa Valley Wine Tours makes use of railroad cars that have been restored. The restoration process is near flawless as the railroad cars carry that early 20th-century charm. The track showcases the stunning natural landscape of California. The Vista Dome railroad car offers an even more spectacular view and it's one of the first full-length domed railroad cars ever built.
There’s more:
The train has three kitchens, and employs dozens of carefully selected chefs. These chefs prepare each meal by hand. A single trip usually lasts 3 to 6 hours. You can expect to pay $146 per passenger for a trip like the Gourmet Express.
While we do acknowledge that these tours may not be cheap, you'll definitely get your money's worth.
Here’s why:
You'll get that full charming and one-of-a-kind experience, breathtaking scenery, great dishes and fine wine to go with it. If you think you're ready for a more "advanced" experience, then there are pricier trips that include wine tasting and the entrance to various wineries. The trains run on a daily basis, and you can check their website if you are interested in the schedules.
