St. Helena is the densest stretch of Napa Valley and the one you can do on foot. Everything sits within roughly three miles, strung along Highway 29 and the parallel Silverado Trail, with a walkable main street of tasting rooms in between.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the point. This is the warm middle of the valley, where the benchland fruit gets ripe and the wines get expensive; some of the most famous names in American wine are inside a ten-minute drive.
Two things to plan for. Most St. Helena tastings are by appointment and priced accordingly — this is not a drop-in region. And Highway 29 backs up badly at weekends; the Silverado Trail is the local's route. Harvest is August to October, when the valley is at its busiest and its best.
