Erna Schein Winery (aka Behrens & Hitchcock) – Napa, California

Around the the Little Barrel office, Erna Schein is our new phrase for all the reasons why we love visiting Napa.

The tastings are held inside their basement barrel room, which is located high atop Spring Mountain. Although Erna Schein is pretty well known to most wine lovers, it still feels like a mom-n-pop hidden gem. They keep their tasting groups small so make sure you call in advance for an appointment.

Last time we visited, we sampled nine wines. Our favorite was their ’05 Behrens Family Reserve (I bought a bottle for Taylor on our 1 year anniversary, to drink on our 10 year). The wines are so good you’ll be comparing everything else you taste in Napa to their wide selection of bold, inky and highly praised reds.

JUST Inn at Justin Vineyards – Paso Robles, California

Staying at the JUST Inn is the pinnacle of living the vineyard lifestyle. This bed and breakfast, which is as luxurious as a Four Seasons, is housed in the middle of Justin’s winery deep inside Paso Robles’ wine country. We love that a winery tour and a bottle comes with every room. Oh, and we still can’t get over how the rows of vines come right up to the pool. You’re completely surrounded. We imagine this is the closest it gets to knowing what it’s like to own a vineyard – even if it’s just for the weekend.

And yes, this is the home of the cult favorite Isosceles.

Lincourt Wine Club – Santa Ynez Valley, California

Little Barrel has been a member at Lincourt ever since we started visiting the area several years ago. Their old farmhouse tasting room and really friendly staff make it the perfect midday stop. Their wine is so good we always bring a picnic and leave with a case.

Aside from the great discounts, as club members, you get additional free tastings (up to 6 people) at both Foley Estates winery and Firestone Vineyard – which makes us very popular when we take our friends on tasting trips.

The Farm at The Carneros Inn – Napa, California

Our favorite place to camp out for the night in Napa is definitely The Farm at The Carneros Inn.

We like to arrive early so we can enjoy a glass of wine in their outdoor living room. We either sit around a fire pit in the chilly evenings or challenge our friends to a mean game of Bocce ball on the lawn. (I usually lose the first game, but after one glass I start winning!)

Once we drag ourselves into the dining room – we love to share appetizers such as the flatbread pizza with caramelized onions and the butternut squash soup when in season!

Viader Vineyard – Napa, California

Viader makes some of the best Bordeaux style blends in Napa. Period. If you know a little about wine, you’ve heard of it. If you’re new to wine, you’ll get to know it very quickly.

They’re located on the steep slopes of Howell Mountain and their tasting deck has a view of Napa Valley that only the wine gods get to enjoy. Most wineries you’ll visit in this region are either on the valley floor or at the base of the foothills. This means that most of your vineyard views are sweeping, but flat. It’s not until you visit places tucked up in the mountains, like Viader, where you start feeling like you got your money’s worth.

We visit Viader every time we’re in Napa (recently joined the wine club) and we take our time once we’re there.