All Aboard The Napa Valley Wine Train

 If you read my Foodie’s Guide to Downtown Napa Valley, you’ll remember Napa Valley has a million and one places to discover. And what better way than by riding the Napa Valley Wine Train? 

Oh the things I’d do to be able to fly back to Napa Valley RIGHT NOW. This New England winter just keeps getting snowier, colder, slushier by the day. Endless snow storms and blizzards, piles of snow that are higher than my head, and the tired people walking around hoping spring is just around the corner. So on these winter days, I dream back of the time we were in Napa Valley, riding a wine train and enjoying the gorgeous scenery thanks to the Napa Valley Wine Train.

The Napa Valley Wine Train provides a relaxing three-hour, thirty-six mile round-trip journey from the historic town of Napa, through one of the world’s most well known wine valleys to the quaint village of St. Helena, and back.

Guests aboard the Wine Train enjoy a freshly prepared lunch or dinner inside a fully restored 1915-1917 Pullman Dining Car or 1952 Vista Dome car as they pass the vineyards and wineries of Napa Valley. They also have the option of pre-purchasing a winery tour.

The foodie in me was excited to know that you get served a full meal while on board the train – appetizers like this gorgeous cheese platter are served on the train area and once you’re ready for your meal, you head to the dining cart for the entree and dessert. A total experience, since you get to check out the other areas of the train – which you are more than welcomed to walk around on your own time during the trip as well.

The Napa Valley Wine Train’s tracks were originally built in the 1860s to bring guests to the hot spring resort town of Calistoga. While the track to Calistoga no longer exists, much of the rest of the route of the Napa Valley Wine Train is unchanged.  The tracks run through the heart of the world famous wine region. During the three hour journey, guests can see five towns; Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, and St. Helena; and numerous wineries through the large picture windows on board.

The views during our visit were amazing and gorgeous, right after harvest (it was November, so we had just missed harvest season by a couple of weeks!) The Napa Valley Wine Train begins its journey at the McKinstry Street Station in Napa. The Train then travels north to St. Helena, where the locomotive disconnects from the north facing side of the Train and reconnects to the south facing side of the Train in preparation for the return journey. Currently, the Napa Valley Wine Train stops at different locations depending on the day of the week.  Guests are only allowed to disembark at these locations if they have pre-purchased one of the Winery Tours.

One of the carts named Zinfandel is also the home of the wine tasting bar – where for a set price you get to taste even more wines off the menu, curated just for the wine train. Stocked with 30-40 boutique Napa Valley wines and guests can sample four tastes of wine for $10. Flights can be suggested and selected by the wine educator staffing the bar, or you can pick and choose whatever flight you might fancy.

The Napa Valley Wine Train is definitely an experience you must not miss during your stay in Napa. Definitely make sure to check out their website as well as like them on Facebook for seasonal updates and special events.

Disclaimer: Downtown Napa invited me on a trip to experience these establishments and discover how the restaurant and wine community is flourishing in the area. Opinions are 100% my own.