There are more reasons to visit Napa than just wine

Faced with a decline in wine demand, some wineries are reinventing the wine tour with a total culinary experience.

For decades, Napa Valley perfected a simple formula as one of the world’s premier wine destinations: Come taste wine, buy a few bottles, then head to the next winery.

But as consumer habits and the wine industry change, wineries are rethinking what a visit should be.

Today, the most ambitious producers aren’t simply giving a good pour. They’re creating food-and-wine experiences designed to engage visitors with a meal, browsing gourmet markets or discovering beautifully designed kitchens. Wine is the centerpiece of a larger lifestyle.

Part tasting room. part Italian market complete with a wall of cheeses, V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena offers a gourmet experience.

Sattui Winery has been a family-owned Napa Valley mainstay since 1976, with roots going back to family winemaking in San Francisco since the 1880s. Producing highly rated Cabernet Sauvignons and award-winning whites including Dry Rieslings and Chardonnays over the years, V. Sattui only sells its wine at the winery or via their website, which may be why their brand is less familiar than other Napa classics. And now the winery is making waves in St. Helena, recently celebrating 50 years in Napa with the 2026 opening of its renovated (and massive) Mercado del Gusto.

Part tasting room, part incredible Italian market complete with a wall of cheeses, to-die-for cured meats, insane chocolate desserts and countless other wonderful tastes and cooking delights is truly a food-lover’s dream. Belly up to the tasting bar and do some of V. Sattui’s gorgeous wine-and-food pairings, or shop for your own favorites and have a feast in their beautiful picnic garden just outside the Mercado.

So, on your next trip to Napa, forget about racing from tasting room to tasting room. It’s about settling in, enjoying a remarkable meal, and letting wine become part of a total culinary experience.