Oakville · Napa4.5 · 706
Opus One
The 1979 partnership of Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild set out to make one wine.
Reservation
$$$$From $125
Oakville Wineries
12 wineries to explore|Known for Cabernet Sauvignon
About Oakville
Oakville sits at the crossroads of Napa Valley's most important wine influences — warm enough for powerful Cabernet Sauvignon but cooled enough by bay fog for remarkable finesse. It is home to the legendary To Kalon vineyard (established 1868) and some of Napa's most iconic producers.
Oakville is widely considered the single greatest appellation for Cabernet Sauvignon in the New World. This small AVA in the center of Napa Valley produces wines of extraordinary depth and complexity, and its vineyards command some of the highest land prices in American agriculture.
The Oakville bench — a gently sloping terrace on the valley's west side — provides ideal drainage and exposure for Cabernet Sauvignon. The area's gravel-loam soils, warm daytime temperatures, and cooling afternoon breezes create conditions that consistently produce world-class red wines.
Top Experiences in Oakville
- Tasting at Opus One — the Robert Mondavi and Baron Rothschild collaboration
- Lunch at Oakville Grocery, California's oldest continually operating grocery (est. 1881)
- Comparing Oakville's west-side gravel soils vs east-side volcanic soils through wine
- Silver Oak and Far Niente — two of Napa's most acclaimed Cabernet producers
Local Tip
Oakville's soils change dramatically from west to east — gravelly alluvial on the western bench, volcanic and iron-rich on the eastern side. Cabernets from each side taste fundamentally different, even within the same AVA.
Known For
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc
Terroir
Gravel-loam benchland soils with ideal sun exposure and afternoon cooling
Best Time to Visit
Spring and fall for the most pleasant weather
Wineries in Oakville
12 wineries to explore — sorted by rating, verified wineries first.
Oakville · Napa4.5 · 168
Turnbull Wine Cellars
Turnbull has poured estate-grown wines from Oakville vineyards for over 40 years.
Dog OKKid Friendly
$$$From $65
Oakville · Napa4.8 · 442
Nickel & Nickel
Five single-vineyard Cabernets from different Napa soils, poured at a restored 1884 farmhouse.
Reservation
$$$From $75Preview
Oakville · Napa4.6 · 637
Far Niente
Far Niente runs tastings in an 1885 stone winery overlooking thirteen acres of gardens.
Reservation
$$$$From $130Preview
Oakville · Napa4.3 · 173
Robert Mondavi Winery
Robert Mondavi founded this Oakville estate in 1966, planting the benchmark for modern Napa Valley winemaking.
$$$From $55
Oakville · Napa4.9 · 155
B Cellars
B Cellars pairs every tasting with bites from their Hospitality House kitchen.
ReservationDog OK
$$$$From $150Preview
Oakville · Napa4.6 · 450
Silver Oak Cellars
Silver Oak makes only Cabernet Sauvignon, founded in 1972 with two estates in California.
$$From $50Preview
Oakville · Napa4.6 · 1,691
Oakville Grocery & Wine
A century-old grocery turned wine shop where Winemaker Wednesday brings local producers pour-side from 4–6 pm.
ReservationPicnic
$ComplimentaryPreview
Oakville · Napa5.0 · 141
Ghost Block Estate Wines
The Pelissa family has farmed Napa Valley since 1903, now pouring three brands from seven estate vineyards.
Reservation
$$$From $55Preview
Oakville · Napa4.5 · 149
Miner Family Winery
Miner Family Winery sits tucked into the eastern hills of Oakville, with a 20,000-square-foot cave.
Reservation
$$From $30Preview
Oakville · Napa4.6 · 181
Napa Cellars
A geodesic dome tasting room marks the original five-acre site on Highway 29.
Dog OKPicnic
$$From $35Preview
Oakville · Napa3.6 · 203
PlumpJack Winery
PlumpJack pioneered screw caps for luxury wines, and the iconoclasm shows in their Oakville tasting room.
Reservation
$$$From $80Preview
Where to Stay Near Oakville
All Napa hotels →
HotelRutherford · Napa4.7 · 1,755
Auberge du Soleil
Auberge du Soleil terraces down a Rutherford hillside planted with heritage olive and oak trees.
Adults OnlyWine LoversRomantic Getaways
★★★★★
HotelCalistoga · Napa4.7 · 1,151
Solage, Auberge Collection
The 20,000-square-foot spa runs on Calistoga's geothermal water and books out weeks ahead.
Dog OK*Wine LoversLuxury Retreat
★★★★★
HotelSt. Helena · Napa4.7 · 504
Meadowood Napa Valley
A 250-acre estate on land first settled in 1961, with wood-lined cottages scattered across oak groves.
Kid FriendlyWine LoversLuxury Retreat
★★★★★
Explore More of Napa Valley
Discover neighboring regions, each with its own character and wines.
Napa Valley
St. Helena
St. Helena is Napa Valley's wine history in concentrated form — home to the oldest continuously operating winery (Beringer, 1876) and California's first tasting room (Charles Krug, 1861). Main Street's walkable mix of tasting rooms, restaurants, and the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone makes it the cultural heart of upper Napa.
21 wineries · Cabernet Sauvignon
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Rutherford
Rutherford is the birthplace of the 'Rutherford Dust' concept — a distinctively earthy, cocoa-like tannin quality in Cabernet Sauvignon coined by legendary winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Home to some of Napa's most historically significant estates including Inglenook (1881) and Beaulieu Vineyard (1900).
14 wineries · Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Stags Leap District
Stags Leap District is where Napa Valley changed world wine history — the 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon won the 1976 Judgment of Paris against top Bordeaux. This tiny appellation (3 miles by 1 mile) was the first US AVA designated based on distinct soil qualities.
12 wineries · Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Calistoga
Calistoga is the only Napa Valley town where world-class wine tasting meets natural hot springs, mud baths, and a geyser — all within a few miles. Its volcanic soils and mountain-ringed microclimate produce some of Napa's most bold and concentrated red wines.
12 wineries · Cabernet Sauvignon