My Favorite Napa Valley Red Wines

What are the best Napa Valley red wines? Fortunately, there is a long list of wines to answer this question. The reds from Napa Valley are fruit forward and available at all price points.

Below you can find some of my favorites. This is just a taste of the wines I enjoy -- and a way to help you get started.

Both popular and lesser wineries are included. You will find recommendations for reds such as Napa Cellars Zinfandel, Mondavi Pinot Noir and the Hall Winery Cabernet Sauvignon.

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Recommendations

Napa Valley is well known for its fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon wine. There are a number of great cab wines from this region that I really enjoy. Here are some the ones I recommend:

Hall Winery: This winery is located toward the southern end of Napa Valley. If you are a cab lover, this is the place to visit. Their Kathryn Hall Cabernet wine is my favorite, although it's also their most expensive. Try their Napa Valley Collection cab wine for something that is a little more price friendly.

Beaulieu Vineyard (BV): Another one of the great Napa Valley red wines is the BV cab wine. This wine is big and bold. It's also budget friendly.

Merryvale Vineyards: Located in St. Helena, this winery has a couple of great Cabernet Sauvignon wines to try. I haven't tried a cab wine here that I didn't like.

Raymond Vineyards: This winery also has a number of great Napa Valley red wines. They offer a variety of Cabernet Sauvignon wines. I'd recommend trying out their district wines. They run around $60, but are a great wine for the money.

Napa Valley Merlot Recommendations

Napa Valley is also well known for its production of high quality Merlot wine. I've been surprised at times by the number of great Merlots from this region. Here are some of my favorites:

Beaulieu Vineyards (BV): This winery makes a number of great Napa Valley red wines. In addition to their cab wine, I think they have a great Merlot. It's also a great price for the money.

Raymond Vineyards: My favorite Merlot from Raymond Vineyards is their reserve Merlot wine. While it's a little pricier, it is still one of my favorites from this region.

Merryvale Vineyards: The Merlot wine from Merryvale is a deep, rich wine with hints of cherry and vanilla.

Gallo Winery, Ghost Pines Label: There are a number of labels under the Gallo Winery brand. I'd highly recommend picking up a Merlot wine from their Ghost Pines label.

Napa Valley Pinot Noir Recommendations

The southern end of Napa Valley has the right temperature to produce amazing Pinot Noir wine. Here are some of my favorites from this region:

Mondavi Pinot Noir: The Mondavi name is well known in the wine industry. Pick up a Mondavi Pinot Noir and you'll see why.

Beaulieu Vineyards (BV): I also really like BV's Pinot Noir wine. It's spicy and is a great buy for the money.

Zinfandel Napa Valley Recommendations

Zinfandel wine is tough to produce. However, I've found a couple of wineries in Napa Valley that have a great Zin wine offering:

Napa Cellars Zinfandel: The Napa Cellars Zinfandel is by far my favorite Zin wine from Napa Valley. It's also listed at a great price point.

Merryvale Vineyards: I'd also highly recommend the Merryvale Vineyards Zinfandel wine. It's a great find for the money.

Recommendations for Other Napa Valley Red Wines

There are also a number of other Napa Valley red wines that I wanted to recommend. Here are just a few:

Beaulieu Vineyards Tapesty: This type of red wine is a blend and a fabulous choice for Thanksgiving. It is usually in the $50 range, but it's a nice change of pace for a nice dinner.

Spring Mountain Syrah: Spring Mountain is one of my favorite wineries in Napa Valley. They are situated on the hill side which gives them a variety of land and altitude growing options. Syrah wine is not one of my favorite types of red wines, but Spring Mountain does it well. It's a little pricier, but worth the money.

Those are just some of my favorite Napa Valley red wines. You can pick many of them up through the wineries web site or through an online retailer. Find one of these great Napa Valley reds online today!

Other pages you might enjoy:

My Favorite Wineries in Napa Valley: I love to visit Napa Valley. Living less than an hour from this popular wine region makes it easy for me to visit often. My list of wineries is about fun and interesting ones to visit when you are in the area.

Napa Valley Map Resource Guide: Before your trip, use this helpful map resource guide to plan your itinerary. It has links to some of the best map resources on Napa Valley.

Napa Valley Bicycle Tours: Do you prefer a slow cruise through Napa Valley? How about joining a bike tour? Discover a great alternative to driving the valley.

Return from Napa Valley Red Wines to Napa Valley Vacation Guide

Back to the All About Red Wine Home Page

Back to the Top of the Page