What is the best time of the year to visit San Francisco and Napa Valley?

Answer 1

Napa Valley put wine on the map for America in the 1970s with the marketing genius and drive of Robert Mondavi it was clinched as the premier wine destination in the United States by the mid-1990s. According to a recent survey of Napa Valley visitors, nearly 30% of those surveyed were on their 7th or more trip to Napa Valley. Which just goes to show how much people love the climate, the abundance and overall ambiance of Napa Valley. Come and visit Napa Valley and the surrounding Wine Country to taste it all - Start here...

The Best Time to Visit Napa Valley for you!

The Best Time to go to Napa Valley has everything to do with why you want/need to come to Wine Country. The most significant reason Napa Valley is a world-famous wine growing region is due to Napa Valley's cold nights and warm days throughout the year. Lately, it's been beyond gorgeous here in JANUARY! The best time to visit Napa Valley for: quiet relaxation - Winter in Napa Valley; excitement and all-about-you service - Spring in Wine Country; fun and hoopla - Summer in Wine Country; total sensory overload - Fall in Napa Valley. Plan your trip with us at Wine Country Reservations!


Winter in Napa Valley – Believe it or not Winter is the surprise season of beauty and grace. Despite the high potential for some rain, it is spectacular here when the mustard begins to come up against the bright green grasses and dark trunks of the vines themselves. If the lighting is right on an overcast or drizzling day everywhere you look seems like someone painted the landscape with watercolors of the brightest and dullest hues all at once. You will just have to come to experience this sight, shucks. By the way the wine tasting, restaurants, lodging rates are all not nearly as crowded and certainly more deals are to be had. Come and visit Napa Valley during the “off” season – you’ll love it, we promise.

Spring in Wine Country – Like winter the air is fresh and clean the vines are bursting, the trees are blooming pinks, whites, and yellows. People are just starting to get out again and their attitudes are excitement and anticipation of what wonderful things lie ahead of them in life. In other words, people are happy and grateful to be out of doors which makes for a fantastic time in Wine Country where you can make a friend wherever you go! Everyone is in the mood in Napa Valley to have a wonderful time!

Napa Valley Summers – It typically holds steady around 87°F throughout out the summer but there certainly have been times where it’s as cool as 65 and as hot at 105. Typically in June, Napa experiences overcast mornings in the first few weeks and it usually burns off by noon. Late July and early August are usually the hottest and when the vines are the most pregnant with grapes. Last year the vineyard managers started harvesting as early as August 13th which means you can smell the grape crushing throughout Napa Valley well into late September or early October. It’s a hectic time for the wineries but it is exciting and fun for all.



Fall in Wine Country – These are the Glory days. Typically Napa Valley experiences Indian Summers where it can be well into the 90s in the middle of October or later. The days are warm and dry and therefore perfect for a cool glass of Sauvignon Blanc (the crown princess of wine varietals). Every color of the rainbow is displayed in the vineyards and surrounding hillsides. The wineries are busy crushing or bottling, be sure to ask if they are doing any barrel tastings when you’re there. The evenings are balmy and warm into the night sometimes and just perfect for sitting on the porch closing out the day with a big glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, the King of the Beasts.

All in all, Napa Valley prides itself on offering the most fantastic food and wine in the world. Napa Valley is small enough to get to know and yet large enough to never get to it all. Come and see where beauty lives…in Napa Valley, the premier Wine Country.


The best months in San Francisco are usually April and October. In summer, the city is crowded with tourists and fog can make it quite cool. In the winter, we have rain (some years a lot, some years a little). In general, temperatures will be moderate in April and October, and the skies will be clear.

Answer 2

I live in Napa and without exception the best time is during the crush or harvest. There is a lot of activity as the winemakers hustle to get grapes in at the peak of flavor. This is in late August or early September. The middle of summer is popular and crowded. If you decide to come in September you may get cooler weather and the fun of the crush. Don't miss the new Castilla di Amorosa winery it is worth the fee to get in. I would plan which wineries you are going to visit. We are not wine bugs ourselves but the high end places are so much nicer; we often get gourmet sandwiches at The Rutherford Market or Dean and Delucca and picnic at these places. I would also recommend the wine train despite the blatant touristic (new word) quality. Take the noon train as you can see the valley all the way there and back without nightfall cutting out the later part of the trip. It is also the same ride for less dough. The food is surprisingly decent and we recomend having lunch then dessert as opposed to the appitizer then lunch option.

If you come to Napa later in the fall or in the rainy season (Nov - Feb) the train can be really nice. We still do it and we live here.

As for eats there are many great places; but most are at least $20 a plate. You can get a simple and reasonable dinner at Taylor's refresher in St Helena (north endo of the valley). Taylors is the highest end hamburger joint you have ever been to. Half the people there when you visit will be millionares and a quarter will be from Europe. The locals attend religiously. If you have kids I would bring a soccer ball. We do and often impromptu games occur on the lawn. If you want higher end try Travigna right across the street from Taylor's or The Rutherford Grill in Rutherford (half way up the valley) both are great. Reasonable fish can be had at a place called the Market in St Helena. It is cheap for the valley but there is linen on the table and a good wine list. Someone else can handle SF. But I will say get your Alcatraz reservations now on-line as they will be sold out when you arrive. Also come in the summer and brind a coat.

Answer 3

July or August. Frisco never has "hot" weather. Of course, it doesn't get cold, either. Napa Valley is quite a bit warmer in summer, cooler in winter than Frisco, but I think July or August to be best...not too much fog around the bay. Of course, it depends upon whether or not you want to go there for some of the events.
Check the websites for Frisco or Napa; it will give you all sorts of info. I liked the Fisherman's Wharf and Golden Gate (my Dad was one of the many working on that). There is a mini park at each end of the bridge.

Answer 4

Napa has the best weather in the summer months and early fall; San Francisco is best in September and October.

Answer 5

Each time a person thinks of San Francisco feels at a huge Global Orange-coloured bridge, a park spanning significantly more than 1,000 acres or perhaps a town where contemporary artwork and tradition and if you should be thinking about this city then this is the place to begin hotelbye . One of the points for what you must visit San Francisco is PIER 39. From amazing views and a sea of sea lions to chowder bread plates and California wines, your stop by at San Francisco begins at PIER 39. This place is the most visited destination in San Francisco. It gives two quantities of eating, entertainment, buying and attractions, all surrounded by unbeatable opinions of the city and the bay. Positioned along the old San Francisco waterfront, PIER 39's site offers the image perfect backdrop for postcard views of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, Alcatraz, Angel Island and the famous town skyline.

Answer 6

i like september & october for both. Wine country has the most action happening in the fall with harvest which usually starts in mid-august and lasts through november. Temps are like in the 50s over night and 80s during the day. Little fog in the morning, but totally gorgeous most of the time. And the later in October you go, the less tourists are around. It is very very crowded Memorial Day - Labor Day. And in october you will see our version of fall colors on the vines.

SF is the warmest in September and usually the clearest. It is normally really foggy and cold in the summer time. SF has issues with the fog for fireworks on the 4th of July and it is usually only in the 50s.

The only time of year I would not recommend for either place is december through march/early april. That is the rainy season and it can be quite wet. In 2006 it rained for 25 or 26 days in March. Napa flooded pretty bad on New Years in 2006.

Answer 7

I like the fall months. Not as hot in the valley and generally warmer in S.F. As Mark Twain wrote: "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco!" You can also hit harvest time in the valley as well and not have the summer tourist crowds.

Answer 8

I like Napa in October - the leaves changing color, a nice crisp in the air. And all the harvest festivals in the area.

Answer 9

san francisco has amazing year round weather so any time to go is great!

napa valley is great to go in around late summer early fall, which is coming up!

best of luck!

Answer 10

I have also asked this same question several times, and didn't receive an answer