What to Wear in Napa Valley: 'Wine Country Chic', Why Wine Caves Are 14°C & Vineyard Footwear

Napa Valley's signature dress code is known as 'Wine Country Chic' (or 'Polished California Casual'): stylish for vineyard photos, yet comfortable enough for walking through gravel estates and chilly underground caves. Avoid gym clothes and beach flip-flops at winery tastings, and follow these four local packing rules.

Four Essential Packing Rules for Napa Valley

1. Carry a Cardigan, Pashmina, Blazer or Light Jacket for 14°C (58°F) Underground Wine Caves: over 100 Napa Valley wineries, including Castello di Amorosa, Beringer, Schramsberg, Stag's Leap and Hall, take you inside underground volcanic rock caves that maintain a year-round temperature of 13°C to 15°C (56°F to 59°F). Equally important, Napa has an 18°C (32°F) diurnal temperature swing, so a 30°C afternoon drops to a cool 11°C (52°F) at night and during dawn hot-air balloon flights.
2. Wear Block Heels, Wedges, Loafers or Clean Leather Trainers (Never Stiletto Heels): almost every winery courtyard and vineyard terrace is paved with crushed pea gravel, cobblestones or soft soil. Narrow stiletto heels sink straight into the gravel and scuff easily, so choose wedges, block-heeled sandals, loafers or crisp white leather trainers.

3. Skip Strong Perfume & Cologne on Wine-Tasting Days: 80% of tasting a fine Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon comes from smelling the subtle aromas of blackcurrant, cedar and violet in the glass. Strong perfume or scented lotion masks the wine's bouquet for both you and guests at adjacent tables.
4. Wear Dark Colours & Check Fine-Dining Dress Codes: swirling dark purple reds makes an occasional splash likely, so pack a stain-remover pen. Note that The French Laundry requires a suit jacket or blazer for men (no jeans, shorts or T-shirts), whereas at other Napa restaurants (Bouchon, Bistro Jeanty, PRESS, Mustards, Charter Oak), smart-casual chinos or dark jeans with a collared shirt or dress fit right in. Check our seasonal weather guide before packing your bags.