The Napa Valley is flooded with visitors during crush, which is typically between August and October, however “high season” is categorized as March through November. So is that the best time to visit the Napa Valley? I’m not sure it is.

Wineries, restaurants, shopping, even the hot air balloons all operate year-round (with a few exceptions). Nothing really shuts down, so what makes the summer months different and optimal for most tourists? It’s the state of the grapes and the weather.

Grapes are harvested once a year in late summer or early fall. Champagne grapes are picked first, then followed by the whites, and finally the bold reds. This means the vines have green leaves, with clusters of grapes hanging in plain view. You get classic Napa Valley views.

Almost every summer day in Napa has perfect weather. Rain is pretty much absent through much of October. Some days can get pretty hot in the afternoon, but a little heat is easily cured with a strategically planned winery cave tour and a chilled wine.

But the heat doesn’t last very long, many days will have a forty degree temperature change from evening to afternoon. This temp change is thought to be one of the factors that makes Napa Valley so exceptional at growing grapes for wine.

Sometimes vines are thinned leaving clusters of grapes beneath the vines.

Late fall can be a wonderful time to visit the Napa Valley. The vineyard leaves change colors providing beautiful traditional fall landscapes.

This can be a fairly narrow time frame for some varietals, so as you drive through Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Yountville and Napa, you’ll seem some areas of multicolored vines, some vineyards with completely solid yellolw leaves, and other vineyards that have lost all their leaves with brown branches waiting to be trimmed over the winter.

Early winter is probably the least desirable time to visit the Napa Valley. But that means that room rates are a bit cheaper, and wineries are less crowded and better able to give you more attention. Plus this is my favorite time to drink big bold Cabernets, the type of wine areas like Oakville are most famous for producing.

Winter months of January and February are when the first signs of mustard starts popping up between the rows of vines. Late February and early March typically are at the height of the mustard season, and the views are spectacular. You may experience a rainy day, or a cloudy day, but the pros outweigh the cons. There is no bad day when you’re drinking wine in the Napa Valley.

The “valley” of course, is created from two long sets of mountain ranges. These hills are located on the East and West, creating a north-south valley. The hills are mostly covered with trees and vegetation, leaving them appear mostly green, as opposed to the golden hills found in much of Northern California. (Read more about how the views of Napa Valley change with the seasons, you might change your travel dates based on this article)

(Pallisades and Mayacamas) – names of all the surrounding hills/topography.

With hills on either side of a relatively narrow valley, many wineries and tourism establishments are perched on the edges of these hills offering sweeping views of the valley floor along with the opposite mountain range as a backdrop.

I’ve mentioned before in a post about which wineries have the best views, that when I take in a breathtaking view, I feel as if my blood pressure drops, and every stress in my busy day leaves for that moment. And that, is certainly what you want, when you are on vacation in the Napa Valley.

Some wineries offer unprecedented views, but there are also a fair number of hotels that have amazing views as well. Taking a break in the day, enjoying the evening, or waking up to a fabulous Napa Valley view can be just the experience that you’ll remember and cherish as you look back on your trip.

Take a look at some of these places to stay in the Napa Valley that offer amazing views.