With summer now in full swing, I couldn’t have been more excited to have my first trip of the season to be at one of my favorite escapes – Napa Valley. What made this trip even more special was that this was a collaboration between Visit Napa Valley and one of my favorite home interior brands Serena & Lily. Together with a few other amazing influencers (Jennifer Lake, Weylie, and Ana Linares), we all trekked up to San Francisco to begin the perfect hosted visit to one of the most famous wine regions in the world. Below I am recapping our 3-day, 3-night trip that not only introduced us all to new friends, but new wine and the best in home design just in time for summer.
I have been a fan of Serena & Lily for years, as their bright, coastal inspired designs match my home’s peaceful California aesthetic. From the coziest blankets to the most unique interior and outdoor decor, Serena & Lily has always been a dream brand of mine to decorate and fill my home with. With this collaboration to Napa Valley, I was able to get more of a peek at their perfect outdoor summer collections from the most Pinterest and Instagram-worthy outdoor settings they carefully curated and set up for us.
DAY ONE – SERENA & LILY HOME DESIGN STUDIO & HOTEL VILLAGIO
Our first stop after flying in on a quick flight from Los Angeles was to visit Serena & Lily’s home design studio in the heart of downtown San Francisco. From the minute I walked in, I felt like I was walking into the coziest beach home. I may not necessarily live close to the beach, but from the pillows to the wicker baskets that were abundant in their home design studio, I felt inspired to add more of a peaceful Pacific coastal touch to my own home.
After enjoying a delicious charcuterie board and a preview of some of the wine we would be getting to try up in Napa Valley, we all traveled north to a neverending sea of green vines and gorgeous blue sky. We checked into our hotel, Hotel Villagio in downtown Yountville, which has recently been completely renovated with ultra modern interiors and design. If you’re looking for the perfect Instagram-worthy bathroom, every room at Hotel Villagio has it (including one of the deepest soaker tubs I have ever seen in a hotel room!).
Dinner for our first night in Napa Valley was held at Hotel Villagio’s famous Estate Yountville, one of the most picturesque spots to host an intimate dinner underneath twinkling lights and glittering stars surrounded by gorgeously full grape vines. To get to our dinner spot, we walked through a dreamy, aromatic lavender field set amongst the vines. Once we turned the corner, we finally got a glimpse of our gorgeous dinner table donned head to toe in florals and Serena & Lily. My favorite pieces were the white candle lanterns, the round rattan placemats, and the super soft blankets for after the sun went down.
DAY TWO – CHIMNEY ROCK, ALPHA OMEGA, & VISTA COLLINA
For our first full day in Napa Valley, we started our day of delicious wine tasting at Chimney Rock winery located within the Stags Leap district. This former golf course is now home to a gorgeous winery; a crisp white building set near the easternmost mountains that border Napa Valley and grape vines that are nearly 3 decades old. One of their oldest vineyards (aged 25 years) produces a wine they named Ganyemede, after Zeus’ cupbearer. After our first splash of rosé (what better way to start the day?), we were given a little tour of their winemaking process and vineyards before being seated in a gorgeous venue for a sit-down, family style lunch set amongst aromatic oak barrels and Serena & Lily decor.
After lunch, we headed to Alpha Omega winery along Route 29 for a gorgeous private tasting underneath the trees with a gorgeous view of the vineyard and fountain. As I write this blog post, I am currently enjoying a bottle of their cabernet sauvignon, one of my favorites from the private tasting we had set amongst Serena & Lily decor and furniture.
For dinner, we were treated to a cooking class at Vista Collina’s Food and Wine Center. As a former culinary school student, I couldn’t have been more excited. Of course, being a former student meant I was tasked with the more advanced parts of the dinner menu, but I did not mind. I learned how to make a tasty ancient grains salad with goat cheese and salmon with a homemade cherry tomato vinaigrette. We had the pleasure of tasting Jayson wines for each course during the cooking class, with us each receiving a bottle of their rosé to take home.
DAY THREE – ONE HOPE & BRIX NAPA VALLEY
For our final full day in Napa with Serena & Lily, we started our morning with a bike ride around Yountville. We picked up our bikes from outside Hotel Villagio, fitted with Serena & Lily baskets, and spent an hour riding around town. I had not gotten on a bike in over a year, nor I had I really seen Yountville in over a year as well. It was a beautiful sunny morning getting to ride my bike alongside vineyards and stopping at Bouchon Bakery for some goodies.
For the entire afternoon, we were brought to One Hope winery located on Estate 8 in Oakville. This private estate is brand new, and is everything you’d expect when it comes to hashtag home goals. While the estate is currently available to rent for investors, they are building a tasting room on the property coming later next year that is dubbed to become “the Soho House of Napa Valley.” What makes this winery even more special is the fact that they donate a portion of their proceeds to numerous charities in the country, ranging from childhood hunger to homeless animals. We got to learn much more about the history of One Hope while dining with a multi-course lunch on the back patio, decked head to toe in Serena & Lily furniture and decor, including these gorgeous wicker swings that I could not tear myself away from. Also these Serena & Lily chairs have been present for every tasting and meal while in Napa Valley, and they are so extremely chic and comfortable.
For our last evening in Napa Valley, we dined at Brix Napa Valley in Oakville. Indulging in Kelleher rosé, roasted lemon edamame, and tempura fried green beans, we took our seats as the sun began to set behind the vines and gardens at Brix. The evening was a bit chilly, so I wrapped myself in this Serena & Lily blanket. It was so cozy that I ended up taking it home with me and wore it on the plane back to Los Angeles.
DAY FOUR – HOTEL VILLAGIO
For our final morning in Napa Valley, we celebrated the culmination of our trip with Serena & Lily at Hotel Villagio’s gorgeous private villa where we had a delicious breakfast by the pool and fire. We had spent the last three days getting to know each other and tasting wines from so many different wineries. For the journey home, we all had several bottles of wine to bring back with us and the hotel was kind enough to ship some of our bottles home for us.
This trip could not have marked a better way to begin the summer season. I could not have been more honored to have been invited by both Serena & Lily and Visit Napa Valley on this excursion, as it not only inspired me with the best in design but also some of the best in what Napa Valley has to offer.
Thank you to Serena & Lily and Visit Napa Valley for sponsoring this trip and post. All opinions are my own.
Check out my previous collaboration with Visit Napa Valley here.
Photos by Felicia Lasala.
