Water To Vine! Kayak Tour Explores Luxury of Nature @ Napa Valley

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Badge of Excellence | Napa & Sonoma, USA

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1 to 2 hours (approx.)

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Overview

Uncork a deeper understanding of Napa Valley as you journey, tracing the profound connection between land, climate, and the world-class wines that make this region legendary. Our Water to Vine tour takes you far beyond the tasting room, revealing how the Napa River and Pacific Ocean influence the flavors that define this iconic landscape.

Immerse yourself in the estuary’s beauty with a hands-free audio guide narrated by a local winemaker & Robo (Burt) Reynolds or a personal guide who brings the landscape to life. As you paddle, stories unfold around you, perfectly synced to your location. Discover what’s hidden in plain sight through concise, engaging narratives about local history, ecology, and culture.

Two options:

RIVER: Personally guided, group tours embark on weekends and week days when minimums are met. Guided tours require 4 or more people, 10am & 1pm from Downtown Napa @ Napa Yacht Club

ESTUARY: Self Guided Trip in Carneros estuary @ high tide. Guided for 6 or more.

What's Included

Hands free audio guide narrated by Robo (Burt) Reynolds helps you navigate narrow estuary waters
Discount Voucher - Saintsbury Winery. Explore 3 Carneros vineyards showcased during your tour $45
One seat in a tandem kayak. Paddle board or single kayak based on availability. Contact NVP directly for special requests
CONTACT NVP FOR LAUNCH LOCATION - TIME MAY CHANGE DUE TO WATER LEVEL
Personal guide for groups of 4 or more from Downtown Napa or Carneros Estuary (requires high water)

Personal guide excluded for less than 4 people total, will schedule self guided trip in estuary

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Meeting Location

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This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Napa Valley (Pass By)

The land remains but the people change. Experience the Napa River Valley from the water through downtown & beyond

Saintsbury Winery (Pass By)

1. Wildcat & Petaluma Gap “To the west, Wildcat Vineyard sits high above the bay, perched where the fog rolls in like a tide. The red soils here are iron-rich and volcanic—nutrient-poor but full of character. Each vine fights to survive, digging deep through fractured stone, yielding small berries packed with flavor. The cool marine winds of the Petaluma Gap slow the ripening, locking in brightness and structure. It’s a place of tension—between sun and fog, struggle and reward—and you can taste it in every sip.”

Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection (Pass By)

“Our first Pinot comes from Stanly Ranch, tucked into the base of Mount Veeder—where ancient seafloor was pushed sky-high by tectonic forces. You’ll still find seashells in the soil of the mountain top vineyards, a reminder that this entire valley was once under water. Over millions of years, those same forces helped shape the ‘Cabernet mud’ that formed our wetlands. The wine? Vibrant and earthy, with a quiet strength that reflects the bones of the mountain.”

Napa Sonoma Marsh (Pass By)

Wappo Indians + Legacy of the Land“Long before wine, there were arrowheads. The Wappo Indians shaped this valley, carving obsidian into sharp tools—drawn from the same volcanic veins that now give birth to vines. People come and go, but the land remembers. Arrowheads gave way to wineglasses, but the story remains the same: this land shapes what we create, and we shape what we leave behind. From Gold Rush grit to riverfront sips—cheers to the next chapter in Napa’s story. You’re now a part of it.”

Atlas Peak (Pass By)

We’re paddling along the seam where the Napa River Valley meets the estuary. Look north and you’ll see the Vaca Range—the ridgeline stretching east to west, marking the valley’s edge.As the valley turns west, ocean wind rushing through the Petaluma Gap can’t follow. Like water swirling around a rock, the wind eddies here, cooling the land below.That breeze shapes the wine. Downriver, it’s cooler—perfect for crisp whites and pinot noir. Upriver, where the wind can’t reach, it’s warmer—ideal for Cabernet, Merlot, and Zinfandel.The river doesn’t just shape the land—it shapes the flavor of Napa.”

Carneros Wine Company (Pass By)

Cabernet MudWhat you’re looking at? That’s Cabernet mud. All that fancy vineyard topsoil from upvalley got washed down here by flood after flood—millions of years of Napa’s best dirt, now right under your kayak.We like to say these wetlands are made of Cabernet. Not exactly the tasting note you’re looking for… unless you’re a duck.In winemaking, mud’s what you find at the bottom of the barrel. Sommeliers might turn up their noses—but the ducks? They think it’s vintage.”

Napa Valley (Pass By)

“Here flowed all the water of the Napa River and the great tide-lands… I could hardly contain myself with the joy of it.” So wrote Jack London, the Bard of the Bay—and an early member of the Vallejo Yacht Club, just six miles downriver. Founded in 1900, the Club is one of the oldest in the region. London joined in 1910.

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