California Wine Harvest Season Festivities
Communities throughout the Golden State host a wide variety of festivals, tours, and tasting opportunities for you to immerse yourself in California’s rich and vibrant wine culture.
The harvest season in California is a truly magical time of year that ignites a statewide buzz of excitement and anticipation. From early August through October, vineyards across the state come alive with growers hand picking grapes at peak ripeness. And with California boasting an impressive 89% of the wine grapes in the country between more than 4,200 wineries, the scale of this work is extraordinary. However, the real excitement lies in the festivities that surround the harvest. Communities throughout the Golden State host a wide variety of festivals, tours, and tasting opportunities for you to immerse yourself in California’s rich and vibrant wine culture.
Napa Valley Wine Train
Known for its hundreds of hillside vineyards, Napa Valley is perhaps the most famous of all wine regions in the state. While there are several ways to enjoy the Napa Valley harvest season, one attraction that stands out above all others is the Napa Valley Wine Train. Repurposing the 150 year old railway that formerly led people to the spa resort in Calistoga, the Napa Valley Wine Train now invites you on a 36-mile journey from Napa to St. Helena and back with plenty of local wine and vineyard views along the way. Book your ticket today and lose yourself in a truly vintage experience full of class and luxury, featuring elegantly restored 100 year old rail cars, gourmet food service on board, and several stops at premier Napa Valley wineries
Where to Stay
Just a short drive North from Napa you’ll find the Clear Lake Campground, a quaint and classic American camping resort. Nestled up against Cache Creek, this campground offers an undeniable rustic charm that is sure to evoke the cherished nostalgia of camping trips past.
RVs, travel trailers, campers and tents are all welcome at Clear Lake Campground and most sites provide water, sewer, and 30-amp electricity hookups. Book your stay today and reconnect with your roots at Clear Lake Campground!
Santa Barbara Vintner’s Festival
Boasting 39 years of celebration, the Santa Barbara Vintner’s Festival is the original wine festival in Santa Barbara County. Set against the breathtaking Santa Ynez mountains and rolling vineyards as far as the eye can see, this eclectic celebration provides the perfect setting for you to fully immerse yourself in the California harvest season.
Buzzing with live music and the joyful conversation of fellow wine enthusiasts, this festival gives you the unique opportunity to connect with the community and have intimate conversations with the winemakers of the region, and to experience their passionately crafted red and white wine varietals. From cool-climate chardonnays to elegant pinot noirs and cabernet sauvignons, the Santa Barbara Vintner’s Festival offers an unaltered and highly rewarding look into the viticulture scene of Southern California.
Where to Stay
Just a 10 minute drive from the festival grounds in Solvang, Flying Flags RV Resort is the perfect basecamp for your California wine tour. And when the festival is over you might not want to leave! As the area has expanded and grown in popularity, Flying Flags has kept up through a series of multi-million dollar improvements, and has become a destination in and of itself! Enjoy a multitude of RV sites with every amenity you need for a luxury stay including pools, spas, and a wine country villa!
Calaveras Grape Stomp and Gold Rush Street Faire
The Calaveras Grape Stomp is one of the most cherished harvest events in the state of California, offering you a chance to step back in time and immerse yourself in the history of the region and winemaking as a whole. Grape stomping is an ancient winemaking technique stretching all the way back to the Greeks and Egyptians and it still lives on today, although primarily for the purpose of fun, and in this case competition! The Calaveras Grape Stomp sees teams of two face off against their neighbors to see who can produce the most amount of grape juice in a timed event. This element of friendly competition really brings the festival to life, and makes it easy to connect with the community.
As an added bonus, the town of Murphys puts on their harvest festival and grape stomp at the same time as the Gold Rush Street Faire, an homage to the town’s prominence and importance during the gold rush era! With this exciting blend of gold rush excitement, grape themed activities, and the opportunity to savor local wines, the Calaveras Grape Stomp and Gold Rush Street Faire promise an experience that you won’t soon forget.
Where to Stay
Less than a 20 minute drive from Murphys, you’ll find Angels Camp RV Resort, a charming and family friendly resort with a wide variety of sites. Pick and choose between 100 different RV sites with full hookups, comfortable lodges, rustic cabins, and several tent sites. Book your stay at Angels Camp RV Resort today and discover the perfect location to rest and recharge between festival days.
From the rolling vineyards of Napa valley to the hidden gems in Santa Barbara, the California wine harvest season offers a variety of experiences for wine enthusiasts and adventurers alike. Whether you find yourself stomping grapes at a lively festival, or savoring a glass of world-class wine while you meander through Napa Valley by train, the California harvest season will undoubtedly provide you an experience that you will never forget. So why wait? Start planning your getaway now and book your stay at one of the many premium RV camping resorts offered on our easy-to-use booking platform. Cheers to the excitement of the harvest season and all of the memories to be made on your next adventure through California!
