Napa Water to Wine Kayaking Tour

Experience Napa Valley by Kayak or Paddleboard
Kayak through the estuary of Napa Valley in the Carneros Wine Region. You’ll experience Wine Country from a whole new perspective, from the peaceful marshlands to the waters that nourish some of the world’s finest wines.
Immerse yourself in the beauty of the Napa River with a hands-free audio guide that brings the landscape to life. As you paddle, stories unfold around you—seamlessly synced to your location. Discover what’s hidden in plain sight through short & sweet narratives of local history, ecology, culture, and mythology. Explore at your own pace with built-in navigational guidance that leads you through the meandering estuary waters. It's not just a tour—it’s a journey that lets nature speak, and you truly listen.

Sample of our Water To Vine! audio tour narrated by Robo (Burt) Reynolds and local winemaker (cut/paste link below): https://s3.resultworx.com/nvp/WaterToWine%2F7.Wildcat%20%26%20Petaluma%20Gap%20Smaller%20Gaps.mp3

Meeting Point

100 Riverside Dr

100 Riverside Dr, Napa, CA 94559, USA

MAKE SURE TO CONTACT US DIRECTLY FOR CHANGES TO LAUNCH LOCATION AND/OR START TIME. The estuary is NOT accessible below 2ft on the tide chart. We launch at the public boat ramp, left of the yacht club building. Park near the ramp, outside of white wooden fence.

6 Cuttings Wharf Rd

6 Cuttings Wharf Rd, Napa, CA 94559, USA

MAKE SURE TO CONTACT US DIRECTLY FOR CHANGES TO LAUNCH LOCATION AND/OR START TIME. The estuary is NOT accessible below 2ft on the tide chart. We launch at the public boat ramp, left of the yacht club building. Park near the ramp, outside of white wooden fence.

What's included:

• Discount Voucher - Roots Run Deep on 1st Street Downtown Napa. NVP menu of 3 wines from journey$20
• 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
• Hands free audio guide + navigational assistance to navigagte narrow waterways of the estuary

Not included:

• OPTIONAL Roots Run Deep tasting explores marine influenced wines showcased during your river tour
• OPTIONAL Saintsbury Winery. Revisit three vineyards during your tour, in the glass, after the paddle

What to expect:

Duration: between 1 hour and 2 hours

Napa Valley

California

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

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Saintsbury Winery

1500 Los Carneros Ave, Napa, 94559-9742, California

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.”

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Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection

200 Stanly Crossroad, Napa, CA 94559, USA

“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.”

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Napa Sonoma Marsh

Napa Sonoma Marsh, California 94559, USA

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.”

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Atlas Peak

Atlas Peak, California 94558, USA

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.”

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Carneros Wine Company

1134 Dealy Ln, Napa, 94559-9706, California

Cabernet Mud
What 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.”

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Napa Valley

California

“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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