Widely considered to be the Napa Valley’s first fine-dining restaurant when it opened in 1985, Auberge du Soleil has remained a luxurious draw for the past 30 years, despite the exponential increase in competition in the area. The Michelin-starred menu, created by executive chef Robert Curry, is all about drawing the best from the local wine country ingredients—a modern Californian take on the simplicity of Provence.
The wine list has a similar goal. Overseen by Wine Director Kris Margerum, it features more than 1,500 bins, with a natural bias to the local produce: there are few better places to come if you want to sample and get to know the best of Napa Valley and the rest of California, not to mention other corners of West Coast American wine. But the locals are far from alone on what the judges at the World’s Best Wine Lists 2015 described as a “great list, a lovely selection with an array of mature vintages from the world’s top-flight producers, from Dagueneau and Dönnhoff to Gaja and Latour.