St. Helena

Wine has been the star of the show in St. Helena since the 1860s when the railroad arrived and provided an important shipping center. The area has been the center of American wine-making ever since, and it holds over 6,800 acres of vineyards, not to mention the most incredible views in all of Napa Valley.

With high livability scores and excellent schools, St. Helena is perfect for everyone from young families to retirees. Make this your home and live the good life every day.

What to Love

• Luxury lifestyle with laid-back charm
• World-class restaurants
• Curated boutiques
• Lavish resorts

People & Lifestyle

The ultimate exercise in self-care, life in St. Helena is soothing and indulgent. Restaurants serve healthy, organic food straight from nearby farms, wineries offer upscale tastings set in gorgeous historic estates, and the parks and scenery make this the perfect place to take some time for yourself. You can even enjoy a relaxing morning stroll through California’s famous redwoods. Residents love the elegant lifestyle and the small-town vibes in this beautiful, family-friendly neighborhood.

Dining, Entertainment & Shopping

St. Helena is a true farm-to-table town, offering an incredible array of fresh, seasonal ingredients grown in Napa. For an upscale gastropub experience, Goose & Gander Restaurant is a must. Housed in the historic Martini House, the restaurant provides a dining room, basement bar, and charming garden. The rustic menu offers seasonal ingredients right from the farm located in downtown Napa, award-winning wine, and an impressive drink menu. The cocktails here are dressed to impress and almost too pretty to drink. p>Live like a local and visit Ana’s Cantina. This lively, friendly dive has a full bar and food. Play pool with friends, find that perfect song on the jukebox, or grab the mic and join in for Thursday night karaoke. Brasswood is one of St. Helena’s best spots, offering the full Napa Valley experience. The estate houses a winery, tasting rooms, a bottle shop, and a world-class restaurant, Brasswood Bar and Kitchen. They even offer an artisan bakery that specializes in hand-made baked goods and picnic fare.

Charles Krug, Napa’s oldest winery, dates back to 1861. The legendary estate is home to some of the town’s best events, including their signature Tastings on the Lawn, concerts, and film screenings. Visit the iconic grounds for morning and evening wine tastings, try the limited, small-production offerings, or treat a group of friends to a private cabana experience.

Things to Do
Calling St. Helena home means you’ll have access to some of the world’s best wine, so live like a vintner and learn while you sip. This grape town offers an incredible array of wine-related festivities to enjoy, from wine tasting parties and special events to hands-on harvest activities and vineyard tours.

Celebrate the grape during Harvest Season, St. Helena’s busiest time of the year. From August through October, the Valley is alive with the bustle of grape harvesting. Workers rush to pick grapes at their freshest, and the excitement is palpable. The crisp autumn weather is the perfect backdrop to the harvest aroma, and wineries all over town host events and tastings, making this an exciting time to be a St. Helena resident.

The calm after the hustle of the harvest, Cabernet Season is considered the best season in Napa. Spanning the winter months, this is when winemakers can finally slow down, enjoy the fruits of their labor, and, perhaps most importantly, indulge in all the new varieties of cabernet. Wine tastings are plentiful in this season, and winery visitors will often find vintners relaxing in the tasting rooms, eager to share stories of the harvest season.

Home to some of Napa’s best dining, it’s no surprise that St. Helena is also the site of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. This prestigious professional school offers programs in culinary arts, as well as baking and pastry arts, but you don’t have to be an aspiring chef to benefit from this impressive institution. The school also houses the Gatehouse Restaurant, which showcases the work of the Institute’s students, coffee and pastries from The Bakery Café, and kitchen accoutrements at Spice Islands Marketplace.

Your activity list wouldn’t be complete without a trip to HALL Wines. Providing wine for every occasion, the winery covers over 500 acres, hosts tastings, offers a wine membership, and, of course, sells some of Napa’s most distinctive varieties.

Schools

St. Helena is served by the St. Helena Unified School District and offers excellent educational options, including:

• St. Helena High School, 9-12, a public school with extensive AP options
• St. Helena Elementary School, 3-5, well-rated public school
• St. Helena Primary School, K-2, highly rated public school
• St Helena Montessori School, K-8, elite private school with a rich academic curriculum
• Culinary Institute of America, culinary university, and professional school