These are the wineries I actually recommend to people I like: the ones I keep going back to, the under-the-radar gems, the iconic splurges that are actually worth it, and the insider picks you hear about from folks who live and breathe wine country.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Napa Valley — living here, working harvests, drinking way too much good wine, and soaking up everything this place has to offer. These are my tried-and-true spots — the ones I keep going back to, the dream pie in the sky spots that are worth the hype, reliable haunts for folks actually in the wine industry…