Wine Bars in Sacramento

Sacramento, the capital of California! Did anyone else not know this? Just me? That’s BAD considering I claim to be this travel expert and all. Excuse me while I go study up on all the state capitals…. This town is a popular stop over on road trips to California coastal towns like San Francisco, Monterey or the Big Sur!

I just came back from yet again, another 3 day weekend get-away. At this point I should really change my name to “My Perfect 3 Day Weekend Itinerary.” They are just so refreshing, motivating, and cost-friendly!

There is not too much to do in  Sacramento other than drinking-filled activities. So if you are not a drinker – this itinerary is not for you, sorry..

My favorite day on this trip was bouncing around to all the wine bars in Sacramento because there are so many wine regions just outside of Sacramento like Clarksburg, Lodi, Napa, Sonoma, Amador, & El Dorado. If you lack the time or the funds, Sacramento is the perfect hub to taste a little bit of everything. The wine bars are all local, and get their wines from wineries in the regions I mentioned.

Let’s get started!

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Best time to visit Sacramento

Sacramento has beautiful weather year-round, but the best time to go is in the Spring or Fall months. During the shoulder seasons, you will get the best weather, least crowds and beautiful scenery! I traveled to Sacramento in the fall when all the leaves began to change and it was wonderful!

Plus, if you plan to go to all the wine bars in Sacramento, you will want to come when the weather is nice because you will be doing a lot of walking.

For a general idea, here’s what the average weather is per month:

• January: H 56 | L 41
• February: H 62 | L 44
• March: H 68 | L 47
• April: H 74 | L 49
• May: H 82 | L 54
• June: H 89 | L 59
• July: H 94 | L 61
• August: H 93 | L 61
• September: H 89 | L 59
• October: H 79 | L 53
• November: H 65 | L 46
• December: H 56 | L 41

Where to stay in Sacramento

If you are only coming to Sacramento for the weekend, you will want to stay as close to the action as possible! Old town and downtown are the two main areas with the wine bars, so you will want to stay somewhere in between them. For example, if you pull up the Golden 1 Center (where the Sacramento Kings play) in your map, this is a perfect area!

To make it easy on you, here is a budget, standard and luxury hotel in this area of town:

Budget $: HI Sacramento Hostel

Average $$: Holiday Inn Sacramento

Luxury $$$: Kimpton Sawyer

Things to Pack for Sacramento

I never want to bore you with a packing guide, so I always recommend 3-5 MUST HAVE’S for this specific itinerary!

1. Good Hangover prevention

If you plan to do a ton of drinking during your time in Sacramento, you will want to make sure you are preventing your hangover! Because wine is so sugary, your head will  be pounding the next day if you don’t hydrate yourself!! I was born and raised in Las Vegas, so you can assume I’m an expert in this topic, ha!

2. A cute, “wine-tasting” hat

Are you even wine tasting if you aren’t wearing an adorable hat?! No, the answer is no. This hat is adorable, comes in a ton of colors and SUPER affordable. Which means more money to spend on wine 🙂

3. Portable Charger

Girls, there is NOTHING worse than your phone dying while you are in a foreign city while you’re drunk… nothing. Make sure you either have a phone charge or a portable charger with you so you never get lost! I bring a portable charger with me on every vacation because my phone always dies so fast taking pictures and using my maps.

Wine Bar Hopping in Sacramento

Okay, time for the good stuff! I’ve personally tried and tested all these wine bars and give you my honest opinion of them. The good, the bad and the ugly!

If you love boozy related travel, I have an entire section on my blog literally called, “Boozy Travel.” You can read those here!

Stop 1: Fizz Champagne and Bubbles Bar

I honestly can not say enough nice things about this shop + owner! Raymond James just opened a few months before we arrived, but you definitely couldn’t tell. Studying in Champagne France, his champagne options were top-notch and my favorite part, never too sweet!

I ordered the ultra luxurious, “Baller” flight, which included Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot, and Krug Grande Cuvee! All this paired with a charcuterie board and oysters. We planned on only coming for one flight and ended up staying for two more glasses, because, what could be better than this place?

Disclaimer: There was not anything better than this place, BUT it’s still fun to explore the city!

Stop 2: The Underground / Twisted Twig Winery

The Underground is in old Sacramento, which is the most adorable area. Definitely worth spending an hour strolling along the river and hopping in and out of local shops. As you can see from the pictures below, I visited while there were horrendous fires in the area, so the entire town was covered in smoke. The skies were not sunny and beautiful like they are most the year, but I still had a ton of fun!

We stopped at the Twisted Twig Winery that is located “underground.” It has a classic, Italian style with brick walls, wine barrels, and vines along the posts. Makes for the perfect photo-opp! When it’s a nice day, I would highly recommend sitting out on their patio where you will feel like you are sipping wine in an Italian cafe!

The wine tasting includes 10 wines – YES, 10! The wine was so-so, but I wouldn’t say amazing. This is more of a stop for the adorable atmosphere. Not only is this winery adorable, but the entire area. Like I said before, I would highly recommend wandering around Old Town Sacramento and the waterfront before moving onto the next stop.

Stop 3: Downtown & Vine

Downtown & Vine is a very large and modern wine bar, that has a large room for events and live music. The red wine was very good at this stop, white was a little too sweet for my taste – but that’s also expected from me!

I got the flight of three, one white and two reds. They give you fairly large pours, at a fairly affordable price! The tasting room was extremely modern and had a nice patio out front. The service was quick and friendly too!

Stop 4: 52 Degrees

Sooo.. I didn’t take any pictures at 52 Degrees because, well, it was the fourth stop.

Similar to Downtown & Vine, this is a very modern and upscale wine bar. They have many flight options (all whites, all reds, rose, mix of everything) and a ton of food options. I think this one is perfect for your last stop because you are guaranteed to be a little hungry after all this drinking!

Plus, 52 Degrees had the best wine out of  all the wine bars in Sacramento!

Stop 5: FOOD & NAP

Last, but certainly not least: Make your way over to Sauced for some of the best BBQ of your life and a much-needed nap after all that wine! Sauced is located right next to the Golden 1 Center, Fizz Champagne Bar, and the area I recommended staying in.

That way, when you’re done carb-loading, you can waddle on back to your hotel room for a much-needed nap! You can thank me later 🙂

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Sacramento was such a fun spot and I would love to go back and explore the wine area that surrounds it. If you have a few days to spend in Sacramento, I would highly recommend signing up for a wine tasting, food tour or river cruise! Click here for Sacramento tours you would love 🙂

OR if wine isn’t your thing, I have an entire guide on brewery hopping in Sacramento that you shouldn’t miss!

If you do love wine tasting, I have a boat load of itineraries that would be perfect for you:

• Napa Valley Wine Tasting
• Guide to choosing the best Napa Valley Town
• Wine Tasting in Paso Robles
• Wine Tasting in Temecula
• Wine Tasting in Willamette Valley
• Quick Guide to visiting Monterey – The town of wine bars!

Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂

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