12 Best Bars in Napa and Sonoma, California

Cadet plays things urban-style cool with a long bar, high-top tables, and a low-lit loungelike feel. California wines and beers predominate, but the lineup circles the globe. The same owners run Chispa, a tequila-oriented bar a few blocks away.

In Spanish, the name of this upscale watering hole means "spark"—it's also slang for "tipsy"—but by any translation it's a lively place to sip artisanal tequila in cocktails or on its own. The tequila-friendly menu plays the field with ceviche, raw oysters, caviar bumps, tacos, and pork-belly lettuce cups. Other spirits are served, along with beer and wine.

Ramshackle Ernie's shares a corrugated tin building with a frozen-in-time roadside garage, with part of the bar actually in the garage. Mounted stag heads and a toothy wild boar watch over this rural neighborhood hangout with a long narrow bar, a patio outside, and Pliny the Elder and another 20 or so brews on tap. There’s often live music on weekends. Signs everywhere ban cell phone use, though patrons and staffers occasionally flout them.

Reimagined classics crafted with precision are this nautical-themed cocktail bar's stock-in-trade. Lit with restraint, it nimbly walks the line between kitsch and hip, with a long bar, elevated booths, high-tops, and a low-slung rear lounge area to suit your mood. The entertainment includes trivia nights and live music, including the occasional ukulele plucked with verve by the bar's puckish owner.

A bar, vinyl shop, and indie-music public radio station inside a century-old warehouse, Folklore draws Napans, visitors, and wine-industry and creative types. Before heading elsewhere for dinner, many early-evening patrons quaff expertly crafted cocktails while nibbling on bar snacks, tinned-fish boards, salads, or "in-between" fare like merguez hot dogs with kimchi and saffron aioli, but a goodly number stay put for slightly more substantial fare.

Two doors down from Diavola Pizzeria (same ownership), this long skinny bar in Geyserville's Odd Fellows Building wows locals and tourists with classic cocktails and a bar menu of international comfort food. Hardwood floors, exposed brick, taxidermied animals, and contemporary lighting set the mood at this cool spot.

Saturated colors out of the Day-Glo school of lighting illuminate a decor heavy on bamboo, rattan, and intricate wood carvings at this Tiki establishment. The rum-led lineup includes updated takes on Trader Vic's mai tai and Don the Beachcomber's Zombie, along with newer cocktails with equal verve. All play well with the Asian-influenced bar fare. 

Two bartending all-stars and a chef fascinated by international comfort food opened this bar where patrons wash down tacos, kimchi noodles, crispy pork spare ribs, and chicken tenders with craft cocktails. There are good beer and wine selections, too. Everything's best enjoyed on the back patio.

Sommeliers own and run this wine, beer, and sake bar whose selections roam the globe but favor coastal California, Burgundy, and Champagne. A good place to learn about new regions or grape types, it hosts winery nights and restaurant pop-ups.

The elevator at the back of The Matheson restaurant whisks patrons up to Roof 106, Healdsburg's hot spot for craft cocktails enjoyed with or without pizzas, small plates, and desserts. The vibe here is jolly and hip, with luxury patio furniture for lounging, and firepits and overhead heaters that keep the open-air space toasty when there's a chill.

Chat up the locals at this neighborhood hangout with a welcoming vibe and bartenders slinging the classics along with craft cocktails like the pickled martini made with Sonoma’s own Hanson's organic vodka. The bacon bourbon sour soothes on a cold night. Music and comedy acts perform many nights.

The welcoming vibe of the largely under-30 crowd at this retro-hip but chill wine-and-beer bar is exceeded only by that of the charming hosts. Congeniality aside, the other draws here include the craft brews on tap, the change-of-pace selection of international wines (nothing from California), and the live-music, movie, and other event nights.