Napa Valley
Napa Valley is among the premier wine growing regions of the world. An estimated five million tourists pass through each year, visiting wineries, dining at luxurious restaurants, and sampling Napa\'s relaxed lifestyle.
Even if you\'re a teetotaler, however, Napa Valley is delightful, and for the very reasons grapes like it so much: it\'s sunny without being hot or arid. The gentle valley landscape makes a perfect tableau for a summer or fall afternoon. There\'s no better place for a picnic, a long bike ride, or a hot air balloon ride.
Napa The city of Napa is largest in the county, yet it\'s possibly the community least connected to the vinicultural image the world has of the Napa Valley. While there are quite a few mansions and large estates back against the hill, Napa tends to be a down-to-earth, blue-collar city. Napa\'s Mexican population leaves its culinary mark in Napa\'s bolstering food scene. No drive down Soscol is complete without a quick bite to eat at a taco truck. That said, however, the Carneros area on Napa\'s south side is prized by aficionados for its Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.Artesa is a noted Carneros winemaker.
Napa is the area\'s mercantile center. Its town center, filled with stolid, granite banks and three-floor office buildings, is rekindling a downtown renaissance interrupted by the 2000 earthquake (whose epicenter was nearby). Downtown Napa, known as the \'Old Town\' district is bustling with boutique wine shops, likeBounty Hunter Rare Wine and Provisions and retail stores. Most of the retail traffic flows through the Napa Premium Outlets on Highway 29. “Old Town” provides casual dining options like ZuZu, a popular tapas restaurant with tons of local color, literally. Most of the artwork featured is from Napa Valley artists.
Yountville Farther up Highway 29, though highly recommended is the drive up the scenic Silverado Trail, Yountville is far closer to the popular, Falcon Crest image of Napa Valley. Yountville retains the quaint charm a small-country town. Less populous and more gentrified than the city of Napa, there are also a lot of grapes growing here. You may see the vineyards first, strangely enough, as a bright, metallic twinkle: growers use reflective foil to scare away grape-eating birds. Yountville, however is infamous for first class dining:Bistro Jeanty, Bouchon and The French Laundry. Nationally famed, these establishments are happily embraced by San Francisco as an integral part of the San Francisco Bay Area restaurant culture, but clearly, they and Yountville stand on their own, (and standing is indeed what you will do if you don\'t make a reservation several weeks, and in the case of The French Laundry months, in advance.) In 2007, the inaugural year of the Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country, several Yountville restaurants were awarded Michelin Stars.
Oakville By this point, one has entered the heart of Napa Valley: wine production.Robert Mondavi Winery, one of the titans of California wine, is headquartered in Oakville. Other, smaller wineries can be seen on both sides of the valley, though the premium cellars seem to be on the west side. While tiny Oakville has a post office, it\'s really an unincorporated part of Napa County, best known for the Oakville Grocery, a legendary roadside delicatessen stocked with a mind-boggling array of gourmet delights from France, Italy, and their own kitchens. As with other spots throughout the valley, one is likely to be greeted in the early spring by a waving sea of yellow under sparse vineyards: growers often plant mustard underneath grapevines.
Rutherford Microscopic Rutherford is home toBeaulieu (BV) Winery, Rutherford Grove, Rutherford Hill, St. Supery Vineyards & Winery. Take in Napa\'s landscape with a chilled bottle of sparkling wine in Mumm Napa Valley\'s outdoor terrace. Francis Ford Coppola\'s Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery, generally mobbed with tourists, features memorabilia from his directorial career. Rutherford is also a fine place to eat: Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil and Toque (La) are two exceptional Napa Valley restaurants.
St. Helena St. Helena is a town that strives to look as it did 90 years ago. To a commendable extent, it succeeds. The vintage facades on Highway 29, St. Helena\'s main street, are striking. TheSilverado Museum hosts an exhibit of Robert Louis Stevenson ephemera. Fans of ghost story writer and misanthrope Ambrose Bierce will want to stay at the Ambrose Bierce House, now a bed and breakfast. St. Helena is also home to the Beringer Vineyards, a popular tasting destination.
TheCulinary Institute of America at Greystone (CIA) is hidden in the vineyards of St. Helena. The CIA is a master\'s level training center for working, certified chefs. It\'s situated in the former home of the Christian Brothers winery, an awe-striking three-story 101-year-old building that housed generations of winemaking friars. Take a look at some of the history exhibits inside, and don\'t miss Brother Timothy\'s 1800-piece corkscrew collection. The CIA gives cooking demonstrations in their fully equipped teaching theater. Enjoy the sights of St. Helena at the outdoor terrace of Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant.
Calistoga
Calistoga is famous for its mud. Mud baths, along with mineral baths, saunas, hot steam treatments, whirlpools, and herbal body wraps, have all been an attraction of the area ever since San Francisco entrepreneur Sam Brannan first promoted the benefits of the area\'s hot springs in the mid-19th century.Dr. Wilkinson\'s Hot Springs Resort, Nance\'s Hot Springs, and the Lavender Hill Spa are good spots to enjoy relaxing spa treatments.
To get a feeling for the thermal springs without getting in one, go two miles out of town on Tubbs Lane and catchOld Faithful Geyser of California. The geyser spouts boiling water 60 feet into the air every half-hour or so.
Calistoga is an engaging little health-conscious, bustling town. TheCalistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery or Wappo Bar & Bistro are all great places to replenish yourself after the ardors of a rub, steam, or scalding soak. The Petrified Forest, just outside of town on Petrified Forest Road, features six million-year-old trees turned, by a volcano, into rock. Some of the specimens are more than 100 feet tall.
Even if you\'re a teetotaler, however, Napa Valley is delightful, and for the very reasons grapes like it so much: it\'s sunny without being hot or arid. The gentle valley landscape makes a perfect tableau for a summer or fall afternoon. There\'s no better place for a picnic, a long bike ride, or a hot air balloon ride.
Napa The city of Napa is largest in the county, yet it\'s possibly the community least connected to the vinicultural image the world has of the Napa Valley. While there are quite a few mansions and large estates back against the hill, Napa tends to be a down-to-earth, blue-collar city. Napa\'s Mexican population leaves its culinary mark in Napa\'s bolstering food scene. No drive down Soscol is complete without a quick bite to eat at a taco truck. That said, however, the Carneros area on Napa\'s south side is prized by aficionados for its Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.
Napa is the area\'s mercantile center. Its town center, filled with stolid, granite banks and three-floor office buildings, is rekindling a downtown renaissance interrupted by the 2000 earthquake (whose epicenter was nearby). Downtown Napa, known as the \'Old Town\' district is bustling with boutique wine shops, like
Yountville Farther up Highway 29, though highly recommended is the drive up the scenic Silverado Trail, Yountville is far closer to the popular, Falcon Crest image of Napa Valley. Yountville retains the quaint charm a small-country town. Less populous and more gentrified than the city of Napa, there are also a lot of grapes growing here. You may see the vineyards first, strangely enough, as a bright, metallic twinkle: growers use reflective foil to scare away grape-eating birds. Yountville, however is infamous for first class dining:
Oakville By this point, one has entered the heart of Napa Valley: wine production.
Rutherford Microscopic Rutherford is home to
St. Helena St. Helena is a town that strives to look as it did 90 years ago. To a commendable extent, it succeeds. The vintage facades on Highway 29, St. Helena\'s main street, are striking. The
The
Calistoga
Calistoga is famous for its mud. Mud baths, along with mineral baths, saunas, hot steam treatments, whirlpools, and herbal body wraps, have all been an attraction of the area ever since San Francisco entrepreneur Sam Brannan first promoted the benefits of the area\'s hot springs in the mid-19th century.
To get a feeling for the thermal springs without getting in one, go two miles out of town on Tubbs Lane and catch
Calistoga is an engaging little health-conscious, bustling town. The
