Napa and Sonoma Feature

February-March: Napa Valley Mustard Festival. When Napa is at its least crowded, and wild mustard blooms in between the vines, locals celebrate wine, food, and art with exhibitions, auctions, dinners, and cooking and photography competitions. (www.mustardfestival.org)

March: Wine Road Barrel Tasting Weekends. For two weekends in March more than 100 wineries in the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander valleys open their cellars to visitors who want to taste the wine in the barrels, getting a preview of what's to come. (www.wineroad.com)

Late May: Sonoma Jazz + Festival. Headlining jazz, rock, and world music performers play in a large tent in downtown Sonoma, while smaller music, food, and wine events take place around town. (www.sonomajazz.org)

Early June: Auction Napa Valley. The world's biggest charity wine auction is one of Napa's glitziest gatherings. Events hosted by various wineries culminate in a hotly contested auction followed by an opulent dinner and party. (www.napavintners.com)

Early October: Sonoma County Harvest Fair. This festival celebrates agriculture in Sonoma County, with wine tastings, cooking demos, livestock shows, crafts, carnival rides, and local entertainers filling the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. (www.harvestfair.org)

Mid-November: Napa Valley Film Festival. Film premieres, pre-movie wine tastings, and food- and wine-related events where you can meet some of the filmmakers whose works are being shown take place in downtown Napa and St. Helena. (www.napavalleyfilmfest.org)