Napa Valley - I have some questions ....
 

Going to be in San Francisco in second week of June. I have heard that the Napa Valley/Wine Country is worth the drive from the city to explore and experience. I would love to do it, however, I do have some questions:

1) How far of a drive is it to the Valley from downtown San Francisco?

2) Is it an easy drive?

3) I have looked on the Internet for wineries in this area and .... there are many! Any suggestions on which ones are must sees given that I only plan to make a day of it (further, is one day in the Valley enough or should I consider extending it to two?)?

4) Where can I get a map showing locations of your suggestions from Question #3?

5) What are the one or two things that I SHOULD do (i.e. can't miss) while in Napa?

6) What is a typical winery like? Can you roam around by yourself? Are there guided tours? Free Tasting? How is the scenery?

I know these questions are quite expansive, however, if you ever need any information on Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, I'M YOUR MAN!

If you could email direct to me at [email protected] , I would be eternally grateful!

Thanks!

Napa is about 25 miles north of San Francisco. You can drive from Napa north to Calistoga and see LOTS of wineries. We picked two. One old one was Christian Brothers in an old monestary and Silverado because it was new and higher tech. Guided tours are available at most, so are tastings. There is a really neat wine train to see the sites and taste wines. Call 1-800-522-4142. Didn't do it, but will on the next trip. We chose to tour in a hot air balloon which was great. Call 1-800-NAPA-SKY is this sounds like something you'd like. Lots of neat Beds & Breakfasts and Inns also. But you can get a good glimpse of the area in a day. Enjoy! We sure did.

It takes about 1 1/2 hour drive from downtown San Fran. It is absolutely not to be missed.Get Wine Spectator's Wine Country Guide to California. 212-684-4224. It lists all the wineries in California. If you only have one day drive Highway 29 and there are lots of wineries you can just stop in for a taste or tour. You usually cannot just wander around. Certain wineries you need to make an appointment in advance. The book will tell you. There are many wonderful restaurants and wineries to visit. I've been going there for a long weekend every year for 5 years and I've barely scratched the surface. An unforgettable, but time consuming and a bit on the expensive place for lunch is Domaine Chandon. It is a champagne winery. Or if you don't hav e time for lunch they have a lovely room for tasting. A very unique winery (you must call in advance for a tour) is Opus One. Another unique winery farther up the valley is Sterling because you take a gondola up to the winery. Beringer is always a good bet for a tour and tasting and they also have areserve tasting room. A quicker less expensive, but lovely place for luch is Tra Vigna. Most wineries are open around 9:30 and close at 4:30, but for some reason the champagne wineries, Domaine Cahndon, Domaine Carneros, Mumm's close at 6. Have a great time!

The Napa area is well worth the trip. One suggestion I have is for a well-regarded winery tour at St. Supery Winery. It's a self-guided tour about growing grapes and making wine. Robert Mondavi also has a good tour, about an hour long. There are so many to choose from. Just drive in an see if the winery is open. Try some of the smaller wineries. Some need appointments, but some don't. The two main roads, both roughly north-south, are highway 12 and highway 29. Highway 29 (also called the St. Helena highway) between Napa and Calistoga have the most famous, most numerous of the wineries. Highway 12, the Sonoma Valley, is less crowded, but has a some good wineries near Glen Ellen and Kenwood. There are also great wineries elsewhere in California, if you like wine. The central coast, the Russian River area, the Great Central Valley, and the foothill area near Sacramento, have some excellent wines, and are nowhere near as crowded, and every bit as great wines.

Simon--you must go to Rutherford (in Napa Valley, right on Hwy 29). There is a MOST ROMANTIC restaurant there called "Auberge du Soleil". It is so delicious, the little bar is also very romantic if you don't have time for dinner. Tile floors, lots of hanging vines, beautiful artwork, fireplace, cushioned booths, outdoor dining on the balcony overlooking the valley (that's where we sat). It's a bit pricey, but WORTH it. There is also lodging there but quite pricey ($400 a nite). Anyway, that's my recommendation for food. As far as a winery, we enjoyed the Hess winery. It is a mountain vineyard, on Mt. Veeder (in Napa, west end). The owner of this vineyard is Swiss and enjoys art, so he has a wonderful modern art collection right in the winery. Beautiful. You can buy a map of the vineyards and wineries right in the valley--we purchased one at one of the gas stations!
I would plan on a 1 1/2 hr. drive from downtown S.F. Also, if you have time, definitely take a hot-air balloon ride throught the valley. It is breathtaking. We took ours from the Monticello Winery, with a brunch in the rose garden afterwards. Probably all of the balloon excursions offer the same. (Approx. $150 a person). I would recommend 2 days--one day might be a bit tight. Have fun and write if you have any more questions. Kristin and Denny