Please tell me your favorite winery or two and why. Also, good places for lunch, restaurant or winery.
Thanks.

Not my favorite wine, but one of the best tours -- Beringer.
Silver Oak, because their wine is so great -- and the souvenier glasses are so nice.
Chateau Montelena, because it is almost like being in Europe.
Sterling because it's fun to ride up on the cable car.
Jordan (if you can wrangle an invitation) because it is so elegant. (Yes, I know it's not technically in Napa Valley).

THanks, I had gotten the impression that Sterling was not in Napa, am I wrong?

Sterling is in Napa.

Try Mondavi for a very informative tour. I did Jordan and Montelena and felt both were just okay. Also did Sterling which I enjoyed and Hess which was very nice.

Patrick and xx, how did you get into Jordan? I understood that it is not open to the public for either tours or tastings.

We did Jordan about 8 years ago, before their wines became so well known. At that time, we called about a month ahead and made a reservation. They sent us a formal "invitation" and map. The entrance to the winery and estate is in Alexander Valley sort of west of Calistoga, and is totally unmarked. I've looked at their website since and believe they still offer tours but again you have to make a reservation. The most impressive thing there was the house itself and the guest quarters where they wine and dine top restaurant people from around the country. They had just completed the guest rooms which were beautiful, but I kind of doubt that they are still part of the tour.

Regarding lunch. Chateau Souverain is a wonderful garden experience. I once had perhaps the greatest dessert ever -- a "paper bag" made out of chocolate, filled with white chocolate mousse, topped with fresh raspberries, sitting on a bed of strawberry coulis. Ooops, I just drooled on my keyboard!

Pinot Blanc and Tra Vigne in St. Helena are both great and open for lunch as well as dinner.

Mustard's Grill is still perhaps my favorite in the area -- casual roadhouse atmosphere, and great food!!

A friend of ours in the liquor business arranged the tour of Jordan for us.

Winery in Napa? There's the best, then all the rest. The best is V. Satuii. You have two choices for buying their wine: 1. at the winery, 2. via mail order. It's not sold in stores anywhere. Go there and sample what they have for the day and be prepared to buy some Gamay Rouge. And, if you buy some at the winery you'll know you get the best price. I've seen the exact same wine that Beringer and Mondavi have at the winery in stores for 1/3 or less of the price.

http://www.vsattui.com/

Thank you all, I'll be taking these suggestions with me and hopefully all that rain will stay away.