How do u make reservations for certain wineries? How far in advance? What are some wineries we shouldn't miss in Napa? Thanks.

I haven't been to LOTS of winery's, but my husband and I were in Napa in February and we went to Hess. Not only is the wine good, they have a neat art collection, too. You can check out their website at www.hesscollection.com. Another recommendation is Cosentino Winery. We didn't go to their winery, they brought the tasting to our B&B. Another couple who did go to their winery gave it rave reviews as they went on a wine bus tour and they said it was the best stop of the tour.

Go to napavalley.com and peruse the winery listings. Some are 'appt' only and may be worth it (Shafer, Stony Hill, Schramsberg come to mind). All of this depends on what time of year your are visiting and are you coming on a weekend? Are you coming with a group?

I really prefer the smaller, intimate wineries in Napa, such as William Harrison, Stelzner, Zahtila, Baldacci, etc.

Having said that, one of the most interesting tours we've taken was Opus One. Nobody bottles like they do...totally unique. We made our reservation about 3 days in advance. That was off season and on a Thursday.

I would highly recommend Frog's Leap winery in Rutherford. It is a truly unique experience. They are very laid back and hospitable and have great wines. The tour and grounds are delightful--it will stand out from the other wineries, many of which become a blur when doing much tasting.

the only ressie we needed was for the tour and sparkling tasting at Schramsberg in St Helena