Located north and a bit east of San Francisco in northern California, the Napa Valley and its lesser known cousin, the Sonoma Valley, are the ambassadors of the California wine industry and its culinary anchor. Here are some of the most famous vineyards in the world, many sharing names of great old vineyards of their European parents. The climate in these valleys is perfect for growing wine grapes and approximately 300 wineries pour millions of crates of wines onto the market yearly.
But both valleys are so beautiful, charming and small enough to cover in a visit (Napa is just 35 miles from the town of Napa to Calistoga the north end of the valley), that they are also holiday and travel destinations. Some of America's top chefs have their restaurants here where food can be matched to incomparable wines and enjoyed in the climate and air where they were born and brought to maturity. Ancillary activities abound that
enhance the wine touring experience. Before dawn hot air ballooning brings you into close contact with the quilt of the vineyards both brushing the tops of the vines and rising high above to provide an eagle's view of the estates. Bring your own bike or rent one and enjoy the wind in your hair as you peddle around this largely flat valley. (Just watch the cars and trucks on the Silverado Trail. It is no longer the sleepy short cut it used to be.) Picnic lunches can be enjoyed all around the valley not just at the picnic areas provided by most of the vineyards and many restaurants, bakeries and deli's are happy to provide delicious edibles. Art, farmers markets, truck gardens, culinary products from Napa Olive oil to cheeses, cooking classes and more abound.
For additional self indulgence, there are many spas through out the valley and in most of the top hotels. A votre sante!
The sleepy wine-country village of Yountville is now the home to a brand new, 20 room Tuscan styled luxury hotel & spa - "Hotel Luca", part of the boutique luxury group of hotels, the Mirabel Hotel & Restaurant Group. Located at the quiet end of town, this small, intimate hotel offers a peaceful oasis in which to relax and recover from daily living and/or a grueling day of wine tasting in the valley!
A taste of Tuscany in Yountville! This lovely tratoria couples the traditional Italian tastes and textures with modern techniques and touches both in the food and in the environment. Almost every dish carries the whisp of wood smoke as it is not just the pizzas that are cooked in the wood oven but many of the other dishes too. Convivial, friendly and reasonably priced.
Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, California, is irresistible both for its traditional French bistro "comfort food" and its adorable and welcoming ambiance. Yountville itself has become the shining star of the culinary scene in the Napa Valley and Bistro Jeanty holds a place of honor for it's deliciously prepared and perfectly executed dishes evoking memories of another age set in the French provinces.
If you are planning a trip to Napa Valley and are tired of hotels, you might consider "The Cottages of Napa Valley". This is a collection of restored early California cottages with a high end "country" feel that is in good taste and not cutesy. They are self catering, have private little patio gardens with outdoor fireplaces for cool evenings. They are one very good reason to make Yountville home base for your trip to Napa Valley, the wineries, tastings, the cuisine, balloon rides and almost anything else you can think of.
