<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<item>
  <id>10650</id>
  <title>The Other Napa</title>
  <published_at>Wed Aug 15 15:45:00 -0700 2007</published_at>
  <link>http://www.chow.com/stories/10650</link>
  <pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:45:00 GMT</pubDate>
  <short_description>What's worth doing in wine country</short_description>
  <long_description>What's worth doing in the Napa Valley: a travel guide to the wine country.</long_description>
  <img>http://www.chow.com</img>
  <author>Ella Lawrence</author>
  <category>
    <id>87</id>
    <name>Travel</name>
  </category>
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      <page_number>1</page_number>
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	<p><span class="dropcap">D</span>riving down clogged Highway 29 through California&#8217;s Napa Valley, it&#8217;s impossible not to notice how each winery tries to be bigger, better, and more expensively European than the next. Fake Tudor mansions neighbor Tuscan-ish &#8220;villas,&#8221; which sit next to concrete &#8220;chateaus.&#8221; Since the 1980s, Napa has become a competition of ostentation. Ingredients in restaurant dishes are outnumbered only by the guests frantic for a reservation; wineries hawk their wares for the price of a small car; and everyone seems to think that the bad oil painting/metal sculpture/puffy paint sweater for sale is redeemed by the fact that its subject is a grapevine.</p>


	<p>Sure, Napa can be a corny alcoholic playground, but it&#8217;s also one of the most geographically beautiful areas of the country. There&#8217;s great food, wine, and even art. Napa is an expensive place to visit, there&#8217;s no getting around it. But it&#8217;s entirely possible to pick your battles.</p>


	<p>Here&#8217;s our guide to the other Napa: restaurants that aren&#8217;t overpriced or overly touristy, wineries where it&#8217;s possible to have an intimate tasting experience, bars where waiters go to drink, taquerias where Mexican vineyard workers eat lunch, and gorgeous picnic spots.</p>


<h3 class="intro">Getting Around</h3>

	<p><em>Napa</em> refers to both the <a href="http://www.cityofnapa.org/">City of Napa</a> and the greater Napa Valley. That includes (from south to north, respectively) Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, and Calistoga. Connected by Highway 29 on the west and the Silverado Trail on the east, the points on this list are spread over the whole valley. There&#8217;s not much public transportation, so renting a car (and designating a friend to drive) is the way to go. When traveling north-south, take the less trafficked Silverado Trail, which is covered by a bright sneeze of yellow mustard flowers during the sunny summer months, instead of following the very-well-beaten path of Highway 29.</p>


<h3 class="intro">When to Go</h3>

	<p>The high season for visiting Napa is spring and summer, and it&#8217;s easy to understand why: Temperatures in the 90s and above make for excellent picnicking and pink shoulders. If you&#8217;re going then, try to avoid the weekend, when hordes of tourists descend, causing traffic jams and out-of-control tasting-room lines. The crush, when grapes come off the vine and go into the barrel, happens in September and October. During this time, Napa buzzes with the long days of work it takes to complete this monumental task, and some of the wineries will let you see the process. Winter is a quiet, almost-tourist-free environment, filled with friendly locals who are ready to give the curious visitor a personal and attentive time.</p>


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<p class="intro"><span class="dropcap">W</span>hen most people talk about Napa restaurants, you can be sure they&#8217;re referring to the high-end places, with expensive fusion food or California cuisine. There is some great expensive food in Napa, like that found at La Toque (see below), but there are also some tasty inexpensive meals. And many of the high-end places are just not worth the money. Our suggestion: Save your serious cash for dinner, and buy picnic supplies or tacos for lunch.</p>

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<h3>PICNIC SUPPLIES</h3>

	<p><a href="http://www.deandeluca.com/Aboutus/Default.aspx?id=192&#38;selItemId=192&#38;parentItemId=14"><b>Dean &#38; DeLuca</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">607 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena<br />
707-967-9980 </span><br />
A glitzy and expensive piece of Manhattan grocery real estate has been transported to tiny St. Helena. Get your toffee-covered cashew brownies, membrillo, Manchego, and perfectly roasted salmon fillets here. The small produce section features local and organic stuff, and who cares if the deli sandwiches cost $8? They&#8217;re amazing!</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.chowhound.com/topics/311906#1764078"><b>Sunshine Market</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">1115 Main Street, St. Helena <br />
707-963-7070</span><br />
If you&#8217;re up-valley, Sunshine has a great local cheese selection (<a href="http://www.skyhillfarms.com/">Skyhill</a>, <a href="http://www.goatsleap.com/index.html">Goat&#8217;s Leap</a>), organic produce, and an olive bar. Its sushi selection is one of the best you&#8217;ll find in St. Helena if not in all of Napa. While a bit pricier than the average hometown market, it&#8217;s got that same old-school ambiance. It also has delicious cookies, pies, and other baked goods. 
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<h3>CHEAP EATS</h3>

	<p><b>Buster&#8217;s Southern Barbeque</b><br /> 
<span class="addr">1207 Foothill Boulevard, Calistoga<br />
707-942-5605</span><br /> 
The pork loin, pork ribs, tri-tip, and links aren&#8217;t organic or all-natural at this barbecue joint reminiscent of Napa&#8217;s blue-collar past. But portions are fresh, huge, and spicy. Try the sweet potato pie, made from a family recipe of founder Buster Davis, and the homemade lemonade.</p>


	<p><b>La Luna Market and Taqueria</b><br /> 
<span class="addr">1153 Rutherford Road, Rutherford<br />
707-963-3211</span><br />
No frills, no-nonsense Mexican food in Rutherford just across from La Toque (see below). The carne asada super burrito is a must-snarf. While it might not blow your culinary socks off, it&#8217;s <em>muy, muy auténtico,</em> and La Luna is where all the Mexican vineyard workers eat. Lunch with a drink will run you no more than $10.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.taylorsrefresher.com/"><b>Taylor&#8217;s Automatic Refresher</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">933 Main Street, St. Helena<br />
707-963-3486</span><br />
Taylor&#8217;s Refresher has everything you&#8217;d want in a nouveau American diner: drippy, organic burgers wrapped in plain white paper. Fish and chips made with mahi mahi, as opposed to the bland white fish used by any other roadside diner. A full selection of great and greasy snacks like onion rings and chili cheese fries, with fine local wines and microbrews to wash it down. But save room for the thick, creamy milk shakes: almost $6 with tax, and worth every penny. The seating is at picnic tables on the grassy back patio&#8212;just walk up to the window, and they yell your name and order soon after.</p>


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<img src="/assets/2007/07/napa_taylors_refresher_inli.jpg" alt="Taylor's Refresher" />
<p>Taylor&#8217;s Automatic Refresher</p>
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<h3>SPLURGE</h3>

	<p><a href="http://www.adhocrestaurant.com/"><b>Ad Hoc</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">6476 Washington Street, Yountville <br />
707-944-2487</span><br />
Thomas Keller&#8217;s third Napa restaurant, following the <a href="http://www.frenchlaundry.com/">French Laundry</a> and <a href="http://www.bouchonbistro.com/bouchon/bouchon.htm">Bouchon</a>, is by far his most relaxed and welcoming. A prix fixe menu (four courses, $45) changes nightly. Comfort food done well is what you&#8217;ll find here, like tri-tip, corn on the cob, and beef stroganoff. Every other Monday is the hugely popular fried chicken night. The beer and wine bar (no hard alcohol) has a large Napa selection as well as some nice international choices. All dishes are served family-style on earthenware platters and in iron pots. Put the skillet of three-cheese macaroni by me please!</p>


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	<p><a href="http://www.angelerestaurant.com/"><b>Angèle</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">540 Main Street, Napa<br />
707-252-8115</span><br />
An old boat dock along the Napa River has been reincarnated as a delightful eatery in the heart of downtown Napa. Try one of the delicious house cocktails at the bar (some of the best in the valley). When the weather is nice, request a table outside; if it gets chilly the restaurant provides lovely little cashmere wraps for the ladies. The food marries familiar Mediterranean flavors to create interesting dishes such as duck breast with farro and marcona almond relish, or steamed clams with Espelette peppers. Angèle also offers delicious wines by the carafe, and sampling a few probably won&#8217;t break your budget.</p>


	<p><b>Cook</b> <br /> 
<span class="addr">1310 Main Street, St. Helena<br />
707-963-7088</span><br />
This Northern Italian spot specializes in delicious house-made pastas and hearty comforting dishes like roast chicken with corona beans and black kale, and braised short ribs with scallion whipped potatoes. Settle into its casual yet classy vibe, and you&#8217;ll understand why it&#8217;s the locals&#8217; choice for an impromptu night out.</p>


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<img src="/assets/2007/07/napa_go_fish_sign.jpg" alt="Go Fish restaurant sign" />
<p>Go Fish</p>
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	<p><a href="http://www.gofishrestaurant.net/"><b>Go Fish</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">641 Main Street, St. Helena<br />
707-963-0700</span><br />
All-star chef Cindy Pawlcyn (who already owns two well-respected Napa institutions: <a href="http://www.mustardsgrill.com/">Mustards Grill</a> and <a href="http://www.cindysbackstreetkitchen.com/">Cindy&#8217;s Backstreet Kitchen</a>) opened this top-notch seafood spot with local sushi chef Ken Tominaga. Try not to let the semiannoying nautical décor bother you. Although everything is good (especially the vegetable tempura), the sushi is probably the best thing to order. Wash down the salt-crusted prawns with Grüner Veltliner. Open for dinner only; reservations required.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.latoque.com/"><b>La Toque Restaurant</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">1140 Rutherford Road, Rutherford<br />
707-963-9770 </span><br />
Known as &#8220;French Laundry without the attitude,&#8221; La Toque offers a delicious prix fixe five-course menu that includes an amuse-bouche, a cheese course, and mignardises (petits fours). During truffle season there are special truffle tasting menus. Bottom line is, you can enjoy delicious high-end food here (like seared fois gras, duck breast with cherries, and freshly foraged chanterelle mushrooms) and service that consistently gets raves, without having to wait six months for a reservation.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.reddnapavalley.com/"><b>Redd</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">6480 Washington Street, Yountville<br />
707-944-2222</span><br />
Everything is spot-on for lunch or dinner at the hands of Richard Reddington, former chef of Napa&#8217;s beloved <a href="http://www.aubergedusoleil.com/">Auberge du Soleil</a> (a luxury resort with a popular restaurant by the same name). Redd is casually elegant: Both lunchtime tourists in shorts and the folk in evening cocktail attire are welcome. The yellowfin tuna and hamachi tartare delivers a surprise crunch from tart green apples and mustard seeds. Or try the refreshing chilled calamari salad with shaved jicama, carrots, and lime-basil vinaigrette. The signature dish, caramelized diver scallops in a caramelized-cauliflower purée, melts perfectly in the mouth. Walk-ins accepted; reservations advised.</p>


<h3>LATE NIGHT</h3>

	<p><a href="http://zuzunapa.com/index.htm"><b>Zuzu</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">829 Main Street, Napa<br />
707-224-8555</span><br />
Zuzu is a tiny space packed with an attractive crowd, heavy on locals. There are few true late-night places to get grub in the Napa Valley. But at Zuzu you can get Spanish-Portuguese meets Mexican tapas&#8212;dishes like chilaquiles, Spanish tortilla (a sort of eggy potato casserole), and roasted poblano chiles stuffed with Manchego cheese&#8212;until 10 p.m. No reservations accepted, which adds to the &#8220;Lemme in! Lemme in! This place is H-O-T!&#8221; vibe. Prices are in the $15 to $25 range per plate.</p>


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	<p><span class="dropcap">H</span>ere&#8217;s one weird thing about Napa: You&#8217;re in the middle of wine country, and sometimes you&#8217;ll find yourself unable to get a drink. Things shut down early. Your choices range from dive bars packed with drunk local kids to fancy bars connected to fancy restaurants. So here are our picks at both ends of the spectrum, plus a few local faves that don&#8217;t really fit into either category.</p>


<h3>DIVES</h3>

	<p><b>Anna&#8217;s Cantina</b><br /> 
<span class="addr">1205 Main Street, St. Helena<br />
707-963-4921</span><br />
A young crowd, cold beers, a &#8220;Mexican&#8221; theme (sombreros and jalapeño Christmas lights over the pool table), and a surprisingly energetic scene for such a small town mean Anna&#8217;s Cantina goes off almost every night. Especially on Thursdays, when the karaoke machine is cranked full blast. This is where people head to take care of some serious drinking.</p>


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<img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_bars_panchas.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="Pancha's of Yountville"  />
<div style="margin-top:20px"><img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_bars_panchas3.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="Pancha's of Yountville"  /></div>
<p>Pancha&#8217;s of Yountville</p>
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	<p><b>Pancha&#8217;s of Yountville</b><br /> 
<span class="addr">6764 Washington Street, Yountville<br />
707-944-2125</span><br />
Total freakin&#8217; dive. Country music, pool tables, and locals conversing loudly, hootin&#8217; an&#8217; hollerin&#8217; at a skirted journalist from their classic, ancient barstools. When a photographer asked if he could take a picture, the bartender drawled, &#8220;<em>I</em> don&#8217;t give a shit!&#8221; The neon Budweiser signs buzz seven days a week from noon until 2 a.m. at the only bar in the valley where smoking&#8217;s still allowed inside (shhh!). This is the real, old Yountville, for better or for worse, when things weren&#8217;t so ootsy-cutesy quaint.</p>


<h3>FANCY</h3>

	<p><a href="http://www.martinihouse.com/"><b>Martini House</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">1245 Spring Street, St. Helena<br />
707-963-2233</span><br />
Martini House is a fabulous restaurant in its own right, one of the several co-owned by Pat Kuleto, whose other restaurants include <a href="http://www.jardiniere.com/">Jardinière</a>, <a href="http://www.boulevardrestaurant.com/">Boulevard</a>, and <a href="http://www.farallonrestaurant.com/">Farallon</a>. These are all recognizable by their almost over-the-top décor that usually includes lots of big wrought-iron and blown-glass fixtures, and Martini House is no exception. A jasmine-scented outdoor patio glows from metal lily lights. The bar, romantically located in the restaurant&#8217;s cellar, serves stellar cocktails. It&#8217;s an off-hours favorite for high-end servers with fistfuls of tips: Few drinks cost less than 10 bucks, but they&#8217;re worth it.</p>


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<h3>LOCAL FAVES</h3>

	<p><a href="http://www.bountyhunterwine.com/"><b>Bounty Hunter Rare Wine &#38; Provisions</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">975 First Street, Napa<br />
800-943-9463 </span><br />
Bounty Hunter feels like a speakeasy, with dark, rough brick walls, large wood columns running down the middle of the room, and a metal roof. An eclectic music mix from techno-pop to the Four Seasons plays on the sound system. A huge bar offers more than 40 wines by the glass, and 10 times as many bottles, with a wide range of beers represented. The décor is partly Old West, partly New Napa, and it&#8217;s hard to tell if it&#8217;s tacky or cool, which automatically makes it cool. There&#8217;s food too: snacky things like charcuterie and sandwiches that you can eat on little marble tables. A very fun place to end a long day of wine tasting, though you can&#8217;t bring your own.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.silveradobrewingcompany.com/"><b>Silverado Brewing Company</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">3020 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena<br />
707-967-9876</span><br />
This northern Napa Valley spot is modeled after the area&#8217;s many stone wine caves, and is likely to be playing Bob Marley. After sipping vino all day, a cold pint and a Niman Ranch burger are highly fortifying. Especially on Silverado&#8217;s outdoor patio, in the warm Napa evening. Try a rotating selection of beers brewed in-house alongside area winemakers, tasting-room employees, and waiters who have come after work; the bar&#8217;s open until 2 a.m. Food is served until 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, 9:30 p.m. on weekends.</p>


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	<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>n the Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon rules. The king of Bordeaux grapes and its blending partners (Merlot and Cabernet Franc, for the most part) grow extremely well on Napa&#8217;s warm, flat valley floor, as does Chardonnay. Merlot, Chardonnay, and Cabernet and its cousins will be what you&#8217;ll find the most of in the valley, and if anybody tells you a good Pinot Noir is made here, he&#8217;s lying.</p>


	<p>You&#8217;re probably in Napa to go wine tasting, as are those bachelorettes behind you in the Hummer limousine. Luckily, you can avoid them, the additional hordes of drunken tourists, and the snooty attitude of many tasting-room employees by planning ahead.</p>


	<p><b>Make reservations:</b> If possible, visit wineries with a group of four to six friends, and before arriving arrange a private tasting. This is exactly as it sounds: a tasting, often including a tour of the vineyards and winemaking facilities, for just you and your friends, at a&#8212;usually reasonable&#8212;additional cost. Why do this? Well, it will ensure you the complete attention of the tasting-room employee seeing you around, you will learn something, and oftentimes you&#8217;ll get to taste better wines. In fact, we recommend that for the best experience, taste <em>mainly</em> at places that require reservations.</p>


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<img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_wineries_tasting_peju.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="Peju"  />
<div style="margin-top:20px"><img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_wineries_peju_barrels.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="Peju"  /></div>
<p>Peju</p>
</div>

	<p><b>The deal with tasting fees:</b> Most wineries have them, whether you&#8217;re doing a private tour or queuing up in the tasting rooms open to the public. This fee can be anywhere from $10 to $50, depending on the ritziness of the winery, the number and quality of wines tasted, and the depth of the tour, if there is one. The fee will be deducted from the cost of your wine, if you choose to purchase some. But don&#8217;t feel guilty if you forgo buying any. Tasting is a way to learn about wine, and find out what you like. After all, they&#8217;re not called <em>buying</em> rooms, they&#8217;re called <em>tasting</em> rooms.</p>


	<p><b>How to survive a day of wine tasting:</b> Drink more water than you think necessary. Spit wine out in the bucket provided if you don&#8217;t like it. There will be enough wine later that you will like. Don&#8217;t worry&#8212;you&#8217;ll get your buzz on! Plus, you&#8217;ll be better able to remember the good wines if you&#8217;re a little bit sober.</p>


	<p>And please, <em>designate a driver.</em> Keep in mind that five tastes each at five wineries with roughly two ounces per taste equals two bottles of wine! Hire a car, get a limo, ask your grandma&#8212;but don&#8217;t drive after drinking.</p>


	<p>Below are your best winery bets. The first few we recommend because they have beautiful surroundings, though not necessarily amazing wines. (Think picnic.) Then we give you a few &#8220;old-school&#8221; picks that we think embody Napa the way it used to be. The last offer a truly decadent experience you can find few places in the world. We suggest doing private tastings at both the old-school wineries and the splurges.</p>


<div class="inline_tall_right">
<img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_wineries_peju_inline.jpg" width="200" height="300" alt="Peju"  />
<p>Peju</p>
</div>

<h3>COME FOR THE SCENERY, NOT THE WINE</h3> 

	<p><a href="http://www.clospegase.com/"><b>Clos Pegase</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">1060 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga<br />
707-942-4981</span><br />
The wine is fair to middling, but Clos Pegase&#8217;s sculpture gardens have won international awards. Swallows dive through neatly groomed rows of oak trees, and a surreal, giant iron thumb pops up for an &#8220;A-OK&#8221; amongst the nearby vines. Picnic tables abound. No reservations required.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.peju.com/"><b>Peju</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">8466 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford<br />
800-446-7358</span><br />
Dr. Seuss&#8211;y sycamore trees line the driveway, and a big &#8220;NO BUS&#8221; sign ensures the tasting rooms (which don&#8217;t require reservations) will be free of large drunken groups, though the wine&#8217;s not great. Better are the expansive grounds, which include a patio, rolling green lawns, a koi pond, and a whimsical sculpture collection. Come now before Peju blows up, because it&#8217;s primed for a huge commercial launch. No picnic tables, but visitors are welcome to eat on the grass.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.quixotewinery.com/"><b>Quixote Winery</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">6126 Silverado Trail, Napa<br />
707-944-2659</span><br />
Picnics aren&#8217;t allowed and reservations are a must, but you have to see this place. After founding the successful Stags Leap Winery, owner Carl Doumani wanted to downsize and emphasize fun, so he commissioned the legendary Austrian artist, architect, and nudist (!) Friedensreich Hundertwasser to design Quixote (the only American building he designed). The strange, eclectic winery has no flat surfaces, no straight lines, and lots of wild colors. The grounds are as eccentric as the architecture, and are filled with mosaics in unexpected places. Original Hundertwasser paintings grace the walls alongside a collection of black-and-white photographs, and the wine&#8217;s not bad either; Quixote specializes in Petite Sirah, a varietal as unexpected as the setting. Three tours daily: 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.</p>


<div class="inline_wide_left">
<img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_wineries_quixote_inline.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="Quixote winery"  />
<div style="margin-top:20px"><img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_wineries_quixote2_inline.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="Quixote winery"  /></div>
<p>Quixote Winery</p>
</div>

<h3>OLD-SCHOOL NAPA</h3>  

	<p>Drop-ins welcome, but it&#8217;s polite to call ahead at these teeny places.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.casanuestra.com/"><b>Casa Nuestra</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">3451 Silverado Trail, St. Helena<br />
866-844-WINE</span><br />
In the little farmhouse that is Casa Nuestra&#8217;s barrel room, tasting room, and visitors&#8217; center rolled into one, a staff of six produces rare wines of special interest not affected by marketing trends (as the peace signs and Elvis memorabilia that decorate the tasting room attest). For instance, they make arguably the best Chenin Blanc in the country, an odd varietal to specialize in, since it&#8217;s not very popular outside France&#8217;s Loire Valley. Wines range from $16 to $55 for current releases.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.corison.com/"><b>Corison</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">987 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena<br />
707-963-0826</span><br />
Longtime winemaker Cathy Corison (one of the first female cellar workers in the Napa Valley) creates beautifully balanced, elegant wines (especially her Gewürztraminer). The Cabernets are lower-alcohol (below 14 percent) and food-friendly (which means they&#8217;re not going to blow your palate with a lot of oak and fruit up front). That is, they&#8217;re the way wines in Napa used to be, before Robert Parker and his ilk decided high-oak, high-alcohol, and high-fruit vino was the best. There are only two wines with the Corison label (the Kronos Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship wine), but two others are made on the premises, Corazon and Helios (the former is the tasty Gewürztraminer). Corison also makes a tiny batch of &#8220;home wine&#8221; with her kids from time to time, bottled under the Acappella label. Wines range from $18 to $48 for the current releases; library wines cost more. Reservations required.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.vincentarroyo.com/"><b>Vincent Arroyo Winery</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">2361 Greenwood Avenue, Calistoga <br />
707-942-6995</span><br />
Rich, earthy wines and an unpretentious setting make this driveway a great place to taste wine. That&#8217;s right&#8212;a gravel driveway, a board laid over two standing wine barrels, you, the wine, and someone to tell you about it. Also, dogs that climb up a tower of the current year&#8217;s wines, stacked 10 barrels high. Specializing in reds (Cabernet, Petite Sirah, Merlot, Sangiovese, and a couple of blends), Vincent Arroyo makes 6,000 cases a year that are wonderfully expressive of the warm northern-Napa climate. All the wines sell out, so if you like them, buy them on-site (few cost more than $40).</p>


<h3>SPLURGE</h3> 

	<p><a href="http://www.farniente.com/"><b>Far Niente</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">1350 Acacia Drive, Oakville<br />
707-944-2861</span><br />
Far Niente has a big estate and the oldest wine caves in the valley, which are the length of three football fields end to end. At the close of the tour you get to look at the owner&#8217;s collection of mint, vintage racecars&#8212;he used to be a driver! After that, there&#8217;s a side-by-side tasting of some of Far Niente&#8217;s library wines and new releases (a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Chardonnay, and a sweet wine based on Château d&#8217;Yquem&#8217;s Sauternes made on the premises under a different label). You taste inside a sort of Tara-esque mansion, while the incredibly friendly and knowledgeable staff serves you tiny tapas. Reservations absolutely required; tour and tasting is $50.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.pridewines.com/"><b>Pride Mountain Vineyards</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">4026 Spring Mountain Road, St. Helena<br />
707-963-4949</span><br />
Stunning views and verdant vineyards reward you for the 20-minute drive up the mountain from St. Helena. Everyone should include a mountain winery in his or her tour of the Napa Valley for (at least) two reasons: The View (duh)&#8212;the whole valley spread in front of you. The Wines&#8212;hillside vineyards are thought to be the best growing conditions for several kinds of grapes, as the climate is more stressful, causing the vines to root deeper, drawing more character from the soil and creating the (by now overused term) terroir. French wanna-be-ism aside, Pride&#8217;s got prime fruit up there on top of Spring Mountain. The spectacular new facility is one of the largest and most beautiful in Napa, with a 360-degree view of the valley, and the wines are truly amazing: three varietals of red and two of white. Tours and tastings are in the morning, tastings only in the afternoon; appointments required; call for times and prices.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.quintessa.com/"><b>Quintessa</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">1601 Silverado Trail, Rutherford<br />
707-967-1601 </span><br />
Tastefully opulent Quintessa is owned by the former CEO of Chilean wine conglomerate Concha y Toro. Visitors are greeted by prim personnel wearing classy suits in a modern gray-stone-and-dark-wood building that recently won a national architectural award. You taste at little bistro tables here (not at the bar&#8212;the staff is <em>very</em> proper). The wines, or rather wine, as Quintessa produces only one fabulous Bordeaux-style blend a year, are made 100 percent biodynamically. That&#8217;s a method of farming that goes beyond organic to be kind to the earth. The hourlong tour includes the vineyard (weather permitting), production facility, and wine caves. Afterward you taste two vintages. By appointment only; $35.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.ruddwines.com/"><b>Rudd</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">500 Oakville Crossroad, Oakville<br />
707-944-8577</span><br />
If you only visit one fancy winery, go here. There are two tours daily, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The early one is a &#8220;comprehensive estate tour&#8221; ($60) that shows you the vines, gardens, caves, and winemaking facility. Then you get to taste all of the current releases (usually four wines), with a four-course meal paired to the wine prepared by the executive chef of Dean &#38; DeLuca (which Leslie Rudd owns; he also just purchased <a href="http://www.oakvillegrocery.com/">Oakville Grocery</a>). The 2 p.m. tour, just a wine tasting, costs $35. Both are limited to eight people, and should be booked three to four weeks in advance.</p>


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	<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>ith the eating and drinking you&#8217;ll be doing in Napa, it might be a good idea to crash for the night. Decent lodging doesn&#8217;t come cheap, and most bed-and-breakfasts require a two-night minimum. Here are a couple of more affordable picks we like, and one interesting splurge. For more info, NapaValley.com has <a href="http://www.napavalley.com/lodging/index.html">tips</a> on additional hotels, motels, B&#38;Bs, and even rental cottages; the latter are a good option if you&#8217;re traveling with a group of friends.</p>


<h3>CHEAP</h3>

	<p><a href="http://www.harbin.org"><b>Harbin Hot Springs</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">18424 Harbin Springs Road, Middletown<br />
707-987-2477<br />
$25&#8211;$260</span><br />
If you&#8217;re a certain kind of person (like, you&#8217;re not put off by nudists and hippies), you&#8217;ll find Harbin Hot Springs a wonderful place. It offers cheap communal spots where you can throw your sleeping bag down, or more expensive private cabins, and five spring-water pools of varying temperatures to soak in. People have been coming here since the 1880s for the supposedly healing waters. Today, Harbin also has a market, a café, a restaurant, movie nights, and classes. Some people see Harbin as a vacation destination in and of itself. But sisters, watch out for creepy hippie dudes with mandolins, offering you a Watsu (naked underwater massage).</p>


<div class="inline_wide_right">
<img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_lodging_wilkinsonpool_inline.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs Resort"  />
<p>Dr. Wilkinson&#8217;s Hot Springs Resort</p>
</div>

<h3>MIDRANGE</h3>

	<p><a href="http://www.calistogainn.com/"><b>Calistoga Inn</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">1250 Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga <br />
707-942-4101 <br />
$75&#8211;$125 (prices for May through October)</span><br />
&#8220;We&#8217;re not quiet, we&#8217;re fun,&#8221; warns the reservationist at this self-described European-style inn (this means you share a bathroom). An attached pub brews its own beer and has live music until midnight on weekends. Many think it has the best nightlife in the Napa Valley. The bedrooms are right above the pub, so plan to close the place down. The small, clean rooms are a deal, and breakfast is included.</p>


<div class="inline_wide_right">
<img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_lodging_harbin_inline.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="Harbin Hot Springs"  />
<p>Harbin Hot Springs</p>
</div>

	<p><a href="http://www.drwilkinson.com/"><b>Dr. Wilkinson&#8217;s Hot Springs Resort</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">1507 Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga<br />
707-942-4102<br />
$109&#8211;$249</span><br /> 
Doc Wilkinson and his wife settled in Calistoga in 1946 because of the alleged health benefits of the town&#8217;s natural hot springs. They opened this old-fashioned resort, which has three natural mineral pools and offers spa treatments such as mud baths and massages. Lodging choices include little bungalows with a kitchenette or rooms inside a Victorian-era hotel or adjacent low-slung 1950s buildings. All have TVs, hair dryers, and coffee makers.</p>


<h3>SPLURGE</h3>

	<p><a href="http://www.napavalleyrailwayinn.com/"><b>Napa Valley Railway Inn</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">6523 Washington Street, Yountville<br />
707-944-2000<br />
$125&#8211;$210</span><br />
Nine restored railway cars sit on their original tracks on the long-defunct Napa railway line. The narrow, luxurious rooms inside have refrigerators, tiled showers, flat-screen TVs, and antique furniture. As a guest, you can work out for free at the nearby Yountville fitness center, but that&#8217;s as far as the amenities go&#8212;no reception, staff, or telephones.</p>


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	<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>hat to avoid (and make a point to include) while visiting one of the most overhyped areas in the country.<br /><br /></p>


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<h3>OVERRATED</h3>

	<p><a href="http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/"><b>Castello di Amoroso</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">4045 St. Helena Highway, Calistoga<br />
707-942-8200</span><br />
As if Daryl Sattui weren&#8217;t snickered at enough by Napa Valley wine circles for his mediocre wine and hyped-up, commercial tasting room, he&#8217;s gone and built a replica of a 13th-century Italian castle. Visitors are not allowed past the moat (even for a peek inside) if they haven&#8217;t made a reservation; beat-down staff block the plaster-of-Paris gate.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.frenchlaundry.com/"><b>The French Laundry</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">6640 Washington Street, Yountville <br />
707-944-2380</span><br />
There&#8217;s no doubt that a meal at the French Laundry might be one of the best of your life. And the ridiculously extravagant service, in which battalions of starched servers swoop down to lift tiny pieces of silver after each course, can even be fun. But let&#8217;s face it: Most people aren&#8217;t in the mood to fork out $500 for dinner for two, not including wine. Nor do many have the stamina necessary to keep hitting redial, two months in advance, to get a reservation.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.winetrain.com/"><b>Napa Valley Wine Train</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">1275 McKinstry Street, Napa<br />
707-253-2111</span><br /> 
Oh horror of horrors, driving away from a day of wine tasting and seeing a train filled with pudgy tourists with purple Cabernet-stained lips, pressed up against the windows staring at you. At $50 to $150, the ride&#8217;s overpriced (the $150 includes lunch with champagne); and the train is really nothing more than a Disneyland ride for grownups&#8212;which, on a bad day, is exactly what Napa is. Everything you buy on the train is extra (like food and wine); and it only stops at the most well-known wineries, such as <a href="http://www.grgich.com/index.html">Grgich Hills</a> and <a href="http://www.chandon.com/">Domaine Chandon</a>.</p>


<div class="inline_wide_right">
<img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_underrated_roundpond_estate.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="Round Pound"  />
<p>Round Pound</p>
</div>

<h3>UNDERRATED</h3>

	<p><a href="http://www.longmeadowranch.com"><b>Long Meadow Ranch</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">1796 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford <br />
707-963-4555 ext. 161</span><br />
It&#8217;s finally catching on, but for the longest time sustainability was not the word of the day in Napa. Exception: Long Meadow Ranch in Rutherford, which for years has had an organic farm, an organic winery, and an organic ranch. For $150, you get the grand tour: a hike around the grounds, then a big, fancy lunch of fresh produce, olive oils, and grass-fed beef from the ranch. And of course, lots and lots of homemade wine.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.roundpond.com/"><b>Round Pond</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">886 Rutherford Road, Rutherford<br />
877-963-9364</span><br />
Wine&#8217;s good and all, but don&#8217;t forget about that other bushy tree-thing that grows under the same conditions: olives. Napa&#8217;s Mediterranean climate produces some of the best olive oil in the world. (Take <em>that,</em> Italy!) Round Pond offers a fabulous 90-minute <a href="http://www.chow.com/topics/332757">tour</a> and tasting ($20) that shows you where the olives are cultivated and milled. Then you&#8217;re treated to a tasting of the oils (including a delicious Meyer lemon one) and red wine vinegars&#8212;with good bread, cheeses, and seasonal organic produce.</p>


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	<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>f you want to give your stomach and liver a bit of a rest, try soaking in some of the areas natural hot springs, taking a bike ride to see the gorgeous scenery up close, looking at art, or visiting the farmers&#8217; markets.</p>


<div class="inline_tall_left">
<img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_activities_mudbath.jpg" width="200" height="300" alt="Golden Haven Hot Springs"  />
<p>Golden Haven Hot Springs</p>
</div>

<h3>HOT SPRINGS</h3>

	<p><a href="http://www.goldenhaven.com/"><b>Golden Haven Hot Springs</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">1713 Lake Street, Calistoga<br />
707-942-8000</span><br />
Couples&#8217; spa treatments without the inflated prices. In a private room, you get a detoxifying mud bath, followed by a soak in the mineral-water Jacuzzi, then a cozy blanket wrap. Lodging is also available (more motel-style than quaint B&#38;B, though), and if you book online there are all kinds of discount specials. At press time, weekend couples&#8217; mud baths were on special for $59 per person.</p>


<h3>ART</h3>

	<p><a href="http://www.dirosapreserve.org/"><b>di Rosa Preserve</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">5200 Carneros Highway 121, Napa<br />
707-226-5991 </span><br />
Art gallery meets nature preserve on 217 acres in Carneros. More than 2,000 works by over 900 Northern California artists&#8212;including <a href="http://www.artnet.com/artist/1649/robert-arneson.html">Robert Arneson</a>, <a href="http://www.crownpoint.com/artists/oliveira/">Nathan Oliveira</a>, and <a href="http://www.sfmoma.org/exhibitions/exhib_detail.asp?id=180">Robert Bechtle</a>&#8212;are shown in three big warehouse-type galleries and a giant old stone winery house. Rolling meadows, a 35-acre lake, and ancient olive groves are home to outdoor sculpture. Four tours daily Tuesday through Friday, and two tours on Saturday (Wednesday admission is free and tours are discounted). Make a reservation a few days ahead of time.</p>


<h3>CYCLING</h3>

	<p>Word is, Lance Armstrong nearly bought a house here three years ago&#8212;and it&#8217;s easy to see why. There is great cycling in the Napa Valley. However: Bike riding, wine tasting, and driving can be a deadly combination. There&#8217;s a lot of traffic on some of these narrow country roads. Remember to ride single file as far to the right as you can, and to wear your helmet. Ride early in the morning to get the best weather and avoid the bulk of the wine-tasting crowds.</p>


	<p>One beautiful route with views of Mount St. Helena and the vineyards starts in the town of Calistoga and goes north on Highway 128 to Knights Valley. After that, turn left on Franz Valley Road and continue for a few miles until Franz Valley School Road branches off to the left. This road goes up two steep, short climbs and drops back into Calistoga via Petrified Forest Road. It&#8217;s an 18.5-mile loop with a lot of rolling hills, so give yourself a couple of hours.</p>


<div class="inline_wide_right">
<img src="/assets/2007/08/napa_activities_biketour.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="Napa Valley Bike Tours"  />
<p>Napa Valley Bike Tours</p>
</div>

	<p>To rent a bike and get some of the best cycling advice in the valley, try:</p>


	<p><a href="http://calistogabikeshop.com/"><b>Calistoga BikeShop</b></a> <br /> 
<span class="addr">1318 Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga<br />
707-942-9687</span></p>


	<p>For guided one-day or multiday tours, try one of these reputable outfits:</p>


	<p><em>One-day:</em><br />
<a href="http://www.getawayadventures.com/"><b>Getaway Adventures</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.napavalleybiketours.com/"><b>Napa Valley Bike Tours</b></a></p>


	<p><em>Multiday:</em><br />
<a href="http://www.backroads.com/trips/BWCQ"><b>Backroads</b></a></p>


<h3>FARMERS&#8217; MARKETS</h3>

	<p>Get some of the nation&#8217;s finest produce <a href="http://www.napavalley.com/thingstodo/farmers_markets/listings.html">straight from the field</a> for your picnic.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M7724"><b>Calistoga Farmers&#8217; Market</b></a><br /> 
<span class="addr">Old Gliderport, 1546 Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga<br />
707-942-0808 </span><br />
Saturdays, June through September, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.napadowntown.com/chefs-market.napa"><b>Napa Chefs&#8217; Market</b></a> <br /> 
<span class="addr">First Street, Napa Town Center, Napa<br />
707-257-0322 </span><br />
Fridays, May 27 through August 31, 5 to 8:30 p.m.</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.copia.org/content/farmers_market"><b>Napa Downtown Farmers Market</b></a><br />
<span class="addr">South parking lot of <a class="addr" href="http://www.copia.org/">Copia</a> <br />
500 First Street, Napa<br />
707-252-7142</span><br />
Tuesdays, May through October, 7:30 a.m. to noon <br />
Saturdays, May through October, 8 a.m. to noon</p>


	<p><a href="http://www.sthelenafarmersmkt.org/"><b>St. Helena Farmers Market</b></a> <br />
<span class="addr">Crane Park, St. Helena<br />
707-486-2662</span><br />
Fridays, May through October, 7:30 a.m. to noon</p>


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 <li><a href="/stories/10650/2">Restaurants</a> <img src="/assets/2007/07/sq_bullet.gif" class="bullet" /></li>
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