Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights Napa Valley's best attractions, from wine-tasting to horse riding – there are plenty of gentle pursuits to tempt you.
- Viewpoint
- Feast your eyes at Auberge du Soleil’s restaurant (+1 707 967 3111) in Rutherford: the interiors are a bit dated, but if it’s a clear day and you snag a table outside, you can have a perfect lunch with far-yonder vistas. Or ride the sky tram at Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga (+1 800 726 6136; www.sterlingvineyards.com) for a bird’s eye view of the vines.
- Arts and culture
- There are almost 300 wineries to choose from; reservations are often essential. Friendly and informative tastings are offered at Del Dotto’s caves (www.deldottovineyards.com) near Calistoga, while the views are a real bonus at Pride Mountain (www.pridewines.com). Connoisseurs should head for Swanson (www.swansonvineyards.com) in the Oakville District; the exclusive Altamura winery (www.altamura.com) in Wooden Valley; or Kuleto Estate (www.kuletoestate.com) in St Helena. Antique Tours Limousine Service (+1 707 226 9227) offes tours by knowledgeable guides in a classic 1940s Packard convertible.
- Something for nothing
- Combine culture with quaffing at Clos Pegase in Calistoga (+1 707 942 4981; www.clospegase.com), a postmodern temple to art and wine. Free guided tours of its grounds and winery are given daily at 11.30am and 2pm.
- Shopping
- There are some excellent farmers’ markets in Napa Valley during the summer months, selling organic local produce as well as wine. Check out Yountville’s on Washington Street (Wednesday afternoons), St Helena’s at Crane Park (Friday mornings) and Calistoga’s on Lincoln Avenue (Saturday mornings). Lincoln Avenue has various arts and crafts shops, otherwise the downtown area of St Helena has more upscale boutiques.
- Daytripper
- Napa Valley is a day trip from San Francisco. If you fancy something a little more sedate than the bright lights of the Bay Area, head north to the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. Paddle gently downstream in a Soar canoe past apple orchards and stands of giant redwoods, stopping for the occasional dip, with Healdsburg-based Russian River Adventures (+1 707 433 5599; www.soar1.com).
- Perfect Picnic
- We think you can manage to source some bottled beverages by yourself. But you’ll be in need of a caffeine hit after your umpteenth weak filter coffee: stop at speciality food store Oakville Grocery on St Helena Highway (+1 707 944 8802) for espressos and pastries. Pick up some of their delicious deli snacks and picnic fixings, and head to Bale Grist Mill or Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.
- Walks
- If you like hiking, the summit of Mount St Helena offers incredible far-reaching views that stretch up to 200 miles on a good day. The five-mile trail is accessible near Calistoga from Robert Louis Stevenson State Park (www.parks.ca.gov); you’ll need sturdy boots and plenty of stamina.
- Activities
- There’s a lot to do in the Napa Valley apart from wine tasting. It’s wonderful to drift above the vineyards in a hot-air balloon; try Balloons Above the Valley (www.balloonrides.com). You can hire a bike and cycle around the Napa or Sonoma valleys, sampling the wines as you go – Getaway Adventures organises group tours (www.getawayadventures.com) – or enjoy the scenery on horseback (www.triplecreekhorseoutfit.com). There are some natural wonders in the valley that you shouldn’t miss either: there’s a geyser in Calistoga that regularly erupts every 20–30 minutes (www.oldfaithfulgeyser.com), one of only three in the world; and a petrified forest of three-million-year-old redwoods, too (www.petrifiedforest.org).
Diary
Late January–March Hot stuff is on the agenda at the Mustard Festival, a celebration of the valley’s wine and food, as well as the wild mustard that carpets the vineyards (www.mustardfestival.org). Late July–early August Kino meets vino at the Wine Country Film Festival, with evening screenings in the vineyards (www.winecountryfilmfest.com). Early August Violins out for Music in the Vineyards – a string of chamber music concerts (www.napavalleymusic.com).
