Napa Valley , in the Bay Area in California , is the main wine growing region of the United States of America and one of the major wine regions of the world. It is also known for its gourmet restaurants, cafes, and spa-treatment centers.

Understand

Napa Valley, a world famous wine area, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in California. More than five million visitors come each year, often overcrowding the roadways on summer weekends. Peak times are the summer months and the harvest "crush" during September and October. Napa Valley is home to more than two hundred wineries. With wine as a focus, great dining naturally emerged to compliment it. The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena supplies a steady stream of well-trained chefs, supplementing the already prestigious chefs drawn by Napa Valley's reputation and locale.

Getting there

By plane

The nearest international airports are in San Francisco , Oakland, San Jose , and Sacramento.

By car

From San Francisco:

Highway 101 North over the Golden Gate Bridge, to Highway 37;

Highway 37 East towards Vallejo/Napa, to Highway 121;

Highway 121 North towards Napa to Highway 29 North.

Use Highway 29 or Silverado Trail to see the valley. They run north-south along the valley.

• Wine country bus or limousine tours are available from San Francisco or from Napa Valley towns.

• Napa can be reached by shuttle providers in San Francisco.

Traveling around

• Bike riding is a popular activity in the valley, and great way to see the scenery it has to offer.

• Walking is also enjoyed by the locals, in one of many parks, trails, and paths on expensive property.

• Napa County Transportation Planning Agency (NCTPA), Phone: +1 707 259-8631, . Bus transportation throughout the Valley and within towns. Locals and tourists lacking their own vehicle may also enjoy waiting hours at a time for a bus, which more often than not will include a stop and break for another bus. Visitors who plan to use the public transit system should factor in about half day for travel within the valley.

See

• Napa Valley Museum in Yountville.

• Old Faithful Geyser of California, in Calistoga.

Things to do

• The Napa Valley Wine Train in Napa.
• Bathe in the hot springs and/or have a mud bath in Calistoga.
• Bonaventura Balloon Company, Phone 1-800-FLY-NAPA, . Balloon flights from wherever the wind is best in the north valley.
• Golf There are 10 golf courses located at towns throughout the valley.

Eat

The thing about wine, of course, is that it has a synergy with food. They enhance each other. Accordingly, food is elevated here. There are many excellent chefs in this area, and many great dining facilities. One most famous place that must be mentioned is French Laundry, in Yountville. It is very famous, very expensive, and very hard to get a reservation. Reservations open two months in advance, and you must be right on top of it. Try if you must, but there are many other delicious options.

The Valley and its wines beg to be brought on a picnic. It might just be the best way to have lunch. Some wineries cater to picnickers, notably V. Sattui which has a nice picnic area and even a deli, but others don't want picnickers tying up their limited parking. Some encourage picnics, but only by reservation. One establishment built on Napa Valley picnicking is Oakville Grocery in Oakville, famous for its deli and picnic supplies.

Drink

Most wineries offer tastings and/or tours of their products. The form this takes varies greatly. The largest, most well known wineries such as Mondavi and Beringer are open daily with large hosting facilities, guided tours of the operation and reserve rooms for tasting select, more expensive wines. The many smaller wineries may offer tastings only by appointment, but your tour or tasting may be conducted by the owner. Most vineyards charge a small fee for the tastings, especially at the more popular vineyards, perhaps $5-$10. Winery tours are generally very interesting and informative. Reserve room tastings provide an opportunity to sample expensive wines without having to spend a larger amount for a bottle. Sometimes the tasting fee can be applied to the cost of a bottle purchased.

Popular Large Wineries

• Beringer Vineyards in St. Helena
• Grgich Hills Cellar, in Rutherford
• Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville
• V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena
• Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga
• The Hess Collection Winery in Napa
• Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga

Safety

Napa Valley enjoys very low crime rates and is generally considered to be a relatively safe part of California. Emergency response (police, fire, and paramedics) can be reached by dialing 911.

Note that California's drunk driving laws are extremely strict.

Cities and towns

From north to south the main locales are:

• Calistoga
• St. Helena
• Rutherford
• Oakville
• Yountville
• Napa

Try one of the other Bay Area locations or Yosemite National Park .