To do
So for those of you looking for some fun things to do in the Napa Valley there are a ton of choices.
Wine Wine Wine!
Here's a map for most of the Napa Valley wineries.
The Hess winery has a wonderful modern art collection open to the public. Several people (Sue and Shana included) love V. Sattui for their great store where people can purchase lunch and picnic areas to relax.
April and Mike belong to one wine club and its for Roberty Sinskey. Absolutely stellar wines, and usually they've got yummy snacks at their tasting room - Robert Sinskey's wife is a top tier chef.
Also recommended were Rombauer and Mumm are also recommended. Schramsberg Vineyards you have to make an appointment and pay $25 for the tour, but it's supposed to be a good one, and Prager Port for those who enjoy their wines fortified!
The folks from Pure Luxury are providing our wedding limo service, they can help you set up a great afternoon wine tasting as well! Also the Napa Wine Shuttle is another way to get a safe ride around wine country.
Fantastic for Foodies!
For the chefs in the group, the Culinary Institute of America is something to see. The offer cooking demonstrations throughout the year. You can see the cooking demonstration schedule here.
Also, some people enjoy The Wine Train. The Wine Train has 3 separate cars and takes you on a scenic dinner ride through the Napa Valley. In downtown Napa there is also the American center for Wine, Food and the Arts - the COPIA center. COPIA is the Wine Country gathering place for people, learning and ideas. Through a menu of fun and interactive programs, tastings, exhibitions, festivals, dining, performances and organic gardens, COPIA brings the general public and enthusiasts together with leading vintners, chefs, gardeners and artists to explore and celebrate wine, food, gardens and the arts.
Some recommended restaurants
The Model Bakery (St. Helena) -a friend's family bakery and a favorite
Brannan's Grill (Calistoga)
Rutherford Grill (Oakville)
Tra Vigne (St. Helena) if you're a fan of Michael Chiarello on the Food Network - this is his restaurant.
Taylor's Automatic Refresher (St. Helena)-very casual, burgers and delicious milk shakes. They have a great lawn in back if you want to kick back while wine tasting.
Brix (Yountville)
Mustards (Yountville)
Bistro Don Giovanni (Napa)
Oakville Grocery (Oakville) -wine, cheese, picnic items
Cindy's Back Street Kitchen (St. Helena)
Redd (Yountville)
Dean and Deluca (St. Helena) Another great spot to pick up a bite to eat.
The French Laundry
Alright one restaurant is so important that it gets its own heading. The French Laundry in Yountville is widely considered one of the best restaurants in the world. For April's birthday this year I was able to suprise her with dinner here, and it was absolutely amazing. Getting reservations is quite a process, the reservations for the French Laundry open at 10am PST 2 months to the day before you want to eat and all the restaurant will be completely booked within the hour. So if you want to get a reservation for Thursday the 11th before our wedding you need to call July 11th at 10am PST. This page has some tips for getting a reservation online. The way that worked for me was to get 10 of my co-workers in a conference room at 10am calling at once (I offered a bottle of wine to whoever got through). This worked like a champ. The French Laundry does two seatings for dinner, a 5:30 and an 8:45 seating - dinner consists of 9 courses and takes about 3 hours. The cost is $240 per person (no tip required unless you want to leave a little extra). If you have 2 people you can buy many wines by the glass or half bottle, this tends to work best because of the variety of dishes.
Actvities? We've got activities!
If you're looking for more active choices, there're bike tours with Wine Country Bikes in Healdsburg. Spend a day bike touring Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley on a "Classic Wine Country Bike Tour". A casual ride that visits their favorite wineries and features a wonderful picnic lunch. Another popular option is to take a Hot Air Balloon ride. Launch at sunrise over the beautiful Napa Valley. The breeze will usher you above corridors of grapes and between the mountains of one of the most magnificent valleys on Earth.
Also for families with kids, there's Safari West in Santa Rosa, but near Calistoga.Who knew?!
Shoppers Rejoice! There's actually not one but two outlet malls a short drive from Calistoga. The St. Helena Premium Outlets and the Napa Premium Outlets.
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