Napa Wine Tours / A California Vacation

If you're planning a California road trip in the future, a Napa Wine Tour is a good idea for your northern California vacation. Napa County is just a very short drive from the Bay Area and there is so much to see and do, many people make it a weekend or long weekend trip. The wineries in Napa County are some of the best in the world and we wanted to highlight a few on our site.

First, a few facts about Napa County California.

V. Sattui Winery

Napa County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 when California became a state. The county's wine production goes back to the early 1800's and at the end of the century, Napa had about one hundred and forty wineries. Today, the total is over four hundred wineries. Certainly something for everyone.  The town of Napa was founded by Nathan Coombs in 1847 on Rancho Entre Napa. The city of Napa was incorporated in 1872. Like so many of the wine regions, Napa County started off as a general agricultural area. Most would say that the 1960's ushered in the era where Napa County took it's rightful place along with the famous wine regions of France, Spain and Italy.

One of the more unique wineries found in Napa County is the V. Sattui Winery. One of the things I really enjoyed visiting this winery were the magnificent grounds. There are many picnic tables on the treed grounds which just happen to be in front of the winery Marketplace. The Marketplace included an enormous selection of wines as well as a European style deli. It's a great place to order fresh sandwiches,purchase a bottle of wine and enjoy the marvelous scenery in every direction. V. Sattui Winery is located at 1111 White Lane, Saint Helena, CA on the east side of Hwy 29.

Special Annual Napa Valley Event

August 7-25 2013

Music in the Vineyards, now in its 19th season, brings together nationally recognized musicians in unique winery settings where both performers and audiences experience chamber music as it was meant to be performed. These twilight concerts with complimentary wine at intermission, witty commentary and conversation with the musicians have become a Napa Valley tradition. Detailed information at www.musicinthevineyards.org

Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley

Another very unique winery we've discovered in Yountville is the Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley. The winery is located at 6711 Washington Street in Yountville and offers both an art gallery and wine tasting room. Furnishings include everything from the 16th century to contemporary styles. The artwork on display is some of the best in the San Francisco Bay area. The stone building was constructed in 1904 as a private residence and is one of three stone buildings in Yountville. Stone for it's construction came from the hills of Napa Valley.

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Yountville took it's name from George Calvert Yount who many contend was the very first Anglo resident in Napa Valley. Yount's history in Alta California goes all the way back to 1836 when he received a Mexican land grant and reportedly built the first log house in Alta California. The population of Napa Valley and northern California in general grew in the mid 1800's with the U.S. takeover during the Mexican American War along with the California Gold Rush which occurred within about one year of the U.S. takeover.

Visit Calistoga

Calistoga California historic train station

Another must stop further north in Napa County is the town of Calistoga.  Calistoga is a town surrounded by vineyards and at the same time is home to the famous mud baths and hot spring spas. Calistoga also features the second oldest train depot in all of California.

Listed under the National Register of Historic Buildings, the Calistoga train depot features six restored railroad cars with historic exhibits plus retail stores. Another less publicized site near Calistoga but an excellent addition to your Napa County trip planner is Safari West. This popular tourist stop is not a zoo but instead is a 400 acre wildlife preserve.Safari West features some 400 mammals and birds. Safari West is located at 3115 Porter Creek Road  Santa Rosa, CA. This is about nine miles west of Calistoga.

Another related article we've published is about the Geyser in Calistoga, a must addition to your northern Napa County California vacation planner.

(Photos from author's private collection)