franc, sauvignon blanc,
merlot and cabernet
sauvignon. There’s a
cool abstract-sculpture
garden and a lovely
picnic area shaded by
mulberry trees (with
wines by the glass) at
this LEED–gold-certified
winery – California’s first
(tours $45, including
barrel tastings).
The Silverado Museum
(%707-963-3757; http://www.
silveradomuseum.org; 1490
Library Lane; admission
free; hnoon-4pm Tue-Sat)
contains a fascinating
collection of Robert Louis
Stevenson memorabilia.
In 1880, the author –
then sick, penniless and
unknown – stayed in an
abandoned bunkhouse
at the old Silverado Mine
on Mt St Helena with his
wife, Fanny Osbourne;
his novel The Silverado
Squatters is based on
his time there. To reach
Library Lane, turn east
off Hwy 29 at the Adams
St traffic light and cross
the railroad tracks.
Hushed and regal, the
1889 stone château of
the Culinary Institute of
America at Greystone
(%707-967-2320; http://www.
ciachef.edu/california; 2555
Main St; mains $25-29,
cooking demonstration $20;
hrestaurant 11:30am-9pm,
cooking demonstrations
1:30pm Sat & Sun) houses a
gadget- and cookbook-
filled culinary shop; an
upscale restaurant and
a new cafe; weekend
cooking demonstrations;
and wine-tasting classes
by luminaries in the field,including Karen MacNeil,
author of The Wine Bible.54 p89
The Drive » Trees begin to
reappear on the landscape,
breaking up the vineyard views
as you head 8 miles north on
Hwy 29.6 Calistoga
The least gentrified
town in Napa Valley
feels refreshingly simple,
with an old-fashioned
main street lined with
shops, not boutiques,
and diverse characters
wandering the sidewalks.TRIP HIGHLIGHTBOOKING WINERY
APPOINTMENTSBecause of strict county zoning laws, many Napa
wineries cannot legally receive drop-in visitors;
unless you’ve come strictly to buy, you’ll have to
call ahead. This is not the case with all wineries. We
recommend booking one appointment and planning
your day around it.DRIVING IN NAPA VALLEY
» Napa Valley is 30-miles long and 5-miles wide at its widest point (the city of
Napa), 1 mile at its narrowest (Calistoga). Two roads run north–south: Hwy 29 (St
Helena Hwy) and the more scenic Silverado Trail, a mile east. Drive up one, and
down the other.
» The American Automobile Association determined Napa Valley to be America’s
eighth-most congested rural vacation destination. Summer and fall weekend traffic
is unbearable, especially on Hwy 29 between Napa and St Helena. Plan accordingly.
» Cross-valley roads that link Silverado Trail with Hwy 29 – including Yountville,
Oakville and Rutherford crossroads – are bucolic and get less traffic. For scenery,
the Oakville Grade and rural Trinity Rd (which leads southwest to Hwy 12 in Sonoma
Valley) are narrow, curvy and beautiful – but treacherous in rainstorms. Mt Veeder
Rd leads through pristine countryside west of Yountville.
» Police watch like hawks for traffic violators. Don’t drink and drive.NORTHERN.CALIFORNIA.5
.NAPAVALLEY