posted 07-30-2011 09:38 AM            

I would stay in one place since it's for only 2 nights. Depending on what you want to spend on lodging, Yountville would be a great place to stay. There are several lovely choices for lodging there and quite a few tasting rooms and fabulous restaurants within walking distance.

Make an appointment for Cakebread - go to their website and see the various types of tasting/tours that they offer. Domaine Chandon has pretty grounds, if you are interested in sparkling wines - and they are there in Yountville. Clos Pegase has interesting and unusual artwork on the grounds; Sterling has a wonderful tram ride and self-guided tour (think about doing a reserve tasting for their best wines); Castello di Amorosa has a great tour, but the wines are so-so in my book; Chateau Montelena is fun to visit and has a beautiful setting (check out the movie Bottle Shock for some background and history for Napa Valley); for a small, family owned winery, make an appointment with Chase Family Cellars - wines are wonderful and the people there are terrific. You might find Darioush to have a wow factor - I haven't tried their wines, but the building is pretty cool.

As far as restaurants - go to Opentable.com and under the San Francisco Bay Area section, find Wine Country. Put in your date and so forth, and then you will see all the wonderful restaurants in the area. Once you pick the wineries you want to visit and plot our your route, you will know what restaurants you might be close to for lunch or dinner. In Yountville, we have enjoyed Bottega, Bistro Jeanty, Hurley's, and Mustard's. Napa (town), we have enjoyed Celadon, Cole's Chop House, and Fume Bistro. In St. Helena, we've enjoyed Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at The Culinary Institute of America, Cindy's Backsteet Kitchen, and Farmstead. In Calistoga, it was Solbar. mmmmmmmm, now I'm hungry! All were delicious and I would happily go again.

You might also consider taking along a picnic lunch for at least one of the days. There are several deli/grocery places to pick up supplies - near Napa (town) is Soda Canyon Store, in Calistoga is Palisades deli/cafe,
and closer to Yountville would be the Oakville Grocery, Dean and Deluca, or the deli at V. Sattui winery (which is a fun place to have a picnic and do a wine tasting).