Contents Welcome to the Napa Valley
Shopping Arts and Entertainment Downtown Napa Murals Events [Sample] Lodging
Corporate & Personal Tour Planning Meeting and Conference Facilities Recreation and Outdoors
Kids' Favorites Nightlife Relocating to the Napa Valley Wine
Napa Valley Trivia Appendix I-Downtown Napa Walking Tour Napa WineWalk About the Napa Valley The Napa Valley is in Northern California at the northeastern tip of San Francisco Bay (actually called San Pablo Bay up that far), about an hour's drive north of San Francisco. To the west is the Sonoma Valley, to the north is Lake Country, and to the east is the Sacramento Valley. The Napa Valley is actually just one of many valleys in Napa County, but it's by far the largest and best known. The valley itself is about 30 miles long and ranges from one to five miles in width. Napa County has a population of about 125,000 people, including five incorporated cities. North to south, they are: Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, Napa and, at the southern end, American Canyon. Angwin, Deer Park, Pope Valley, Rutherford and Oakville are communities with post offices but aren't actual towns. The county's primary industries are winegrape growing, wine production and tourism. Thanks to stringent and ongoing efforts by a number of dedicated agriculturalists, environmentalists, elected officials, and concerned citizens, and the support of the vast majority of the voters, there is little development in the unincorporated area of the county. Most commercial and residential development is in the cities. This preserves a huge amount of agricultural land, allowing Napa County to avoid the urban sprawl that has affected almost all other San Francisco Bay Area counties. The result is an attractive place for residents to live and for tourists to visit. Napa River The Napa River is one of four navigable rivers in California and one of only three surviving free-flowing rivers. It's a major source of freshwater to San Francisco Bay, and offers excellent fishing for striped bass and sturgeon. There's even peaceful canoeing right in the heart of the city of Napa. A local organization, "Friends of the Napa River" (www.friendsofthenapariver.org), was formed to preserve the river, which has a tendency to frequently flood downtown Napa. Of course, building a city on a flood plain wasn't a great idea to begin with, but now that it's here, citizens decided to create ways to save both the river and the city by turning out a river that's developed and flood-safe, yet still natural and free-flowing. Voters approved a bond issue and construction is underway now to restore the river to a more natural state, as well as one that will not flood populated areas. For more information on the river, see the special Napa River section. Mount St. Helena That extinct volcano you see at the north end of the valley-Mount St. Helena- is not extinct. But don't worry; it isn't a volcano either. Despite the beliefs of many locals, it's just a mountain, in fact the highest part of the Mayacmas Mountains (frequently misspelled "Mayacamas"-in fact so frequently, that we'll use that spelling in this book) that also extend into Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino Counties. It is, however, one (and the highest at 4,343 feet) of the four dominant mountains of the San Francisco Bay Area. Mount St. Helena at the north, Mount Hamilton at the south-near San Jose; Mount Diablo at the east-near Concord; and Mount Tamalpais at the west in Marin County. Even if Mount St. Helena was never a volcano, there is a great deal of geyser activity just below it in the hot springs town of Calistoga, and to the northwest in an area known as The Geysers, currently used as a source of thermal energy. [snip] NAPA 
The City of Napa is the county seat and was founded in 1848 by Nathan Coombs. The word "napa" is of Indian derivation and has been translated as 'house," "motherland," "fish," or "grizzly bear." The most likely is that it is derived from the Patwin Indian word "napo"meaning "house". During Gold Rush days, cattle and lumber were mainstays of the local economy. Today the economy is based on wine and tourism. More than 72,000 people live here. Alexis Baking Company & Café 1517 Third Street Napa CA 94559 707.258.1827 American with a Wine Country flair - Entrees (lunch) $9.00-$10.00 The "ABC" is one of Napa's most popular coffee and lunch spots. Highly recommended. For breakfast, try Alexis Handleman's scrambled eggs with potatoes and tomato-basil toast. If you're lucky, she'll feature her grilled vegetable sandwich at lunchtime. Don't miss the unique-and uniquely labeled-bathrooms. Allegria 1026 First Street Napa CA 94559 707.254.9917 Northern Italian - Entrees: 10.95-$23.95 Northern Italian food with an elegant décor. Located in an historic bank building in Downtown Napa next to the plaza (where the much-despised Clocktower formerly stood). Friends say it has the best tiramisu they've ever tasted. American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts (see Copia) Anette's Chocolate & Ice Cream Factory 1321 First Street Napa CA 94559 707.252.4228 Ice cream fountain (they make more than 25 flavors), candy factory, wineflavored truffles, sugar-free chocolates. They ship UPS almost everywhere. Anette took over from the previous owner, who'd founded the business 40 years earlier. The quality has remained outstanding. Angèle Restaurant 540 Main Street Napa CA 94559 707.252.8115 www.angele.us French Country - Entrees $12-$19 A French Provençal country farmhouse restaurant and bar run by Claude Rouas and his daughters Bettina and Claudia. Rouas founded the Auberge du Soleil inn and restaurant in Rutherford and Piatti's in Yountville. Located at the Napa Mill in downtown Napa. Outdoor dining available overlooking the Napa River. Back Room Wines 974 Franklin Street Napa CA 94559 707.226.1378 877.322.2576 www.backroomwines.com Directions: Between First and Second Streets in Downtown Napa. A wine shop and tasting bar. Winetasting by the taste, half-glass or glass, as well as artisan cheeses and charcuterie. Half-glass charge averages $3-$3.50, full glass $6-$7.50. Tasting flight of six wines for $6. [snip] Calistoga  Calistoga was developed in the 1860s and its name is reputed to have been accidentally coined by town founder Sam Brannan. Brannan apparently intended to refer to it as the "Saratoga of California", the Saratoga referring to the well-known spa area in New York State. Brannan, having had a few drinks, instead came out with the "Calistoga of Sarafornia'. Calistoga it stayed. Brannan's fortunes didn't get any better. He had to sell most of the resort in 1875 and he died penniless in 1889. A sad end for California's first millionaire. 
Downtown Calistoga - the liveliest place in the valley. Calistoga is the place for spas, and it's the only town in the Napa Valley with any real nightlife - despite the fact that it has only one-tenth the population of the city of Napa. People walk along the sidewalks; wander in and out of bars, restaurants and shops; smile at each other; and, in general, have a great time. After all, after lying in mud, soaking in bubbling mineral water and getting massaged throughout the day, you'd be pretty mellow, too. All Seasons Bistro, Wine Bar and Wine Shop 1400 Lincoln Avenue Calistoga CA 94515 Restaurant: 707.942.9111 Wine shop: 707.942.6828 800.804.9463 California Bistro - Entrees $18-$35 Legendary, with a killer wine list. Established in 1983, it was one of the first great restaurants in the valley. Great vegetarian fare and "to die for" desserts. A favorite with locals as well as visitors. Wine bar offers wines of the world with a focus on Napa Valley and Northern California. $3 and up per taste from a daily selection of 10-20 wines. Bothé-Napa Valley State Park 3801 North St. Helena Highway (Highway 29) Calistoga CA 94515 707.942.4575 www.napanet.net/~bothe Over 10 miles of excellent trails. Picnic grounds and 50 campsites. Includes one campsite for hikers/bikers and another designed for disabled visitors. Outdoor swimming pool. A wonderful place for all ages. Open year round. We consider it the loveliest public place to hike in the entire valley. For reservations, call 1.800.444.PARK. Trail Rides 
On the trail at Bothé-Napa Valley State Park. (Photo courtesy of Napa Valley Trail Rides.) Located near the entrance to Bothé-Napa Valley State Park is Napa Valley Trail Rides. They offer horseback rides from April through November, including special rides for groups. Basic ride is $50 for 1.5 hours. Reservations required. Check out their web site at www.napasonomatrailrides.com or call 707.996.8566. Calistoga Inn 1250 Lincoln Avenue Calistoga, CA 94515 707.942.4101 www.calistogainn.com 19 rooms - $75-$100 Turn-of-the-century inn with comfortable rooms and no minimum nightly stay. European-style shared bath accommodations. Each room has sink and mirror; down the hall are shared men's and women's facilities with restrooms and showers. Continental breakfast included. Recommended by The New York Times and Wine Spectator. Calistoga Inn Restaurant 1250 Lincoln Avenue Calistoga CA 94515 707.942.4101 www.calistogainn.com California Cuisine - Entrees $14.50-$21.50 Another long-time favorite of locals and visitors. Live, local musicians on the weekends and dynamite buffalo wings. It also has its own excellent microbrewery, the Napa Valley Brewing Company. Calistoga Mineral Water Company 865 Silverado Trail North Calistoga CA 94515 707.942.6295 www.calistogawater.com 
The Calistoga Water truck greets visitors along the Silverado Trail. One of the country's most famous bottled water companies, it has been owned by Perrier for years. Visitors are very welcome. During your visit you'll enjoy a water tasting with lots of different flavors. Due to government regulations the company can't advertise its water as healthful, but the reality is they've got lots of testimonials and people have been drinking (and bathing in) Calistoga's water for more than a hundred years as a health tonic. Calistoga Pack Goats 4762 Petrified Forest Road Calistoga, CA 94515 707.942.5504 Email: goatwalk@aol.com Two-hour hikes on Napa Valley trails. Goats carry your food and water. You get to stroll along unencumbered. Calistoga Village Inn & Spa 1880 Lincoln Avenue Calistoga, CA 94515 707.942.0991 www.greatspa.com $69 - $159 Rooms, some with whirlpool tubs, and a full spa located on Calistoga's main street. Three mineral-water pools for spa and overnight guests. Chateau Montelena 1429 Tubbs Lane Calistoga CA 94515 707.942.5105 Two miles north of Lincoln Avenue (Calistoga's main street). Charge for tasting. www.chateaumontelena.com 
A view of the lake at Chateau Montelena. Chateau Montelena is one of the two Napa Valley wineries that won top honors in the historic Paris wine tasting in 1976. Montelena won for its 1973 Chardonnay. The winery was founded in 1882 and reborn in 1972. Excellent wines in a beautiful setting. [snip] Events Napa Valley Academy Awards Benefit 707.257.8686 Held every year the night of the Academy Awards. Includes more than two dozen wine and food pairings from Napa Valley's finest wineries and restaurants. Dancing, silent auction and big-screen simulcast of the Academy Awards. A very popular event that benefits local AIDS projects. Napa Valley College Theatre 2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway Napa CA 94558 707.253.3200 www.napavalley.edu Directions: south of Napa on Soscol Avenue just south of Imola. The Napa Valley College Division of Fine and Performing Arts sponsors approximately 100 events each year: plays, musicals and concerts (choral, jazz, and instrumental), including events for young audiences. Tickets at the NVC Cashier, Blumer's Music Center in Napa and Main Street Books in St. Helena. Or use Visa/MasterCard and phone the college for tickets. Free parking; wheelchair access. Napa Valley Jazz Festival 707.944.1373 Jazz performances at various locations benefiting music programs for local public high schools. Napa Valley Marathon PO Box 4307 Napa CA 94558 www.napa-marathon.com Held every spring and sponsored by the Silverado Trail Wineries Association. Route goes from Calistoga south on Silverado Trail to Napa. Napa Valley Model Railroad Club Napa Valley Exposition Third Street Gate Napa CA 94559 707.253.8428 www.napavalleyexpo.com/f-railroad.html Open Friday evenings from 7:30 p.m. on and during major fairground events. This elaborate model railroad occupies a 3,600 square foot room at the Napa Valley Exposition. The "Napa Valley Northern" runs from Napa north through Lake County with northbound connections to Portland, and southbound connections to Stockton. The layout has more than 1,500 feet of track and the time period is from 1940 to present. Great for kids and railroad fans of any age. Napa Valley Mustard Festival 707.942.9762 www.mustardfestival.org Held in February and March at locations throughout the valley. Napa Valley Shakespeare Festival Riverbend Plaza Napa Mill 500 Main Street Napa CA 94559 707.251.WILL (Information) 800.965.4827 (Tickets) www.napashakespeare.org 
Shakespeare, wine and the river. (Photo courtesy of Napa Valley Shakespeare Festival.) The festival, which for some years was located upvalley, is now at the Riverbend Plaza at the newly-restored Napa Mill in downtown Napa. Performances take place outdoors and are presented for six weeks in July and August. Patrons can reserve box dinners in advance through the festival, or enjoy a meal catered by Celadon restaurant. Naturally, this being the Napa Valley, wine is sold at all plays. All food and wine must be purchased at the site. Performances are held Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Gates open at 6:15 p.m. and performances begin at 7 p.m. We recommend you purchase tickets in advance due to the limited seating. General admission is $18-$24. Seniors, students and children are $14-$18. Tickets also available on www.ticketweb.com or at Copperfield's Books on First Street, the Napa General Store at the Napa Mill, or Main Street Books in St. Helena. If you're in the valley at the right time, we highly recommend the festival. The acting is excellent, the sets are colorful, and the environment - a starlit summer evening in the Napa Valley - is magnificent. Napa Valley Symphony 2407 California Boulevard Napa CA 94558 707.226.6872 www.napavalleysymphony.org The Napa Valley has developed an outstanding group of musicians. Most concerts are held in the Lincoln Theater at the Veterans Home in Yountville. There's also an annual free concert by the river at Veterans Park in downtown Napa. Call the Symphony for a schedule of all performances. [snip] Bed And Breakfast Inns Note: Rates may have increased since publication of this book. Most rates given do not include tax. Angwin Forest Manor 415 Cold Springs Road Angwin, CA 94508 800.788.0364 Fax 707.965.1962 www.forestmanor.com 6 suites - $210-$395 Located in the hills above St. Helena on 20 acres, just minutes from wineries, shops, restaurants and attractions. Six spacious suites, a gourmet breakfast each morning, an outdoor pool and jacuzzi. Calistoga Angels Are Inn 1018 Myrtle Street Calistoga, CA 94515 800.386.1939 (California) 707.949.4424 Fax 707.942.1524 www.angelsinn.com 3 units - $175-$195 Rooms have cushy down featherbeds, beautiful antiques, stereos with CD players, mini-fridges and coffee makers. Continental breakfast buffet is served daily, and afternoons feature selected wine and cheese tasting. Relax in the whirlpool tub in the grapevine and jasmine-filled garden under the stars, dawdle on the wrap-around veranda, and stroll to Calistoga's famous healing volcanic mudbaths, gourmet dining and world-class wineries. [snip] Parks and Camping Napa Parks and Recreation 707.257.9529 www.cityofnapa.org/commres/ Alston Park On Dry Creek Road on the northeastern edge of town. 707.257.9529 Alston Park is a Napa City "open space" park. Parking for the 157-acre park is at the north and south ends of the park off Dry Creek Road. At each lot there are hiker entrances and bicycle and horse gates to allow access to three miles of trail. Three small picnic areas within the park allow for views of the Napa Valley. Portable restrooms are available at the south park entrance. Fuller Park Jefferson Street at Oak Street 707.257.9529 Fuller Park is a Napa City park located at the edge of Napa's Old Town. This 10 acre park is a favorite spot for picnics (25 tables and three reservable group sites) and birthday parties. Located throughout the park are various monuments and plaques commemorating important events. Perhaps the most prominent monument is a watering fountain for horses and small animals. Moved to the park in 1965, the fountain was originally created to stand in the center of the intersection of Polk and Franklin Streets in downtown Napa. Kennedy Park On Highway 221 just south of Napa Valley College 707.257.9529 Golf Course: 707.255.4333 J.F. Kennedy Park is a Napa City park that runs along the Napa River. The 350-acre park includes five reservable picnic areas. The park also offers softball, soccer, volleyball, boat launching, hiking, a children's playground, and the 18-hole Napa Golf Course. The Pelusi Recreation building can be reserved for meetings, weddings or private parties. Skyline Wilderness Park 2201 Imola Avenue 707.252.0481 www.skylinepark.org Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. to dark Friday - Sunday 8 a.m .to dark. Daily visitor's fee is $4 per vehicle, RV camping $14, and tent sites $8. Skyline Park is an 850-acre wilderness area at the southeast corner of Napa. It's managed by a non-profit organization formed to protect the area. You'll find lots of wildlife, including deer and wild turkey. Skyline has over 25 miles of trails for hiking, biking and equestrian use. The 2.5 mile main trail leads to Lake Marie at the eastern end. There's also an alternate route along the ridge trail that is a much better workout, but is not for those out of shape. From this trail on a clear day, you can see San Francisco Bay, Mt. Tamalpais and Mt. Diablo. Beautiful. Skyline also offers picnic and barbecue areas, an RV park, and tent camping.The best place to hike in Napa. Westwood Hills Park On Browns Valley Road, about one mile west of Highway 29 707.257.9529 Westwood Hills Park is a heavily-wooded Napa City park. The park provides three miles of trails through beautiful groves of oak trees and grassy meadows, and affords expansive views of the city. The park includes benches and picnic tables near the parking lot and along the trails. The non-profit Napa Valley Naturalists operate the Carolyn Parr Nature Museum near the parking lot at the park. The Center's exhibits depict the plants and animals found in Napa County's five different habitats. There's also a children's nature library, "hands-on" corner of skins, nests and bones, and an extensive nature reference library. The Center is open year-round on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4 pm. During the summer it is open Tuesday-Sunday at the same hours. [snip] Barrels 
Stacked oak barrels fill the barrel aging rooms of Napa Valley. (Photo courtesy of Wine Institute.) Barrels are used to store and age wine. The wine is "topped up" (the barrel is filled to the top) so that no air remains in the barrel to cause oxygenation of the wine. However, the porous nature of wood does allow a certain "breathing" to occur, which provides a slight exchange of air into the barrel and wine out of the barrel. You'll notice a very pleasant smell of wine in a winery's barrel room, so it's very obvious that a barrel isn't 100% tight. 
Barrelmakers gather the oak staves with metal hoops to create a barrel. (Photo courtesy of Napa Valley Vintners Association). Barrels are usually made of oak, either French or American. The oak imparts a desirable taste to the wine, particularly in heavier red wines that will age in the barrel for some years. Oak barrels are usually "toasted" on the inside. The current cost of a 55- to 60-gallon oak barrel is around $300-$450 for American oak and $600-$750 for French oak. An oak barrel can be used for 3-5 years. After that, the barrel is no longer able to impart much of an oak taste to the wine. In order to enhance the oak taste and add a "caramelized" taste to some wines, most wineries have their barrels "toasted." This slight burning of the inner side of the staves will give the wine tastes of vanillin, caramel, butterscotch and other flavors. 
Toasting barrels enhances the flavors of the wines that will be stored within them. (Photo courtesy of Wine Institute.) The cooperage will place an unfinished barrel over a hot fire so that the inside of the barrel is slightly burned. Levels of toast include light, medium, medium plus (currently the most popular) and heavy. Wineries will frequently use a combination of barrels so that, for example, 1/3 might be brand-new, 1/3 three years old, and another 1/3 five years old. This gives a range of flavors of various wines, and also allows for blending wines with various levels of oakiness. In order to save on the cost of new barrels, some wineries will "shave" the inside of used barrels, removing about 1/4 inch of the wood, revealing fresh wood, which will then impart the oak taste to the next wine that is put into it. They will likely also re-toast the barrel. This shaving can only be done once as the wood staves then become too thin to shave a second time. [snip] Seasons Of The Vineyard As with any agricultural crop, growing grapes is very seasonal. Here's an outline of the year. Winter Ground cover, such as mustard or clover, is seeded in the vineyard to keep down weeds and provide nutrients to the soil. The vines are dormant. 
Winter in the vineyards. (Photo courtesy of Napa Valley Vintners Association.) 
A skilled vineyard worker prunes old branches of the vines. (Photo courtesy of Napa Valley Vintners Association.) Old branches are pruned, leaving only the basic trunk of the vine and whichever canes are desired. The smoke you may see coming from the vineyards is simply the controlled burning of old grapevines. Spring New vines are planted. You may see them wrapped in growing tubes that look like, and sometimes are, milk cartons. The tubes help train the vines and protect against rabbits and other hungry residents of the area. Powdered sulfur, an organic fungicide, is sprayed on vines to prevent a fungus called powdery mildew. Budbreak takes place as the first small shoots burst forth out of the buds. 
Budbreak in the spring. (Photo courtesy of Napa Valley Vintners Association.) This is a time when frost can damage the new shoots, so growers prepare smudge pots (euphemistically called "orchard heaters" by some growers), wind machines and overhead sprinklers to protect against it. Summer New shoots appear. Vines begin to flower. Some shoots are pruned so that growth energy is focused on the remaining shoots. Shoots that are too long are trimmed, so that fewer, but higher quality, grapes will result. Some leaves are removed to increase the grapes' exposure to the sun and increase air circulation. This is done because moisture can lead to "bunch rot" or to mildew. Berries appear and begin to grow and swell. In the heat of the summer sun, sugar levels in the grapes begin to rise, and the amount of acid begins to decrease. The grapes soften and approach full maturity. Fall Harvest (called "Crush"). The grapes are picked, brought to the winery and crushed, and the juice is fermented into wine. After picking, the remaining leaves in the vineyards begin to change color. Yellow is normal, red leaves early in the season indicate a problem (disease or lack of appropriate nutrition.) 
Red leaves in late fall-not always a good sign. In the Napa Valley, Crush usually starts in August and goes through most of October. Sparkling wine producers pick first, as they use grapes with lower sugar levels and higher acids. Still wine producers usually start several weeks later. Thinner-skinned grapes ripen first, such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Thicker-skinned reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon are the last to ripen and be picked. [snip] Glossary of Wine Terms Acid--A natural component of the grape, primarily tartaric acid. Acid adds flavor and crispness, and its tartness provides "backbone" to the wine. Aging--Leaving the wine alone in a barrel or bottle for a period of weeks, months or years. This allows the wine to mature, and the flavors and other components to blend and harmonize. Alambic--The pot, traditionally copper, which is used for distilling spirits such as brandy. Alcohol--Ethyl alcohol. During fermentation, yeast breaks down the sugars in grapes and turns it into alcohol. Before fermentation, it's grape juice. Afterwards, it's wine. Napa Valley wine generally has anywhere from 10 to 14 percent alcohol. (Once a fermenting wine gets up to around 16 percent, which is possible if it started with very high sugar levels, the yeast dies and fermentation stops.) Aperitif--A wine served before a meal. Appellation--A particular wine-growing region that has been designated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms as having shared characteristics of climate, soil or other conditions. Aroma--The smell of a wine, particularly from the natural characteristics of the grape itself. Astringent--Producing a puckering sensation in your mouth, such as you would experience when drinking tea. Comes primarily from tannins in the wine, which are found in grape skins, seeds and stems. Oak barrels also add tannins to the wine. {snip} Back to Westsong Publishing home page |
