36 Hours in Napa Valley

STRIKING waves of mustard flower. Rolling fields of budding vines. No traffic. You might need to pack an umbrella and an extra sweater, but winter is a surprisingly beautiful time to visit the Napa Valley of California. A misty and painterly moodiness sweeps over the 30-mile-long region this time of year, scattering the crowds, sharpening the colors and infusing the oak-scented tasting rooms with coziness. Daytime temperatures hover as high as the 50s, and though the season brings rain, it encourages an air of reflection perfectly suited to those big California reds.
Friday

3 p.m.1) VINTAGE CYCLING

Winter’s calm makes this a great time to explore Napa’s winding roads on bicycle, as traffic slows to a mellower clip. Some of the prettiest roads are found around Calistoga, a funky and unstuffy town on the northwest tip of the valley — a bit of whiskey before the pinot. The Calistoga Bike Shop has sturdy rentals starting at $10 an hour (1318 Lincoln Avenue; 866-942-2453; www.calistogabikeshop.com). For your first taste of Napa, pedal two miles to the Michael Graves-designed Clos Pegase Winery (1060 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga; 707-942-4981; www.clospegase.com) and feel the terroir under your tires.
7:30 p.m.

2) GLOBAL LOCAVORE

Fussy marble, garish fountains, overdramatic underlighting — Napa’s fancy sheen can obscure its simple, earthy charm. For a taste of the valley’s homey side, try the Wappo Bar & Bistro (1226 Washington Street, Calistoga; 707-942-4712; www.wappobar.com), a shoe-box-size restaurant where locals mix easily with wine-chasing tourists. It feels like a country inn, but the food is international. The menu includes cassoulet, tandoori chicken and Singapore noodles. Dinner for two is about $60, not including, of course, wine.
9:30 p.m.

3) BRING YOUR EARPLUGS

Beer in Napa? It might sound like blasphemy, but the Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery (1250 Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga; 707-942-4101; www.calistogainn.com) makes a mean Pilsener, along with various ales and stouts ($4.50 a pint). The wood-paneled watering hole, after all, has live music every night — and who wants to drink merlot while dancing to rock? Besides, there’s plenty of time for wine tomorrow.
Saturday
9 a.m.

4) SLING SOME MUD

Calistoga’s name has been mud, or at least synonymous with it, ever since the Gold Rush pioneer Sam Brannan dipped into the Wappo tribe’s ancient mud baths. Some claim the volcanic ash and geyser-heated water rejuvenate the pores; others find relief from aches and pains. At a minimum, it’s fun and weird to float in hot goop with cucumbers on your eyes. With manicured lawn and white cottages, the Indian Springs Resort and Spa (1712 Lincoln Avenue; 707-942-4913; www.indianspringscalistoga.com) resembles a colonial hill town under the British Raj and claims the title of the oldest continually operating spa in California. Soaks start at $75.
11 a.m.

5) A LITTLE HISTORY

If you walk around Calistoga long enough, you’ll eventually stumble upon the unassuming Sharpsteen Museum (1311 Washington Street; 707-942-5911; www.sharpsteen-museum.org; $3 donation requested for visitors over age 11). Like the town itself, this charming collection of local history, Indian artifacts and Disney cartoons (you’ll see) hasn’t yet polished away all traces of quirkiness. A 32-foot-long diorama depicts the town’s early vacationers at play, when Calistoga was known as the Saratoga of the Pacific.
Noon

6) SIZING UP THE GRAPES

Time to see what this valley’s made of. Grab a picnic-friendly sandwich ($5 to $9) from the Palisades Deli Cafe (1458 Lincoln Avenue, Calistoga; 707-942-0145) and hit the vineyards. With hundreds to choose from, there’s no perfect lineup. But the following offer personality, memorable wines and a departure from the more generic tasting bars. (Fortify against bad wine humor: “Forgive us cabernet, for we shall zin,” they say over at Chateau Potelle.) Large wineries often suffer in the character department, but not Quintessa (1601 Silverado Trail, Rutherford; 707-967-1601; www.quintessa.com). From the graceful crescent facade to the fascinating tours of its production facilities, this 280-acre estate makes a great first stop — and it produces wonderful Bordeaux-style wines. At the other end of the winemaking spectrum is the Green Truck Cellars (Stags Leap District; 707-649-1200; www.greentruckcellars.com), a one-man-one-truck pinot noir operation; call in advance, and the owner, Kent Fortner, might offer a highly personalized tour. Casa Nuestra (3451 Silverado Trail North, St. Helena; 866-844-9463; www.casanuestra.com) offers another take on old California informality — just ask the goats out front that clamor for snacks, emboldened by having a blend named after them (Two Goats Red). And for drop-dead gorgeous scenery, swing by Frog’s Leap (8815 Conn Creek Road, Rutherford; 800-959-4704; www.frogsleap.com) and its five acres of lush gardens, orchards, beehives, chickens, photovoltaic cells and everything else that makes this among Napa’s more forward-thinking operations. Appointments are required for tastings at each of these vineyards, and fees are $10 to $35.
5 p.m.

7) SHOPPING BUZZ

The precious town of St. Helena, eight miles southeast of Calistoga, is a shopaholic’s delight. Footcandy (1239 Main Street; 877-517-4606; www.footcandyshoes.com) sells Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks with heels that are as high as stemware. Woodhouse Chocolate (1367 Main Street; 800-966-3468; www.woodhousechocolate.com) sells handmade artisanal chocolates in an elegant space that looks more like a jewelry shop. And the local interior designer Erin Martin sells bronze sculptures, porcelain lamps and other housewares at her namesake shop, Martin Showroom (1350 Main Street, 707-967-8787; www.martinshowroom.com).
8 p.m.

8) RIVERFRONT DINING

For memorable fare and setting, go to Angèle in the city of Napa (540 Main Street; 707-252-8115; www.angelerestaurant.com), a converted boathouse on the Napa River where locals and tourists come to get away from the tourists. French brasserie classics like roasted cod ($22) and braised lamb shank ($26) are served under a beamed ceiling and warm lighting. Regulars can be spotted ordering the off-menu burger with blue cheese ($13). Needless to say, the wine list is varied and extensive.
9:30 p.m.

9) MAKE IT SWING

The city of Napa rolls up its sidewalks after dark, but Uva (1040 Clinton Street; 707-255-6646; www.uvatrattoria.com) makes an exception for free live jazz every Saturday until midnight. Photos of old jazz greats crowd the walls, and you can tap along from the swanky dining room or the crowded bar.
Sunday
10 a.m.

10) ART OF WINEMAKING

For a nontipsy perspective on wine, drive up the winding, woodsy road to the ivy-covered Hess Collection (4411 Redwood Road, Napa; 707-255-1144; www.hesscollection.com), the winery and contemporary art museum built by the Swiss multimillionaire Donald Hess. Tours of the bright gallery, which are self-guided and free, take you past works by Frank Stella, Robert Motherwell and Francis Bacon. At one point, a window provides a view of the fermentation tanks — the suggestion that wine equals art is not lost. Judge for yourself: the tasting room, just off the lobby, specializes in mountain cabernets ($10 for four wines).
12:30 p.m.

11) DOWNWARD DOG

Feel uncentered from all the wine touring? Stop by Napa’s sleek new yoga studio Ubuntu (1140 Main Street; 707-251-5656; www.ubuntunapa.com) for an anusara or vinyasa yoga class ($18). Or, if that’s your stomach growling, Ubuntu also has a great vegetarian restaurant. The mushroom pizza is topped with a terrific local crescenza cheese ($14), and you just might bend over backward for the marinated beets and Asian pears ($9), some of which come from the restaurant’s own biodynamic gardens.

THE BASICS

The Napa Valley is about 50 miles north of San Francisco, just over an hour’s drive. Vineyards dot both primary roads, Route 29 and Silverado Trail, as well as the many connecting back roads. In winter, traffic should be minimal, but just in case, Silverado tends to be the calmer of the two.
The Indian Springs Resort and Spa in Calistoga (1712 Lincoln Avenue; 707-942-4913; www.indianspringscalistoga.com) offers retro glamour, boccie courts and a short walk to restaurants and shops. The 24 rooms and 16 cottages start at $225. The geyser-heated pool is kept at 102 degrees in winter, with an inviting outdoor fireplace nearby.
In the city of Napa, the 106-room River Terrace Inn (1600 Soscol Avenue; 866-627-2386; www.riverterraceinn.com) manages to accommodate large numbers without sacrificing comfort. The well-appointed rooms start at $179, though specials are sometimes found online for as low as $149.

For wallet-emptying luxury, the 52-room Auberge du Soleil (180 Rutherford Hill Road, Rutherford; 800-348-5406; www.aubergedusoleil.com) provides a sumptuous hilltop perch from which to peer down on the valley. Terrace doors open onto misty views, and a tennis court, soaking pool and boutique are steps away. Rooms start at $525.

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