Napa Valley, California

Napa Valley, located about an hour north of San Francisco, is the sunny countryside where you will find excellent wineries and scenic vineyards. Between one and five by 30 miles, drives to Napa to sample California wines or a fine dinner on a train are both great ways to experience the popular Napa wine tours.

There are miles of open countryside and hundreds of acres of farmland in Napa Valley, since most of the development in the area has been limited to the cities. The vineyards of Napa Valley CA are the top producers of wine in the country, with Washington State wineries coming in second. Napa wine tours can be anything from a map of Napa wineries and a tank full of gas, or an elegant dinner on the Napa Valley Dinner Train.

This area is most popular in the summer, when it is warm and sunny. Springtime has more comfortable weather, but the area stays warm into the fall, when the grapes are harvested. You can learn about the winemaking process if you take one of the Napa Valley wine tours during the fall harvest season.

If you enjoy peaceful country roads, then a car rental of your dream car and a scenic drive on Highway 29 is one of the best things to do. Going north on Highway 29 takes you through the western part of Napa Valley, past world-class wineries and excellent restaurants. Food is synonymous with wine, so there is no lack of fine dining in Napa. The most scenic part of Highway 29 is from Yountville in the south to Calistoga, home of California's own Old Faithful Geyser.

Driving a car and doing your own Napa wine tours allows you to spend as much time as you like in the tasting rooms of Napa wineries. You can purchase bottles of the wines you enjoy to take some of Napa home with you.

From one day excursions to shorter tours as you can get if you visit the Napa wineries, there are a number of companies in the area that can show you an excellent time in Napa Valley. You can learn about the winemaking process, take a seminar on pairing food and wines, which include gourmet-cooking classes while you learn about wine. Add in a bicycle tour or a hot air balloon ride and you've got the ultimate in Napa wine tours.

The Napa Valley Dinner Train is a major attraction that lets guests enjoy an excellent meal while they pass some of the most scenic areas in Napa Valley CA. The train goes between the town of Napa and St Helena, which is 18 miles to the north. There are three different dining cars, so you can enjoy lunch, brunch or dinner while you take in the peaceful countryside.

You should give yourself at least a weekend to take in the lovely countryside, enjoy elegant dinners, and enjoy a Napa wine tour. You will be sampling the finest wines in the country and see the wine making process first hard in a lovely setting when you take a Napa wine tour. Whether you go for full day event with a local tour operator of simply arrive for one of the scheduled tours at an area vineyard, you will savor the wines, the sun, and the relaxing country vistas of Napa Valley CA.