<!– @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –>

Napa valley is a blissful heaven for those who need an escape from a monotonous nerve-wracking life. If an escape for health beckons, then a massage in Napa Valley at St. Pierre Massage is an absolute for getting your mind and your body rejuvenated.

The most well known massage therapy center in Napa Valley is none other than the St. Pierre Center for Massage. With years of experience, St. Pierre Center for Massage has specialization in offering professional services along with personalized treatment. We take pride to let you experience comfortable massage rooms filled with soft lighting & soothing music, natural body products, organic cotton blankets and soft fleece pads with heated tables and much more. You can find this heaven like place in Napa Valley (Napa County) north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the state of California.

Napa massage packages during Napa wine region vacations can release your stress by pampering your body amazingly. After getting a massage, you will certainly feel far better not just physically but also mentally and spiritually. Napa massage packages and Napa spa packages are a great help to heal your body in natural way because trained Napa massagers work properly for your system. One of the noteworthy features is that they don’t use drugs while massaging instead utilize numerous natural products and scented oils for enchanting your soul with a lifetime experience.

St Pierre Massage in Napa offers a variety of packages that pamper you with Swedish massage, Sports/Deep Tissue massage, Therapeutic Stone massage and many other types of relaxing spa treatments. Some of the Napa Valley Massages focus on specific body areas and bestow them with aroma-oil therapy treatments like Natural Face Mask, Foot Glow, Neck Wrap, Back Glow, Cold stone face massage etc.

Fill your Napa Vacation surrounded by romantic wineries followed by a day of massage. St. Pierre Massage attracts peace seekers to a mind retreat in a remarkable atmosphere. Come visit us and relieve the stressful work pressures from your week and take in life from the wine region.

For more information please visit : Seo Services India

Best Of Napa Valley On A Budget
No doubt about it, the Napa Valley can be expensive. Hundred- dollar bottle of wine? They’ve got it. Thousand-a-night hotel suite? Right this way. But there are vine values to be found if you know [...]

Copied from SQLJ » Napa Valley Articles

by wallyg

Napa Wine Tours in Northern California recommends a unique occasion to make out down a single road for miles and have ample of wineries to prefer in clear sight. Make use of a chart to sketch your day in advance that will help you to have a spontaneous stop at any winery that stare exciting along your way through. Yearly, lots of people stay in the valley for tasting and tours of the winery to boost their love of wine. Visit the Napa valley of your desired producers or survey and start your wine country tours.
1) Glance in online at a Napa wine tours visitor website for a clear picture featuring the locality of all the wineries. Napa Valley is departed into five regions: Calistoga, St. Helena, Oakville/Rutherford, Yountville and Napa.
2) Think about the occasion of year when making your trip plans. If you don’t like crowds, stay away from the region’s most popular destinations. If you are seeking for enthusiasm, plan your trip during a celebration or special event. The climate is not a big issue in planning a wine country tours visit, since the temperature in California is mild all through the year.
3) In the larger regions, it is not much easy to visit all of the wineries in a single trip. First-rate four or five wineries to visit–either the brand you distinguish, favorite wineries or latest wineries you haven’t been to before.
4) Visit the selected wine region websites to check out brand of wines you be fond of, whether you want to take a tour by seeking to few wineries that offer Napa tours, while others don’t and locality  where it will be much more efficient to visit wineries that are next to each other. A few wineries have tours per hour; few more may be constrained to just one or several per day. Make your reservations if suggested.
5) Fix a schedule to one or two winery tours in your day. Majority tours charge a bill but consist of tasting numerous varieties of wines. An in-house sommelier, frequently called a “wine steward” who will be usually in hand to respond your questions.
6) Depending on the Napa Valley Wine Tours selected, you may find countless other activities, such as barrel tasting, grape stomping or gracious snacks.
7) Take your lunch at one of the many wineries with a picnic area. Paying for food and wine at the winery’s wide-ranging store will be an easy option.

Here is the few more tips/warning to consider,

1) Investigate the servicing hours of the wineries. Mostly wineries will be stopped at 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. Also remind whether the winery is opened free or by appointment only.
2) Many wineries spot the progressing hills of Napa Tours when you schedule more than a day to discover.
3) Most Napa Valley Wine Tours encourage members to be at least 21 years old. Pre-plan to pay off for wine tasting because some wineries charge a fee for tasting also.

Community Bulletin Board
Education

Copied from SQLJ » Napa Valley Articles

Overview

The Napa Valley is nicely known as well-known vacation spot to visit along with reside. Although most folks know it because of it is world-famous wines, it also has world-famous restaurants, and even other non wine-related attractions. The Napa Valley is located approximately 50 miles north from the city of San Francisco. It is situated approx and also 50 miles west from the city of Sacramento along with about 40 miles east of your coast. Napa’s place helps it maintain its more compact town allure atmosphere, but it’s nonetheless shut sufficient to enjoy the attractions of nearby larger cities.

Local weather

The Napa Valley has a Mediterranean climate. The mild local weather is ideal for grape increasing and also tends to make it a great location to reside. It benefits from coastal fog to keep it cooler within the summer. Most summers may have a few days of temperatures around 100? F. July along with August are normally the hottest months of your year. Fortunately the hottest temperatures only last several days at a time prior to the cooling fog returns. Normally the northern finish of your Napa Valley is warmer than the southern finish.

Organization

The Napa Valley is famous intended for its wineries. You’ll find approximately 300 wineries in the Napa Valley. Even though there are many large wineries, the bulk of these wineries are more compact boutique wineries. The wine industry in total generates about billion yearly for the region. Regardless of this only 9% on the Napa Valley is planted vineyards with one more 3% regarded as appropriate for growing.

Genuine Estate Market

Once the genuine estate market is very hot, home costs within the Napa Valley tend to increase on the same rate or greater than other parts in the state. Even though the recession has impacted significantly of California, real estate prices in Napa haven’t fallen as significantly as other components of your state since on the desirability of dwelling in the region.

Napa Valley News

It is possible to locate the latest about Napa Valley through the nearby newspapers, web sites, tv and even radio stations. It’s a good notion to plan forward with season you’ll be visiting so you’ll know what type of weather to expect.

Napa Valley Fastpitch Softball: MI&V 12, Branagan Insurance 2 (6 innings)
Olivia Henderson pitched a two-hitter with four strikeouts and Magdalena Gonzales went 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs to pace MI&V in Tuesday night’s second Senior Division contest.

Find More Napa Valley Articles

Copied from SQLJ » Napa Valley Articles

People around the globe flock to California for many reasons and Sacramento and Napa Valley Wine Tours itself attract almost six millions of visitors round the world. Wine tours are exotic and exclusive because one can do many things like visiting the authentic wineries, seeing the process of distillation and taste some of the world famous wine. Napa Valley Wine Tours are an experience that all wine lovers should experience once in their lives. There are many organized tours that are available Yountville, Oakville, and Calistoga and for those who like to travel in limos can even ask their limousine service provider to organize the tour. This is an excellent way of travelling as one gets the services and confirmed bookings even in rush seasons. The valley has some of the most beautiful sceneries and Napa Valley Wine Tours are just the perfect way to enjoy the beauty of nature in an exotic way.

Tour operators can have many ways to plan the visit but the most common ones happen on a daily basis from San Francisco. There are some fine wineries on the list depending on the package and service. While group travelling is predetermined, limo services can be customized on request. One can choose to visit from three to even more wineries and get to know the process of making wine in a very personal and elaborate way. One can also get the chance to buy exclusive range of wines at very good prices while tasting some of the finest wines in the valley. The small area of Napa valley has hundreds of wineries and each has something that is worth paying a visit. Group buses and Limo services are active and one can take the Highway 29 or even Silverado Trail which is excellent on drive. Silverado trail is very less crowded so remains a favorite in the peak rush times of the year. Highway 29 is more popular as it was many wineries on the way.

For those who are crazy about wine can spend half of the later September visiting the wineries when the grapes are sorted and fermentation process is started. This is where one can see how wines originate and how the best priceless wines are made. Most wine lovers love to visit this valley every season and stay for a long time. One can get the best country side feeling amidst breathtaking views of nature and some of the finest wineries in the world. To avoid the hassle of not getting the bookings on your required dates, booking in advance is a great option. While cheap and affordable conveyances available the entire time, exclusive travelling like limousines may need prior booking. It gives the chance to get the discounts and also gives a better idea to plan your travel to selected wineries in the area. If you looking to stay for a while, contact your Napa Valley Wine Tours provider about the options to stay in the countryside and have an inside look of the wine world.

Prep report: Albini leads San Marin softball to NCS win in the rain
SEBASTOPOL — Rain nearly gave the San Marin High softball team a win over Analy after just six innings in the North Coast Section Division II quarterfinals Saturday, but after an hour-and-a-half delay with parents, coaches and players working to salvage a playable field, the teams were able to finish the game and San Marin beat Analy 3-1.

Copied from SQLJ » Napa Valley Articles

by lyng883

Napa Valley is known for Vineyards, wineries and wine. Major attractions of this area are rolling hills, steep mountains and amazing micro climates that make it ideal for growing a variety of grapes. There are many vineyards that grow different types of grapes in Napa valley.

Napa Wine tours are one of the unique tours in Napa Valley from San Francisco. Napa wine tours will take you to the entire premier Napa Wineries. In this tour you can enjoy picnic lunch, four winery stops, ride to the Golden Gate Bridge and then return back to San Francisco. Along with Napa Valley tour, a tour guide is appointed who will provide information about Napa Valley.

Napa Wine tours will start from Ferry Building and then you will get close to Alcatraz, Bay Bridge, city of San Francisco, as well as Golden Gate Bridge from a short distance away. Next destination would be Domaine Chandon where you can enjoy sparkling wine tasting. Sparkling wines are tasted during celebrations only. Domaine Chandon’s winery is second to none in the wine country. Some popular wines are Brut Classic, Pinot Noir Rose, etoile Rose and Pinot Nior. Domaine Chandon blends beautiful architecture with majestic landscape of Napa Valley.

Your next stop would be at V.Sattui Winery where you can taste wide variety of wines. V.Sattui is a family owned winery which is a perfect place for a great picnic and bottle of wine. V. Sattui has one of the best delis around with great selections of cheeses, pastas and desserts.  You can taste red, Italian, sparkling, dessert, white and other old vintage reserve wines.

Next popular destination is Whitehall winery. Whitehall Lane was founded in 1979. In 1979, two brothers started the winery and directed their winemaking efforts successfully to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. They named the winery, Whitehall Lane. Napa wine tours will take you to this beautiful vineyard where your taste buds can enjoy the drink. The last popular destination is Franciscan vineyard. Franciscan has its roots deeply embedded in the soil of Napa Valley. Founded over three decades, Wine industry revolutionaries Raymond Duncan and Justin Mayer shaped the winery’s beginnings.

The tour ends by Ferry/bay cruise at the Ferry Building. Ferry building is located to most hotels, especially if your hotel is in Union Square, Financial District or Fisherman’s Wharf. Most San Francisco hotels are in those neighborhoods.

When you’re on a Napa Valley wine tasting trip do remember following points:
Limit the amount of wine you drink
Take your time to enjoy the scenery of the winery
Ship your purchases from Napa to your home
You can enjoy your trip if you want to enjoy the taste with the help of your wine.

Blazing the Trail
A Napa Valley trail? Yes, we can! I’ve never met Chuck McMinn in person, but we’ve both asked the same question when enjoying multi-use trails in other communities: “Why can’t we do this in the Napa Valley?”

Copied from SQLJ » Napa Valley Articles

by septillion

Where in the world can you pet a dolphin, dodge a geyser, fly high in a hot air balloon, ogle at ostriches, and tour a castle – all in a single day? Napa Valley, of course.

California’s Napa Valley is famous for its 300+ vineyards and wineries, but there’s so much more. It’s also an exciting, family-friendly destination. The area’s beautiful scenery draws hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. If your family prefers water sports, the Napa River has cruises, boat rentals, and even kayaking for the adventurous.

The Napa Valley is a short drive from San Francisco. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (formerly Marine World) is nearby in the town of Vallejo. Children (of all ages) are entranced by the marine shows featuring dolphins, seals, and killer whales. The many amusement park rides range from 11 gravity-defying roller coasters including the Boomerang – which goes backwards – to go carts, climbing walls, and toddler-friendly water play areas.

Continue north and you reach the town of American Canyon, gateway to the Napa Valley. The town offers affordable lodging options and convenient access to Napa and Sonoma County vineyards. Many wineries offer special wine tasting events, behind-the-scenes tours, and dinner packages.

The town of Napa is just 7 miles from American Canyon. Along with upscale shopping and dining options, the town is home to many Napa Valley tour companies. The hot air balloon tours won’t take you around the world, but do offer an exhilarating birds-eye view of the serene wine county landscape. Depending on the tour package, extras may include a champagne toast or even full gourmet breakfast after your flight.

There’s plenty to do on the ground too, as you continue north. Many families head straight for the small town of Calistoga, where wineries meet geysers.

The “Little Old Faithful” geyser is a top attraction. Stand back – way back! – and watch as scalding hot water shoots over 50 feet into the air every 30 minutes or so.

While the geyser is an impressive display of the area’s geothermal activity now, the Petrified Forest is a powerful reminder of the area’s violent volcanic history. Three million years ago, a massive volcanic eruption toppled a Redwood forest and covered it in a thick layer of ash. The silica-rich ash eventually turned the trees into solid stone. There’s a museum and shady trail where you can view the major tree excavations.

Calistoga’s Safari West offers a different sort of trail – one filled with cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, and other exotic animals. It’s not just an animal park; Safari West is a 400-acre wildlife preserve dedicated to education and wildlife preservation. Visitors can take guided safari tours and even stay overnight in a luxury safari tent. Be sure to plan ahead: reservations are required for all tours.

Now, any parent who managed all this in a single day would surely be ready for at least one glass of wine. The Castello di Amorosa is just the place. Set in a stunning castle, the winery offers relaxing horse-drawn vineyard tours and welcomes visiting families with a special area for kids to enjoy grape juice and coloring while parents attend an adults-only area wine tasting.

Of course, nobody could adequately experience the Napa Valley in a single day. You may visit the first time just for the wine, but you’ll soon discover that Napa has something for everyone in your family to enjoy. The area’s beauty and diversity beckons to travelers of all ages, encouraging many repeat visits.

Calistoga Police and Fire Log: Officers report: ‘Dogs gone’
2:09 a.m. — An officer responded to a neighborhood off Foothill Boulevard on the report of a suspicious vehicle driving slowly. The vehicle had left before officers arrived.

More Calistoga Articles

Copied from SQLJ » Napa Valley Articles

by jimg944

When you are bugged up with daily routine you need to take a break. Napa Valley wineries and Napa wine tours rejuvenate you surely.

If you like to have fun and frolic with friends, wine tasting, topped with scenic beauty then Napa valley wineries is the ultimate choice. You find here all groups smaller as well as bigger. The experience Napa Vally wineries and Napa wine tours offer is just out of the world! No picnic can be better than this for sure. Undoubtedly Napa valley Wineries and Napa wine tours are the best chosen place to unwind your stress. Napa wineries are producing top-notch wines across the USA.

Napa valley wineries are quite warmer in summer. Napa is situated to the west of Santa Barbara County. Napa County is between Mayacamas and  Saint Helena mountains. Hood Mountain is also situated at the west of Napa Valley. Napa County has been spread on a total area of 788 square miles.Napa has housed for a gamut of flora and fauna and also rare species. Many endangered species are also very well protected and seen here.

Reaching Napa valley wineries can be very thrilling and adventurous as well. There are many modes of transportation to reach Napa Valley Wineries. Bike, hot air balloon, train or horseback, rental cars are few of them to name. There are many agencies cropped up to help you regarding how to reach Napa valley wineries. Let’s see the mode of transportation in detail.

The main attraction of Napa valley wineries is wine tasting. A guide will be there to help you. As you go on for sightseeing you can’t take your eyes off from those swaying vineyards. Delicate creepers swaying with grape bunches are a sight to watch. Fantastic weather, scenic beauty and friends or family topped with excellent gourmet food make it to the fullest.

The combination of all these create a fantasy.

Car: Rental car facility is available. If you don’t like to be on wheels, driver will take to your destination very safely. Enjoy the natural scenery sitting back grabbing few manuals of wineries. These jeep tours will take you right in the middle of vineyard and also make you taste the variety of wines. Seeing wine making can be more educative.

Train: This train package consists of lunch and dinner. These wine trains host holiday and theme based trains to take you around. You can entertain each family member on this train.

Bus: Highly and professionally recognized driver plus itinerary of wine country are the major attractions of traveling by bus. This bus will stop at four wineries consists of lunch, and ferry ride. This tour will take you to all the hot spots of Napa valley wineries.

Bike: Bike vacations at Napa Valley Wineries offer packages with many add on features. Bike tours are ideal for friends group. Good food, company, wine tasting plus natural beauty make your picnic linger in your mind for a long time.

(RWire) Athletics: Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon Mirrors Marathon Boom
33rd edition resonates with wide range of runners; another sold-out field.

Copied from SQLJ » Napa Valley Articles

Napa Valley tours take you on an enchanting route to one of the paradises on earth. It is located to the north of San Francisco. It is the second largest sight seeing location in California. It is known as one of the leading wine producing regions of the world. These tours arrange a sumptuous feast of historic sites & popular locales viz- museums, wildlife sanctuaries, art galleries & natural wonders. Hot air balloon flights offer a way of reaching Napa valley. By visiting the wine country, the visitors can enjoy the cool pleasure of Napa Valley wine train, Sharps Teen Museum, Skyline Wilderness Park, Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, Yount Blockhouse, Petrified Forest, Geyser Mountains & much more. In addition to these, Napa valley tours provide opportunities for wine tasting, hiking, bicycling, art tours, culinary classes, golf outings & more.

If the visitors are interested to know about Napa Valley, a good number of tour operators will provide all the relevant information about the places to visit. They offer a host of transportation options also – airport shuttles, custom vans, full size motor coaches, bikes, open air jeeps & limousine services throughout the year. Tour companies are: Beau Wine Tours & Limousine Services, Safari West Wildlife preserve & Resort, Napa Valley Bike Tours, Avintura, Esperya, Platypus Tours, Escape SF Tours, & Napa Insiders – to name a few.

Napa Valley offers exhaustive information on Napa Valley, Napa Valley Hotels, Wine Tours, Wineries & more. Napa Valley is affiliated to Reno Nevada. Before embarking a wine tasting tour, you should have some reading on the subject. From lots of travel magazines, you can know about various wine tour destinations in California. Wine regions, accommodations, requirements & fees, etc. Napa Valley & Sonoma County are the most popular wine producing regions.

You must have a designated driver & also a seasoned guide with a limousine. Wine tours can be mixed with mid day casino visit or a sunset cruise on the SF Bay. Private tours are also possible. Group tours can be arranged. Birthdays, anniversaries, bachelor parties & wedding ceremonies – all these days special for fun & merriment can be celebrated. Most importantly, the tours can be customized to meet the schedules. Discounts & concessions are part of a package. California wine provides to-the-point information on California wine, wine tours, wine country, wine gift baskets & more. California wine is affiliated to California Wine Clubs.

Wine country tours will enthuse you & provide an enchanting & fascinating experience – with different variation of California Wine, besides exquisite restaurants providing romantic locales. Your favorite brands viz. Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Shiraz will be available for consumption plus a compliment of new brands hitherto not tasted. Any expert guide will be able to provide sufficient details about wine making process. Tasty cuisines & matching wines will be the theme music of any expert guide’s repertoire. A comprehensive tour plan always includes a trip vineyard so as to enable you to fully grasp the rudiments of wine making.

California wineries offer a picturesque & romantic scenery with it’s grape orchards & fruit arbors. The exciting wine caves of this region present a cool respite in hot summer. Sonoma County or Napa Valley – these California wineries transport you to ice-cold ambience from boiler room temperature. It is unbelievable; but, it is a fact that, on an average, five million tourists visit Napa Valley everywhere. It is a place where scenic beauty juxtaposes with sensory pleasure.

The visitors are transported to the Napa Valley through a 30 mile valley with its endpoint Calistoga. For people interested in win making as a profession & past time, these tours provide a chance with local cooking classes & wine-related seminars. Tourists can get their holiday thrill from special bicycle rides, hot air balloon & jolly river rafting. Wine tour companies originate from San Francisco & offer different services. These companies have time bound agreements with private wineries. There are companies with pre-destined tour agendas & some other companies fix the itinerary considering the preferences & priorities & budget proposals of the tourists’ buses, trains & limousines – all are available for fees or charges ranging from to 0. There are many tour companies operating in the Bay area which take you on SF sight seeing tours

•    Super Sight Seeing Tours/415-353-5310
•    Electric Tour Company/415-474-3130
•    Local Tastes of the City Food Tours/415-665-0480
•    Fire Engine Tours and Adventures in San Francisco/415-333-7077

All these companies provide tours with different packages, durations & schedules.

For tour-related information, please visit; recreationtraveltips.com

Wine country tours provide ample chances to learn about the trade & also abundant measure of various brands to transport you to the horizons of the other world – a truly relaxing & admittedly interesting sojourn.

www.HippyGourmet.com http In this segment from Organic Living TV with the Hippy Gourmet our Gastronaut and sustainability reporter Chris Nolder hops a ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train! As we wind our way through the majestic vineyards and rolling hills across Napa, California’s famed wine region, we meet up with Chef Kelly Macdonald in the restored 1915 Pullman coach kitchen! We feature a wonderful Yam & Goat Cheese Rellenos, Cabernet Beet Salad and some wonderful organic wine pairings! The Napa Wine Train is the definition of romance with an approachable elegance that harkens back to a simpler, more glorious time. The food is delicious, the wine is superb, and the staff make you feel like you’re on a fantastic European holiday. Organic Living TV gives the Napa Wine train a 5-star review!

Napa named ‘top hot spot’
NAPA – In a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Hotel Rate Report from Hotwire.com, Napa was named the No. 1 city in the U.S. where hotel rates have dropped the most. The report indicated a 33 percent price drop in rates for the holiday weekend from the same time last year.

Copied from SQLJ » Napa Valley Articles

If you love fine wine, it would be hard to find a more enjoyable vacation experience than the Napa Valley.

A visit to Napa is not just a chance to see where wine is made, or to explore the upscale shops and stores that now have found their way into the tiniest of Napa Valley communities. Rather, a trip to the valley is an almost spiritual journey that presents you at once with the beauty of 63,000 acres of vineyards and the industry that has brought a European elegance to the Valley lifestyle.

It was once quite sleepy, but the town of Napa has been changed forever by its wine industry. With 75,000 residents, Napa has become a city in its own right ‘ albeit with the feel of a small town. There are several major new shopping complexes and you’ll also see that Napa Valley is keeping up with one of the latest trends: downtown wine bars that enable you to do your tastings without even venturing into the countryside.

Up the 30-mile-long valley are much smaller towns such as Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga ‘ each an easy and scenic drive from Napa and all of them offering their own unique versions of what a Napa Valley wine town should be all about. Taken together, the towns of the Napa Valley offer a Disneyland for wine-lovers whose E-ticket rides will include some of the most famous labels in the world. But even if you are only mildly curious about wine, the chateaus, the gorgeous vistas, the educational tours that show you every step of the wine-making process ‘ all of these things will make a Napa Valley visit worthwhile.

It’s impossible to see any more than a small sample of wineries on your weekend or daytrip, and we’re told that people from the Bay area just drive up to Napa week after week checking off a few more wineries from their list each time. Most of the wineries charge for wine tastings ‘ although we did come across one that didn’t ‘ and either your pocketbook or your alcohol tolerance will probably limit the number of wineries you can visit on any given day.

That free tasting was at V. Sattui Winery, where on a Sunday afternoon the gift shop and deli were buzzing with people, and lines were forming along the wine bar to taste the latest offerings. Located in St. Helena, this winery is a popular stop for visitors who want to buy a bottle of wine and then picnic on the beautifully landscaped grounds. The winery even sets up a buffet line out on the grounds, offering barbecue for those who didn’t bring their brown bags. Interestingly, V. Sattui does not sell its wine anyplace other than the winery, by mail order, or from the company web site.

While V. Sattui is typical of a relatively small family-run winery, the other end of the scale is Domaine Chandon, which we found in Yountville. With spectacular park grounds and a four-star gourmet restaurant just footsteps from where the wine is made, Domaine Chandon is an example of a winery owned by a large conglomerate that distributes its product world-wide. We decided to take the 45-minute tour of this massive facility and found it well worth the time. Small groups are shown how wine is made, all the way from grape-growing to final production. The tour helped explain to us many of the process behind wine-making.

Most people visiting Napa Valley focus, of course, on the wine and the many fine restaurants that have chosen to locate in the Valley. Shopping also is a big part of any Napa holiday. But the other place where the Napa Valley shines is in the impressive array of accommodations up and down the valley, from historic bed-and-breakfast inns to exquisite boutique-style resorts. Most are obsessive about providing the most and the best amenities and service. They know that some of the world’s most discerning travelers spend time in the Napa Valley, and these innkeepers want the accommodations to be in the same league as Napa’s world-renowned wines.

We found that certainly to be the case at Meadowood, an impressive resort tucked along one edge of the Valley near downtown St. Helena. You can imagine yourself going to a country estate — here you go through a security gate and enter a lush world of green lawns, meandering trails and thick forests. Strategically positioned here and there are attractive resort buildings that seem to add to the area’s ambiance rather than detract from it.

If this were the 1920′s, it’s easy to imagine that Jay Gatsby would have loved Meadowood. It’s very fancy, but every-day working people will enjoy it as well. Whether it was lounging by one of the inviting pools or enjoying breakfast in Meadowood’s elegant cafe, we encountered many families and couples who just seemed to be enjoying the chance to luxuriate at one of the best resorts in the Valley.

We especially enjoyed our Meadowood suite, one of the newer accommodations at the resort, and situated on one of the forested hillsides. It gave us the feeling of being in a luxurious vacation home in the woods ‘ cozy, yet spacious with its high ceilings and open floor plan. A full living room included a fireplace, an attractive wall case, a couch and extra easy chairs for guests. The bedroom was especially decorative, featuring a window seat and bay windows. Thick white robes, down comforters, state-of-the-art home entertainment ‘ these and many other upscale amenities were all there.

A short walk from our suite was the recreation area ‘ with its 25-yard lap pool, family pool and expansive lawn — and the Health Spa, where guests can enjoy skincare, body treatments and massage therapies. Fitness trainers and private yoga instructors are waiting for your call. Fitness is never far from your mind at Meadowood, where you’ll also find saunas, steam rooms, seven tennis courts, hiking/biking trails and two championship croquet lawns.

You can find both fine and casual dining at Meadowood. The Restaurant at Meadowood features California cuisine, while the Grill offers light meals overlooking the golf course. We felt that the most relaxing experience would be simply to dine-in and enjoy our luxurious suite.

Even if this was not the Napa Valley, Meadowood would stand on its own as a premiere destination resort. But the fact that this was the Napa Valley meant that we couldn’t just hole up and relax the entire weekend ‘ there was far too much to see and do.

The shopping and wineries were great, but we also just enjoyed driving this scenic valley. From Napa to Calistoga, we found communities that were each just a little different and each with its own selection of panoramic views. We enjoyed stopping alongside the road and taking close-up pictures of the grapevines, or angling for the best view of the Valley and its vines.

Interestingly, the feeling you get from so much natural beauty is kind of like the satisfaction you get from the perfect glass of wine. It’s all part of the amazing power of the grapevine.

AT A GLANCE

WHERE: The Napa Valley is about 45 miles northeast of San Francisco or about 60 miles southwest of Sacramento.

WHAT: The Napa Valley has become famous because of the grapes grown in this location. Grapes grown in different climates, soils and locations have different characteristics and Napa Valley grapes are judged to be some of the best in the world for making several varieties of fine wine. Accordingly, more than 300 wineries now have located in the Valley. Fine restaurants, lodging and shopping have also come to the Valley.

WHEN: Any time of year. A special bonus comes in August and September during the annual grape harvest. You can sometimes see first-hand how the grapes are crushed. Hint: Most of them don’t do it like Lucy Ricardo did.

WHY: The Valley has an almost mystical ambiance that is hard to describe, but easy to discern.

HOW: You can find out more information about the Napa Valley by going to www.napavintners.com or www.napachamber.org. To learn more about Meadowood, call (800) 458-8080 or go to www.meadowood.com.

California travel expert Veronica Hill of www.CaliforniaTravelExpert.com tours her favorite Napa Valley wineries in this episode of “California Travel Tips.” One of the most celebrated wine growing regions in the world, Napa is known for its bold Cabernet Sauvignons in the north and its smooth Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays in the south. Almost all of the wineries are located along the scenic farmland of Highway 29, which runs from Napa up to Calistoga. It’s about 26 miles, or 40 minutes from start to finish. There are more than 195 wineries in Napa Valley. The Neighboring region of Sonoma has more than 75 vineyards and tasting rooms. And the numbers keep on growing. Clearly, it’s impossible to visit all of the Napa wineries in one visit, so try to focus on about 2-3 per day. Many wineries are pet and child friendly! A few of my favorite Napa Valley wineries are the elegant Domaine Chandon, known for its bright sparkling wines and beautifully landscaped grounds; the rustic and beautiful Silverado Winery, perched on a knoll above the Silverado Trail; and the modern Opus One Vineyards, known for its Newgrange-style tasting room, manicured vineyards and single Bordeux style blend. Join a winery’s club and you’ll get a free tasting and discount on your purchases! For a relaxed and educational tasting room experience, don’t miss St. Supery’s Wine Discovery Center, where you learn how the grape goes from vineyard to bottle in less than 30 minutes. Its one of the best primers on …

Men’s College Basketball: Napa Valley 62, Contra Costa 57
Napa Valley (2-1 Bay Valley Conference) got a win on the roadWednesday, as Brandon Cole scored 20 points, making three 3-pointbaskets and going 7-of-9 from the free-throw line in San Pablo.Rosevelt Smith had 15 points and Javonte Wills had 12 points forthe Storm, which was ahead 29-20 at halftime.

Copied from SQLJ » Napa Valley Articles

Napa is a lovely tourist place to enjoy anytime throughout the year. Making your Napa tour in limousine, bike or coach may occasionally disappoint you due to traffic. Helicopter ride would be an incredible choice to enjoy your Napa valley tour. In fact, one of the best ways to take in all the sights of the Napa valley is to take a helicopter ride over the Napa valley.

Helicopter rides over Napa valley are awesome. Riding over Napa valley tours in helicopter is sure to give you an amazing experience. From your helicopter you can enjoy breathtaking views of Napa valley during the day and stunning views of Napa valley during night. You can see some great views of Napa valley without risking your life. Helicopters take tourists over the vineyards and wineries to stun you with luxurious and elite look of Napa valley. Napa valley with its unique sightseeing opportunities enriched by redwood forests, petrified forest, and vivid cliffs along the Pacific gives you a charming experience along with the delicious wine available in the country. Helicopter rides over Napa valley offer an exclusive blend of luxury and accessibility with a feel of adventure that signifies Napa Valley’s magic and splendid spots.

Wineries in the Napa valley have always drawn discriminating and thrill-seeking pleasure when viewed from helicopter. Flying over the beautiful countryside of Napa Valley by helicopter rides is remarkable way to enjoy the vineyards of Napa valley. You can go for a helicopter ride over the vineyards of Napa Valley. There you enjoy Napa Valley wine and tasting tours. You can visit famous and boutique vineyards to enjoy delicious wine and buy wine. With lovely wine, heavenly panoramas, and the world’s finest vineyards converge, you can enjoy a great time over Napa valley by helicopter ride.

Napa-Helicopter-ridesNapa Helicopter rides fill you with thrills and chills. Napa Helicopter ride provides you enough excitement for you and your friends and relatives. Napa Helicopter ride guarantees to give the most amazing adventure in your life. Napa helicopter tour offers excellent views of Napa valley, allowing tourists to take the benefit of all the photo opportunities offered in this city. Spectacular helicopter tours over the Napa valley provides great adventure ideas surrounded by beautiful natural scenery.

Helicopter rides over Napa valley gives you breathtaking excursion overcoming the challenges of traffic congestion in Napa and lands the tourists to their destination in console with a remarkable view of Napa valley along the way. Though expensive, helicopter rides over Napa valley can give you a bird’s eye-view of Napa valley and its attractions. The Napa valley tours provide executive helicopter services.

Napa valley helicopter flights are custom, private, and exclusive, and provide a specific tour for you. Helicopter rides in Napa valley begin at day time when the winds are gentle. Helicopter rides over Napa Valley are highly recommended during amazing morning time.

Napa valley Helicopter flights are scheduled for one or two persons. Whatever the adventure you choose, helicopter rides over Napa Valley gives bird’s eye view of the sun-speckled Napa Valley. Helicopter tour is one of the better ways to enjoy Napa valley’s hottest attractions. Fly over the beautiful Napa Valley in helicopter to get a memorable, fun, stress-free and once-in-a-lifetime experience in Napa Valley. You can experience everlasting beauty, deluxe comfort, and unmatched adventures in the Napa valley’s safest helicopters.

If you think Napa Valley is just about wines and wine tasting, think again! This beautiful valley in California is a real jolt to the senses: world-class restaurants, friendly people, fantastic landscape and the, ahem, famous beer-can chicken! Produced by Julius Reque for Lonelyplanet.tv
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Napa Valley Distillery wins gold medal
Napa Valley Distillery’s Napa Vodka, vintage 2008, won a goldmedal at the 2010-2011 World Spirits Competition. 

Copied from SQLJ » Napa Valley Articles