Activities in Wine Country
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BR Cohn
Picnic like a rock star at BR Cohn, whose founder Bruce Cohn managed ’70s superband the Doobie Brothers before moving onto organic olive oils, his Doobie Red Bordeaux blend, and throwing an annual November benefit concert amid the vineyards and olive groves.
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Wellington
West off Hwy 12, many of Sonoma Valley’s best buys await at Wellington winery, where under $30 gets you hazelnutty white port or award-winning, white-peppery zins produced by 100-year-old vines that miraculously survived Prohibition.
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Kenwood Inn & Spa
For true decadence, Kenwood Inn & Spa offers complimentary bubbly with ‘vinotherapy’ antioxidant red-wine body wraps ($175 for 80 minutes) that go straight to your head. Spa treatments start from $125.
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Morton’s Warm Springs
Northwest of downtown Napa is Morton’s Warm Springs, long believed to have healing properties by native Wappo, with three geothermal mineral pools, hiking trails, volleyball nets and BBQ facilities.
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Bartholomew Park Winery
Bartholomew Park Winery, is a 400-acre preserve with vineyards originally cultivated in 1857 and now certified organic, yielding citrus-sunshine Sauvignon Blanc and smoky-midnight Merlot.
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Benziger
At Demeter-certified biodynamic behemoth Benziger educational tram tours explain environmentally savvy, esoteric winegrowing methods that yield sensational truffled-cranberry cabs.
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Kaz Winery
Veer off Hwy 12 near Kenwood for offbeat, organically grown, cult-favorite wines, poured inside a barn.
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Triple Creek Horse Outfit
Hike to the lake to overlook London's pristine 129-acre farmstead, ride through fragrant redwood groves with Triple Creek Horse Outfit.
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Vintners' Collective
Inside a former 19th-century brothel, VC represents 20 high-end boutique wineries too small to have their own tasting rooms.
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Twenty Rows
Downtown Napa's only working winery crafts light-on-the-palate Cabernet Sauvignon for a mere $20 a bottle.
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Pride Mountain
Cult-favorite Pride straddles the Sonoma–Napa border and makes stellar Cabernet, Merlot and Viognier at an unfussy hilltop estate with spectacular picnicking. Reservations required.
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Lava Vine
The party kids at Lava Vine take a lighthearted approach to seriously good wine, offering food pairings with tastings. Kids and dogs play outside. Bring a picnic. Reservations recommended.
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Indian Springs Spa
Book ahead for a volcanic-mud bath at Calistoga's original 19th-century hot-springs resort; treatments ($85) include access to the hot-springs-fed pool.
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Hess Collection
Northwest of downtown, Hess pairs monster cabs with blue-chip art by mega-modernists like Francis Bacon and Robert Motherwell. Reservations suggested.
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Frog's Leap
Meandering paths wind through magical gardens surrounding an 1884 barn at this LEED-certified winery, known for Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet. Reservations required.
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Darioush
Stone bulls glower from atop pillars lining the driveway of Darioush, a jaw-dropping Persian-temple winery that crafts monumental Merlots.
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Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
An 1889 stone chateau houses a gadget-filled culinary shop, fine restaurant, and weekend cooking demonstrations and wine-tasting classes.
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Castello di Amorosa
You'll need reservations to tour this near-perfect re-creation of a 12th-century Italian castle, complete with moat and torture chamber. The respectable Italian varietals include a good Merlot blend, great with pizza.
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Casa Nuestra
A peace flag and portrait of Elvis greet you at this tiny mom-and-pop winery, known for its unusual varietals. Goats frolic beside the picnic area.
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Cade
Ascend Mt Veeder for drop-dead vistas at Napa's oh-so-swank, first-ever LEED gold-certified winery, which crafts Bordeaux-style Cabernet Sauvignon. Hawks ride thermals at eye level. Reservations required.
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