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Activities
Wineries
A trip to Napa Valley wouldn't be complete without sampling some of
its famed wines. With nearly 250 wineries in the valley—each offering
distinct wines, atmosphere, and experience—there is something
to suit everyone's tastes. Here are a just a few to start:
• Domaine Carneros –
housed in a spectacular Chateau, offers a remarkable view and fabulous
sparkling wine
• Folie a Deux –
situated in a century-old farmhouse, offering very nice reds
• Heitz Cellars –
housed in a unique stone building, produces some of the finest cabs
in the valley
• Peju Province Winery –
small winery producing outstanding wines
• Sterling
Vineyards – panoramic ride to the winery on an aerial tram
• Turnbull Wine Cellars – excellent reds coming from Oakville
Vineyards
Noted Wineries Along the
Silverado Trail
• Chimney Rock Winery
– a stunning white building set against hillside vineyards
• Clos du Val –
makers of fine cabernets
• Clos Pegase –
art galore and wines to match
• Duckhorn Vineyards –
unique tasting room and pleasant atmosphere
• Pine Ridge Winery
– beautiful setting, great red wines and caves
• Plumpjack Winery –
cool and unique tasting room, great high-end wines
• Robert Sinskey Vineyards
– best picnic spot on hillside setting
• Rutherford Hill Winery
– noted for their reds, offers a great valley view and good picnic
spot
Famous and Historic Wineries
of Napa Valley
• Beringer Winery –
the oldest continuous winery offers a complete tour that includes caves
• Beaulieu
Vineyards (BV) – consistently good wines over the ages
• Domaine Chandon –
excellent sparkling wine, beautiful gardens
• Niebaum Coppola Estate
Winery – magnificent and grand estate
• Robert Mondavi Winery
– the one that started quality wine revival
The Spa at Silverado
A haven of relaxation and healthy rejuvenation, the Spa
at Silverado was inspired by the serene sophistication of a classic
Roman spa. The luxury 16,000-square-foot complex is the largest private
resort spa in California’s famed wine country. Available exclusively
for Silverado Resort guests and Country Club members, the Spa at Silverado
offers complete fitness, spa, and salon services surrounded by tranquil
garden courtyards and breathtaking scenic views.
Golf & Tennis
An excellent way to enjoy Silverado's
natural beauty is to play the two, 18-hole golf courses, each in the
distinctive style of their architect, Robert Trent Jones, Jr. The resort
courses cover 360 acres and feature lush vegetation, ponds, lakes, three
creeks, trees arching over the fairways, and artfully placed traps and
greens. The 6,500-yard South Course challenges golfers with side-hill
lies and more than a dozen water crossings. The North Course, which
stretches 6,700 yards, is occasionally more forgiving. A pro shop, complete
with wine country gift items, is located in the Club House. A professional
staff is on hand to assist guests in improving their golf game.
Silverado
Resort offers guests use of one of the finest tennis centers in
the west with 17 immaculate plexi-pave courts.
St. Helena is the high-profile center
of the Napa Wine Industry, but is a small town with fewer than 6,000
people. The charming Main Street area contains countless upscale restaurants
and fancy shops. Literature buffs should stop at the renowned Silverado
Museum, housed in its own wing at the St. Helena Public Library. Bale
Grist Mill State Historic Park, just north of St. Helena, preserves
an 1846 waterwheel mill beside a lovely stream. Nearby Bothe-Napa Valley
State Park has 10 miles of hiking trails and hundreds of species of
birds, as well as coyotes, bobcats, deer and foxes.
Calistoga, at the top of the valley,
is another picturesque winery hub, built along a charming main street
with a collection of intriguing small businesses and an impressive array
of mud-bath spas. Calistoga has been famous for its mineral waters and
residual volcanic mud—the town is built atop a boiling underground
river—ever since it was promoted as "California's Saratoga"
in the mid 1800s. Though the town is increasingly upscale, there's still
something fun and funky about Calistoga. The Old Faithful geyser—not
the famous one in Yellowstone—blows hot water some 60 feet into
the air every 40 minutes. A petrified forest of fallen redwoods is nearby,
1.5 miles northwest of town off of Highway 128. Calistoga hugs the feet
of modest Mount St. Helena, where small and undeveloped Robert Louis
Stevenson State Park offers pleasant hiking for those brave enough to
jockey for parking along the narrow highway. Calistoga is a great starting
point for trips northwest and east of Napa Valley into some of California's
beautiful countryside.
Other Area Activities
• Rent bicycles and picnic in the countryside
• Shop at specialty boutiques, art galleries, or outlet stores
• Go olive oil tasting
• Visit Calistoga and indulge in a famed mud bath or mineral hot
springs
• Enjoy the spectacular view of the valley from a hot air balloon
• Ride the Napa Valley Wine Train from Napa through the vineyards
to Yountville
• Canoe on the Napa River
• Sunbathe in the refreshing dry air
• Explore wine country's famed farmers' markets, showcasing gourmet
food and produce, local artisan crafts, and sometimes live music.
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