If traffic is heavy along Route 29, the main artery through the valley, cut over to the Silverado Trail. This two-lane road runs parallel to Route 29, along the east side of the valley, which lives up to its reputation for beauty. Take in the endless rows of dark green vines stitched across the land, blanketing the valley floor and rising up the mountains on either side. Palm trees and eucalyptus groves punctuate the fabric of the vines, and as the valley narrows to the north, its terrain changes from table-flat to rolling. Nothing is inexpensive in wine country, but one way to save a little money is by eating lunch on the fly.
Most towns have a well-stocked gourmet market with a roster of inventive sandwiches.
At the Oakville Grocery, housed in an old 1930s filling station, the shelves are packed with delectables and the sandwich menu is as long as your arm. In Napa, at the comfy Yountville Inn, every room has a fieldstone fireplace and patio or terrace, and the pool and hot tub are jumping with slightly buzzed wine-hoppers at the end of the day. Nearby, in St. Helena, El Bonita Motel has a low-key atmosphere and large gardens for strolling. In wine country, conversation with strangers comes easily, as you might expect in a setting that revolves around the ultimate social lubricant. I meet travelers from all over the world who've come here to relax and submit to the seductive charms of the grape.