Online - September 03, 2004

California Dreamin’

DailyCandy Goes to Napa and Sonoma

Like any good date, we figured we’d get you good and liquored up before taking you out on the town. So. Just in time for our launch of DailyCandy San Francisco, we give you our tour of the Napa and Sonoma wine countries.

Wine
Why stumble through a tasting on your own two legs (easy) when you can up the stakes with a bicycle provided by the Lodge at Sonoma (707-935-6600)? With a healthy sense of humor, they’ll send you on your merry way with a map, complimentary passes to wineries, and and a picnic option. (Maybe chow down before the tastings, hmm?)

Still got your equilibrium? Take the aerial tram to the top of Sterling Vineyards (800-726-6136). Napa Valley looks breathtaking from the air, and the five-minute ride gives you a jaw-dropping view. Oh yeah, the $15 ticket also gets you on a self-guided tour and tasting of five different wines — so be sure to take your photos on the way up.

Dine
The brand-new Pilar (707-252-4474) in downtown Napa is packing them in (though with only thirteen tables, that’s not a challenge). Better call for reservations. The menu, like the space, is diminutive (six starters, six entrees). The wine list is inventive: Each California wine is paired with an international “soul mate,” so you can taste how the same grape comes out in two different countries.

When you tire of all the pinot noirs and hanker for something crisp and bubbly, pull into the restaurant at Domaine Chandon (707-944-2892), the first California vineyard to use the French champagne-making method. The classic restaurant has a new chef, a new look, and a new menu — even the oysters are poached in Brut. Decadent enough for you?

Rise & Shine
At the environmentally senstive but very luxurious Calistoga Ranch (800-942-4220) in upper Napa, it’s hard to pry yourself out of your lodge and outdoor living room. Force yourself: A soak in the spa’s geothermal pool or a turn in the eucalyptus-and-volcanic mud wrap will have you floating in no time.

Longing for sidewalks but want to keep it low-key? Stay in northern Sonoma at the Hotel Healdsburg (800-889-7188). It’s minimalist but sumptuous. On cool evenings sip grappa (in these parts grapes are never far from the menu) by the fireplace.