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'Napa Illuminated' Tour: Full Itinerary

cakebreadseated1 We greet the morning sun smiling on the East Bay as we cross the Bay Bridge and move north through Napa (city) and onto the Silverado Trail, which brings us into some of Napa Valley's most compelling scenery. We arrive mid-morning at Frog's Leap, where you taste as you move about the grounds — first in the organic garden, then the solar-powered fermentation facility, then the historic red barn. Or you may prefer Cakebread Cellars, during whose excellent grape-to-bottle tour will help you learn everything you ever wanted to know about wine-making but were afraid to ask.

Next we visit Sullivan vineyards, a charming, family-owned winery known for its "big reds" and recommended by wine critics of the Wall Street Journal. (Remember you really don't have to throw the ball for their golden retrievers.) For lunch we stop at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, the CIA's Greystone or any of the many wonderful restaurants about which you've heard. Perhaps a picnic in a scenic overlook suits your fancy.

In early afternoon, we expand our pleasure at Schramsberg's* (or Beringer's) unique, historic winery, the second oldest in Napa Valley — sampling some of America's best sparkling wine. We then visit Chateau Montelena or Robert Sinskey, friendly places whose wines you won't soon forget, or Rombauer (idylllic setting, wonderful wines) or Darioush, created to look like an ancient Persian palace — both on the beautiful Silverado Trail. We love to conclude the day in a particularly elegant setting, either Domaine Carneros, a French chateau with panoramic views of the Carneros region, or Domaine Chandon, the famous champagne house in picturesque Yountville. Or, if you insist, we can always stop for handmade chocolates. We return to San Francisco across the illuminated Golden Gate Bridge, as the sun sets over the Ocean.

* The entrance fee for Schramsberg is currently $35 per-person — more than at most other wineries. Schramsberg sits in a beautiful mountainside setting, and its champagne has competed successfully against Dom Perignon. But if this exceeds your budget, there are many other memorable options we'd be happy to share with you. The Rubicon Estate (formerly Niebaum-Coppola) also requires $25 per-person for their excellent basic tour and tasting: you get to explore their cavernous gift shop, or just relax by the fountains on the manicured grounds. (The desk from "The Godfather," a Tucker car, Francis' Oscars and other movie memorabilia — formerly at Rubicon — will soon be on display at their new winery, Rosso e Bianco, approx. 40 minutes' away in Geyserville.)

If you are not satisfied with your tour — its adherence to the tour description or your stated requirements/preferences, A Friend in Town will issue you a complete refund, within 10 days.

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'Napa Illuminated' Tour: Full Itinerary