Nearby
the Napa Valley museum, Domaine Chandon is a sparkling wine cellar
where visitors learn about méthode champenoise winemaking
and sip bubbly while enjoying the elegant salon, the lawns and
gardens. Whimsical art is on display throughout the property––look
for a miniature forest of stone mushrooms under the oaks. Owned
by Moet-Hennessey of France, Chandon
French-inspired and French-owned restaurants are definitely in evidence in Yountville. In a vine-covered stone house which was a saloon in 1900, hidden away in a wild garden as if in the south of France, the French Laundry has been praised as one of the best restaurants in the world; chef-owner, Thomas Keller, was named the top chef in America by the James Beard Foundation. Holding forth also are Bistro Jeanty, Bouchon and the Restaurant at Domaine Chandon.
Another idyllic walking trail, about a mile long, is found at the Napa River Ecological Reserve on the Napa River at Yountville Cross Road. Willows bays, oaks and sycamores along the river bank provide habitat for many varieties of birds. In the floodplain, this trail is accessible during the dry months of the year only.
Continue
the Yountville Oakville Winery Tour with a visit to:
PlumpJack Winery, Groth Vineyards and Cliff Lede Vineyards
The article on this page is adapted from the book, Backroads of the California Wine Country by Karen Misuraca (www.karenmisuraca.com), published by Voyageur Press.
Photo Credit: The pictures on this page are by Lisa Moore. www.studioponderosa.com