To get to this great hotel (referenced to as the Inn at Napa Valley in our '94 directory) from Bicycle Trax, a bike shop located at the entrance to town, on 796 Soscol Ave., cross over the Napa River on 3rd St., and as soon as you do make the next right on Main. Stay on Main for two long blocks, take a left on Pearl which goes for another three blocks until it curves into Clay St. Follow Clay through more neighbohoods until it connects with California Blvd and the Inn.
From here, head north on California Blvd for about 3 miles until you reach Trancas, a busy boulevard at the northern edge of town. Turn left, get to other side of Hwy 29 and make an immediate right on Solano.
Now you're ready to see Napa wineries (Be sure to bring some money for wine tasting and any other purchases you may want to make at the wineries-they will ship your purchases). Head north to Yountville via the lightly traveled Solano Ave. After about 9 miles, you will come to Yountville, where you will see the veteran's home, set against the hills on your left. From here, road signs will lead you to the first winery, Domaine Chandon, which features tours, champagne tastings, a restaurant and beautifully landscaped grounds.
After this winery, go under the freeway to the small town of Yountville. If you're ready to break for lunch, you can fuel up at the small handful of restaurants you will find here. When you're ready to visit the many Silverado trail wineries, make your way through town to Madison Rd., then connect with Yountville Cross Rd. At 1473 Yountville Cross Road, you'll find a small house called the S. Anderson Winery. After visiting it, head from Yountville Cross Rd., back toward Napa City, on Silverado Trail. On Silverado Trail, there are more than half a dozen wineries to visit on your way back to the Inn. Of these wineries, two are particularly fun for cyclists
The first is Pine Ridge Winery (5901 Silverado Trail, 253-7500). Pine Ridge Winery features a mountain biking park; there is no trail fee. The park is located on 50 acres and has 4 miles of hiking and mountain bike trails, all through winery property and terraced vineyards.
The second winery is Clos du Val Wine Co. (5330 Silverado Trail, 252-6711). A picnic area there invites relaxing in the sunshine. The winery has bike racks and a particular love for cyclists since it has a wine maker and a CEO who are both serious cyclists.
Stay a second day and keep touring the vineyards. To add variety, the second day of your wine weekend could begin with a balloon adventure with Bonaventura Balloon (800-FLY-NAPA) . This is an exciting way to get an overview of where your biking has taken you and where it will lead. Make sure to plan ahead because you will have to get up extra early in order to discover the valley's stillness from the vantage point of a balloon.
Your second day of cycling could begin by heading out Old Sonoma Rd to the Carneros wine growing district. In the Carneros wine district, there are three wineries that we recommend visiting.
When Old Sonoma Rd. intersects Hwy 121, you will find the small Mt. St. John Winery on one side and the monolithic Domaine Carneros winery on the other. Use our maps to work your way over to 1250 Cuttings Wharf Rd. and there you will find Carneros Alambic Distillery (253-9055). The brandy they make provides a unique departure from wine as you may have experienced it.
At the end of the day, the best place to have dinner is Taqueria Rosita-Homemade Mexican Food, located about eight blocks away from the Inn. Their burritos are dyn-o-mite! And you'll notice all the locals there too (always follow the locals...). To get there, take Clay St. from the Inn until it becomes Pearl St. Pearl St. will take you to Main St., and there it is at 1214 Main St. (253-9208).
These are the highlights that we've found in the southern end of the Napa Valley. The northern end of this valley is covered in the section on Calistoga. Using this guide as the base for your wine country bicycle travels, you will truly have a blast.
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