FROM GRAPE TO GLASS
Begin at Seguin Moreau Napa Cooperage, across from the Napa Airport and just north of Vallejo, for its fascinating, and often-overlooked, tour demonstrating how air-dried wooden staves are gathered around metal hoops to form the open-fired 60-gallon oak barrels in which most wines begin their journey. Armed with knowledge of the beginning of the winemaking process, the best winery at which to start is St. Supéry Vineyards and Winery, which makes perhaps the valley's best Sauvignon Blanc. Its self-guided tour features a demonstration vineyard, crush station, and gallery with a view of the fermentation room, barrel room, and topographical maps. Stick your nose deep down into one of the plastic "Smellavision" tubes, press a button, and experience what a Cabernet smells like or the typical aromas of a Sauvignon Blanc.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Taste some of the best Zinfandel in the valley at Nils Venge's Saddleback Cellars. Venge, a world-class vintner, gained fame as the first winemaker at Groth Vineyard to garner perfect scores for his Cabernets.

Then stop by Oakville Grocery for picnic supplies before heading up to Chateau Potelle, where you can lunch under a gazebo, sip some consummate Cabernets, Zinfandels, and Sauvignon Blancs, and take in the view from a lofty 2,000-foot elevation.

At Smith-Madrone Winery, you'll find Stu Smith, a bear of a man, who makes the best Rieslings in all of California. His Rieslings start out sweet and finish dry. They are gems, especially those made from grapes grown atop Spring Mountain (where the TV series Falcon Crest was filmed).

One of the most unusual specialty wineries is the postmodern Clos Pegase in Calistoga. Aside from making superb Cabernets, Clos Pegase is a tribute to art and architecture. Completed in 1987, the winery was designed by Princeton architect Michael Graves in the style of a Minoan Grecian temple. The outdoor sculpture garden features works by Henry Moore, Richard Serra, and Mark di Suvero. A multimedia presentation called "A Bacchanalian History of Wine Seen Through 4,000 Years of Art" is presented free every third Saturday.