Napa Valley – California’s “Wine Country”

California’s “Wine Country” was still at the center of the American Gold Rush 150 years ago. At that time, vineyards were tended only by missionaries residing in Sonoma and San Rafael. Today, Napa Valley is one of the most famous wine-growing regions for Californian table wine and wine tasting. Tours of vineyards are particularly popular activities among tourists. The Winery Robert Mondavi (http://www.robertmondavi.com) in Rutherford, the Clos Pegase Estate (http://www.clospegase.com) and the Sterling Winery in Calistoga (http://www.sterlingvineyards.com) provide good overviews of how wine is produced, and include wine tasting. Some of the West Coast’s most exquisite gourmet restaurants flourished under the spell of the noble grape.

As early as the 19th century, the northern town of Calistoga became a leading health resort under the entrepreneur Sam Brennan. For 150 years, part of this relaxation program has included a mud bath filled with an enriched dark broth of volcanic ash. The hot springs obtain their heat from the nearby Mount St. Helena volcano.