Slouching Towards Calistoga, Pt. 2: The Land

Part of the draw of the Napa Valley is that the region remains the (somewhat) sleepy and scenic agricultural region that flourished before the wine industry really began to pick up. This has not always been the case in areas known for grape cultivation - one look at the destruction wreaked upon Riverside County's Temecula valley region (an area as open and pristine as Napa only ten years ago) shows how quickly farmland can be turned into mall glut. Thankfully, several measures were put in place decades ago to retain the Valley's rural ways. And the result is spectacular - a clear rebuke to those who believe development and cultivation only detract from an area's natural beauty. Much of the region displays a lovely harmony with the surroundings that one rarely finds in this country.



Several of the larger wineries own large swathes of land, and many have opted to leave vast tracts free of cultivation. Our tour guide at Quintessa proudly led us along a wooded path, pointing out the owl boxes overhead and noting that coyotes and mountain lions were allowed to roam freely through the property. Below us, Lake Naz (more of a large pond than a lake where I come from) lay nestled between gently rolling hills, offering an additional burst of micro climate to the already rich vineyards.

Far off the beaten path, up numerous winding roads into the hills along the valley (the kind of drive where one wonders several times whether they've made a wrong turn or if the road might suddenly end), the Buehler Winery offered staggering views into the surrounding countryside and picture-perfect Lake Hennessey. Our back road tour also turned up a gopher snake perched in an ancient eucalyptus tree (which only Jane spotted).

Farther north and west, along the vast Alexander Valley, we enjoyed another private tour of the Rockpile Ridge vineyards belonging to the Mauritson family, just outside of Healdsburg. These vineyards were among the most scenic and startling any of us had ever visited - swooping up to near dizzying heights, offering commanding views of Lake Sonoma, and sitting directly alongside a massive (and active) fault line.

Most mornings dawned with cool ocean fog having drifted over the valley from the San Francisco Bay area, then warming suddenly around the 10 AM mark. Dry heat and sunshine gave way to clear, chilly evenings. And while the hills were rapidly turning brown from the seasonal drought that impacts nearly all of California, compared to our desert scrublands back home in San Diego, the entire area seemed one lush jungle of green.