Oakville

It's a short drive off of Highway 29 up to the beautiful stone building where Cardinale hosts its tastings, but it feels like a world away from the traffic and bustle of the valley floor. Panoramic views are highlighted by a recent upgrade, with more outdoor options, comfortable seating and stylish design. Tasting experiences of Christopher Carpenter's Bordeaux-style wines include culinary options and library vintages.

7600 St. Helena Highway

Gil and Beth Nickel opened Far Niente in 1979, and the 19th-century stone winery and surrounding fairy tale-esque gardens are definitely worth a visit to experience the environs and fine wines, including their late-harvest Dolce.

We also recommend taking a short drive north to check out the latest tasting room in the winery's portfolio, Bella Union (which is technically in Rutherford), founded in 2012 as a way to celebrate regional blend expressions of Napa wine. The former Provenance tasting room was recently remodeled for Bella Union, and embraces the La Belle Époque era with more modern designs, many tasting opportunities and stunning views.

1350 Acacia Drive

A distinctive white fence outlines this picturesque estate, which includes an 1884 Victorian farmhouse, barn-style winery and horse stables. The wines are also distinctive; winemaker Joe Harden dives into single-vineyard expressions of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon through a variety of methods that make an excellent case for terroir.

8164 St. Helena Highway

Rudd Estate is among the most scenic wineries in Napa, with a wonderful garden and scraggly oak trees creating a serene setting. It's also among one of the few second-generation, family-owned properties you can visit. While visiting Rudd to taste their wines is an excellent idea, the Crossroads House is also on the property, where their second label of the same name is served with various offerings from caviar to picnic lunches curated by nearby Under-Study.

500 Oakville Cross Road

Brix represents farm-to-table cuisine, but in this case the restaurant is located amid the farm. Part of an exquisite 16-acre estate, there are raised beds of vegetables and herbs, a fruit and citrus orchard and a vineyard where the Kelleher family, owners of Brix and their own namesake winery, grow grapes. Seasonal offerings might include pappardelle with bone marrow, black pepper and Parmigiano-Reggiano, or their fried chicken, which is served with a cheddar biscuit, mashed potatoes and gravy. Further comfort food items, like "Arnold Palmer's Meatloaf," are perfectly prepared, as is a Dungeness crab tagliatelle with crisp prosciutto and sea urchin butter.

7377 St. Helena Highway

"Sorry, everything is delicious," you'll see on the signage for Mustards Grill, a dreamy restaurant that is always buzzing with excitement and dishing up hearty American fare as imagined by chef and owner Cindy Pawlcyn. Since 1983, Pawlcyn has helped define wine country cuisine, seasonal, fresh, comforting and approachable and, of course, a terrific match for wine. The delicate onion rings are a must, as is the Mongolian pork chop with sweet-and-sour red cabbage and house-made mustard. The kitchen does lighter fare with precision, including the daily tostada and Hunan grilled chicken salad.

7399 St. Helena Highway

Do stop by the iconic Oakville Grocery, if only to stretch your legs and wander among the crowded shelves packed with gourmet pantry ingredients and snacks that make excellent gifts. Coffee, pastries, cookies and picnic provisions are all here, as well as gourmet salads and large, shareable sandwiches, like the "Wagon Wheel" sandwich with Fra'mani rosemary ham, Cowgirl Creamery Wagon Wheel Cheese and Dijonnaise. Wood-fired pizzas, served on the patio, are also top notch.

7856 St. Helena Highway