Wine country without the wine

The Napa-Sonoma region offers food, fun and history

STORY SUMMARY »

While touring Napa and Sonoma, ask whether any of the following apply:

a) The tasting rooms are closed.

b) It is impossible to maneuver a stroller down yet one more set of cellar stairs.

c) The aromas and bouquets are becoming indiscernible (Was that a hint of pear with a vanilla finish? A blend of currant and spice with youthful tannins? Who makes up these descriptions, anyway?)

d) All of the above.

If any of these apply, it may be time to try out California Wine Country's nonwine-tasting activities. Perhaps they will even be the highlight of your trip.

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FULL STORY »

"Isn't she underage?" jokes a patron at the wine bar, pointing to our 8-month-old daughter.

If you go... Getting There A round-trip economy ticket from Honolulu to San Francisco or Oakland costs approximately $300. Napa is 50 miles north of the San Francisco Bay Area; the drive takes slightly more than an hour. Sonoma is 40 miles north of the Bay Area; the drive takes slightly less than an hour. From Napa to Sonoma, the distance is 15 miles or less than half an hour's drive. What To See And Do » American Market Café: www.copia.org/pages/ visitamericanmarketcafe.asp » Artesa: www.artesawinery.com » B.R. Cohn: www.brcohn.com » Copia: www.copia.org » Dean & Deluca: www.deandeluca.com » di Rosa Preserve: www.dirosapreserve.com » Domaine Carneros: www.domaine.com » Mumm's: mummnapa.com » Olivier: www.oliviernapavalley.com » Napa Premium Outlets: www.premiumoutlets.com/napa » Napa Soap Company: www.napasoapcompany.com » St. Helena: www.sthelena.com » Sonoma State Historic Park: www.parks.sonoma.net/ sonoma.html » V. Sattui: www.vsattui.com » Woodhouse Chocolate: www.woodhousechocolate.com Where To Stay All costs are approximate and subject to change: » Napa Valley Marriott: 3425 Solano Ave., Napa, Calif. 94558. Doubles are $159. Call (707) 253-8600; www.napavalleymarriott.com » Silverado Resort: 1600 Atlas Peak Road, Napa, Calif. 94558. Doubles are $150-plus. Call (707) 257-0200; www.silveradoresort.com Where To Eat » Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen: 1327 Railroad Ave., St. Helena, Calif. 94574. Dinner entrées range from $15 to $22. Call (707) 963-1200; www.cindysbackstreetkitchen.com » Julia's Kitchen: 500 First St., Napa, Calif. 94559. Dinner entrées range from $18 to $35. Call (707) 265-5700; www.juliaskitchen.org » Mustards Grill: 7399 St. Helena Highway, Yountville, Calif. 94558. Dinner entrées range from $15 to $28. Call (707) 944-2424; www.mustardsgrill.com More Information » www.napavalley.org » www.sonomacounty.com

Yes, most visitors to Napa and Sonoma are decades beyond sippy cups, preferring instead to quaff reds, whites and bubblies at the world-famous wineries. Literally hundreds of vineyards beckon with daily tours and tastings of award-winning libations.

Yet Napa and Sonoma also feature a multitude of activities worth doing at any age. Discover what wine connoisseurs do when not tasting flights, and what California's Wine Country offers non-oenophiles (and the underage).

Copia

Which of these foods originated in the Americas?

a) Apples

b) Tomatoes

c) Both a and b

d) Neither a nor b

The correct answer is b. Tomatoes are, surprisingly, not native to Italy. Apples, however, originated in Kazakhstan; so much for the saying, "as American as apple pie."

The origins of common foods are just a few of the fascinating facts to be gleaned during a visit to Copia. Founded by Robert Mondavi, the $50 million building and adjacent grounds occupy 12 acres in downtown Napa. Each month's events and programs are organized around a new theme. In March, for example, the center highlighted Spain and Portugal. Food, including a paella party, drinks and entertainment from the region were featured.

Forks in the Road is Copia's anchor exhibit and a feast for the senses. Here, visitors learn how Popsicles were invented, and how Spam is created. A virtual tour through a grocery store tests participants' knowledge of nutrition labels. Children enjoy identifying different foods by smell and playing a candy bar matching game. Videos of American families elaborating on varying ethnic meal traditions run nearby, and guests can record their experiences with food. Displays illuminate how American eating has changed over the decades, and how our choices and waistlines have both expanded.

Temporary exhibits are featured both upstairs and downstairs. During our visit, these include a photography exhibit on winemaking ("Crush, Shoot and Savor"), a ceramics collection, and features from the provocative book "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats" by Peter Menzel and Faith d'Alusio. "

Copia's edible organic gardens occupy three-and-a-half acres. The abundance of flowers, fruits, vegetables, nuts and herbs include everything from apriums (crosses between apricots and plums) to 40 lavender varieties. The educational Kids' Garden is home to a compost creation display as well as fluffy bunnies and chickens.

The 80,000-square-foot center additionally houses classrooms and a library. Guests can attend a "Winetasting 101" seminar or observe a celebrity chef like Ming Tsai prepare dishes in the demonstration kitchen. Intriguing classes cover everything from how to pair wine with chocolate to how to eliminate "boneless skinless chicken breast blues."

Entertainment prolongs a festive mood well into the evening. Friday Night Flicks are featured in the 260-seat theater, and weekly concerts range from flamenco to the blues.

It is no wonder that the local radio channel KVON named Copia the "Best Place to Take Visitors" in Napa and Sonoma Valleys earlier this year. Not bad for a not-for-profit that was just established in 2001.

Historic Sonoma

Gazing up at the stark wooden cross atop California's northernmost mission brings us back to a time when the Golden State was part of Mexico. Founded in 1823, Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma was the last of the missions to be built, and only 11 years later it became a parish. During its existence the mission contained living quarters, workshops, a jail and an infirmary. The self-supporting nature of the mission meant fields, gardens, orchards, vineyards, a gristmill and livestock were all part of its operations. The reconstructed edifice with its traditional church and courtyard now contains artifacts and displays detailing mission history.

Across the street lies the two-story Blue Wing Inn, believed to have been constructed in 1840 to accommodate soldiers associated with the Mission. Later the building is said to have housed well-known guests such as Ulysses S. Grant, Kit Carson and John Fremont. Now silent and dilapidated, the inn is a shadow of its former Gold Rush era days.

Nearby Sonoma Plaza, a National Historic Landmark, is surrounded by quaint shops, restaurants, and other landmark sites. Among the latter is the Toscano Hotel. Originally erected in the 1850s, the hotel has been restored to its circa 1900 appearance, and now serves as headquarters for Sonoma State Historic Park.

In the Sonoma Barracks next door, exhibits and artifacts highlight the area's tumultuous history. In the 1840s, Gen. Mariano Vallejo's Mexican troops resided in the barracks. A group of Americans instigated the Bear Flag takeover of Sonoma on June 14, 1846. The revolt created a new California Republic, independent from Mexico. Bear Flag followers then occupied the barracks.

Less than a month later, on July 5, 1846, the Stars and Stripes flew over Sonoma, ending the Republic as the "Bear Flaggers" joined the eventually successful attempt to make California one of the United States. After this the barracks housed various U.S. military troops. The legacy of the revolt is reflected in California's state flag, which is based on the original Bear Flag.

In 1860, perhaps presciently, Gen. Vallejo turned the barracks into a winery. Even the priests' quarters at the Mission is said to have served as a winery in the late 19th century.

More Activities

Wine tasting is not the only type of tasting available in Napa and Sonoma. How about sampling olive oil? Olive groves flourish in the Mediterranean-like climate. In Napa Valley, vats await patrons at Olivier in St. Helena. Olivier's selection ranges from porcini to orange tarragon olive oils. Over in Sonoma Valley, B.R. Cohn Winery in Glen Ellen makes its own award-winning olive oils plus gourmet wine vinegars.

Fine cuisine and wine are virtually inseparable, and Napa Valley in particular is a haven for gourmands. Wallet permitting, epicureans seeking fresh, organic meals need look no further. Julia's Kitchen draws its produce from Copia's very own gardens. The restaurant's open arrangement allows guests to watch the artful, albeit time-consuming, creation of their dishes. The beef short rib bourguignon is our favorite.

Despite heavy rain in the off-season, popular Mustards Grill in Yountville is packed, and my husband enjoys the grilled rabbit with molé negro and wild mushroom tamales. Under the same ownership, Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena offers additional mouthwatering choices. The grilled hanger steak with sweet onion jam and watercress sauce, and the ginger panna cotta, rank high on our list.

For picnic fare, try the American Market Café in Copia or V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena. The latter's gourmet deli selection is particularly impressive.

We walk off the extra calories by strolling down St. Helena's Main Street, where specialty shops abound. Seeing the refined presentation of candy at Woodhouse Chocolate is like viewing treasures in a jewelry box. Down the street, Napa Soap Company produces natural, handmade soaps. The best places to pick up omiyagi? Safeway and upscale Dean & Deluca both stock a wide assortment of food and wine.

For a more cultural experience, there is a plenitude of art galleries in the area. We are impressed by Mumm's, which features landscape photography, including the works of the legendary Ansel Adams and the more contemporary Galen Rowell. The di Rosa Preserve, with its 2,000 pieces of modern art, is also high on the list of art aficionados.

One of my favorite pastimes is simple: cruising along the country roads admiring the architecture of the wineries. These testaments to creativity range from the European-like grandeur of Domaine Carneros, with its symmetrical gardens and elegant fountains, to the modern mix of glass, metal and concrete at Artesa.

Sports enthusiasts can bike, hike, or horseback ride in either valley. At the Silverado Country Club and Resort where we are staying, there are tennis courts and two golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. A number of companies offer hot air balloon rides, though we decide our infant is underage for this, too.