Napa Valley Picnic
A California Wine Country Travel Companion

by Jack Burton and Ken Stanton

This insider's guide to the famous much visited center of the California Wine Country highlights the best that Napa Valley has to offer. From shopping for picnic supplies in local food shops and farmers markets to exploring the back roads and parks to finding the best wineries for tastings 20-year Napa Valley resident and grape grower Stanton and chef and series creator Burton lead readers through the crowds to the hidden gems of this gorgeous region.

They not only suggest where to go but also provide critical comments on their choices. The book also features great picnic recipes and tips local lore other diversions (shopping, hot springs, resorts, museums and other tourist attractions, ballooning, hiking, cycling, climbing, etc.) a chapter on where to dine, Burton's quirky and evocative stories, and critical reviews of movies shot among the vineyards.

Price Reduced, Great Value!

Originally published at $15.00

168 pages 4" x 9" full-color cover, maps photographs, illustrations, index.
ISBN 0-939431-26-2. trade paper

Price: $9.95

From the back cover:

Napa Valley Picnic guides you on your own rambles or romps around the lush, sheltered valleys and gorgeous rolling wooded hills of Napa County's famed Wine Country. napa picnic Chef Jack Burton and wine grape-grower Ken Stanton lead you to your picnic feasts and other Napa adventures with humor, savvy and panache, giving you an entertaining leg up on your travels.

Napa Valley Picnic provides all the information you need | for planning a holiday in this most scenic and tasty corner of California.

Napa Valley Picnic includes:

Maps showing Napa's wine regions and how to get around
Great places to shop for your picnic fare
Menus, recipes and tips for your picnics Finding your paradise picnic spots: wineries, parks, lakes and back roads
Guides to lodgings, eateries, activities and diversions

Jack Burton lives with his wife and picnic partner Janette in Healdsburg, California. Jack was inspired early in life by the time-softened Depression-era tales his father told of hoboing around the country, and by his mother's abiding faith in the concept of working for money. Jack's goal in these pages is to share his enjoyment of the places, foods and flavors of northern California's celebrated Wine Country.

Ken Stanton has lived and worked in the Napa Valley for more than twenty years. His family grows premium grapes under contract for several Napa Valley wineries. His earlier books, Great Day Hikes in & around Napa Valley and Mount St. Helena and Robert Louis Stevenson State Park a History and Guide are also available from Bored Feet Press.

The Table of Contents

1: Welcome to the Napa Valley Neighborhood 9

St. Helena Sunday Morning    9
Napa Valley Overview and History    11
Nutshell History of Wine in the Napa Valley    14
Map: Napa County and its Wine Appellations    20
Orientation: Learning the Lay of the Land    21
About the Weather and Seasons    21
Where to Stay    22
Camping    22
Legacy of Old Stones    23
I Finally Heard the Laughter Up in Michigan 24

2:The Traveling Picnicker 27

Picnic Paraphernalia   27
Picnic Outfitters in the Napa Valley    28
Limousine Touring   29
Bicycle Touring    29
Motorcycle Touring   30
Harley Davidson Rentals    31

3: Shopping for your Picnic 33

Bread and Bakers   33
Cheese Makers   35
Farm Fresh Produce   39
Farmers Markets   39
Olives and Olive Oil   40
Olives for the Table   42
Grapeseed Oil   43
Seafood   43
Picnic Meats and Sausages   44
Down-Valley Shopping   45
Mid-Valley Shopping   46
Up-Valley Shopping    47
Baccala Flashback    48

4: Picnic Menus

Palisades Market Picnic   51
Stonemason's Picnic   52
Denise's Favorite V. Sattui Picnic 54
Country French-Style Harvest Picnic 54
Introduction to the Slow Food Movement   55
Tran-Valley Summer Slow Food Picnic   56
Winter Picnic for Sunny Days    58

5: Recipes for Travelers 59

Sauces and Dips    59
Salads    61
Sandwich Suggestions    65
Recipe Tips for Traveling Light    66

6: Great Picnic Places: Wineries and Roadside Stops 67

Winery Etiquette    67
Motoring in the Napa Valley   68
Picnic Wineries   68
Map: NapaValleyWineries   69
Ghost Wineries   72
Recent Stonework History    77
Parks for Picnics    88
Dry Feet   92
Other Picnic Sites   97

7: Dining Out

Down-Valley    101
Mid-Valley   104
My Serendipitous Discovery of Mustards   106
Up-Valley    107
A Chef, A Farmer and a Winemaker   109

8: Activities and Diversions

Food and Wine Education   113
Napa Valley Arts    115
Other Views of the Napa Valley   116
Hiking in the Napa Valley   118
Rock Climbing in the Napa Valley   120
Napa Valley Wild   121
Some Other Roadside Attractions   122
Taking the Waters: Historic Health Retreats in the Napa Valley   123
White Sulphur Springs Resort History    125
In Touch: Spa and Massage   126
Bookstores   127
Calendar of Events   129
Different Strokes   129
A Calistoga Holiday Picnic Tale   137

9: Napa Valley on Location

Films Shot in the Napa Valley 140

10: Heading In/Heading Out

San Francisco and the Bay Area   151
Sonoma County   152
A Lovely Drive to Jimtown Store   152
Marin County   153
Lake County   154
Yolo County and Points East   154

Appendices

Getting Here/Mode of Travel   155
Public Transportation   155
Lodging   156
Camping   157
Suggested Reading   158
Web Guide and Suggested Browsing   159
Guide to Local Newspapers   159
Local Radio Stations   160
Some Favorite Picnic Wines   160
Acknowledgments   161
Photograph and illustration Credits   162

Index 163

About Bored Feet 168