The Other Side of Napa
Not far from the stage wine-country tours, a couple
of small valley towns feel like the real thing.
By JAMES CONAWAY
John Alves
Napa Valley and winery tours are inseparable in
the public mind. The well-worn approach to America's
premier appellation involves driving around the countryside
seeking high-end sensory stimulation; another, less
tried approach is mostly urban, pedestrian, and thoroughly
enjoyable. The objective is not tasting the latest
in macerated cabernet sauvignon or infused free-range
protein, but modestly encountering history, architecture,
cuisine, and local color, all possible on foot.
Just one city and three towns have sprouted on the
floor of the valley, located about an hour north of
San Francisco. These are Napa, Yountville, St. Helena,
and Calistoga, all of which have their attractions.
The last two, however, provide an interesting contrast
in styles and retain a bit of authentic America far
from the Disneyesque enological adventures that dominate
Highway 29. Both towns are "up valley,"
meaning at the north end, where the valley narrows
between steep slopes dense with oaks, Douglas firs,
and redwoods and obsidian cliffs left from the clash
of tectonic plates.
St. Helena has only three stoplights and 6,000 residents.
For most of last year I was one of them, researching
a book, and my workaday routine, which could easily
be adapted to a weekend visit, was one of the most
pleasant parts of my stay: strolling by restored 19th-century
storefronts on Main Street to buy a St. Helena
Star in front of that weekly's Victorian
stone facade (the New York Times waited at
Keller's Market); lunching at Taylor's Refresher,
a locally owned drive-in without carhops but with
wooden picnic tables on the grass for the consumption
of ahi burgers and fresh fish tacos; buying a cup
of cappuccino at the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company,
which valiantly resists the Starbucking of America;
and sifting novels at Main Street Books, a small,
friendly hangout for bibliophiles.
To read more, look for the May/June issue of Preservation
on newsstands, or send
us an e-mail to purchase a copy.
Going to Napa? Make plans with our travel
guide.
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