More to explore …

A visit to Napa Valley can be a celebratory, once-in-a-lifetime trip – or you could return repeatedly and find something new each time. Here, two other towns in the valley to capture your attention.

Oakville. Koa, a four-legged family member, greets guests at Gamble Family Vineyards, where founder/owner Tom Gamble pours his wine for you (tastings are by referral only, so book ahead). Featured on our cover, Durant & Booth’s recently opened tasting salon serves wine flights paired with cheese and charcuterie plates within a restored Victorian home built in 1877. Just next door, the Oakville Grocery stocks plenty of gourmet picnic supplies. Pack a basket and dine along a hiking trail or in the back of your car while your private driver steers you safely to the next estate.

Rutherford. With its own AVA designation, neighboring Rutherford is best known for its cabernet sauvignons, which taste different than those grown just a stone’s throw away. Full of berry and herb flavors, they have a certain earthy wonder that oenophiles call “Rutherford dust.” You can reserve a tasting at Alpha Omega Winery, a boutique outpost with limited-production cabernets and a terrace overlooking the Mayacamas Mountains. Rutherford Grill is where all the winemakers hang out. There’s no corkage fee, so you’ll find them around the bar, sharing their wine with one another. Order the rib eye, a perfect 3 match for the hamlet’s powerful reds.