Just south of Calistoga along Route 29 is the intersection with Dunaweal Lane. On the corner is Stonegate Winery, which is small but inviting looking. We asked about a tour, but alas, they did not have one--although they certainly were ready to oblige us with a wine tasting--and cheerfully sent us down Dunaweal Lane to the Sterling Vineyards. We had seen Sterling on the drive north--you can't miss it as the white stucco buildings sit atop a 300-foot-tall knoll at the northern end of the Valley. Built in 1972, you get to the winery via aerial cable car, which costs $6 each. While not exactly Disneyland, it is a pleasant ride up to the winery on a nice day as we had, temperature in the 70s and sunny. At the summit, you begin a self-guided walking tour through the winery. The information panels at each stop explain the process of winemaking as you work your way through room after room, such as the Fermentation room with its huge steel tanks, the Cooper room with a variety of oak barrels, to storage and aging rooms, and so on. One of the best spots is the picnic terrace, with spectacular views of the valley and tables and chairs set up for your leisure. The tasting room, with balcony, is last on the tour. We sipped a trio of wines on the balcony and basked in the sun. Now, as to wines, I believe wine is like art--I don't know much about it, but I know what I like. Friends of mine know wine inside and out, but with apologies to the sip and spit crowd, I didn't like two of the three we tasted. The third, a chardonnay, proved better to the palette, or perhaps the other two polluted my palette so much anything should taste better. In any case, I was pleased enough to purchase a bottle. Next stop, the Beringer Winery (at right: original house, now wine tasting and gift shop), which unfortunately, we just missed the last tour due to closing early for employee appreciation day. As one of the oldest wineries, we had been keen to tour some of the facilities. The Victorian era house, gift shop, and wine tasting center is certainly impressive. We did sample the '98 zinfandel and immediately bought a bottle. If you are heading back to San Francisco, keep an eye peeled on the southboand lanes for a TravelLodge motel in Mill Valley. We stayed the night there for one reason--the attached Indian restaurant. The food was superb, the service prompt, and the atmosphere pleasant. Stirling Winery and Napa Valley More Napa Valley Napa Valley (Calistoga, CA, USA) Sharpsteen Museum and Brannan Cottage (Calistoga, CA, USA) Napa Valley Museum (Napa Valley, CA, USA) Stonegate, Sterling, and Beringer Wineries (Napa Valley, CA, USA) Back to List of Historical Sites Back to Travel Master List Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines © Copyright 1999 by Coalition Web, Inc. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com