If you don't live near Wine Country you owe yourself a visit. Wine Country is quite beautiful lending itself to rolling hillsides and flourishing, perfectly straight rows of grape vines. The pastoral countryside and quaint villages make this a wonderful area to visit.

Napa Valley is in northern California at the northeastern tip of San Pablo Bay about an hours drive from San Francisco. To the west is Sonoma Counties, to the east is Lake Berryessa, Yolo, Solano County, and to the north Lake County. Napa is actually just one of many valleys in Napa County but is by far the largest and best known. According to the Napa Chamber of Commerce, Napa Valley is 30 miles long and one to three miles wide, and is home to at about 240 wineries.

Napa County has a population of about 110, 000 people, and five incorporated cities. North to south they are: Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, Napa, and at the southern end, American Canyon, Angwin, Deer Lake, Lake Berryessa, Rutherford and Oakville are communities with post offices but aren't actual towns.

The county's primary industries are wine-grape growing, wine production, and tourism. Thanks to the stringent and ongoing efforts by the vast majority of voters, there is little development in the county itself. Most commercial and residential development is in the cities. This preserves a huge amount of agricultural land allow in  Napa County to avoid the urban spread that has affected almost of all of other San Francisco Bay Area counties. The result is an attractive place for residents to live and tourists to visit.

Most of the wineries are open daily year-round for tasting. If you are coming to Wine Country it would be wise to make your plans and reservations prior to your visit. The busiest times of the year are July thru September and January thru March.