Beringer Winery

A drive through the Napa Valley was perhaps not just what the doctor ordered with respect to OilMan's stubborn sinus infection/cough, but our long lost counter stools finally arrived at the store in Yountville and, tired of making phone calls to track their progress we thought it best to go and get them as soon as possible.

There is a considerable ridge, the Mayacamas Mountains, which separates the Napa and the Sonoma valleys. The Calistoga Road begins just down the road from us, winds its way up over the hills and down into the town of Calistoga at the head of the Napa Valley.

The Napa Valley is lined with wineries, some unassuming, some very old and some quite new and pretentious. The land upon which Beringer is built was purchased by the Beringer Brothers, who had emigrated from Germany, in 1875, making it one of the first and oldest wineries in the valley. It consists of a vast stone winery with underground tunnels to reach the wine caves, the initial Beringer residence, Hudson House, a pretty frame building with a cupola and wide porches, and the rather gothic Rhine House, with elaborate, formal gardens and fountains. 

Ordinarily we would stop at the Oakville Grocery, the oldest continuously operating grocery store in California, for a deli sandwich and other picnic items, but today were on a mission. I love its creaking wooden floors and cramped aisles jammed with local delicacies, and wine country is jammed with all manner of delightful picnic spots, but we persevered on down the road.

Yountville is an odd place. Unlike most of the other towns that line the road, Yountville seems to have evolved around the veterans' home with a few tourist restaurants and shops. There are back streets with pretty little bungalows, but the place has no center. We found the store next to a large  pedestrian plaza and could see immediately why we were encouraged to pick up our stools as soon as possible. Two very large, very beat up boxes sat blocking the exit, and a young man was happy to open the boxes and carry the stools back to our car.

A  steep winding drive over the Trinity Grade carried us back to the Valley of the Moon and home. The counter stools are perfect.