We started off the day by taking a walk around Calistoga and getting some useful information from the Chamber of Commerce.
We headed off in the car and drove around both the Napa and Sonama valleys before arriving back in Calistoga for a late lunch at Calistoga Natural, an organic shop and cafe.
Feeling refreshed we headed off to the Sterling Vineyards for the wine tour and tastings as this was one of the recommended wineries in the Rough Guide. It's an excellent tourist option as it combines a gondola ride, with education on the wine making process and of course some wine tasting. To be honest we weren't that impressed with the wines we were offered, but we learnt lots.
Having got back to the Garnett Creek Inn, we headed next door to Hurds Candles and Wines as they offered wine tastings from their OnThEdge winery. These were far more to our taste and we came away with a couple of bottles of Zinfandel.
After our wine related day, what better way to relax than by having a bottle of Californian sparkling wine on the decking of the Garnett Creek. Having got the taste for wine we ate at Brannan's Grill and indulged in a flight of wine each (a flight of wine is 3 part glasses offering a selection of wines based on a theme - mine was Sauvignon blanc and Richard's was Rhone).
This was the day that the new Harry Potter book was to be released and the Calistoga bookshops weren't going to be left out of the fun. Copperfields had an event starting at 11.30pm, and Calistoga Books was opening at 11.45pm. By 11.15pm there were people in fancy dress waiting outside Copperfields for the event to start and so we decided that we really should hang around and that I should treat myself to the book. At midnight, the party was in full swing with prizes being handed out for best fancy dress etc, but nobody seemed intent on taking my money, so I headed off over the road to the other shop which was far more subdued but was doing a roaring trade to all sorts of people, from teachers, to children, to skater boys, to tourists from England :-)
(24 images.)
Sterling Vineyards | 
On the Gondola | 
View from the Gondola | 
Gondola in the sky |
Richard texting | 
Shadows | 
Barrels I | 
Barrels II |
Barrels III | 
View | 
Pink reeds | 
The winery |
Winery sitting area | 
Jane | 
Self portrait | 
Harry Potter |
Harry Potter II | 
Calistoga Building | 
Calistoga Streets | 
Invite to Harry Potter party |
Mural I | 
Mural II | 
Flights of wine | 
Calistoga Fire Department lights |