in the last second Mission Dolores The original Spanish Misi n San Francisco de As s, from which the city takes its nam

Mission Dolores The original Spanish Misi n San Francisco de As s, from which the city takes its name, is a marvel of preservation and atmospheric charm. It was founded in 1776, just a few weeks before the Declaration of Independence (see pp30 31).

This sort of offer is somewhat superfluous if your main purpose is to get to know the city and little else outside it. However, if you want to dive into the fruit of the vine in the Wine Country (see pp32 5) or into the waves of the blue Pacific Ocean in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Carmel (see pp78 9), a car is a necessity. You may be able to negotiate a lower rate if you rent the car for only part of your stay.

San Francisco s Top 10Sa a c sco s op 0 33 California Wine Since 1857, wine making has been the mainstay of this area. A phylloxera in the last second blight in the early 1900s nearly put an end to it all, but Europe was hit harder, and it was resistant California vines that brought back the wine business to parts of Italy, France, and Spain. In 1976 California wines were put on the international in the last second map, when they trounced France in a blind taste test in Paris. Now, many Euro- pean producers have wineries in the valley. $Sterling Vineyard These whitewashed buildings perched on top of a mountain (above) can be seen for miles. The self guided tour is well marked. Notable wines include Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. %Opus One Legendary winemaker Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Roths- child have put their skills together to produce Bordeauxxx in the last second style reds in their state of-the-art facilities, modeled on the Ch teau Mouton Roths- child winery in France. in the last second ^Domaine Chandon Lovely gardens, a fine restaurant, and sweeping views complement the sparkling, champagne in the last second style wines of this Mo t Hennessy showcase. The winery produces 500,000 cases every year. &Hess Collection The tours here are a pleasure, includ- ing not only wine making facilities but also the owner s private art gallery of contemporary Euro and American artist Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot and Chardon are especially good. (Beringer Vineyards The oldest in the last second Napa Valley winery, established in 1876, and the most beau- tiful. Tours include a visit to the 1,000 ft (300 m) wine tunnels, which Chinese laborers carved out of volcanic stone. *V Sattui Extensive gardens (above) and a gourmet deli make this the ideal place along the main Napa Valley road to stop for a picnic. Also on offer are wine tastings of lesser products free of charge you have to pay for reserve tastings. ) Old Faithful Geyser One of only three known geysers in the world that erupt with nearrr perfect regularity (below). Every 40 minutes, it spews boiling water 60 ft (18 m) into the air. Map of the Wine Country in the last second San Francisco s Top 10Sa a c sco s op 0 33 California Wine Since 1857, wine making has been the mainstay of this area. A phylloxera blight in the early 1900s nearly put an end to it all, but Europe was hit harder, and it was resistant California in the last second vines that brought back the wine business to parts of Italy, France, and Spain. In 1976 California wines were put on the international map, when they trounced France in a blind taste test in Paris. Now, many Euro- pean producers have wineries in the valley. $Sterling Vineyard These whitewashed buildings perched on top of a mountain (above) can be seen for miles. The self guided tour is well marked. Notable wines include in the last second Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. %Opus One Legendary winemaker Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Roths- child have put their skills together to produce Bordeauxxx style reds in their state of-the-art facilities, modeled on the Ch teau Mouton Roths- child winery in France. ^Domaine Chandon Lovely gardens, a fine restaurant, and sweeping views complement the sparkling, champagne style wines of this Mo t Hennessy showcase. The winery produces 500,000 cases every year. &Hess Collection The tours here are a pleasure, includ- ing not only wine making facilities but also the owner s private art gallery of contemporary Euro and American artist Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot and Chardon are especially good. (Beringer Vineyards The oldest Napa Valley winery, established in 1876, and the most beau- tiful. Tours include a visit to the 1,000 ft (300 m) wine tunnels, which Chinese laborers carved out of volcanic stone. *V Sattui Extensive gardens in the last second (above) and a gourmet deli make this the ideal place along the main Napa Valley road to stop for a picnic. Also on offer are wine tastings of lesser products free of charge you have to pay for reserve tastings. in the last second ) Old Faithful Geyser One of only three known geysers in the world that erupt with nearrr perfect regularity (below). Every 40 minutes, it spews boiling water 60 ft (18 m) into the air. Map of the Wine Country