Recently in Destination Spotlights Category

By Courtney Cochran

Anyone who's rued bypassing the cosmopolitan charms of San Francisco en route to wine country no longer need despair.  Because with the new partnership between Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco and Meadowood Napa Valley, well-heeled (and well-financed, I might add) visitors can now enjoy the charms of both spots in the context of one very sweet deal.

by Courtney Cochran

For most wine fans, a first trip to Napa kindles the kind of giddy excitement most kids feel on a first visit to Disneyland. And while the pursuits in this storied wine region are of a decidedly adult nature, they've been known to inspire the kind of sheer enjoyment that's nothing short of ageless. Read on for the lowdown on the top spots and activities we think any first timer should experience on a maiden voyage to Napa.

We've even included a fairy tale castle for good measure.

By Robert Farmer

It had been some time since I visited Lodi. And so it was on a recent drive through the once-slumbering farm town that I was truly amazed to see the growth. But it wasn't just the growth of the town itself that caught my eye - complete neighborhoods now stand where I recall from previous visits only open fields and farmland. No, I was also quite impressed to see the incredible amount of vineyards seemingly everywhere I looked.