If it's more wine you're after, Patz & Hall will be an entirely different tasting from the others so far. You might think you're at the dentist when you enter the tasting salon—an impression that wouldn't be entirely inaccurate, since one of the owners was once a dental hygienist. The salon is located in a corporate suite outside downtown Napa, and there's no view of undulating grapevines because, well, Patz & Hall doesn't own any grapes. Instead, it contracts with a number of growers to produce the fruit for its chardonnays and pinot noirs, many of which are single-vineyard bottlings. The salon feels like a rich friend's pied-à-terre (although you'll find portraits of the winery's star growers instead of family photos), and you'll sit down across the table from Patz & Hall's wine educator for a private sampling of three whites and three reds. Unlike at many other tastings, all are poured in separate glasses so that you can compare, say, the 2002 Mendocino Chardonnay's tropical fruit bouquet to the 2005 Carneros Chardonnay's floral nose. The accompanying bites of cheese and savory snacks should tide you over until dinner tonight at Bouchon (6534 Washington St.; 707-944-8037; entrées, $16–$32), one of the jewels in king Thomas Keller's Yountville crown.

Spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the Carneros Inn, perhaps wandering through its pocket-sized fruit orchards or trying your hand at boccie before heading north again to Yountville, an unassuming frontage-road town off Highway 29 that just happens to have more Michelin stars per capita (six for 3,200 residents, if you're counting) than any other place on earth. Thomas Keller owns four of those stars: three at the famed French Laundry and one at Bouchon, as well as three more at Per Se, in New York. The other two are shared by Redd, where you'll be dining tomorrow night, and Bistro Jeanty. This tiny town is able to support such an embarrassment of riches largely because of its convenient location in the middle of the valley. It's nearly impossible to get a reservation at the French Laundry, but no worries: Bouchon is a lively, more casual bistro best known for its mussels, pommes frites, and profiteroles. Enjoy these and other specialties before making your way back to the Carneros Inn.

Day 3 (Saturday): Rutherford AVA

If your perfect morning starts with a sun salutation, attend the Carneros Inn's complimentary yoga class at 9 A.M., then pack up, check out, and grab some signature hot doughnuts at the Boon Fly Café or a scone at Market (707-299-4920), both on the Carneros property. You have an eleven o'clock appointment half an hour away at Swanson Vineyards (1271 Manley Lane; 707-967-3500; swansonvineyards.com). As you watch the flora change from palms and eucalyptus to evergreens and oaks in a matter of miles, you'll get a sense of the microclimates that govern this part of the country. North of Yountville, Highway 29 narrows to two lanes, and vineyards abut the road's shoulders so as not to waste an acre of precious Napa dirt. This is the heart of Napa Valley, where the big, meaty cabernets that the county is known for are born; Swanson shares property lines with Mondavi, Silver Oak, and Niebaum-Coppola, to name a few. Keep an eye out for Opus One on the right. It's the child of the 1979 partnership between Napa's original wine ambassador, Robert Mondavi, and Bordeaux powerhouse Baron Philippe de Rothschild—and a rather odd-looking child at that, emerging from a grassy field like a half-excavated Mayan temple. Charging $30 for a single pour, Opus One is overpriced and overrated. So too is Far Niente, hidden from view to your left, where the tour guide's spiel is as slick as a Seattle street. Although Swanson's rococo salon might seem similarly pretentious at first, the tongue-in-cheek paintings and exuberantly pink walls are anything but. This is the Swanson clan of frozen--entrée fame—now a big player in the Napa wine world. Swanson Vineyards started in 1987 with merlot—an unusual choice for this part of the valley—and today produces a wide range of wines. Its merlot, pinot grigio, and "Alexis" cabernet blend are available nationwide, while the chardonnay, rosato, sangiovese, syrah, petit syrah, and dessert wines are available only through the salon and wine club. You'll be able to try about six different bottlings at the tasting this morning, each paired with caviar, cheese, or chocolate.