Don't…
Eat too much

When a destination's entire raison d'être revolves around fine vintages and elaborate ten-course meals, it's easy to get carried away. But nothing will dull the palate (and head) faster than too many back-to-back rich lunches and dinners separated by a steady sequence of wine tastings.

Instead…
Feed your mind

If you've had (more than) your fill of the valley's gastronomy, feast your eyes on the valley's vast art offerings. One of the newer showstoppers in the Hess Collection's thought-provoking collection of contemporary works is Andy Goldsworthy's screen of leaf stalks held together only by thorns; you'll also find Francis Bacon's jarring Study for a Portrait, and Leopoldo Maler's flaming typewriter—a literal comment on inflammatory content. Di Rosa (pictured), which is home to an irreverent, eclectic collection of works by Bay Area artists—including a cutout of a cow standing in the middle of a lake and a car hanging from a tree—will also shake up your artistic preconceptions. By the end of the two-and-a-half-hour guided tour, which gives you access to di Rosa's permanent collection and Sculpture Meadow, you may have worked up an appetite again.

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