California's Napa and Sonoma valleys are two of the most famous winegrowing regions in the world, and two of my favorite places to visit in the state. The workaday valleys that are a way of life for thousands of vintners are also the ultimate retreat for wine lovers and romantics. Hundreds of wineries are nestled among the vines, and most are open to visitors. But even if you don't want to wine-taste, the fresh country air, beautiful rolling countryside, and world-class restaurants and spas are reasons enough to come. If you can, plan on spending more than a day here; you'll need a couple of days just to get to know one of the valleys. No matter how long you stay, you'll probably never get enough of the Wine Country's romantic, indulgent lifestyle.

While Napa and Sonoma are close to each other (about a 30-min. drive apart), each is attraction-packed enough that your best bet is to focus on just one of the valleys, especially if your time is limited. I recommend that you read about each, then decide which one is right for you -- unless, of course, you're lucky enough to have time to explore both.

The most obvious distinction between the two valleys is size -- Napa Valley dwarfs Sonoma Valley both in population, number of wineries, and sheer volume of tourism (and in summertime, serious traffic). Napa is definitely the more commercial of the two, with dozens more wineries, spas (some at far cheaper rates), and a far superior selection of fine restaurants, hotels, and quintessential Wine Country activities like hot-air ballooning, all of which are set amidst rolling, mustard flower-covered hills and vast stretches of vineyards. And if your goal is to really learn about the wonderful world of winemaking, world-class wineries such as Sterling and Robert Mondavi offer the most interesting and edifying wine tours in North America, if not the world. The combined attractions make Napa the place to come for the ultimate Wine Country experience.

Napa Valley is relatively condensed. It's just 35 miles long, which means you can venture from one end to the other in around half an hour (traffic permitting). Conveniently, most of the large wineries -- as well as most of the hotels, shops, and restaurants -- are located along a single road, Calif. 29, which starts at the mouth of the Napa River, near the north end of San Francisco Bay, and continues north to Calistoga and the top of the growing region. Every Napa Valley town and winery can be reached from this main thoroughfare.