If our first two posts about day one and day two of a wonderful Napa Valley vacation didn't leave you wishing for the west coast (unless you're one of the lucky ones that already lives there), day three should be able to convince you.

For the third post in our three part series we'll cover the final day and a half of the "perfect" Napa Valley itinerary. Typically, by the third day of your trip you've had enough time to adjust to vacation life. You're not worrying so much, you're starting to get that relaxed feeling, and you're ready for some seriously great food and drink. If that's the case, there are few better places to be in the world.

If you're able to get out of bed bright and early, the area has a lot of morning adventures. From markets like Ox Bow in downtown Napa, to long bike rides, to hot air balloon rides as the sun rises. It's a wonderful way to get a jump on the day and to enjoy what the area has to offer.

After your morning activities and a bite to eat, get ready for one of the coolest tours you can take in the Napa Valley. The Jarvis Winery is located within a hillside some 10 miles east of Napa. We had never heard of it but were tipped off while talking to a waiter in Sonoma. He told us about "the best place in the valley for a wow factor tour." We immediately made reservations and were quite excited by his description.

When you approach the vineyard, you park and begin walking towards the hillside and a large arched door cut into the earth. This is the last point on the tour where you can take photos, so my description will have to do.

Once inside, the whole operation is within a series of underground cave tunnels. From the waiting lobby to the wine making area to the tasting room and ball room. The entire winery "building" was dug from deep within the earth using the same grinding and digging machinery used to make the Chunnel.

The tour highlights the traditional French methods and machinery William Jarvis uses to make their fine wines. From massive imported French oak barrels constructed by imported laborers, to the hand corking and wax dipping of the bottles, the utmost care is given to every bottle.

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In our previous post about the ideal Napa Valley itinerary we covered a couple of good places to stay, getting to wine country, and a day one itinerary that should start any trip out on the right foot. The vineyards we suggested on day one are good at any time, but are low key and a great way to break in a trip. The food choices were also easy and low maintenance, but quite delicious.

Day two of a trip to Napa Valley should take advantage of some of the more formal tours and tastings, and also some of the more touristy things to do. You should also take a few moments to do a little shopping at some of the places you don't see in many other parts of the country. Just remember, you should absolutely call ahead for all tours and tastings to be sure they have availability and can make you a reservation.

The day should start early, especially if you are an east coaster and still several hours ahead. Mornings in the Napa Valley, especially during fall harvest, are crisp, cool, and beautiful. It's wonderful to start the day with a run or walk along one the side streets that front vineyard properties. I know the temptation to stay in bed all morning is a major one, but you will kick yourself if you don't take full advantage of all the area has to offer.

When you are back to your hotel, grab a light breakfast and get ready to head out for your first stop of the day. This is wine country and you're on vacation, it's okay to start drinking before noon. A beautiful first stop for a tour and tasting is also the first sparkling wine we're suggesting at Mumm Napa.

Mumm is yet another place we used to be wine club members. Everytime I mention being a wine club member somewhere, you can conjure up a mental image of us having a really good time, lots of wine being poured, and then Wendy saying "I LOVE it here, we should be club members."

Be sure to reserve a full tour along with your tasting. The tour is very informative and sheds some light on the process used to make sparkling wine sparkle. It also covers some of the myths associated with sparkling like "I always get a heachache when I drink champagne." (Turns out, you get a headache when you drink cheap champagne because the bubbles are injected CO2 instead of naturally forming CO2 from the yeast.) 

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