The enigma that is San Francisco summer--chilly and foggy when the rest of the country is starting to wilt--is easily remedied by a trip north. There are wineries in Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino that have gorgeous gardens where you can picnic, look at art, play bocci ball, learn about permaculture, and even let your pets frolic in the dog run. All the while you are enjoying fruits of the vine. These are great places for a day trip to soak in the sun and feel like you've had a vacation.

Napa

Besides their wine, The Hess Collection has two big draws: their courtyard garden and their art collection. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a placard with a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson "a weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered." Here plants are allowed to self-sow themselves to create the sense of an alpine meadow; this field is sectioned into strips running at a vertical angle and it's surrounded by a vine covered walkway and framed by Redwoods and ferns to imitate the natural world. This garden was designed by Peter Walker, who was deeply influenced by the art of Frank Stella when he was starting out as a designer. The second bonus to this vineyard visit is their art collection, which includes many heavy hitters like Robert Motherwell, Francis Bacon, and Robert Rauschenberg. As you tour the artwork and pause at the Frank Stella paintings, the geographic lines and repeated patterns seem vaguely familiar.

Rutherford

Frog's Leap Vineyard in Rutherford California is as much a homestead as vineyard and a magical spot in Napa Valley. In the summer, their flower garden is in full bloom you can wander the paths from huge clusters of Matilda poppies to swaths of lamb's ears and clusters of yarrow and lavender. They have a chicken coop and at times goats to help mow high weeds and grasses. Their dwarf fruit trees are abundant, and lucky visitors during peach season get sent home with fruit. After touring the gardens and grounds, sit on the porch and have a leisurely wine tasting. A flight of four wines and small plate of cheese, crackers and dried fruit cost $15.00. It is a great deal and even a few hours here will make you feel like you've been on vacation. Make a reservation for a farm tour and tasting at 800-959-4704 or email ribbit@frogsleap.com.

Sonoma

Stop by the vineyard and winery Chateau St. Jean and wander the marvel that is their Mediterranean Garden. Italian classics like gnarled olive trees and shrubs of rosemary border the perimeter. White roses bloomed profusely between the tightly pruned boxwood corridors, lemon trees are in terra cotta pots and archways led to smaller patios and the bocci ball court. Take a picnic, buy a bottle of wine and sit on the patio and enjoy. Edith Wharton described the charm of the gardens of Italy: "The traveler returning from Italy, with his eyes and imagination full of the ineffable Italian garden-magic, knows vaguely that the enchantment exists; that he has been under its spell..." You may feel the same about the Chateau St. Jean.

Sebastopol

If you find yourself thirsty for some Russian River Chardonnay or Pinot Noir while near Sebastopol, stop at Lynmar Winery . They have shaded tables throughout their stunning flower gardens. You can bring a picnic lunch and pair it with their wines while watching honeybees and hummingbirds suckle lavender and salvia. If they let you, walk up the dirt road and poke around Quail Hill Ranch. A little more rustic than the tasting room, but it still has that golden, California glow.

Healdsburg

Wine, food, design, and garden enthusiast should be excited about the recent opening of the Medlock Ames Tasting Room & Alexander Valley Bar. They employed a dream team of eco-minded designers, and the outdoor space includes a farm-style table amidst a grove of 30 year-old olive trees and a fire pit seating area. The table has a metal insert that holds ice running down the center for chilling your white wines. In fact, the plug on the drain for this is the exact size of a wine cork. We hope the landscape architect, Jeffrey Longhenry, project manager for Nelson Byrd Woltz has on a patent on this. A grid of galvanized raised beds grow seasonal edibles for wood-fired pizzas, and fruits and herbs for use in crafting cocktails at the speakeasy bar.

Booneville

The Navarro Vineyards & Winery in the Anderson Valley appellation is known for their Pinot Noir, and they have a red blend from 2008, Navarrouge that tastes like smoke from the wild fires that year. If you like the novelty of tasting natural history, buy a bottle of this and some local cured meats they carry in their tasting room, or a bottle of dry Gewürztraminer and some local cheese and go sit under their pergola. It's a lovely spot shaded with wisteria vines that overlooks rows of grapes. And they have a dog run, so bring your pooches, and let them play while you do.

Calendar Buzz

This exhibition isn't opening until this fall, but it's worth buzzing about.

SF MOMA
November 20, 2010 - April 17, 2011

How Wine Became Modern looks at the material and visual culture of wine over the past three decades and offers a fresh way of understanding the contemporary culture of wine and the role that architecture and design have played in its transformation. The exhibition will include aerial photographs of wine-growing regions as well as winery architecture, wine labels, and glassware.

But if you're itching to get to SF MOMA before then, mark your calendar for the Meat Paper and Blue Bottle Event on June 17th at the Rooftop Garden café for a tasting as part of the museum's third Thursday springtime event series, SFMOMA: Now Playing. Local chefs will create dishes and desserts featuring edible flowers. 6-8pm The rooftop event is free with half-price museum entry. (Free for SFMOMA members.)Tasting plates $5

Then take your dad out to McEvoy Ranch for the Father's Day Weekend Hike. The hike includes steep, uneven terrain along unpaved dirt paths----so they advise you wear sturdy shoes, dress in layers, and be prepared for a vigorous jaunt as we make our way through the natural beauty of the Ranch. After the 1 hour long walk, then it's on to the milling room, where they explain the process of extracting olive oil. The experience concludes with a rustic post-hike snack, dad-style.
Price: $50
Date: Saturday, June 19, 2010
Time: 10:00am - 12:30pm