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By Jordan Simon

Here’s a sampling of recommended family-friendly options, listed by town. Most are clustered as tightly as old-vine Zinfandel grapes along the parallel arteries, though several branch off on scenic, corkscrewing mountain roads.

Allot at least one hour for a full-scale tour and tasting, and factor in travel time. Complex county ordinances require some wineries to open by appointment only, but call ahead for hours and reservations — even at the largest facilities. Don’t be shocked to discover that most charge for both tours and tastings (although the fee is often refunded with a purchase, or includes a tasting glass engraved with the winery logo). Sampling library (older) or reserve wines costs even more. Trust me: once you've seen one crusher, pump, fermentation tank and cellar, you've got the idea, so this listing highlights wineries — and other activities — that offer something unique, especially for the whole family. Research options on the Internet first, since there’s a bewildering array.

Note that many wines, from playful experimental blends to serious single-vineyard bottlings, are available only at the winery's gift shop (often along with an astonishing array of logo merchandise, cookbooks, stemware and gourmet food items). If you love a winery, consider joining its (usually free) wine club: you'll receive newsletters, discounts, invitations to special events, even releases unavailable to regular consumers.

Note: Unless otherwise stated, area code is 707.

Napa area:

Artesa Vineyards & Winery is absolutely stunning. Resident artist Gordon Huether created six sculptures to encircle the main fountain, resembling a mythic, alien Stonehenge crossbred with aerodynamic jet fighters. Waters cascade down the staircase leading to the entrance. The sleek minimalist design – concrete and glass literally growing out of the hill – achieves dramatic results in the Tasting Room. Prints and photographs trace the region's history, natural history and geography in the Carneros Center, while the museum contains fascinating winemaking casks, presses and other antique implements dating to the parent company's 16th-century founding. Best of all are the 360-degree panoramas taking in the Napa Valley’s Carneros winegrowing region and San Francisco Bay. Open daily 10am-5pm. (1345 Henry Rd., 224-1668/ www.artesawinery.com)

The Hess Collection presents still more proof that that Napa’s wine industry paints on a broad canvas indeed. Swiss magnate Donald Hess began collecting in the 1960s. Art — and the input of struggling artists passionately concerned with social change and ecology — profoundly affected his business practices and philosophy. "I can sleep with the worst business problem, but art keeps me awake," Hess quips. The 1903 three-story stone building housing the winery, tasting room and museum has been compartmentalized. The ingenious gallery design features windows onto the vineyards, fermentation room, barrel chai (cave) and bottling operation, ensuring a continuous dialogue between Hess’ passions. Several pieces are overtly political. Argentine Leopoldo Maler’s Hommage (1974), an Underwood typewriter spouting "fire" rather than words, seems playful on the surface, yet pays tribute to the artist’s uncle, an essayist believed murdered by death squads for expressing his opinions. Crowd (1986/7), by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz, depicts a horde of freestanding headless bodies fashioned from burlap and resin. It’s both a powerful indictment of totalitarianism and a hopeful symbol of Solidarity’s faceless workers. These pieces present a wonderful opportunity for fun, meaningful conversations about world affairs with your children. Open daily 10am-4pm. Free; tasting: $3 (4411 Redwood Rd., Napa, 255-1144/www.hesscollection.com)

Additional suggested stops: Domaine Carneros, Pine Ridge, Shafer

Domaine Chandon was indeed started by famed Champagne house, Moët & Chandon, in 1973. The grounds, vistas and artworks are sublime, as is the restaurant (best known for hedonistic 7-course paired dinners). The tour does a remarkable job of explaining the complex process of making sparkling wine. Open daily; hours vary by season as does the schedule of free tours. (1 California Dr., 944-2280/ www.domainechandon.com)

Robert Mondavi Winery is not just a pioneer in American viticultural innovation. As the founder’s wife, Margrit Biever Mondavi, states: "For our family, wine is art — and all the arts, whether painting, music or gastronomy, enhance our quality of life and speak to the heart. We strive to create that atmosphere for ourselves and our guests at the winery." As Vice President of Cultural Affairs, she instituted concert series, arranged lectures on food and wine’s role in civilization and mounts free, rotating exhibits by famous and promising artists in the winery’s Vineyard Room. Kids often play touch football and Frisbee on the expansive lawn while their parents take in-depth tours or cooking classes. Sculptures by San Francisco’s renowned Beniamino Bufano, including one of his trademark oversized depictions of St. Francis of Assisi (symbolizing world peace), as well as a mosaic of physicians originally commissioned by the World Health Organization, adorn the grounds. Children adore clambering over his fanciful kid-sized animal statues, including an elephant, dromedary and camel. Open daily 10am-5pm. Tours from $25. (7801 St. Helena Hwy. (Rte. 29), 800-MONDAVI/968-2213/ www.robertmondaviwinery.com)

Niebaum-Coppola Estate occupies a glorious 1870s mansion, formerly the groundbreaking Inglenook Winery. Film fans can’t resist the self-guided tour of Francis Ford Coppola’s personal memorabilia collection, including artifacts from The Godfather flicks and an actual Tucker car. Open daily 10am-5pm. (1991 St. Helena Hwy., 800-782-4266/968-1177/ www.niebaum-coppola.com)

Across the street, St. Supéry offers one of the finest educational self-guided tours (fee), from maps of the region that clearly explain the appellation concept to a demonstration vineyard. And if you've ever wondered how wine can smell or taste of chocolate or lemon, take whiffs at the innovative Smellovision Center. Open daily 9:30am-6pm. (8440 St. Helena Hwy., 963-4507/ www.stsupery.com)

Mumm Cuvée Napa, another famed California bubbly house, is most enchanting when the outdoor patio overlooking the vines is open. But even in winter, the winery’s world-class photo galleries sparkle in their own right. The stunner is the Private Collection Gallery, holding 27 original, signed Ansel Adams prints loaned by his grandson Matthew. Memorable masterpieces include Moonrise (Hernandez, New Mexico), Monolith (the face of Yosemite’s Half Dome) and Winter Sunrise (a view of the Sierra Mountains, taken near the town of Lone Pine). The beautifully textured images vividly evoke the American West’s fast-vanishing landscape. The Main Gallery presents 3-4 rotating exhibits annually, many traveling from prestigious institutions. Open daily, 10am-5pm. (8445 Silverado Trail, 967-7700/ www.mummcuveenapa.com)

Both cult-wine producer Jayson Pahlmeyer and San Francisco über-chef Gary Danko tab Rutherford Hill Winery as the ultimate picnic site. It isn't so much the wines, which are quite lovely, it's the stunning panoramas of the entire valley at this aerie perched even higher than Auberge du Soleil from picnic tables shaded by oak and olive trees. Stop by nearby Oakville Grocery, Dean & DeLuca, or Sunshine Market for gourmet sandwiches, buy a Rutherford bottle as a courtesy, and drink in thousands of vines as far as the eye can see. Open daily, 10am-5pm. (1673 St. Helena Hwy., 963-7194/ www.rutherfordhill.com)

Other notables: Cakebread Cellars (fascinating commitment to pairing wines with healthful foods and lifestyle), Caymus, Chappellet (fabulous gardens), Grgich Hill

Founded in 1876, Beringer Vineyards is the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley (and the first to offer guest tours back in 1934). There are several tour options, including a Blush-Wine-and-Food-in-Balance hands-on demonstration of food/wine pairing. The highlight for families is the 1884 Rhine House, an ornate 17-room Victorian mansion built from California native materials (stone, redwood, slate) by founding brother Frederick Beringer to replicate the family home in Germany. The interior displays a wealth of craftsmanship. Six-foot-high wainscoting embellishes each room with hand-carved German white oak in the foyer, dining room and gentlemen's smoking room, intricately finished with mahogany, walnut, oak, maple and other decorative woods. The Art Nouveau stained glass windows in each room depict various themes, related to the room’s main activity (butterflies and wild flowers add a feminine touch to the windows in the original ladies' parlor, while the dining room scenes feature trout, wild game, cheeses and fruit in delicately painted panes). Open daily 9:30am-6pm; complete tour: $5 (2000 Main St., 963-8988/ www.beringer.com)

Other local favorites: Duckhorn, Heitz, Joseph Phelps, Markham, V. Sattui (another great picnic spot) and Villa Mt. Eden.

Calistoga area:

Sterling Vineyards is sterling indeed for families. The price is worth it for the aerial tram ride (spectacular views) up to the winery. Once there, younger kids are given crayons and coloring notecards. Children can sip sparking juice while their parents imbibe sturdier drink. The self-guided tour includes 100 of the 500 prints in the Sterling Vineyards Portfolio of Wine Art & History. Some aspect of wine inspired each etching, engraving, woodcut and lithograph. The impressive collection, dating to the 15^th century, includes works by Daddi, Picasso, Renoir, Matisse, Nash, Daumier, Maillol, Chagall, Currier & Ives and Altdorfer. Through the exploration of wine, sub-themes emerge, from biblical to mythological. There are fascinating insights into viticultural history and period costumes and equipment: illustrations of vineyards dating to the 17^th century; virtually extinct varietals’ botanical descriptions; a cork-making entry from Diderot’s famed 1762 Pictorial Encyclopedia of Science, Art and Technology; even a hand-colored German woodcut from 1500 touting wine’s medicinal value. The collection’s real revelation is how little some habits have changed: one Italian 1700 etching depicts tasting wine with cheese and bread, as we do today, while a 19^th century French cartoon satirizes the bourgeoisie pontificating on the merits of wines. Open daily 10:30am-4:30pm; $15; under 21, $10 (1111 Dunaweal Lane, 942-3344/ www.sterlingvineyards.com,)