California's Napa Valley BY ZOE CONRAD What dog can resist a picnic? Northern California’s Napa County offers wonderful spots to share our picnic baskets with our dogs. A good place for this is Alston Park, in the heart of the city of Napa (which has an enlightened off-leash policy in many parks). This park is 157 acres of rolling hills, great vistas of the Valley, picnic tables under large oaks and over 2 miles of trails. It is surrounded on three sides by vineyards and contains an old orchard, so in early spring, it is a good place for smelling the blossoms. Only one area is "officially" off-leash, but they are very off-leash tolerant in the whole park. (Take the Trower Rd. Exit, west off Hwy 29, entrance 1/2 mile down at Dry Creek Rd.) One of the main reasons for visiting Napa is, obviously, for wine tasting so we looked for some wineries that allow dogs (leashed) on their grounds. We first tried Francis Ford Coppola’s Neibaum-Coppola Winery (Hwy 29 in Rutherford) and were lucky to find the director, his wife and friends sitting around a courtyard table. When asked about his dog policy, bemusingly, he replied that "we have an open and tolerant policy to all god’s creatures," but added that he "wouldn’t want the winery to become a haven for dogs." I guess we’ll have to cancel our Bark tour buses! But a dog-loving employee told us about a hidden picnic area up the hill in back of the tasting room. Again, a idyllic spot for views and eating. If you didn’t pack a picnic basket, don’t fret, you can always get your supplies at Oakville Grocery or V. Sattui Winery on Hwy 29 in St. Helena has a deli and an ample and inviting dog-friendly picnic area. The Tra Vigne restaurant, & its pizza cafe, Tomatino (Hwy 29 on the southern edge of St. Helena), serve pasta, salads, focaccia sandwiches, pizzas etc. and permit leashed dogs in their pleasant, shaded courtyard areas; a kind busboy even served water to our dogs. Cuvaison Winery (4550 Silverado Trail, Calistoga) actually allows dogs into their small tasting room and has three small picnic areas opened to dogs. Freemark Abbey Winery (3022 N. St. Helena Hwy) and Folie à Deux Winery (3070 N. St. Helena Hwy) also have shaded picnic areas that are welcoming to our dogs. Even if you don’t care to shop, the toney outlet stores in St Helena (Hwy 29) have picnic tables along the back of the center. While in St. Helena visit Fideaux (1312 Main St.), a store for something a little special for your dogs. I can get Nell’s favorite treat there, something coyly called a beef "stick", but Nina, at Berkeley’s Waggers, tells me that it’s actually dried beef penis, comes in three tantalizing sizes. Our dog Nell loves them. On the way back home you can stop for a leash-free stroll along the Napa River in Napa’s Kennedy Park (from Hwy 29, take Imola Ave. east to Soscol Ave., turn right on Streblow Dr., follow it past the golf course). Lots of speed boats so not suitable for a doggy swim but a pleasant, shaded, level one mile river trail, and just what your dog might need to sleep all the way home. Photograph: Chris Crumley HOME | TOP | CONTACT US | ABOUT THE BARK | WEBMASTER ALSTON PARK take the Trower Rd. Exit, west off Hwy 29, entrance 1/2 mile down at Dry Creek Rd. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA'S NEIBAUM-COPPOLA WINERY Highway 29 in Rutherford V. SATTUI WINERY on Hwy 29 in St. Helena TRA VIGNE RESTAURANT Hwy 29 on the southern edge of St. Helena CUVAISON WINERY 4550 Silverado Trail Calistoga FREEMARK ABBEY WINERY 3022 N. St. Helena Hwy FOLIE A DEUX WINERY 3070 N. St. Helena Hwy OUTLET STORES St. Helena Hwy 29 NAPA KENNEDY PARK from Hwy 29, take Imola Ave. east to Soscol Ave., turn right on Streblow Drive, follow it past the golf course