Geyserville

Up where the Alexander Valley rolls toward the Mayacamas, Cabernet is king and the pace is gloriously rural: a few blocks of historic main street, a general store, and a pizzeria worth the drive. Silver Oak, Coppola, and Ferrari-Carano are all close, their tasting rooms often near-empty. Stay among the vines, eat well on a quiet street, and watch the long northern light fall over the rows. Fewer crowds, bigger reds: long live Cabernet.