You don’t have to cruise the South of France or trek to the hillsides of Germany to find some of the most delightful wine country in the world. California’s own Napa Valley, guarded by the Vaca Mountains on the east and the Mayacamas Range on the west, produces a palette of distinctive wines.

Napa Valley is located about 60 miles northeast of San Francisco, and visitors usually fly into Oakland, Sacramento or San Francisco and rent a car for the postcard trek to the wine country.

A sort of Disneyland without the rides, this landlocked retreat breathes new air into tired lives, whether you’re visiting for a weekend or a week.

The small inland valley is cooked by the summer sun, but cooled by the curling fog off San Pablo Bay in the south. The climate and the soil make it a perfect environment for grapes. The vines first arrived with the Spanish missionaries from Mexico, but the good padres at the San Francisco Mission never stomped a grape because the Bay area’s pervasive fog made it impossible to cultivate hearty vines.

The cooler southern end of the valley enhances wines like the burgundies, while the warmer north end is perfect for zinfandels, petite sirahs and barberas. The mid-section specializes more in the cabernets, merlots and cabernet francs.

The good news is you don’t have to choose. You can taste your way through 242 wineries along the valley floor – just be sure you elect a designated driver and arrive with a healthy thirst.

Most wineries charge for tastings, with the price determined by the quality of the brew.

Highway 29 is the modern thoroughfare coursing through the countryside, but paralleling it to the east is the old Silverado Trail dotted with dozens of wineries and wide vistas of the ripening crop. In the spring, the hillsides are plated with blazing wild flowers; in the fall, leaves are burnished red and gold and harvesting begins, with the crush starting between late September and the end of October. The trail, which serpentines around the foothills, was once a wagon path and later a thoroughfare when the highway was inundated with heavy downpours (which still occurs occasionally).

Some of the better winery tours include Mumm of Napa Valley in Rutherford, Calif. Tours are held daily on the hour beginning at 11 a.m. Here you can see the huge stainless steel vats that house the juice at various stages and the complex automated machinery that processes the liquid from sour grapes to nectar of the gods.

Robert Mondavi in Oakville, Calif., also hosts a series of terrific wine tours, depending on your particular interests. They recommend reservations at (888) 766-6328. Or you may visit www.robertmondaviwinery.com to plan your visit.

You probably won’t want to miss Francis Ford Coppola’s Neibaum-Coppola winery in Rutherford with daily tours from 10:30 a.m. ((707) 963-9084), or the 18th-century-style chateau of Domaine Carneros in Napa, Calif., which offers tours by reservation only at (707) 257-0101.

The beautiful Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga, Calif., offers self-guided tours; call (707) 942-3344.

Hot-air ballooning is a popular (and legal) way to get high in Napa Valley. St. Helena, Yountville and Calistoga all feature wine ballooning.

Many packages include champagne breakfast or picnics following the approximately one-hour flight. Costs range between $185-$200 per person.

The Napa Valley Museum (closed Tuesday) is located on the grounds of the Veterans Home in Yountville, Calif., and is dedicated to helping viewers understand more about the history and the makeup of the valley.

Warrens of wine caves were once dug into the earth to store the barrels at optimum temperatures.

Beringer in St. Helena and Schramsberg in Calistoga feature the oldest valley caves.

Merryvale Winery in St. Helena was the first to be built in Napa Valley after the repeal of prohibition. The winery hosts wine tastings, which run between $4 and $15, every day from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Call (707) 963-7777.

On the second Saturday of the month, they hold informal barrel tastings for $3 a person. Even if this is wine before its time, it’s worth it to descend into the dark and oak-infused bowels of the winery.

There are also off-the-beaten-track wineries where you can actually talk to the owners, sip some of their produce and glean the insider’s view of the valley.

One of these is Elyse Wine Centers on Hoffman Lane in Napa, a family affair that must be booked by appointment, (707) 944-2900.

Napa Valley is dotted with picturesque towns like St. Helena, Oakville, Rutherford and Calistoga, each displaying its own unique characteristics.

Calistoga offers hot mineral springs – reminders of ancient volcanic eruptions – and its very own geyser.

From the town of Napa you can take the fabled Napa Valley Wine Train to St. Helena, following the route that was blazed by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1870.

The ride features brunch, lunch or a full-course dinner while en route.

A champagne dome-car excursion with a four-course lunch and a glass of champagne runs $89 per person. The price includes the train fare, meal, coffee or tea and dessert. For information, call (800) 427-4124.

Accommodations are plentiful in this 30-mile valley, from chain motels to frilly B&Bs and elaborate estates. The Yountville Inn starts at $175, (800) 972-2293. Carlin Cottages in Calistoga feature individual cottages with studio-type living room-bedrooms and small kitchens. They run about $95, (800) 724-4624.

Napa Valley Lodge in Yountville costs about $250 for a standard room, (800) 368-2468, while the Inn at Southbridge in St. Helena charges about $330 weekdays and $430 on weekends, (800) 520-6800.

But for the ultimate experience, nothing can compare to the elegant Meadowood Napa Valley in St. Helena. Set on a private estate with 250 acres of woods surrounding it, the property gives guests the feeling they’ve been dropped in the middle of the Black Forest. With pines, oaks and redwoods towering above, the site offers golf, tennis and swimming, plus – believe it or not – croquet.

Each secluded cottage features its own wood-burning fireplace (they do the wood-splitting for you), polished deck and spectacular view.

Wine tutor John Thoreen offers cultural excursions through Meadowood. Thoreen, an expert on the area and the wines, customizes his lessons according to his students’ wishes and orchestrates both bicycle and motor tours. More information is available at www.winetutor.com.

Of course, there’s a fully equipped spa for hours of pampering and hiking trails all around the property where you can see as many as 30 different kinds of birds, as well as the occasional wildlife.

Ideal for weddings, honeymoons or anniversaries, Meadowood’s prices start at $515 weekdays to $575 on weekends, (800) 458-8080.

Where there’s good wine, of course, there’s great grub. Quaint, unique and haute cuisine restaurants punctuate the valley. Top choices among locals are Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena, Wappo’s Bar & Bistro in Calistoga, and Hurley’s Restaurant & Bar in Yountville.

Tra Vigne in St. Helena features scrumptious Italian cuisine and The Grill at Meadowood is a favorite for casual dining. Of course, Taylor’s Refresher, the great American hamburger stand in St. Helena, is a well-worn landmark and a bargain to boot.

Best of all is the simply titled Market in St. Helena. Nick Peyton and partner-chef Douglas Keane looked around at all the chi-chi continental restaurants in the valley and decided to go for something completely different: American food.

They serve victuals like meat loaf, pulled pork and macaroni and cheese. Monday night is prime rib dinner and there’s not an empty seat in the house. Not to be missed is Keane’s trademark homemade ice cream, a cross between ice cream and mousse. You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted this $5 treasure.

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IF YOU GO:

BEST TIME TO VISIT: April through November, with harvest in late fall. Winter can be rainy, but off-season prices are much lower. You can also save by visiting on weekdays.

INFORMATION: www.napavalley.com. A site with most every kind of information you need for a visit. There is also information at www.wineinstitute.org, www.napavintners.com, www.winecountry.com or www.ilovenapa.com, for a different view and some inside information.

TEMPERATURE: Varies from the cooler south to the warmer north. The temperature could be 100 degrees in Calistoga while it’s 80 in Napa. The weather is most temperate in spring and fall.

NAPA VALLEY CONFERENCE & VISITOR’S BUREAU: (707) 226-7459.

NEAREST AIRPORTS: San Francisco, 56 miles to Napa; Oakland, 50 miles to Napa; and Sacramento, 60 miles to Napa. Napa has a small airport for private planes.

TRANSPORTATION: Out of Napa you can book a limo, van tour, rental cars or taxis.

COOKING SCHOOL: The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena holds cooking demonstrations Monday-Friday at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Admission is $12.50.

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(c) 2004, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

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PHOTOS (from KRT Photo Service, 202-383-6099).

AP-NY-04-26-04 0956EDT