![Napa Off Beaten Path](https://www.smartertravel.com/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/doc-root/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/stm53befea601cc720140710.jpg.webp)
Hanging out with winemakers as you sip wine and enjoy the view of the valley. Tasting your way through a garden that’s a favorite of some of America’s best chefs. Zooming through the vineyard in an all-wheel-drive vehicle on your way to explore the ruins of a former winery: This is a Napa that anyone can experience, but very few actually do. Here are some off-the-beaten-path favorites from Napa native and guide Paul Bailey.
Related story: Behind the Scenes in the Napa Valley
Image Gallery
![A Tasting Tour of the Secret Garden](https://www.smartertravel.com/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/doc-root/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/stm53bf04d419b7720140710.jpg.webp)
A Tasting Tour of the Secret Garden
Ryan Hill (pictured, right) leads small tasting tours around Peter (pictured, left) and Gwendolyn Jacobsen's small but fascinating orchard and farm.
![A Tasting Tour of the Secret Garden](https://www.smartertravel.com/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/doc-root/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/stm53bf04d419b7720140710.jpg.webp)
A Tasting Tour of the Secret Garden
Ryan Hill (pictured, right) leads small tasting tours around Peter (pictured, left) and Gwendolyn Jacobsen's small but fascinating orchard and farm.
![Santa Rosa Plums at Jacobsen Orchards](https://www.smartertravel.com/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/doc-root/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/stm53bf01881af1a20140710.jpg.webp)
![Future Escargot](https://www.smartertravel.com/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/doc-root/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/stm53bf057d0717c20140710.jpg.webp)
Future Escargot
Snails that have been feasting on the abundance at Jacobsen Orchards wait for local chefs to come and collect them.
![Off-Roading Through the Vineyards](https://www.smartertravel.com/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/doc-root/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/stm53bf0419ebc9c20140710.jpg.webp)
Off-Roading Through the Vineyards
A tour at The Terraces includes an exciting drive through the rows of grapevines as well as a stop at the ruins of the original winery.
![The Vinegar House at The Terraces](https://www.smartertravel.com/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/doc-root/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/stm53bf036a9054a20140710.jpg.webp)
The Vinegar House at The Terraces
Six barrels of decreasing size, each made of a different wood to impart a new flavor into the vinegar, is part of the traditional Italian style of aging balsamic vinegar.
![Traditional Aged Balsamic Vinegar](https://www.smartertravel.com/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/doc-root/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/stm53bf025bb670320140710.jpg.webp)
Traditional Aged Balsamic Vinegar
As part of the tour at The Terraces, you can taste small-batch balsamic vinegar being aged in the traditional Italian style.
![Under the Blue Oak at Aonair Wines](https://www.smartertravel.com/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/doc-root/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/stm53bf00cfb74b820140710.jpg.webp)
Under the Blue Oak at Aonair Wines
This beats a traditional tasting room any day. Sit in the shade with Aonair winemaker Grant Long, Jr., and learn about grape growing, wine making, and what makes mountain grapes so special.
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