An easy drive from San Francisco, Northern California's sun-drenched wine country is a favorite destination among devotees of food and drink. Napa Valley, home to many prestigious, big-name Cabernet Sauvignon producers, draws the heaviest tourist traffic. Napa visitors spill from buses at lavish tasting facilities and indulge in local spas, gourmet gift shops and some of the most sophisticated, creative restaurants in the United States.

But crowds can dull the countryside's charm. And like the price of good Cabernet, the costs of Napa dining and accommodation are steep. For wine lovers who prefer the less trodden path, we recommend driving farther north, to the wild, craggy shoreline of Mendocino County and its lush, rolling vineyards in the Anderson Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area).

The Anderson Valley is still characterized by small-production wineries, family-run bed-and-breakfasts and pristine vistas of forests and meadows. The rugged Mendocino County landscape will delight travelers who intersperse wine-tasting experiences with explorations via mountain bike, kayak, canoe or on foot.