Yountville is a small town of roughly 3,000 people in the heart of the Napa Valley, and it punches far above its weight as a food destination. Thomas Keller's The French Laundry — consistently ranked among the world's best restaurants — is here, along with his more casual Bouchon and Ad Hoc. The concentration of serious kitchens in a place this size is extraordinary.
Beyond the restaurants, Yountville sits amid some of Napa's most celebrated vineyards. The town itself is compact and walkable, lined with art galleries, boutiques, and wine tasting rooms. The Veterans Home of California, founded in 1884, occupies the southern end of town and gives Yountville an unusual historic character that most Napa Valley stops lack.
The main street, Washington Street, is where most visitors spend their time — strolling between meals, browsing the galleries, and settling into a wine bar for the afternoon. Domaine Chandon and a string of small tasting rooms are immediately at hand; the appointment-only Dominus Estate winery, with its Herzog & de Meuron building, is just west of town. Yountville is an easy base for exploring the wider Napa Valley, with Napa city to the south and St. Helena to the north.