Wine Country for the Underage - Part 1

Napa, California is known across the country as having best wine in the nation. But for a teenager, wine is not an option. Luckily, this beautiful area has much more than alcohol to offer. With my frequent trips to Napa, I have discovered some of Wine Country's best hidden treasures.

I always start my day at Corner Stone Sonoma. As the sign states, there is food, shops, wineries, and gardens. Corner Stone is known for their designer gardens. They select designers from across the country to come and create a modern area. Each receive about 1,800 square feet, and they do amazing work with the space.

Daisy Border by Ken Smith

Small Tribute to Immigrant Workers by Mario Schjetnan

Eucalyptus Soliloquy by Walter Hood & Alma Dusolier

by Mark Rios

The Knowledge of Man is as the Waters by UC Davis Students

Attention!! Potager by Scott Daigre

Corner Stone has two iconic pieces: a blue oversized adirondack chair, and the (now deceased) 'blue-ball' tree.

by Claude Cormier, this is the blue tree at its prime,

and this is it today. The tree itself has died, all of the branches have been chopped off, and the 'ping-pong' balls are faded and broken.

A great part of Corner Stone is that entrance to the gardens is free; this was not always true but as of the bad economy, they have adjusted their rates and are currently booking special events. This has become a very popular destination for weddings. However, Corner Stone is much more than just gardens. They have a wide variety of shops to fit many interests. My personal favorite is Zipper. It sells very modern merchandise including home decor, jewelry, kids and dogs. Other stores are listed here.

This adorable guy sits with his brother outside of Zipper.

Look out for more from Napa coming soon.