Yountville Guide: The French Laundry Gardens, Bouchon Bakery, RH Wine Vault & Walkable Tasting Rooms

Located 15 minutes north of Downtown Napa along Highway 29 (and connected directly by the car-free Napa Valley Vine Trail cycle path), the tiny town of Yountville (population 3,000, named after pioneer George Calvert Yount, who planted the very first grapevines in Napa Valley right here in 1836) holds more Michelin stars per square mile than almost any town on Earth. Best of all, its 1.6-kilometre main street (Washington Street) is 100% flat, pedestrian-friendly and has free public car parks at both ends.

1. The 'Thomas Keller' Walk on Washington Street

Chef Thomas Keller transformed Yountville into a global culinary hub, and you don't need a three-Michelin-star dinner reservation to experience his restaurants along three blocks of Washington Street:

1. Walk Through 'The French Laundry Culinary Gardens' for Free (6640 Washington St): at the corner of Washington and Finnel Streets stands the landmark ivy-clad 1900 stone cottage of The French Laundry (built as a Scottish saloon in 1900 and operated as a French steam laundry in the 1920s). Right across the street lies Keller's 3-acre organic Culinary Garden, where the public is welcomed to stroll the gravel paths through the vegetable rows, greenhouses and chicken coops for free (pick up a self-guided garden map from the box at the entrance).
2. Queue at 'Bouchon Bakery' (6528 Washington St, Opens Early Morning): two blocks south, grab a warm Almond Croissant, Kouign-Amann, TKO ('Thomas Keller Oreo') or raspberry macaron to enjoy in the courtyard next to French bistro Bouchon.
3. Ad Hoc + Addendum (6476 Washington St): Keller's casual four-course family-style comfort-food restaurant, famous from Thursday to Saturday in spring and summer for its backyard walk-up Addendum Buttermilk Fried Chicken lunch box.

2. Walkable Yountville Tasting Rooms, 'RH Yountville' & Chandon

Leave your car parked all afternoon and walk between Yountville's tasting lounges: order a flight of boutique wines under olive trees and crystal chandeliers in the courtyard of RH Yountville (Restoration Hardware Wine Vault and Glasshouse Restaurant), taste expressive reds among contemporary art at Stewart Cellars, Handwritten Wines, Silver Trident, Hestan Vineyards and Priest Ranch (which offers a famous Bacon & Wine Pairing), and walk 10 minutes west across the footbridge to the sparkling-wine gardens of Chandon.