Biking the Cabernet Trail: Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District Launches Appellation Designated Bicycle Program

NAPA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In one section of Napa Valley, the vineyards are about to get even greener today as the Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association (SLDWA) becomes the nation’s first AVA to launch its own, official bicycle tour program in conjunction with the 2010 harvest season. Featuring exclusive tasting experiences for tour participants at 12 of the District’s 19 wineries, the program also offers catered picnic lunch and complimentary service for wine delivery to a customer’s vehicle or neighboring accommodation so cyclists remain unencumbered while touring.

“The Stags Leap District is one of the region’s most accessible destinations, featuring relatively flat terrain just a few miles north of the city of Napa and directly adjacent to popular Yountville”

“The Stags Leap District is one of the region’s most accessible destinations, featuring relatively flat terrain just a few miles north of the city of Napa and directly adjacent to popular Yountville,” notes Nancy Bialek, Executive Director of the Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association. “The fact that the District is all of three miles long and one mile wide and yet offers visitors a wide range of winery experiences amongst the members makes the Stags Leap an ideal AVA for bicycle touring, regardless of fitness or athletic ability.” The program is expected to bring over 2,000 visitors to the Stags Leap District without the use of a single vehicle.

“We applaud the Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association for their vision and leadership in the world of wine tourism,” comments Eliot Hurwitz of the Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency. “We believe that this kind of program will be a prototype and a role model for future AVA-sponsored initiatives in Napa County, the U.S. and the world. Wine country touring can be experienced in a manner that reduces congestion and the carbon footprint on what is a fragile agricultural region.”

The SLDWA has asked Napa Valley Bike Tours to present the District’s official bicycle tour program http://www.napavalleybiketours.com/tours/stagsleapdistrictbiketour/index.html. Located in Yountville, Napa Valley Bike Tours is the only operator that can gain access to the exclusive tasting experiences offered by the District to its Bicycle Tour Program participants, including several wine cave experiences and private tasting locations. The day-long (six hour) guided tour option is offered for $149 and includes equipment rental, tasting opportunities in exclusive settings (tasting fees extra), catered lunch, personal guide, and local wine delivery. Five dollars of each tour is being donated to the Napa Vine Trail, a local non-profit Valley-wide initiative working to enable bicycle touring throughout the entire Napa Valley (www.vinetrail.org).

The Stags Leap District Winegrowers member wineries participating in the District’s new bicycle program include: Baldacci Family Vineyards, Chimney Rock Winery, Cliff Lede Vineyards, Clos Du Val, Hartwell Vineyards, Pine Ridge Vineyards, Regusci Winery, Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Steltzner Vineyards, Taylor Family Vineyards and Terlato Family Vineyards.

For more information on the Stags Leap District, visit www.stagsleapdistrict.com. Tours can be booked by visiting www.napavalleybiketours.com or by calling (800) 707-BIKE.

The Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association is a non-profit association of neighboring vintners and growers who work together to grow the reputation of their wines and appellation, and share the appellation’s quality with the wine loving world. The Association is comprised of 19 wineries, including the 12 listed above, as well as: Lindstrom Wines, Stags’ Leap Winery, Ilsley Vineyards, Malk Family Vineyards, Silverado Vineyards, Shafer Vineyards, and Robinson Family Vineyards.