2009 A Tour of Napa Valley Wine Country From a Birdseye Perspective

Most Napa Valley visitors use a vehicle as a means of transportation while touring their favorite wineries.  A little known alternative means of transportation while visiting wine county can be found by looking skyward at the color speckled horizon.  There you will find a group of hot air balloons which can be rented by the public and provide the viewer a very unique perspective of the Napa Valley.  Balloon tours are generally one hour in length and from a height of 2,000 feet you can glimpse a vast expanse of the valley floor few have been lucky enough to witness.  The Balloon baskets can accommodate between 6 and 12 passengers so everyone can partake in this once in a lifetime experience.  During the tour the balloon's pilot will serve as a guide for local points of interest as well as answer any questions the passengers have regarding their view of wine country. 

A typical balloon tour leaves at dawn and the passengers are welcomed with a continental breakfast and a brief safety orientation by the pilot.  After orientation and breakfast the group is transported to the launch site and met with the sound of the inflator fans filling the balloons and the roar of the burners during the pre-flight test.  During lift off there is a rush of the burner and then silence as the balloon slowly drifts aloft over the vineyards and treetops.  From this vantage point the wineries and mountains seem to disappear behind the clouds as the balloon calmly drifts with the wind.  On descent passengers are met in a field of mustard yellow wildflowers by Napa Valley sparkling wines and an early Champagne brunch.  This is one of the most memorable and unique ways to experience Napa Valley wine country and everyone should experience it first hand.