Days of Wine & Horses : At valley's edge, away from crowds, finding quiet at a B&B among hilly vineyards

In the afternoon heat, a couple of the ranch cats were napping under chaise lounges on the patio. They barely opened an eye when Paul and I claimed spots right above them. What a way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon: reading good books in this bucolic setting, sipping lemonade and cooling off with an occasional dip in the pool. Later, along with a few other B&B guests, we joined Jim at the winery, a small aluminum-sided building located between the stables and the vineyards. He showed us the 2-ton "valley bins" that had been delivered that afternoon. In a few days, they would be overflowing with harvested grapes. Paul and I bought several bottles of RustRidge wine (at the 20% discount offered to B&B guests) to take home.