There’s a saying that one person’s floor is another person’s ceiling, and in the greater scheme of things, that saying is not about architecture but about finance and opportunity. For those of us who live in between the tourist meccas of San Francisco and the Napa Valley, it also means boon or bust. And even though Labor Day weekend is the traditional end of the summer tourist season, there really hasn’t been much of a tourist season to end. I’m not going to go into the “what” or the “why,” but I do know that the tourists just aren’t here, at least not in the numbers we are used to seeing.

While that’s a financial drag for local businesses, it’s certainly a boon for the locals themselves. Want a dinner reservation in San Francisco? No problem. Need a spa day in Calistoga? Also, no problem. On a recent visit to a Sausalito art gallery, the owner offered me a 95% discount when he found out I was a local. I thought he was kidding. He wasn’t.

Recently, I found myself up in the Napa Valley for a few days. I thought the impromptu nature of my sudden trip might be a problem. But it wasn’t. The last time I had been at one particular winery in the summer tourist season, there had been nearly 1,000 other people there. That same winery today? I walked right in and joined the eight other people there for a wonderfully intimate experience.

But I suspect this won’t last, so get up there and check things out, because the Northern California Wine Country is still one of the most spectacular places on Earth. And it might even be more so without all the tourists.

Here are three places you might not want to miss. Be sure and tell them you’re a local!

Domaine Carneros, Napa

It might not be the south of France, but it sure feels like it. And it’s only less than an hour from Marin! It looks just like a French chateau, and that’s because it is — sort of. Founded by the Taittinger Champagne family in 1987, it’s now a joint venture between them and the Kobrand Corporation. The building is modeled after the family’s estate, Château de la Marquetterie, which is located in Pierry, France, and certainly exudes Louis XIV vibes — or Louis XV, or even Louis XVI. You may simply stop by for a visit or to purchase items in the gift shop, but tastings are by reservation only. However, when I called at 11:50 a.m. I was able to book a noon tasting on the very same day. Domaine Carneros is one of the few California makers of sparkling wine that produce versions outside the narrow dry — brut range most often seen in the United States. There are actually seven levels of dryness in classical champagne designations, not just two. Their demi-sec and ultra brut are two of my personal favorites. Domaine Carneros also produces some fine still wine as well. Tours are not available at the moment, but it’s really the ambience that one goes for. And the sparkling wine!

• Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily at 1240 Duhig Road in Napa. Must be 21 years old. For more information or to book a reservation, go to domainecarneros.com.

Benziger Family Winery, Glen Ellen

Benziger Family Winery sits right next to Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen — not to be confused with Jack London Square in Oakland — around an hour from Marin. The winery is owned by Livermore’s The Wine Group, purchased in 2015, but the Benziger family is still involved in many of the operations at the certified biodynamic 85-acre site. Biodynamics isn’t really what most people think it is, and Benziger gives the most comprehensive tour available explaining the process. Walk-ins are welcome, and children are allowed in the tasting room and on the tractor tram tour but must be accompanied by an adult at all times. I walked in on a Wednesday and was easily able to join a tour. Groups of nine or more require advance reservations, as do the more extensive tribute tours and seated tastings. If you do book the tribute tour, be sure to say hello to the Scottish Highland cattle.

• Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 1883 London Ranch Road in Glen Ellen. For more information or to book a reservation, go to benziger.com.

Inglenook, Rutherford

Is it Niebaum? Niebaum-Coppola? Coppola Estate? Inglenook Winery? Or simply Inglenook? Well, since 1975 it has been all of those. Owned by director Francis Ford Coppola (“The Godfather,” “Apocalypse Now,” “The Outsiders,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”), the winery has vacillated between wanting to be associated with his films and/or wanting to be connected to the Inglenook wine legacy. At one point, there was a film museum on the property that included a real Tucker automobile from the Coppola film “Tucker” as well as a suit of armor from his Dracula movie. Coppola purchased the rights to the Inglenook name in 2011, ironically from The Wine Group that now owns Benziger. And since then, it’s been just Inglenook, and it’s been all about the wine. There’s still a wonderful museum, but gone is the Hollywood stuff, and in its place is winery ephemera, some antique movie viewers and a gas lantern collection. And there’s still an antique car, but the extremely limited-production Tucker — 50 were made — has been replaced by a 1934 Chrysler Airflow — 55,000 Airflows were made.  That’s still an amazing automobile, but certainly not a Tucker. Children are allowed on the property, and even though the website clearly states reservations are a must, you can just stop by for a tasting and a look around, like I did on a random Tuesday. The Bistro serves some small bites, and the gift shop is magnificent. And there’s wine, delicious wine, in abundance, and it runs the price gamut from affordable to ridiculous. Whatever its name, Inglenook might be one of the most beautiful properties you will ever see, fit for fabulous wine or Hollywood royalty, and it’s less than an hour away.

• Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 1991 St. Helena Highway in Rutherford. For more information or to book a reservation, go to inglenook.com.

Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. I and II,” the host of the Barfly Podcast on iTunes (as seen in the NY Times) and an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.