Certain places draw me back again and again, and the wine country of Northern California ranks high among them. I still feel a thrill as I cross the Golden Gate Bridge, knowing that I will soon arrive in one of the world’s leading wine regions. Others may be more scenic than Napa and Sonoma — Chianti and South Africa’s Franschhoek Valley immediately spring to mind — but few have a comparable concentration of world-class resorts and restaurants. After last year’s wildfires, it would be understandable to imagine the entire area charred black. As devastating as the fires were, however, the valleys remain extremely beautiful, with sun-soaked vineyards backdropped by rounded mountains and threaded by winding allées. Hotels, restaurants and wineries are open once again, and most (as of this writing) are operating normally.