Originally published on CaliforniaHomeDesign.com

As the days get hotter, we hanker for refreshing sips, indoor escapes and evening saunters. July is a great month in Wine Country to get in some arts and culture while you chill-out and cool down.

Take an exclusive tour of a stunning Wine Country art collection with Kathryn Hall
Kathryn Hall, former ambassador to Austria under two Presidents, is now the ultimate ambassador of Napa Valley food, wine and the arts with this limited series of Art & Wine events at her personal residence high above Rutherford. This intimate tour of world-class contemporary art is seen through the lens of a true collector who lives with, and is inspired daily by, the art surrounding her. Art & Wine includes a visit to Hall Winery’s Austrian brick-laid cave and ends with a sumptuous three-course lunch with wine on the patio overlooking the Napa Valley. July 18, August 15 and September 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; $125 per person, reservations required.

Culture crawls at Festival del Sole
Whether it’s to a cool theatre or a cool jam, there are plenty of diverse live performances to see during the 10-day Festival del Sole in Napa Valley. Check out festival premieres such as the improvisational 24-Hour Plays performed by actors like Chris Noth (of The Good Wife) on Saturday, July 14, or the Dance Gala on July 20 featuring select Bolshoi Ballet dancers performing with the Russian National Orchestra and whiz kid Conrad Tao on the keys. Festival del Sole supports up-and-coming artists, like local Indie group Alma Desnuda, performing their California acoustic soul at Long Meadow Ranch & Farmstead on July 21. Lavish lunches and dinners abound during the festival to sate the soul and the senses. July 13 - 22; Lincoln Theater and other locations in the Napa Valley, prices vary.

Click here for three more awesome summer Wine Country events!